Kale Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I have no idea what took me so long to realize how great sweet potatoes are outside the mashed side dish of the Thanksgiving variety. I mean, to me no turkey feast is complete without sweet potatoes, so maybe I haven't been giving enough credit to their versatility. These sweet potatoes have everything to offer: flavour, texture, and fibre. I couldn't get enough, and neither will you.

I found one single stuffed potato half to be pretty filling, but it could still make for a hearty side dish. The kale and chick peas offer some nice bulk to the sweet potato flesh, and I ended up having a little bit leftover (which took no encouragement for me to gobble it up while they baked). Keep an eye on them if you choose to broil the cheese on top - I got distracted and ended up over-broiling half of my potatoes. They still tasted great but were much less pretty to look at. For that reason I haven't included broiling in the cooking directions, do so at your own risk!

Kale Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Author: Amanda
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 6 hearty sides

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 bunch kale, washed, shredded into bite size pieces with woody stems discarded
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups + 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 1/4-1/2 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions Brush sweet potatoes on all sides with olive oil and bake at 350F until fork tender, about one hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cool to handle, split each potato lengthwise and remove the flesh, leaving enough border to maintain shape. Mash with up to 1/2 cup butter for added richness. In a skillet over medium heat, heat remaining olive oil and wilt kale, saute with garlic, chick peas, and spices. Incorporate mixture to sweet potato mash and add shredded cheese. Spoon mixture into sweet potato shells and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350F for an additonal 30-45 minutes, until cheese browned. Serve.

Step-by-Step Photos

Brush the scrubbed potatoes with olive oil and roast at 350F until fork tender. This took me about an hour.

Meanwhile, wilt the kale with the garlic, chick peas, and spices. Wilt the kale by keeping the lid on so the steam does most of the work for you. It should only take a few minutes, so you can do this while the potatoes are roasting or you can wait until they are finished. Your call.

Once the potatoes are roasted and cool enough to handle, split them in half lengthwise and scoop out the delicious flesh. Leave enough so that you don't compromise the integrity of the shell - otherwise it will be difficult to fill them back up again.

Mash the scooped potato flesh with up to 1/2 cup of butter. I started off with 1/4 cup and ended up adding some more for a little bit of a richer texture, but that can be left up to you.

Combine the wilted kale, mashed sweet potatoes, and shredded Monterrey Jack cheese in a mixing bowl.

Return the filling to the sweet potato shells and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes. The cheese should be bubbly and beginning to brown.

Serve.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Everything about this salad just tastes so fresh. I am pretty big on texture, and just love how each bite of this has so much to offer in that department. It comes together pretty quickly, too - you can get all of the veggies chopped up before the quinoa is finished cooking, and it's great hot or cold, which makes it a breeze to pack for a lunch at work.

Like most of my vegetable-based recipes, I only happened to have chicken base on hand (I need to find a good vegetable-but-no-mushrooms one to keep in the house), so to make this recipe vegetarian or vegan use vegetable broth/stock/bullion, or just use water and add a bit of extra salt. There are enough spices involved that you shouldn't miss out too much. I am addicted to the chipotle powder I used in the Black Bean Burritos waaay back in one of the first posts of this blog, but if you can't substitute with a chipotle chilli in abdo sauce, just omit that or add a dash of cayenne pepper for some heat. also cooked my quinoa in my rice cooker and have had no concerns with it (just set and walk away! Easy!).

Southwest Quinoa Salad
Author: Amanda
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 6+

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked quinoa (I used 2 scoops for my rice cooker)
• 1 teaspoon chicken or vegetable soup base
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder (not cayenne pepper!)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1 bell pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt, to taste

Directions
Cook quinoa per package instructions if required. If cooking quinoa, add chicken or vegetable base plus all dry seasonings to quinoa to cook with the seasonings. Prepare all added vegetables and black beans, finely chop the cilantro, and combine in a bowl. Add cooked and cooled quinoa to mixture and mix well to combine. Mix olive oil and lime juice together (add dry spices here if quinoa is already cooked and spices could not be added then), and drizzle over salad and combine well. Salt to taste. Serve.

