Charise's South of the Border Loaded Sweet Potato

South-of-the-Border Loaded Sweet Potato

When it comes to topping the potato with salsa, start out with 1/3 cup of fresh salsa and drain the liquid from it. It will likely only be about 1/4 cup (maybe a bit more) in the end. Note that the toppings won't fit inside the potato - they will spill out over the top, making it even more decadent to eat!

1 (8-ounce) sweet potato
4 ounces grass finished beef (or for you corn fed lovers, ground turkey)
3/4 teaspoon fajita or Southwest seasoning
Olive oil spray (propellant free) or if you like propellant, use Pam!!
1/3 cup fresh salsa, drained (from the refrigerated section)
2 tablespoons jarred all-natural roasted green salsa
2 tablespoons fat-free plain Greek yogurt
Using a fork, poke the potato 5 times on all sides and place it in a microwave-safe bowl or dish. Cover the dish loosely with a paper towel. Microwave it on high for 3 minutes. Carefully flip the potato (it will be very hot) and continue microwaving for 2 to 4 minutes longer, or until cooked and tender.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the beef/turkey and seasoning.
Place a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, lightly mist it with the olive oil spray. Cook the turkey for 3 to 4 minutes, or until no longer pink, breaking it into bite-size chunks as you do.
Cut an opening in the potato that stretches 1 inch from each end of the potato and deep enough to open the potato completely without cutting it in half. Put it in a medium shallow bowl. Stuff the potato with the fresh salsa, then the turkey, then the green salsa. Top it with the yogurt. Serve immediately. This serves 1.

Bryon Dangerfield's Fresh Salsa

Roma tomatoes 5-7 small

White or yellow onion 1 1/2 - 2 depends on size

1 bunch cilantro

2-3 cloves garlic

1 cup V8 (spicy)

2Tbsp white vinegar

Lime pulp & juice

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. Chile powder and/or cayenne pepper

Sea Salt & fresh-ground pepper to taste

        Optional:

1 jalapeno & 1 Serrano pepper

 

Place ingredients in food processor or blender and use pulse (on/off repeatedly) until chopped, blended and tasty!  Serve fresh or simmer to reduce and thicken.

 

Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetables

1 small butternut squash, cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut in 1" chunks
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed (I've also used russet)
1 red onion, quartered
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 475 degrees
2.  In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes.  Separate the red onion into pieces, and add them to the mix.
3.  In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Toss with vegetables until they are coated.  Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
4.  Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

Yum!

Miki's Butternut Squash Soup

1 Tbsp butter

1 small onion

2 stalks celery (about)

2 carrots (about)

1 pkg. butternut squash cut up from Costco (lazy)

2 cans or 1 box chicken broth

1 tsp marjoram

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy, feel free to add more)

Pepper to taste

1 can Great Northern White Beans, rinsed and drained

4 oz. cream cheese (I use light and have even not used it before too)

 

 

Dice onion, then I match the same amount of onion with diced celery and carrots.  Saute in soup pot in melted butter.  Add salt.  Once celery and onions are soft, add squash.  Saute for another 30 sec. to 1 min.  Add chicken broth, marjoram, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.  The chicken broth should just barely cover the squash, if not be a little shy of having it all covered.  If you want your soup more liquidy, add more, but I like mine a little thicker.  Put lid on pot and let it boil until squash is soft.   Add beans and cream cheese.  Once cream cheese has melted, I blend the soup in a few batches (don’t have a hand blender)  I always think it tastes better the second day for leftovers because the flavors have had time to sit. 

 1 cup = 2 starch, 1 protein, 1 fat

Enjoy!

Steve's Country Crock Chicken Soup

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp thyme

3 tbs parsley flakes

1 package frozen peas (about 10 oz.)

4 cups of chicken stock or water

1 cup of noodles

2 chicken breasts with bone on

 

1) Put everything in the Crock pot EXCEPT the noodles

2)  Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or High for 4 to 6 hours

3)  1 Hour before it's done, remove the chicken and then remove the meat from the bones and return meat to the Crockpot; then add the noodles.

 

If you like carbs, enjoy with a bread bowl or bread sticks.  Also, if you don't need the carbs, not adding the noodles makes a great chicken soup.

Steve's Veggie Beef Crockpot Stew

3 potatoes or turnips  (or mix to equal 3), cubed

4 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 lb. beef, cubed

1 can stewed tomatoes (optional)

2 cups water

3 beef bullion cubes

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbs garlic power or real garlic

1/2 tsp cilantro

Some flour

--I always add a little more pepper and garlic; feel free to add more of the spices you like! 

 

1)  Coat the beef in flour and place in bottom of Crockpot (I pour flour in the Crockpot, dump the beef in, and mix/coat).

2)  Add everything else--except water--in no particular order.

3  Add water last

4)  Cook on High for 5 hours or on Low for 10 to 12 hours

Steve's Crockpot Chicken & Rice

This is really good and practically all of the soups are absorbed by the chicken and rice.

3 or 4 large chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

(I use the Campbell's Healthy Request soups...low fat)

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 cup brown Minute Rice (can use white if wanted)

Add any seasonings you like---I add 1 tsp of pepper, 1 tsp of cilantro and 1 tsp of parsley.

 

1)  Pour the 3 soups into the Crockpot

2)  Pour the rice on top of the soups

3)  Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice

4)  Pour the carrots and celery in

 

Cook on High for 3 hours or on Low for 4-5 hours.

 

The soups are high on sodium so salt isn't really needed in the cooking.

Charise's Bomb Granola

6 cups oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 1/4 cup nuts ( I use a combo of pumpkin seeds and sliced almonds) or you can throw in raisins/craisins I dont because I feel like they turn hard after baking
1/2 cup melted coconut oil or olive oil (I use coconut)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Throw in some grounded flax seed (smoothie button)

Preheat oven to 350. Spread oats on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Transfer oats to large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Spread 1/2 mixture on each of 2 cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 mintes. Cool and enjoy.

I eat this for cereal with almond milk and sliced strawberries or blueberries. I have also used molases 1/4 cup or less melted instead of brown sugar. Its outrageously high in b vitamins and iron. And has fabulous mineral properties.

Hope you love it!!

Oh, and if you have flax seed you want ground up, bring some over and I would happily do it in 45 seconds for you!!  Seriously, anytime:)

Post-Workout Blender Smoothie

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1 kiwi (cut in slices; can be optional)

1/2 cup milk (I use 1%)

4 ice cubes

1 tbs. Barleans Omega oil (or of your choice; can be optional)

1 scoop vanilla whey protein

 

Mix in blender.  Enjoy.