Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Potatoes

Some Kind of Herb…

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Hello hello! How are you on this lovely day?

I had so much fun reading everyone’s guesses to the mystery side dish! Pretty much everyone guessed that it was either butternut squash or sweet potato. Everyone guessed the spinach 🙂 Most people saw the wild rice, but no one guessed the secret herb!

I would have to say that the reader, Molly, guessed the closest with her guess of:

“i’ll have to go with roasted sweet potato, wild rice, spinach, thyme, white pepper perhaps, and some kind of oil”

What is the Secret Herb?

Rosemary!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Wild Rice

~This dish is extremely easy to make, but it is very delicious. I make it a lot for Thanksgiving, or for a quick lunch. Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, and, of course, sugar-free!

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh rosemary, or 2 Tablespoons dried
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 cup wild rice
  • optional: spinach, lemon juice

I don’t really measure when I make this dish, but I simply drizzle as much olive oil as I need, chop as many sweet potatoes I need, and  sprinkle as many herbs as I need. However, here are the measurements if you need them.

Preheat oven to 450*. Scrub the sweet potatoes’ skins until clean, and keep the skins on. The skin gives the potatoes a nice chewy edge when roasted, not to mention a good amount of healthy fiber. Chop into bite-sized pieces, and lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil on the potatoes and sprinkle the herbs. Lightly stir so they are evenly coated. Bake for 40 minutes or until they are slightly browned.

In the meantime, cook the wild rice. In a large saucepan, boil 1 1/2 cups water. Add the rice, and turn down the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes. For this dish, I like the wild rice a bit crunchier than usual, and not completely cooked.

When the rice and sweet potatoes are done, toss them together until evenly mixed. Either serve plain or on top of a bed of spinach drizzled with lemon juice.

Health Benefits

  • Sweet Potatoes: Click HERE for a post about the benefits of sweet potatoes.
  • Wild Rice: This rich, nutty short grain rice has 5x more flavonoids than regular white rice, and is a great source of anthocyanin antioxidants. It is also an anti-aging agent, and has 7g protein and 3g fiber per cup.
  • Rosemary: Rosemary is rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium. It has good amount of phosphorus, sodium and iron with small amount of zinc, copper, manganese and selenium. It is also useful in increasing blood circulation, improving concentration and digestion. It stimulates the immune system, reduces the severity of asthma attacks and helps prevent breast cancer.
  • Olive Oil: Full of monounsaturated fats and antioxidant, olive oil can protect against heart disease by controlling LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels. Make sure you buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil because it is least processed. Also, don’t keep your oil too long because it can go bad quickly, and keep it in a cool, dark place.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What is your favorite board game as a kid?

When I was little I LOVED Shoots and Latters, and Sorry! I have two younger siblings, so I always had someone to play with. I was also a big fan of Monopoly and Clue because I loved gathering the money and being the “Banker” or solving mysteries.

 

Eat the Rainbow-in Potatoes

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Remember when I said I ate a purple sweet potato?

Well, here is my lovely new friend:

Purple Sweet Potato smothered with almond butter!

Potatoes sometimes get a bad rep for being full of carbs, but they have good benefits, too!

  • They are full of fiber and are extremely filling (1 large potato contains 7 grams of fiber)
  • The carbohydrates are a great source of energy
  • Contain vitamins B and C-complex to help aid in the absorption of the carbohydrates
  • Contains good amounts of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc
  • It can help relieve inflammation of the digestive track

Sweet Potatoes are also great! Personally, I think they taste better, too!

  • One of the best sources of Beta-Carotene. This pre-vitamin to vitamin A prevent night blindness and other eye problems, skin disorders, enhance immunity, protects against toxins and cancer formations, colds, flu, and infections. It is an antioxidant and protector of the cells while slowing the aging process.
  • A great source of vitamin C, manganese, potassium, and copper.
  • Only 100 calories for a medium sweet potato, 4 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

Above all, potatoes are Cheap! You can buy a whole bag of potatoes for only a few dollars. What a great source of inexpensive energy!

Potatoes don’t only come in white, though, they come in all sorts of rainbow colors!

Red


Orange


Yellow


Green


Blue


Purple

There are so many things you can make with potatoes, too:

  • Mashed Potatoes (Boil potatoes until soft, and then mash with fork and add butter and milk)
  • Twice Baked Potatoes
  • Potato Chips (Slice Thinly and bake on sheet at 375*)
  • Latkes
  • Gnocci

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What is your favorite way to eat potatoes? Also, do you prefer sweet potatoes or regular potatoes? I love all potatoes, but sweet potatoes are my favorite. My crazy little brother doesn’t like potatoes! Can you believe that boy?

