Tasty Tuesday: SWEET POTATO SALAD WITH BACON

As many of you know, it has been recommended I try several different things in an effort to reduce MS symptoms and deal with my gastro issues.  Hubby came across a book by Terry Wahls, MD who has lots of success with this eating plan in reducing and in some cases getting rid of MS symptoms.  I have talked to several who are on this plan, and it works for them.  I am doing most of it anyway, so I figured I would go all the way.  The only change is that I will add some meat back into my diet, eliminate eggs and sugar while I increase fruits and veggies.  Hopefully, this will help with some of the new MS symptoms cropping up.  Thank you Naomi Wahls and Heather Christo for this yummy recipe.  This is from Wahls Protocol Recipes.

I love potato salad, but mayonnaise is not my friend.  So, this one sounds YUMMY!  The color and crunch from sweet potatoes, celery, and a bit of bacon sounds like the perfect combination. Serve this at your next backyard BBQ and no one will be missing the goopy white old-fashioned potato salad. 

PREP: 15 minutes     COOK TIME: 15 minutes     SERVINGS: 4 TO 6

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE:

• 1 red Fresno chili, seeded and minced
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄4 cup rice vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 4 uncured bacon slices, cooked until crisp and crumbled
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery hearts
• 1 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:

1. Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and simmer until just fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and briefly and gently rinse them with cold water. Set aside.
2. To make the mustard vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the chili, mustard, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil. Season with salt.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, bacon, celery, and green onions and toss with the mustard vinaigrette. Season with salt. Serve warm or at room temperature, or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Did you know????  SWEET POTATOES are one of nature’s best sources of vitamin A and a great source of vitamin C. One 8-ounce sweet potato will give you 100 percent of your recommended daily vitamin A. If you consume a little fat with the sweet potatoes (like the olive oil in the recipe here), it helps your body utilize all the vitamin A even more efficiently.

Want to take this YUMMY salad to you to work for lunch or maybe to the next barbeque???   Check out Thirty One’s Thermal Tote….  One of our most popular items, the Thermal Tote is the perfect-sized lunch bag for work, school, play dates, sporting events, golf outings, fishing trips or travel. The thermal lining and zipper closure help keep your food cool or warm, while an exterior pocket is the perfect place to keep your cell phone, wallet or other important small items. Also makes a great gift for your kids’ teachers, tutors and babysitters, or your coworkers, neighbors and friends!

The best part is…. they are on sale this month along with all of the thermal totes for either $10 or $15 with a $35 purchase.  This is a great time to stock up for the school year.  A size for everyone in the household.  Which one will you pick????

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day

 

Tasty Tuesday: Wicked Good Spices Vegetarian Chili

Today’s recipe is from my friend Rachel at Wicked Good Spice Mixes Co.  I was introduced to their amazing products at the Brick Farmer’s Market about two years ago.  Their spot was a must every week.  From flavored vinegar to organic olive oil to spice mixes.  The best part is they have a multitude of uses for some of their products.  Who would have ever thought of using flavored vinegar in seltzer water for a refreshing drink?

I made this YUMMY recipe this week.   I will admit, I had a brain fog MS day and despite having the directions in front of me I forgot the spaghetti squash, and the tomato paste BUT the end result was still delicious!

 Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash; sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash (peeled & diced)
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1 each of diced orange, yellow, and red bell pepper
• 2 whole heads of garlic, diced
• 4 tablespoons of wicked good wild canyon pepper blend/ or pigs can fly blend (add more spice if you like more heat)
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 24oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 8oz can of tomato paste
• 1/3 cup of olive oil

Directions:

1. Place olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat
2. Add onions and garlic.  Saute
3. Add bell peppers, sweet potato and squash. Sauté until soft
4. Add wicked good spices wild canyon pepper blend or pigs can fly. Mix thoroughly
5. Add corn, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste
6. Stir to blend
7. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until squash is fork tender

A Wicked Good Idea is Born

The main reason the company was started was to show people how easy, healthy and fun it can be to make a delicious meal at home!  Rachel always thought the hardest thing about cooking is how much of this spice and how much of that spice you should add.  So go ahead and throw all of those spices you use infrequently and start using our spice blends! They are fresh and economical!  Our blends are perfectly formulated to use for just about everything you like to cook.

The farmer’s market may be closed until the end of May BUT you can get these awesome products at the following locations:

Berry Fresh Farms, 151 Brick Blvd, Brick NJ 08723  (732)477-0606

Cream Ridge Winery, 145 Route 539 (PO Box 98), Cream Ridge, NJ 08514 (609) 259-9797

Dearborn Farm Market, 2170 Rt 35, Holmdel, NJ 07733  (732)264-0256

From The Garden, 353 Fairfield Road, Freehold NJ 07728 (732)866-1745

Cedar Post Farm and Garden Center, 147 NJ Route 70,  Lakehurst,NJ 08753 (732)270-8833

Delicious Orchards, 320 Route 34, Colts Neck, NJ  (732) 462-1989

New Egypt Marketplace, 53 Main Street, New Egypt, NJ 08533 (609) 458-7900

The Lusty Lobster, 88 Bay Ave. Highlands, NJ 07732 (732) 291-1548

Twin Ponds, Rt 9 Howell, NJ 07731

Lovelandtown Grocery and Provisions, 219 Bridge Ave, Point Pleasant,NJ 08742  (732)903-6855

Princes Farm Market , 1123 Mountain Ave, Mountainside, NJ 07092

(908)358-3311

Have a great recipe you want to share?  We would love to feature YOU!  If you try this, let us know what you think…

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Sweet Potato And Buffalo Chicken Casserole

I LOVE spicy food (hot Mexican is my favorite) but I honestly am not  big fan of “buffalo” or hot sauce.  Weird, right?

