Sweet Potato Spoon Bread

Happy New Year to my beloved readers! The holidays were great, but I am happy to be back in my routine and on track food-wise. Today was my first day totally on plan in a long, long time. 

I received a plethora of cookbooks for Christmas, so I am starting to crack them open to find some tasty new recipes.  I was most excited about getting Heidi Swanson's first cookbook - Super Natural Cooking. When I saw this spoon bread recipe, I knew that I couldn't live without trying it. I had never tried spoon bread before, but the idea of a casserole-like dish with sweet potatoes and goat cheese was exciting to me. I was surprised by the texture (like a cross between stuffing and mashed potatoes - in a good way), but the taste was as fantastic as I envisioned. It could be served as an entree with a green salad or as a side dish.

I'm posting the recipe now, because I want you all to see its sweet orange-y beauty, but I do think that I can get the points down a bit lower. Maybe a little less butter? I'll play around with it next time I make it and edit the recipe if I can drop a few points.

Original inspiration:  Super Natural Cooking

Servings:  6 generous portions

WW: 9 points plus per serving

Ingredients:

3 cooked medium-large sweet potatoes, peeled (I baked up some sweet potatoes last night and then just scooped out the flesh when I started cooking tonight)

1/3 cup unsalted butter

4 large shallots

6 ounces goat cheese

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (or white whole-wheat flour)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper

1 cup boiling water

3 large eggs

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat and then add the shallots. Cook the shallots, stirring frequently, until they are golden and the butter has browned, which should take 8-10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the goat cheese with a fork until it is fluffy and light. I needed to add a tablespoon of water, since my goat cheese was a bit dry.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Begin to add the boiling water slowly, first making a paste and then just working to make sure it is all incorporated. It is OK if the batter is a bit lumpy. Add 3 cups of the sweet potatoes to the bowl and blend. Stir in the shallots and browned butter. Then, stir in one egg at a time and mix until well combined.

Pour the sweet potato mixture into the prepared casserole dish and top with the whipped goat cheese. Using a spatula, press the goat cheese into the mixture and even out the top of the sweet potatoes. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the goat cheese begins to color and the sweet potatoes have set.

Heidi Swanson recommends serving the spoon bread topped with a little Parmesan cheese, but I found it unnecessary. The sweetness from the potatoes and tang of the goat cheese didn't need anything extra. Enjoy! 



Slow Cooked Apple Butter

I've been making apple butter for years. I love to set the crock pot at night and then wake up to the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, and apples all throughout my house. This is easy as can be and you can slather it on fresh bread, scones, muffins, or even roasted chicken or pork chops. I love a few tablespoons in my morning oatmeal. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!



Original inspiration: Cooking Light
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (around 32 servings per pot)
WW: 1 pointsplus per serving

Ingredients: 

• 10 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks (around 2.5lbs cut up)
• 1/4 cup local honey (the generic stuff is disgusting and mostly just corn syrup)
• 1/4 cup apple cider 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (unpacked)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Method:

Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker and set on low for 10 hours. The apples should be very tender at the end of this time.

If you have an immersion blender, blend the cooked down apple mixture until smooth. If not, you can press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and discard the apple pulp. The immersion blender saves time and is much less messy. Either way, return the smooth apple mixture to the slow cooker. Turn it up to high and cook uncovered for 90 minutes or until the mixture is thick, stirring occasionally.

Transfer into a bowl or mason jar and refrigerate for up to a week (it won't last that long). If you double your recipe, jarred apple butter with a cute, crafty label makes a beautiful hostess gift for holiday parties!

Butternut Squash Risotto with Pancetta, Tarragon, and Monterey Jack

Monterey jack cheese in risotto? What? I know...it sounds weird, but this recipe is great! We've made it quite a few times. This risotto recipe is great because there isn't constant stiring. While it is cooking away in the oven, you can drink wine and watch jeopardy. Enjoy - I certainly did!

Original Inspiration: Cooking Light

Serving Size: 4 (about 3/4 cup)

WW: 9 pointsplus (for a dish with bacon & cheese - not bad!)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups) Cooking spray

2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 1/3 cups water

2 tablespoons red wine (the recipe calls for madeira or marsala wine - I've always just used whatever red I have on hand)

1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon

4 ounces chopped pancetta (i always buy this at Trader Joe's, pre-chopped and around $2.50)

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice

2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, cubed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Fresh tarragon sprigs (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Put the squash on a cookie sheet covered in cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, flip the squash, and then bake for 10 more minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Combine broth, water, wine, and tarragon in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Keep warm over low heat.

Cook pancetta in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove pancetta from pan; drain on a paper towel. Discard pan drippings. Add onion and oil to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add rice to pan; sauté 1 minute.

Stir in broth mixture; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes. (Do not stir; rice will have a liquid consistency similar to stew.)

Place pan in oven; bake at 325° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Stir in the squash, pancetta, cheese, salt, and pepper.

Cover with a clean cloth; let stand 10 minutes (rice will continue to cook). Sprinkle with pine nuts. Garnish with tarragon sprigs, if desired.

Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

I love mashed potatoes, but they are so bad for you and typically lack any nutritional benefits. This recipe helped me make decadent tasting mashed potatoes, but still get a couple of those good health guidelines met. They are great served with roast chicken!

Original Inspiration: I think I got inspired while watching Everyday Food on PBS
Servings: 2 (double or triple the recipe for more people)
WW: 5 pointsplus per serving

Ingredients:

12 ounces of small red potatoes, skin on (the creamer potatoes work well)
4 teaspoons olive oil (buy the high quality stuff!)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste


Method:

Steam potatoes for around 30 minutes or until your fork slides out of the potatoes very easily. I am sure that you could also boil the potatoes, but I have always steamed them in my steamer basket on the stove.

The potatoes should be very easy to mash at this point. Add olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mash! They look good on the plate garnished with extra lemon zest or chopped chives. So good and you can both of your healthy oil servings for the day!