Also, how do you remember the colors of the rainbow? There are so many rhymes out there, but I remember it by the song I sang in my elementary music class, “Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple makes the rainbow bright! Bright! Bright!” Of course, ROY G BIV helps me, too!

Shout out to my potato-loving friend, Kelsey:

She ate 7 potatoes in one sitting! You go, girl!

 

Two Cans and a Potato

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People think that eating healthy is always time consuming, expensive, and difficult. To you people: HA!

I am going to be driving back to Florida on Tuesday (3 day drive 🙁 ), so that means I have to get rid of everything in he fridge so it doesn’t spoil. Well…..it is almost all gone. I barely have anything left in the fridge! So for dinner, I made use of a potato and two canned foods.

The result:

Oh wait....I guess we had some leftover steamed spinach and black olives that I used as well, but they are not required! The best thing about potatoes is that they are so versatile!

Hobo Dinner

  • 1 potato wrapped in aluminum foil
  • 1 can tomatoes (chopped, whole, pureed, doesn’t really matter)
  • 1 can beans (I used black beans, but garbanzo, pinto, kidney, ex. would work, too)
  • leftover toppings of choice, spices for vegetarian chili (I used a versatile chili powder)

Scrub potato thoroughly because the skins are good to eat. A lot of the fiber and nutrients come in the potato’s skin. Wrap the potato in aluminum foil and bake for 45 min+ (depends on size of potato) at 425*.

While the potato bakes, heat the tomatoes and beans in a saucepan with the spices (if using).

When the potato is done, simply pour some of that homemade vegetarian chili on top, and eat it right out of the foil-hobo style!

2-can hobo chili

Scrumptious, filling, inexpensive, easy, quick, and fun to eat!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What is your favorite inexpensive food or meal? I know that oatmeal is pretty cheap, but it is chock full of nutrients!

NOTE: Since I will be on the road for a few days, I will not be by my computer. So…The Namaste Giveaway winner will be announced when I get back! Sorry to leave you all in anticipation! (There is still time to enter, though! Click on the link above for more details)

Also, the Food Lovin’ Post is still available for those who want to be included. Don’t be shy! Love your favorite food, be proud of it, and share it with the world!

I’m Ba-ack!

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Don’t worry, I didn’t have too much fun while I was away from you guys…just driving…

My family and I drove from Florida to Iowa which is about 3 days full of driving. Ugh!!!! My butt is so sore from sitting!

Anyway, I just thought I’d pop in for a little bit to let you know I’m still here. I just haven’t had a chance to sit down at the computer yet (And I don’t really want to sit anymore!)

Ok. On our way up from Florida, we stopped in Georgia for a couple days for my sister to play in a tennis tournament. We stayed at a place called the Wyndham, and let me tell you it has the BEST Breakfast buffet EVER!!! I was in heaven 🙂 It’s usually $16 (AH!), but since my sis was in the tournament, they gave us a discount (phew!)

The minute I stepped into the room full of food, I was in aw! My family kept telling me to calm down because I was just so excited to try all the yummy delicacies!

Let me take you down memory lane…

The Continental half of the dining room was the first thing to meet my eyes, and a waiter in a black and white tux stood before us smiling, “Good morning, how many people will be joining us today?”

“Five”, we responded.

As he escorted us to the table, I couldn’t help but smile. I felt like a child staring at all the unopened gifts on Christmas morning.

Once we were seated, he took our drink orders, and I ran to the plates. Fruits of all shapes and sizes were laying before, nestled in between decorative greens. A poster of the human body was color-coded to reveal which foods were best for what part of the body: Muscles, Brain, Nerves, Bones.

With my plate in hand, I slowly walked down the aisle, and contemplated what foods I should try first. Yellow watermelon, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, grapefruit, apples, and a banana smoothie beautifully poured into a champaign glass and topped off with a slice of fresh lime. Oh my.

After I passed on the donuts, pastries, and dried cereal, my eyes met up with another line of fruit: plums, pineapple, kiwi, cherries, and raspberries just to name a few. Then a beautiful arrangement of lox and capers met my eyes. ‘I’ve never tried lox before,” I thought as I placed a few slices on my plate.