Step-by-Step Photos

Cook the quinoa with soup base and seasonings. I used my rice cooker, which did a wonderful job. You could also cook the quinoa on the stove with a pot per package directions.

Once the quinoa is cooked, give it a good stir to fluff it up and set it aside to cool.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Combine in a large bowl with the cooked and cooled quinoa and the black beans.

Combine the olive oil and lime juice in a small jar or container and pour over the salad.

Stir well to incorporate the dressing, and salt to taste. This will keep well in the fridge for a few days, and can be eaten straight out of the fridge or heated up depending on preference. I usually eat it cold.

Serve.

Margharita Risotto

If I see margharita...well, anything, it's usually my first pick on a menu. There's something so comforting and satisfying about the classic tomato/mozzarella/basil triad that gets me every time. And this combination transitions into a very solid risotto. This risotto recipe was actually the first recipe my boyfriend asked for unsolicited, so I hold it close as a personal achievement. He calls it "the pizza risotto" which is a pretty catchy alternative name in my opinion.

I happened to have chicken stock on hand for the risotto, so that is what I used. For a vegetarian version (per the tag), simply substitute vegetable stock instead. I have also made this recipe with a small can of diced tomatoes if I don't have fresh tomatoes on hand, and I find the taste difference to be minimal. Much like the Bacon & Goat Cheese Risotto, the only drawback with a traditional risotto is standing in front of the stove babysitting it while the rice transforms into a starchy, magical sauce. Any leftovers (if there is any left over!) keep and reheat excellently. I served the risotto with some greens and balsamic reduction, but it certainly stands on its own as a meal or as a side.

Margharita Risotto
Author: Amanda
Difficulty: moderate
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1 cup risotto rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tomatoes (I used tomatoes-on-the-vine)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes(optional)
• 2-4 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup shredded pizza mozzarella
• ~20 leaves fresh basil (depending on size and preference)
• salt and pepper to taste
• freshly grated Parmesan or Savrano cheese, for serving

Directions
Dice the onion and tomatoes into small pieces. Mince the garlic. Melt the butter over a saucepan over medium heat, and add red pepper flakes if desired. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the risotto rice, diced tomatoes, thyme and white wine. Allow the tomatoes to cook down and for the wine to be absorbed by the rice, stirring frequently. Once most of the liquid has been absorbed, add the stock 1/2-1 cup at a time, continuing to stir frequently on medium heat. Once rice has reached a desired consistency, turn off the heat and add the pizza mozzarella, torn fresh basil leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Servce.

Step-by-Step-Photos

In a saucepan over medium heat, begin melting the butter in a saucepan. I tend to add my red pepper flakes early so that the fat has a chance to take on some of the flavour. I usually like a pretty good kick, so don't use that many if you aren't a fan of heat.

Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, usually not more than five minutes.

Add the white wine, rice, and dried thyme.

And the diced tomatoes.

Stir frequently with a wooden spoon. The tomatoes should begin to cook down and start losing their shape.

Add hot chicken or vegetable stock 1/2-1 cup at a time, repeating when liquid is absorbed. Using hot stock will help speed up the cooking time. Continue to stir frequently to ensure the risotto doesn't stick to the bottom of the saucepan.

Continue adding hot stock until the desired consistency is reached. I left mine a little on the saucy side this time around, partly because I love the sauce and partly because I was getting impatient and hungry. It happens.

Turn off the heat and add 1 cup of shredded pizza mozzarella. The cheese will also thicken up the sauce a little.

Stir well to combine, and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Tear the fresh basil leaves into smaller pieces and add them to the risotto. Give it one last good stir to fully incorporate the basil into the dish.

Devour.