Serves: 4      Prep: 20 min      Cook: 50 min

Ingredients

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes;
5 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes;
1 tbsp. paprika;
2 tbsp. garlic powder;
6 tbsp. hot sauce;
½ cup olive oil or melted ghee;
1 cup bacon, cooked and cut into pieces;
1 cup green onions, sliced;
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 400 F.
• In a large bowl, combine together the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, hot sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the sweet potatoes and chicken, and stir to coat.
• Empty the bowl into a casserole dish.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
• Add the green onions and bacon to the dish and place back in the oven for another 5 minutes to let all the flavors combine.

This would be a great casserole to take on the road or to the next pot luck supper.  Keep it hot in Thirty One’s Perfect Party Set Thermal.

The Perfect Party Set expands to hold two 9” x 13” casserole pans inside 2 interior water-resistant thermal compartments. Handle grips make it easy to carry, while the exterior zipper pocket can keep additional items like utensils, baking instructions and additional ingredients secure during transport. It’s the most convenient way to take your favorite casseroles, desserts, appetizers and more to your next family picnic, neighborhood cookout, celebration or camping trip! Monogramming and personalization options available.  Approximate size: 4”H unexpanded, 7”H expanded x 16.25”L x 10.25”D

  

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Sweet Potato Muffins

I LOVE this recipe for a multitude of reasons but most of all because it is 100% gluten-free!

I haven’t made it but I have tried them….. it is tasty, and packed full of health benefits from the sweet potato like antioxidants and anti-inflammatories!.  You can substitute pumpkin in this recipe, if you want….BUT why?

The flesh of sweet potatoes contains high levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant which works to fight dangerous free radicals in your body. These free radicals can affect the DNA makeup of your cells, which can lead to mutations in the cells. This cell mutation is what leads inevitably to cancers of various kinds.  I LOVE the skin of a sweet potato especially when they are baked!

Sweet potato works against both chronic and acute inflammation, healing you of both.

Ingredients

1 small organic sweet potato, roasted (1 cup, packed)
3 organic free-range eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup of organic canned coconut milk
2 tablespoons of organic olive oil
½ cup of pure organic maple syrup
1 cup of organic brown rice flour
¼ cup of organic coconut flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon of ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Directions

• Pre-heat your oven to 400 ℉ and lightly oil a 12-hole muffin tray.
• When the oven reaches the right temperature, poke holes in your sweet potato and place it on the middle rack of the oven to cook for about 60 minutes, or until it is very soft. Once it’s cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool.
• Once the sweet potato is cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh from the skin and place the pulp in a mixing bowl. You can discard the skin, or eat it as a quick snack.
• The skin is actually packed with a lot of the same vitamins as the rest of the sweet potato.
• Add the olive oil, almond milk, and maple syrup to the sweet potato and mix until it creates a smooth mixture. In a separate bowl, mix your dry ingredients together until well combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the rest of the sweet potato and combine until everything is uniform.
• Pour the batter into the muffin pan, filling the spaces until ¾ of the way full. Place them on the middle rack and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife in inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Want to take these tasty treats with you in the morning or when you are out and about?  Try Thirty One’s Cool Clip Thermal Pouch.  This clip on thermal is ideal for carrying snacks. It easily attaches to a backpack, bag or tote. Also works well to hold medicine, sunscreen, makeup or small electronics. Approx. 8”H x 11.25”L x 3”D

Breakfast or snack on the go… a bottle of water and your muffin.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Sweet Potato & White Bean Burgers

Thank you  Tasty for today’s recipe!

 I am trying to make more of my own food instead of eating processed.  Veggie burgers are a quick go to for me teamed with a salad for dinner.  Here is an easy recipe which is only 3 FS points.

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato, roasted, peeled
• 15 oz white bean, 1 can, drained, rinsed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
• ⅓ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• canola oil (I use the spray instead of actual order to save points.
• chipotle mayo (optional, not included in point total)
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F/180˚C.
2. In a large bowl, add the roasted sweet potato, white beans, onion, parsley, lemon juice, and seasonings.
3. Using a potato masher, mash the ingredients until thoroughly mixed together.
4. Once mashed, add the bread crumbs and mix them in.
5. In a pan, heat a small amount of oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Place patties on buns, and top with chipotle mayo, avocado, and red onion.
7. Enjoy!

As I start cooking more and more from scratch, I findI need to get organized in the kitchen.  Tossed out the spices which have been there since the age of time and am starting fresh.  Containers instead of bags tossed on shelves makes it so much easier to find things  Organize your pantry so you can find things AND you know what is there.  I am forever buying new stuff because I couldn’t find something.

  

Did you know the Your Way organizing products are the customer special this month at Thirty One?  Check them out at our Facebook “Get Organized in 2018” event for more tips and tricks.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!