Baked Sweet Potato with Coconut Oil + Avocado Mash

"If you don't take care of your body, then where are you going to live?"

**Another post I did for Sakara Life...enjoy!**

Like many of you, I'm sure, the more I learn about food, the more my diet evolves. I'm at a place now, where if it doesn't make me feel good and look good, I really don't want anything to do with it. As someone who has dealt with skin issues for the entirety of their existence, learning about all of the amazing beauty benefits that go hand-in-hand with a whole foods diet has been incredible, and really encouraging in those "I might just eat an entire pizza" moments. For the reasons I wouldn't be caught dead smoking a cigarette, are the same ones keeping me from a "happy meal." Because I like myself way too much to deal with premature aging, even if it requires a lot more time in the kitchen. Lucky for me, time in the kitchen is my favorite time of all, but for those of you who feel the exact opposite, this one's for you. If you're running on empty, and you don't know a carrot from a turnip, eating a healthy meal can take as much or as little effort as you like. This recipe (if you can call it that) is for those days when you can't be bothered to do anything more than to turn the oven on, because Mondays are hard for me too.

If you can wait the hour it takes to bake a potato, and not devour the leftover cake on your counter, then cheers to you, you're halfway there. Grab an avocado (because seriously, what doesn't taste better with avocado), and some coconut oil, and you've got yourself a facial in the form of dinner. And because we're really into ourselves, of course we went with a sweet potato. The candy-like cousin to your standard Idaho is packed with vitamin A and betacarotene, the same ingredients your probably paying an arm and a leg for in your fancy night creams. The coconut oil you've replaced the butter with is a solid pat on the back, for these 75 reasons and more. Finished with a healthy spread of mashed avocado, and you're wondering who invented sour cream anyways.     

Baked Sweet Potato with Coconut Oil + Avocado Mash

I found these incredible purple sweet potatoes at my local health food store. 

They just scream superfood to me. 

1 sweet potato

1 tablespoon coconut oil (organic, unrefined)

1/2 ripe avocado

juice of 1/2 a lime

pink himalayan salt (or sea salt)

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Make a few slits in your potato to let steam escape, and toss it in - I like to cook mine on a baking sheet, to catch any drips. Depending on the size of your potato, it should take about an hour to be cooked through. 

Once cooked, slice your potato open, sprinkle with salt and stir in the tablespoon of coconut oil. On a separate plate, mash up the avocado half with some more salt and the lime juice. Spread the avocado mash onto the potato, and dig in. 

Balsamic Vegetable Stir-Fry

Did You Know? In its early days, balsamic vinegar was available only to the nobility and the artisans who made it. It was believed to be a miracle cure for everything from a sore throat to labor pains, and even used as protection against the plague.

I'm trying to break up all these cupcakes with some real food, but it's been pretty hard when graduation parties and cookouts have become the norm. I made this pasta dish the other day for lunch, trying to get myself out of a sugar coma. We had spent the night before baking cupcakes and frying doughnuts (which I promise to share soon), and my stomach could not take one more ounce of frosting or sprinkles.

I pretty much scanned my fridge, and grabbed whatever seemed appetizing at the time, trying to use up some produce before we had to throw it away. Bell peppers, carrots, onions, and peas are what I used here, but definitely just use this recipe as a guideline, tossing in whatever is convenient for you. A large handful of torn basil, and some chopped scallions rounded out the flavors, and added some much needed green. I've been pretty hooked on feta these days, so I tossed a few large spoonfuls of that in too. I love the sharp flavor you get from such a small amount. Finished with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and you have yourself a pretty satisfying lunch or dinner. I enjoyed it the next day with some pan-fried tofu chunks, and highly recommend that route as well.

Balsamic Vegetable Stir-Fry

12 ounces penne pasta (I used Basil & Garlic Penne from Trader Joe's)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup fresh basil, chopped or torn
4 green onions, white and pale green parts sliced thinly
Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, and empty into a large serving bowl.

Meanwhile, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion, cover and let cook until translucent, 5 minutes or so. Add red pepper, and season with salt and pepper. Cover again for another 5 minutes. Remove cover, lower heat a bit, and saute until onion begins to caramelize and turn golden, another 10 minutes. Add shredded carrots, and cook for another few minutes. Add chopped garlic, and cook for 2 minutes more, making sure not to burn the garlic. Remove from heat, add the frozen peas, and spoon over pasta. Add the basil and green onions, a few drizzles of olive oil and a few drizzles of balsamic, and toss together to distribute flavors. Sprinkle with feta, toss again, and enjoy!

Chickpea, Tomato, & Barley Soup

Did You Know? Grains found in pits and pyramids in Egypt indicate that barley was cultivated there more than 5000 years ago. The most ancient glyph or pictograph found for barley is dated about 3000 B.C. In fact, Historians report that up until the 16th century, barley was the most important grain on the European continent. It was also used as currency and as a measuring standard.

Trying to keep my promise of cooking more from the magazines I subscribe to, this next recipe is from a past issue of Body and Soul, a division of Martha Stewart. If you're not familiar with the magazine, I definitely recommend checking it out. It's full of useful health and wellness information, workouts, recipes, and sustainable living advice, but with that Martha Stewart flair we all love. The pictures are beautiful, and the companies and products featured somehow seem to make their way onto my grocery list each and every week.

