Sweet Potato Strata

Happy New Year! As we all settle into the reality of our New Year's resolutions being harder than we anticipated, and wishing it were easier...why not figure out how to make delicious food better for you throughout the year! Fad diets serve a purpose if "weight loss" is one of your 2017 Goals, but they are short-term, and rarely, sustainable--simply because "going to extremes" for long periods of time is the exception rather than the norm when it comes to human beings and their food palate.

Rather than eliminating everything you love, find ways to tweak the recipe to improve nutritional content without sacrificing flavors;and, without losing the pure joy of eating good food. Why not start with this delicious base recipe from Cooking Light--packed full of sweet potatoes, onions, chicken sausage and reduced on the heavy cream and cheese content!

Want to mix up the ingredients--go for it! I used extra sweet potato and added a medium onion to the sausage mix. So, if "trying something new" is one of your New Year's Resolutions...here's a great way to start! 

Sweet Potato Strata

(Adapted from Cooking Light Kid's Cook section)

Equipment:

8"x8" Pyrex Baking Dish

Large Mixing Bowl

Ingredients:

6 slices of Italian Bread, toasted slightly and torn into 1" chunks
1 (8oz)++ sweet potato, microwaved until 'almost done', peeled and cubed 
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
6 oz of bulk chicken sausage or chicken sausage breakfast links, sliced
3/4 cup of Monterrey Jack Cheese, grated and divided
1 3/4 cup of 2% milk
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
5 eggs, slightly beaten
Cooking spray
Maple syrup

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Preheat oven 350F degrees.

3. Prep bread and microwave sweet potatoes.

4. Saute sausage and onions. 

5. Combine bread, potatoes and 1/2 of cheese sausage and onions in large mixing bowl.

6. Add slightly beaten eggs, milk, cream and spices mixture to the mixing bowl, and then add to your prepared 8" x 8" baking dish.

7. Let soak x 20 minutes. 

8. Top with remaining cheese, sausage and onions, and cover with lightly sprayed foil.

9. Bake at 350F degrees x 25-30 minutes, then bake another 20 minutes without foil. 

10. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving...then, drizzle with maple syrup, if you are so inclined, and enjoy!

Invite some starving friends over for a late Sunday brunch! Add some fresh fruit and coffee...and, there will be a new place to meet for the weekend!

(Serves: 6 / Serving Size: 1/6th with 2 tsp of syrup / Calories: 336 / Fat 12.8g (5g Sat) / Protein: 18g / Carb: 36 g / Fiber 2 g / Sodium 574 mg)

Tips:

• No Money:
• don't use meat at all--this will reduce fat, calories, salt and money!
• save any stale bread you have in the freezer for when you are making stuffing or strata 
• No Waste:
• sweet potatoes store easily and for a long period 
• great way to save stale last pieces of loaf of bread that no one wants to eat
• No Equipment:
• Large Bowl
• Baking dish
• Skillet
• Large Toaster Oven / Regular oven
• No Skills:
• review some of my early blogs--How To Saute Mushrooms (can use for onions as well)
• can you toast bread?
• can you stir stuff around a bowl?
• if not, you will need to learn some basic skills to make this simple recipe
• No Health
• add more sweet potato
• cut the meat for reduced fat, sodium and calories
• original recipe does not add salt
• original recipe only uses 2% milk--try it without the cream 
• No Time:
• some prep work needed, but easy
• approx 35 minute
• 6 nice servings

Quick Steak Fajitas For College Living

Visiting Jon this weekend for his 21st birthday included a trip to the grocery store! He has astutely realized that meat proteins easily throw any college food budget off kilter! (Nonetheless, with family picking up the tab, he decided at least one pork tenderloin was deserved in celebration of this monumental life milestone!) 

Additionally, high protein consumption, red meat especially, can wreak havoc on your health and waistline as well as contribute to excessive carbon foot printing in terms meat industry costs, raising animals, transportation / fuel and emission costs, et cetera, et cetera! 

Be mindful not only of how much meat you consume, but also, from where you purchase your foods whether meats, veggies, fruits! Buying local does so much more for you, the producer and the environment. Simple things make such a difference!

Finding simple ways to make meat a part of the meal, but not the main attraction, will keep your tastebuds, wallet, waistline and environment happy!

It's a win-win! Shop smart. Cook smart. Eat smart. 

