Sweet Potato Fries

These are the BEST and so healthy for you. You can even use YAMS if you don't have sweet potatoes (sometimes they are hard to find or expensive).
If you havn't tried making this yet, I'm telling you it's the easiest thing EVER. Try it out and let me know what you think.



Ingredients: (2 servings)

- 1 large sweet potato or yam (about .75-1 lbs)
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder


To Make:


Pre-heat oven to 365 degrees.

Peel the sweet potato (or yam) and slice into fry-like slices. Arrange on a baking sheet. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Drizzle with olive oil. Mix together and spread out.

Bake for about 25 minutes and then broil on high for 5 minutes.

Remove from stove and serve immediatly.

Spicy Tofu Creole

If you haven't yet tried tofu, this is the dish to try. Tofu is very versitle and by using extra-firm tofu for this dish, it holds up very well.

Ingredients:


- 1 package extra-firm tofu
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 2 carots, peeled and diced
- 8 garlic cloves, chopped
- 28 ounces petite diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
- olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons whirshire sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Tabasco
- 2 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- pepper


To Make:


Saute the veggies in olive oil in a large pan for 3-4 minutes on medium high heat.

Drain the tofu for atleast 30 minutes prior to use. Cute into cubes and add into the the veggies. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute until browned about 12 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add in the tomatoes and the tomato paste and the water. Mix together. Add the bay leaves and the rest of the spices, soy sauce and Tabasco sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on the stove about 10-15 minutes until the veggies are tender. Continue monitoring this on the stove and mixing together. Test to make sure it has enough spices.

Before serving, remove the bay leaves.

Serve over top of brown rice.

Mexican Stack

This lunch was easy and very healthy. It's so full of flavor and color that your eyes and stomach will be thanking you. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

- Boca Burger
- re-friend beans (I used the ones with green chiles and tomatoes)
- corn
- salsa or tomato sauce
- fresh chopped lettuce
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- crushed red pepper

To Make:

In a saute pan, drizzle olive oil and cook the boca burger for about 4 minutes on each side until cooked. Top with refriend beans, corn and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until the ingredients are warmed. Season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.

Place on place and top with fresh lettuce.

Enjoy!

Mahi Mahi with Tomatoes, Asparagus and White Beans

Since I love cooking for people, I decided to make my parents a gourmet meal the other day. This dish was just something I came up with while browsing around the grocery store. The outcome... deliciousness. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
- 4 pieces of mahi mahi
- 1/2 pound fresh asparagus (the smaller the stalks the better)
- 3 large fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1 can white beans
- 2 onions, diced
- 20 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large lemons
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- olive oil
- oregano
- parsley
- garlic powder
- crushed red pepper
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
in a small pot, saute 1 onion and 10 garlic cloves in olive oil until tender. Drain and add the white beans, season with salt, pepper, oregano and fresh grated lemon zest (to taste). Let simmer on medium heat until the meal is ready, about 20 minutes. Add additional liquid if beans start to stick, stir every 5 minutes.

Next, in a large saute pan, saute the rest of the onion and garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add in the fresh tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Chop the fresh asparagus into 3 large pieces per stalk, making sure to discard the hard ends. Add in the fresh asparagus and cook for another 3 minutes, adding in fresh lemon zest, extra salt and pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.

In a grill pan, drizzle with olive oil and heat for 1-2 minutes. Lightly season and prep the mahi mahi with salt, pepper, parsley, oregano and freshly squeezed lemon. Once the grill pan is hot, place the mahi mahi onto the grill. Cook on medium high heat about 5 minutes on each side, depending on how thick the fish is.

To Plate:
Arrange a scoop of the white beans on the bottom, place the mahi mahi on top and arrange the vegetables over top of the fish. Top with fresh feta cheese and a lemon.

Serve immediately.