I almost dropped my plate with the next thing I saw: a full hot oatmeal bar! Any imaginable dried fruit laid perfectly still in white porcelain bowls: dates, cranberries, figs, mango, papaya. And nuts: flax, almonds, walnuts, pecans… Quickly, I grabbed a bowl and filled my oatmeal to the rim with figs, flax, nuts, and blueberries.

After setting my plate down at my table, I wondered over to the Hot Section. The usual shiny silver containers sat there, hiding their treasures within. I looked through the silver containers to find the usual bacon, breakfast potatoes, biscuits and gravy, and sausage. But something was missing. Where were the eggs?

Ah-ha! I whipped around and stood in front of a man wearing an impressively-tall chef’s hat. In front of him, three skillets stood ready to be put to work.

“What kind of eggs do you want? Or what do you want in your omelet?” The friendly man in the white hat asked. I ordered a veggie omelet with spinach, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and peppers. Quickly, he sauteed in the veggies in oil, and then ladled pre-whisked eggs into the skillet. As it cooked, he prodded the eggs with a spatula until he felt like they were ready. Once ready, he flicked the omelet into the air. As the eggs and veggies soared, the chef stood ready to catch them. Bingo! They landed perfectly onto the skillet and cooked thoroughly the rest of the way.

I thanked the man for his good-dead, and complimented him on his handiwork as I spooned fresh guacamole and pico de gallo onto the omelet. Happlily, I walked passed the fresh whipped cream, butter and syrup waiting to be spooned onto freshly-made belgium waffles, and took a seat next to my family.

I slowly devoured my breakfast, enjoying every minute of it. I decided it was the best omelet I’d ever had, and decided that I really loved “fig newton” oatmeal. I also decided that I didn’t like raw salmon much, and vowed to stick to my cooked fish. Another thing I figured out was that I loved a certain yellow fruit that looked like kiwi on the inside, but didn’t taste like it. What was this sweet, yellow delicacy?

Plate upon plate, I went back for seconds, thirds, and fourths. I needed to try a little bit of everything. Satisfied, I smiled and declared it was the best breakfast I’d ever had.


Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What was the best breakfast you’ve ever had? Also, how do you eat healthy at a hotel breakfast buffet or on the road?

I’m Lucky!

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Not just because I won a blogger giveaway, but because the giveaway was to One Lucky Duck!!! Thank you, Lauren! I am so pumped!

I am also excited to announce that I received 2 coupons from the wonderful people of Woodstock Farms to try their products for free and do a product review. What should I try, guys?

I have a few product reviews coming up (and a giveaway!), so stay tuned!

Now, I don’t know about you guys, but it is blisteringly hot down here. Yesterday we had a 105* heat index, and today 107*. But that doesn’t stop me from charging onto the tennis court for a couple hours! No sir-y, I have been sweatin’ up a storm this past couple days.

This summer weather calls for a summer dinner!

Burgers, potato wedges, watermelon (blindingly red), and a fresh salad

Alex’s 10 Minute Burgers

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Worcester Sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Mix all ingredients together by hand. My burgers are very onion-ey, that’s what makes them good! Roll them into balls about 1.5 inches thick. Then, place them on a pan (I used a cast-iron skillet) and smash them down to patty size. Cook for about 2 minutes each side. I didn’t really count, but I just kept an eye on them to see when the bottoms turned nice and brown. Serve with your favorite condiments! (Mine are pickles, avocado, tomato, spinach, and mustard! I like mine bun-less…oh yeah….)

Healthified Potato Wedges

  • 3 or 4 potatoes (or sweet potatoes)
  • olive oil spray (or fingers 🙂 )
  • salt
  • pepper

Preheat oven to 425*. Scrub potatoes thoroughly because we are keeping the skins on. Slice potatoes into wedges. Try to slice evenly so that they will cook evenly. Soak the potatoes in water for 10 minutes so that they will be crunchy on the outside, but soft on the inside. Pat the potatoes dry with a paper towel. Spray the cookie sheet with olive oil (or spread it around with your fingers) and lay the potatoes flat on their sides. Spray with more olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper (and other spices if you wish. garlic, chili powder, rosemary, whateva!) Bake for 10-15 minutes each side or until they look pretty like my picture below.

Yup! So go make some summer food!

I actually think I am breaking my summer food demand tonight and making pancakes and eggs…Oh well! You know how good breakfast tastes for dinner, right?

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

I have a couple, so stick with me, please:

What should I go get with my Woodstock Coupons? What about my One Lucky Duck gift card?

What is your favorite summer meal? I know that in my family, if we have watermelon and corn on the cob, we are happy!