BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

Oh my goodness, these baked sweet potato fries are tasty AND low calorie!! Even my picky picky husband said they were good THREE TIMES during dinner. Now that is a record!!

 

 

 



Keep in mind that you are not going to get a crisp fry (because they are baked) but they ARE addictingly tasty and give you that "a little sweet a little salty" flavor that hits all the right
comfort notes. Crisp or not, I could easily eat a big bowl of these and not feel guilty at all....now THAT is saying something.

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon regular chili powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (see note)
1 tablespoon brown sugar

OK, a word about yams/sweet potatoes. Don't ask me which is which. I always buy the one with the deep orange flesh, so I'm calling them sweet potatoes in this post.

PRE-HEAT YOUR OVEN (with two DRY baking sheets in it) TO 425°F.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into French fries. Soak in water for one hour, then drain and pat them dry.

Toss the dried off potatoes with cornstarch. Keep gently tossing until the cornstarch is evenly distributed (I put them in a plastic bag to accomplish this...it's easier to toss).

Next sprinkle the potatoes with a tablespoon of vegetable oil and gently toss until well coated.

Mix all of the seasonings together and sprinkle over the oiled potatoes, mixing gently until they are all coated evenly.



When you are ready to bake the fries, remove the hot cookie sheets from the oven and generously spray them with vegetable spray. Divide the seasoned potatoes between the two sheets and spread them out so the fries do not touch each other.

Bake in PRE-HEATED 425°F oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs. Just watch them towards the end of the cooking time because the sugar in the seasonings will scorch/burn if left in too long.

After 12-15 minutes, reduce your oven heat to 375°F and flip the potatoes over and bake another 12-15 minutes.

You will know they are done when they are tender and the edges are darker. Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt.

They aren't the prettiest fries ever, but they are delicious.

 

 

ENJOY !!!

Note: If you like a little more spice, you can use chipotle chili powder INSTEAD OF the regular chili powder + smoked paprika.

Rice Salad Recipe

Healthy, fresh and easy to make. This rice salad is just what you need for these hot summer days

It's so hot today, I cannot believe it! I went for my run this morning and thought I was going to melt on my way back. Really!! The forecast says we'll have a high of  95 degrees for today and tomorrow (that's about 35 degree Celsius). And for those of you who don't know me, I'm in Southern California near the ocean, with an average temperature of about 70 degree all year long. Breezy and cool, and not extremely hot.
With this unexpected heat wave, I don't feel like baking or cooking very much. So here is one of my favorite dishes for these occasions. It's fresh, wholesome, light and easy to make.
This dish can be prepared a day before and can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. It's  perfect for a picnic or a barbecue. For a light dinner or to take along with you at work or school for a healthy lunch.

You can really make rice salad with many different ingredients. That's what I like about it so much. Change it up every time and make it fun. Today, I've prepared it with mixed pickled veggies, marinated artichoke hearts, olives, fresh mozzarella and hard boiled eggs. And of course, you need a drizzle of tasty olive oil and a sprinkle of chopped fresh basil. Sounds perfect, right?

Here is the video recipe for you.

Note, the quantities of the ingredients added to the rice are just to give  you an idea of what I did. But feel free to add or change anything as you prefer!

Ingredients: serving about 4

• 1 1/2 cups (300 gr) rice ( I used long grain)
• 3 hard boiled eggs
• 1 cup (180  gr) of giardiniera - mixed pickled veggies
• 1/2 cup (75 gr) of marinated artichokes hearts
• 1/4 cup (35 gr) of mixed pitted olives ( I used Greek)
• 6 oz (170 gr) of fresh mozzarella
• a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 3-4 leaves of fresh basil 

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Simmer the rice, as directed. it should take about 15 minutes.
2. In a separate small pan, hard boil three eggs: place the eggs in the pan, cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. When the water starts to boil, lower the flame to the minimum and let cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, run under cold water and peel.

3. In a large bowl, add the mixed pickled veggies, the artichoke hearts and the olives. All cut in small pieces.

4. When the rice is ready, drain and run quickly under cold water to cool it down. Drain well and add to the bowl with veggies.

5. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

6. Cut in pieces the boiled egg and salt to taste.

7. Add the eggs, mozzarella cut in small cubes, and the basil cut in smaller pieces to the rice.
Mix well. And adjust with olive oil if necessary.

Serve at room temperature or store in the refrigerator up to two days.

Buon appetito! 

Pasta Salad with Grilled Eggplant and Sun Dried Tomatoes

A fresh and healthy pasta salad with grilled eggplants, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella

 An irresistible combination of Mediterranean flavors!