Orzo, Fresh Spinach and Boca

The fresh spinach in this dish really makes it pop. Healthy, delishious and beautiful all in one. (serves 2)

Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound orzo
- 3 handfuls fresh spinach, lighty chopped
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- olive oil
- boca crumbles
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- crushed red pepper
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
Boil a pot with salted water, cook the orzo and take out 2 minutes early.

In the meantime, drizzle olive oil into a deep pan and saute the onions, boca crumbles and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add in the spinach. Season with salt and pepper.

Add in the almost cooked orzo and ladle in one scoop of pasta water. Add in the cheese and 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper and more salt and pepper. Toss together.

Cover and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Serve while hot and with extra parmesan cheese on top.

Spring Pene with Red Peppers and Carrots

I love this dish because it's colorful and fun, just in time for Spring! Even better, it's a meal that you can make in LESS than 20 minutes!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 pound Pene Pasta
- 1/2 large red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise
- 1 small onion, diced
- 8 garlic cloves, diced
- 2 carrots, shredded
- olive oil
- Parmesan Cheese
- crushed red pepper
- oregano
- paprika
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper

To Make:

Boil a pot of salted water and cook the pene until it's al-dente.

In the meantime, in a deep skillet, drizzle olive oil and cook the peppers, onions and garlic for about 5 minutes until semi-soft on medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the shredded carrots and cook for another 5 minutes or until the pasta is ready. Drain the pasta, DO NOT RINSE and add into the mixture. Add more olive oil over top and add 1 teaspoon of the following: oregano, paprika, crushed red pepper, black pepper and garlic powder. Add in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Cook together for 2-3 minutes and serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

Feel-Good Gnocchi

Rainy days, bad days, tired days, sad days...happy days, peaceful days... gnocchi is my go-to meal. It's hearty, filling, comforting and just down-right delicious. I like to throw in some healthy vegetables so I'm really making this an all-around fantastic meal.

Ingredients:
- 1 package gnocchi
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1.5 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 6 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- olive oil
- 1 cup water (from the pasta)
- Parmesan cheese
- crushed red pepper
- oregano
- paprika
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
Boil SALTED water in a large pot and cook the gnocchi until they all float to the top.

In the meantime in a deep saute pan, drizzle olive oil and cook the onions and garlic for 4 minutes on medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the frozen vegetables and more olive oil. Mix together and saute for about 5 minutes. Next, add in the diced tomatoes, (make sure they are finely diced and not too chunky). Season liberally with salt and pepper and add 1.5 teaspoons of paprika, oregano, garlic powder and crushed red pepper. Add in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, mix together and cover, let this simmer together for about 8 minutes.

Once the gnocchi float to the top, scoop them out and into the vegetable mixture. Also, add in about 1 cup of water if the mixture gets too dry. Let the gnocchi simmer on medium heat in the mixture for about 5 minutes. Add more cheese if desired.

Serve immediately and with extra cheese on top.

Chicken & Broccoli

I love this dish because it's not smothered in heavy sauces, it's just using the ingredients in their natural state and enjoying how tasty they really are. Best of all, this dish can be made in less than 15 minutes and made for a crowd or a single person. This particular recipe is for 2 people.

Ingredients:
- 2 heads of fresh broccoli
- 2 chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- oregano
- paprika
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
Place the cubed chicken in a large bowl, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, oregano and paprika. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper.

In a medium skillet, drizzle with olive oil, let the pan heat up for 1 minute on medium high heat, then gently add in the seasoned chicken. Cook the chicken for about 8-10 minutes on medium heat, stirring every 4 minutes to get all sides browned.

Remove the stems from the broccoli, wash and dry.

At the last 4 minutes, drizzle some olive oil into a large wok. About 3 tablespoons. Add in 1 teaspoon oregano and garlic powder. Heat the wok for about 1 minute until the olive oil is hot. Gently toss in the broccoli and mix around so it gets flavored. Drizzle lightly with some salt. Cook for 2 minutes without the lid. For the last 2 minutes, add in a teaspoon of soy sauce and cover.

Once the Broccoli is done, serve immediately with the chicken.