Lunch Spotlight: Sweet Potato Hash

A few weeks ago, I had The Chew (cooking show) on in the background while I was cleaning up during the girls' nap. With Thanksgiving coming up in the US, they were talking about clever uses for that leftover turkey. Having lived in Boston for a few years, I can attest to the fact that Americans do it up for Thankgiving, making the next day a write off! This recipe was perfect for that lazy day-after-Thanksigiving brunch.

A few weekends ago, I gave a version of this recipe a whirl because I had several sweet potatoes on hand. While I didn't have any leftover turkey, I did have chicken.

Here is my version of The Chew's Sweet Potato Hash:

Ingredients:

- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 2 large sweet potatoes (cubed)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chipotle spice to taste
- Leftover cooked chicken
- Hot sauce (garnish - optional)
- Chopped parsley (garnish - as desired)
- Olive oil

Directions: 

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cube sweet potatoes, toss in coconut oil and bake for 20 minutes
- Melt butter in large pan and add chopped onion
- Add sweet potatoes, Worchestershire sauce, salt, pepper and chipotle to the pan.
- Cover and let it cook (I turned it up to medium-high briefly so the sweet potatoes would crisp)
- Add cooked chicken, mix well and let it warm for a few minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and hot sauce, if desired.
- If the mixture starts to dry out, add more butter or a bit of olive oil.

Snack Spotlight: Coconut Banana Pudding

The girls have been on a banana kick recently. There are only so many banana and almond butter snacks to be eaten. So, while they were napping the other day, I pulled up a great, quick recipe from the blog of one my fellow nutritionists, Joy McCarthy. Not only did it contain the current favourite fruit, it also contained nutrient-dense coconut milk and chia seeds. 

This recipe contains loads of healthy fats for T&Q's developing brains and bodies. Chia seeds have become more mainstream in recent years, being touted as a superfood. They contain loads of fibre (double the amount of flax), Omega-3 fats, calcium and plenty of minerals. [Note: If you're introducing Chia into your diet for the first time, start small (1/2 tsp.) because too much, too soon can cause constipation]

I only had the pudding in the fridge for about an hour before the girls woke from their nap. It was more than enough time for it to thicken. It was a hit!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 3 dates soaked in 1/4 cup water for about 1 hour to make them plump (don’t discard the water!)
• 2 bananas
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup water (add more if you want it less pudding-like)

Method:

Place the bananas, soaked dates (pits removed), soaking water, coconut milk, vanilla and the extra 1/4 cup water into your blender. Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Pour your mixture into a large bowl and mix in the chia seeds. Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours.

Dinner Spotlight: Chipotle Black Bean Tostados

Before the girls were born, Jenn and I would eat vegetarian meals several times per week. Since I started breastfeeding though, I feel like I'm constantly craving meat because my appetite is endless. Lately, I have felt like we've been eating a lot of meat and went on the hunt for a delicious vegetarian recipe.

I subscribe to a fantastic vegetarian blog, Vanilla & Spice, written by a fellow Canadian. I have made several of her recipes. I especially love her healthy bars and cookies. I frequently make them as snacks for the girls (which I will also blog about). I perused her "blogs I follow" section and came across a delicious sounding black bean recipe (Chipotle Butternut Squash, Black Beans and Goat Cheese Tostados) on Naturally Ella's blog.

Since I was making them for the girls first, I modified the recipe slightly. With several sweet potatoes on hand, I used those instead. Personally, I find them a little bit too sweet for the recipe, hence the recommendation of butternut squash. I sauteed the onions before putting them on the tostado because I find that raw or nearly raw onions are a bit too harsh for the girls just yet. Lastly, I toned down the chipotle chill spice slightly.

It was quick and easy to prepare and came out of the oven looking delicious. I added some avocado slices on the side et voila!

Ingredients

• 2 cups ¼” cubed butternut squash
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 teaspoon crushed dried chipotle peppers
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ————————
• ½ cup black beans, rinsed and drained if using canned
• Juice from half a lime
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ————————
• 4 corn tortillas
• 2-3 ounces goat cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425˚.
2. Roughly dice onion and toss with cubed butternut squash. Combine olive oil, 1 teaspoon crushed chipotle peppers, and salt. Add to butternut squash and toss again to coat. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender and beginning to brown.
3. In a bowl, combine black beans, lime juice, honey, and olive oil. Once squash is done, add to black beans and stir. Spoon squash and black bean mixture on to corn tortillas and sprinkle with goat cheese.
4. Place tortillas in the oven and let bake until the goat cheese is browning and the tortillas is crisp, 10-15 minutes.