 A hot weekend is coming up here in Los Angeles. I can't wait to jump in the warm ocean water and relax on the sand. And if, like me, you are planning to spend your Sunday at the beach or somewhere else fun, here is a great picnic lunch idea.

This pasta salad is very simple to make. It's vegetarian, healthy, fresh and very tasty. You can prepare it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. And then you just bring it along to the beach or park in your cooler.
I generally prefer eating this salad at room temperature (not cold from the refrigerator and not hot from the stove). I chose farfalle pasta this time, but you can really use any shape of short pasta. I would really not recommend spaghetti for a pasta salad.
Here is the recipe for you. And have an amazing weekend :)

Ingredients, serving 4 people:                  PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 1 medium eggplant
• a couple of whole sun-dried tomatoes (I used about 5 halves - Colavita, tomatoes in olive oil)
• 1 garlic clove
• 8 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese
• extra virgin olive oil
• oregano
• salt
• 12 oz pasta

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta.
2. Cut the eggplant in thin slices. Grill the eggplants, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt.

3. Cut the grilled eggplants in small strips. In a large bowl, add the eggplants, the garlic cut in slices, the sun-dried tomatoes cut in pieces and sliced garlic

4. Drain the pasta, run it under cold water to stop it from overcooking. Add to the bowl and mix well. Add the mozzarella cut in small cubes and mix again. Add more olive oil and oregano if necessary. Easy as that :)

Buon Appetito!

Italian Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes

A light and healthy vegetarian dish filled with Mediterranean flavors

These rice-stuffed tomatoes are just perfect for these hot summer days

This dish is just perfect for the summer. You can buy fresh tomatoes all year long (at least around here). But most of the times, I'm sorry to say, they have very little, or no flavor at all. You can easily figure out if a tomato is any good: just pick one up and give it a sniff, right by the stem... Don't be shy! I say, you have the right to smell your tomatoes before buying them. I always do :)
You will see, most of the year - no smell at all! But now, in the middle of summer, it's the exception and you can get delicious tomatoes. Go to the farmers' market and find some ripe (but not mushy), deep red, big tomatoes. If they have an earthy, fresh aroma, maybe like the smell of dry grass and sunshine ... then, you have a winner!

Once you find some great tomatoes, here is what you do. Very simple: cut the top off and empty the inside. Crush the pulp and use it to make a delicious risotto. In the risotto, mix some shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan cheese and some chopped fresh parsley. Don't leave these out! The stuffing would be nothing without the cheese and the parsley.
Before baking, fill each tomato with some risotto and surprise, surpriiiise! Add one small, fresh mozzarella (ciliegine) right in the middle. It's a soft, moist and cheesy addition that will make this not just your average stuffed tomatoes, but a deliciously fun, fresh and light dinner that everyone will love.

Enjoy :) 

Ingredients: 4 servings as main dish, 8 as side dish                     PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 8 large tomatoes 
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• half onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 8 oz (225 gr) of rice 
• about 2 tablespoons of chopped Italian parsley
• 1/3 cup (30 gr) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup (100 gr) shredded mozzarella
• 8 "ciliegine" (small) fresh mozzarella cheese or one large ball cut in eight cubes
• salt

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 45 minutes in the oven
Directions:

1. Cut the top off the tomatoes (save this part), and remove the pulp and seeds (save them in a bowl) using a small pointy knife and a spoon. Let the tomatoes rest on a plate upside down to drain while you prepare the rest.

2. Puree' the tomato pulp with a blender.

3. Chop half  onion, and crush a garlic clove (or chop it if you like a stronger garlicky taste). In a large pan, saute' the onion, the crushed garlic clove with two tablespoon of olive oil.

4. Add the rice, stir and cook for one minute. Add some of the pureed tomatoes (about half). And save the rest if necessary. Salt to taste. Cook the rice over medium flame for about 12-14 minutes (based on the rice), stirring occasionally and adding more of the pureed tomatoes when dry.
 Note, we don't want to cook the rice fully. It will cook in the oven  with the tomatoes. It should be cooked about 5 minutes less that the time to fully cook it.

5.  Preheat the oven to 375º F (190º C ).
Add the chopped parsley and mix. Remove from the stove, and mix in the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese.

6. Place the tomatoes in an oven safe dish. Sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with a bit of salt. Stuff the tomatoes half way with the rice mixture.

7. Add one mozzarellina, and stuff with the rest of the rice.

8. Drizzle with olive oil, cover with the top of the tomato.

9.Bake at 375º F (190º C ) for 45-50 minutes, or until the tomatoes are cooked through and the tops are golden brown and the rice fully cooked. Check the rice before removing from the oven. If by chance the rice is still not fully cooked or you like it softer, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and leave in the oven for an extra 5 minutes or so.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

Buon appetito!