Quick Steak Fajitas For College Living

Equipment:

1 large skillets (2 skillets, ideally--dinner is done quicker that way)

Mixing bowl

Food tongs (optional)

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs Beef Top Round (cheaper cut of beef), thinly sliced against grain will help tenderize the meat

2-3 peppers, sliced

1-2 large onions

1 jalapeno, diced

1 serrano, finely minced (if you really don't like spicy hot...skip this addition)
Garlic Powder 
Onion Powder

Splash of lemon or lime

Salt & Pepper

The Add-Ins
ChiHuaHua cheese, crumbled or grated

Sour cream

Salsa

Guacamole

Flour or corn Tortillas

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Prep veggies and set aside.

3. Thinly slice meat. 

4. Season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. 
(It should almost look white). 

5. Let me sit at room temperature x 30 minutes and allow flavors to soak in. Have all ingredients ready to go before you begin cooking the meat / veggies. 

6. Sear your veggies in 1Tbls olive oil first if using one pan; or, simultaneously with the meat if using two skillets.

7. Heat 1 Tbls olive oil over MED-HIGH heat and add the meat to the skillet until brown and seared.

8. Warm your tortillas in a toaster oven at 250F degrees for a few minutes.

This meal is ready to go! Start stacking everything together.

3 Step Coconut Macaroons

Need some sugar in your life quickly? A backup dessert? Or something to take to dinner? Say no more! 3 Steps, that's it!

Check it out!

(Adapted from Fresh Flavor Fast / Martha Stewart cookbook)

3 Step Coconut-Lime Macaroons

Equipment:

Baking sheets

Parchment paper

Mixing bowl

Handmixer

Ingredients:

3 large eggwhites

14 oz shredded, sweetened coconut

1/2 cup sugar (I use 1/3 cup)

Pinch of salt

Optional: 

1-2 tsp zest of lime

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Borrow a hand mixer with adequate power to beat egg whites.

5. Step 1: Whisk together egg whites, sugar, and salt until foamy and frothy.
6. Step 2: With a fork, stir in coconut (and zest if using).
7. Step 3: Form small peaked mounds of batter on the baking sheet. 

8. Bake @ 350F x 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

9. Once they are done, cool on wire rack (if you have one).

10. Dip in chocolate sauce for extra flair and goodness. Use Boston Cupcake recipe.

Classics: The Diner Cheeseburger

College students spend an exorbitant amount of time trying to study in just about any location, and diners are an obvious choice, because of long operating hours and cheap (rarely good) food--they are known as "greasy spoons" for good reason. No doubt some diners make the best fries and burgers--something about them, right? (see below)

Problem is: the food at most diners is frequently cheap cuts, poorly made, re-heated frozen food, and high in fat and calories, all while you are sitting there for hours on end!  Don't waste your precious college funds! Get the bad bottomless coffee, but save your cash--you can make most any diner food at home--usually at a fraction of the cost, but with twice the flavor, and often with leftovers for the next day! Especially, those simple, thin, seared cheeseburgers!

Postpone any urge to order food if you are close to going home!

Instead, use your precious college dollars to buy quality ingredients on your way home, i.e. lean beef, humanely raised--less fat, more flavor, better all around for you and the environment. And with the classic, thin "diner-style" cheeseburgers, one pound will give you roughly 5 patties--so, why not invite some friends over while you are at it!

One of the best executions of this concept I experienced at Gott's Roadside Diner in Napa, California. If you are going to indulge in red meat once in a while...do it in style with the best...make it totally worth it! Expect no less!

Classics: The Diner Cheeseburger Make Your Own

Equipment:
Rolling pin or large bottomed bowl
Seran wrap
Non-stick skillet / griddle
Spatula to create pressure

Ingredients:
100% Humanely Raised, Organic Ground Sirloin, 90% Lean
American Cheese
Lettuce
Onions
Pickles
Mayo
Ketchup
Mustard
Sesame Buns, toasted with a dusting of butter
1 tsp butter
Drizzle of olive oil

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Prep your condiments.
3. Equally divide meat into roughly 4-5 patties and lay between seran wrap.

4. Use a large-bottom bowl or rolling pin to flatten to 1/4" inch thick. Salt & Pepper!

5. Heat your skillet on MED-HIGH with a drizzle of olive oil and 1 tsp butter.

6. Make sure all patties have room in the skillet. 

7. Use a spatula / flipper to create pressure on the patties while you sear the meat, approx 1-2 minutes until carmelized.

8. Flip the burger and brown another 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat off.
9. Add your cheese.

10. Build a better burger!
--toasted, lightly buttered bun
--condiments
--the works as you might like it

Awesomely simple and better!