This particular soup recipe has become a family staple ever since I first made it many months ago. I don't know why I never shared it here, but I'm guessing it's because I never got around to photographing it before the pot was empty. I'm always looking for thick and hearty soups to prepare. Something that will fill me up on its own, and not as a side to some other dish. With 19 grams of protein, and 12 grams of fiber, this soup is nutritious and satisfying.

The original recipe calls for spelt, but I substituted that with barley since its what I had on hand. We all like the flavor so much, I have yet to make the spelt version. That, and I've never seen spelt offered at any of my local grocery stores. I also top it off with cilantro instead of parsley. Mainly because of my recent obsession with this wonderful herb. Other than that, I followed the recipe pretty much to the T. Starting any soup with a mirepoix is almost a guarantee that you'll end up with a flavorful bowl. And the creamy chickpeas work wonderfully with the nutty barley and the spicy tomato broth. It also makes for great leftovers. Just make sure you have some extra broth on hand, because it thickens up substantially in the fridge. Served with a nice salad and fresh loaf of bread, lunch could not have been better.

Chickpea, Tomato, & Barley Soup
Adapted from Body and Soul Magazine

1 cup barley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch lengths
2 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

Rinse barley clean under running water. Place in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak for 1 hour; drain.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add bay leaves, paprika, cumin, barley, broth, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes or until barley is tender.

Add tomatoes and chickpeas and cook for 20 minutes or until flavors have blended. Discard bay leaves. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving.

Leek & Mushroom Quiche

Did You Know? Just like humans, mushrooms can produce Vitamin D upon exposure to sunlight and UV radiation. A four-ounce serving of Maitake mushrooms, produced by the Hokto-patented methodology, contained 85% of the Daily RDA for Vitamin D.

I was recently contacted by Suzanne Hardy of Edelman Public Relations, on behalf of my stuffed mushroom post a while back. Their Mushroom Council division was going to be launching a new site, The Mushroom Channel, and she was wondering if they could feature my recipe. I was so thrilled to help out, as mushroom are one of my favorite foods, so of course I said yes.

The Mushroom Channel is all about uniting the mushroom lovers out there while speaking to their versatility and nutrition. It's about sharing delicious, existing content, in a user-generated way. I've already spent hours gawking at delicious recipes, and thumbing through interesting information on their former site, so I know this new channel, with your help, is going to be great. It's an amazing site, so I encourage all of you to check it out and upload some recipes, while you enjoy some of this Leek & Mushroom Quiche.

Of course I had to post another mushroom recipe in honor of The Mushroom Channel, so after scouring the web for something delicious, Deb from Smitten Kitchen pulled through, as always. I've spent countless days drooling over everything she posts, not to mention her appearances in and on Martha (both magazine and television). This particular quiche, was adapted from Julia Childand came together beautifully. Filled with slightly caramelized leeks and mushroom, enveloped in a creamy custard base, and finished with a wonderfully golden and cheesy crust, it's brunch fare at its finest. In fact, we ate this quiche for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, feeling a little empty when the last crumb was gobbled up. This was the first quiche I had ever made, and I hate to say that I don't think it can be outdone. When you're on the hunt for a delicious, simply, and satisfying dish, look no further. Served with a simple arugula salad, I'll definately be making this again very soon.

Leek & Mushroom Quiche
Pate Brisee (freeze 1/2 for later use)
4 leeks, white & light green part only, sliced
1/2 cup water
Salt & Pepper
3 tablespoons butter, divided
6 large white mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups whipping cream (I did 1/2 skim milk & 1/2 heavy cream)
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Using half of the pate brisee, roll out the dough to fit a 9-inch tart pan (with a removable bottom). Press into pan, and trim edges flush with the sides using a rolling pin or knife. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent it from puffing up.

Line the crust with a layer of aluminum foil, and then fill the tart shell with pie weights, rice, or dried beans. Bake for 8-9 minutes, remove the foil and weights, and bake an additional 3 minutes, until the crust just starts to color. Set aside to cool.

Lower oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Boil the leeks over moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed, covered saucepan with 1/2 cup water, two tablespoons butter and a teaspoon of salt until the liquid has almost evaporated (watch carefully so it doesn't burn), this takes about 8-10 minutes. Keep covered, lower heat, and stew gently for 20 minutes until leeks are very tender, stirring occasionally. Set aside in a separate bowl.

Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan along with the sliced mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and vinegar. Cover pan and cook over moderately low heat for 8 minutes. Uncover, raise heat, and boil for several minutes until liquid is completely evaporated and mushrooms are beginning to saute in their butter. Stir cooked mushrooms into leek mixture.

Whisk the eggs, cream/milk, and a little salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl to blend. Gradually stir in the leek and mushroom mixture. Pour into the pastry shell, and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake in upper third of the oven for 30 minutes until puffed and golden-brown.

*You'll definately have extra filling leftover. I put mine in the fridge, and made scrambled eggs with it the next morning after adding a couple more eggs.*

F.Y.I.

I just moved back to school for second semester, so I'll try my best to keep the recipes coming. I never stop reading your pages, and I do look forward to all of your lovely comments, so don't go anywhere. Happy cooking, and wish me luck in the dorm kitchen!

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