Roasted Sweet Potato Wraps with Fig Balsamic Syrup

Did you know that sweet potatoes contain more beta-carotene than any other fruit or vegetable?  Especially those with orange inside!  They are not that high in calories either.  One cup of baked sweet potatoes has 180 kcal. Our bodies convert beta-carotenes into vitamin A (retinol). We need vitamin A for healthy skin, mucus membranes, our immune system, and good eye health and vision. Although yams are good for you, they don't pack the same nutritional punch that sweet potatoes do.  It is hard to tell the difference and you may need to ask.

This wrap is very easy when you purchase fig preserves and add them to a balsamic vinaigrette.  If you have time and feel adventurous, I have added a recipe for my roasted fig vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

·         3 large sweet potatoes, peeled, diced into 2-inch cubes

·        10 whole wheat or gluten-free tortillas/wraps- also works very well with whole grain sandwich bread!

·        1 cup  balsamic vinaigrette

·        ½ cup fig jam

·        2 cups arugula

·       1 sliced sweet onion

·        sliced tomatoes

·        vegan cheese

Directions:

Line cookie sheet with foil, lightly oil. Place sweet potatoes and onions on cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft.  Stir balsamic vinaigrette and fig jam together to make a thick syrup. 

After potatoes and onions are cooked, warm tortillas on stove (no oil- just warm in pan on both sides) or heat in microwave oven.  Place veggies and vegan cheese into the edge or tortilla.  Drizzle enough syrup over the veggies to add a bit of flavor.  Roll up and serve.

The sky’s the limit here!  Add whatever lettuce you choose, add pesto, tomatoes, olives…I’ve had a lot of fun building this yummy sandwich!

Roasted fig vinaigrette 

Ingredients:

·        10 figs, halved, remove stems

·        1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette

·        1 tbsp. honey

·        ¼ cup grape seed oil

·        ½ tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. Place fig halves on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes.  Start with flat side down, turning once. Figs should be slightly softened and starting to dry. In food processor, puree figs with honey, oil, and balsamic vinegar until smooth.  Add salt to taste. This preserves well for about 3 months in the freezer.  If you aren’t going to use it all at once, it would be a shame to waste it as it will go bad after about a week in the frig.

Portuguese Bean Soup

I've revised this recipe many times over the years, adjusting to our dietary needs. We first tasted this at a family owned farm/restaurant on the Island of Hawaii and decided I would find the recipe.  It is a family favorite and fall is the perfect time of year to have hot, hearty soup simmering on the stove.  Many versions of this soup include shell or elbow pasta, mine doesn't but it could be added.  Now...since we live in the AZ desert...if the highs would just get out of the 90s...

Ingredients:
13 oz can red kidney beans
13 oz can cannellini beans
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. ground turkey sausage
2 carrots, diced or shredded
2 medium red potatoes, diced
13 oz can stewed, chopped tomatoes
1 tsp thyme
1 quart vegetable broth
1 pkg frozen, chopped spinach
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. canola oil
3-6 cloves crushed garlic
1 bunch parsley, stems removed, washed and chopped
6-8 large leaves basil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:
Saute' onions and turkey sausage in canola oil until turkey is slightly browned.  To stockpot, add all ingredients, reserving 1/2 of the parsley. Do not drain beans.  Bring to boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.  To serve, ladle soup into bowls, adding about a tablespoon of parsley to each bowl.  This soup gets better after a night in the frig so making it a day ahead gives the flavors time to mature.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Our grandmothers used to tell us that chicken soup cures colds and a lot of us in my family this month have colds.  Is there any scientific basis for this or is it just an old wives tale?  According to the doctors at the Mayo clinic, "Chicken noodle soup acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the movement of neutrophils — immune system cells that participate in the body's inflammatory response. Second, it temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus, possibly helping relieve congestion and limiting the amount of time viruses are in contact with the nose lining."  Yay!

And don't overlook garlic!  In many studies, garlic has been found to reduce plaque in our arteries and chicken noodle soup wouldn't be the same without garlic. Besides...chicken noodle soup is comfort food and when you are sick, it really tastes good.

This simple, easy soup is very low in cholesterol and high in...garlic!

Ingredients:
1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 medium onion, chopped
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
2 tsps. chicken bullion
1 carrot, shredded
3-4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh herbs, diced (I usually use basil, but thyme and parsley are good too)
6 oz. extra-wide yolk-free noodles
Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:
In stockpot, boil chicken, onion, bullion in 3 cups of water until chicken is cooked (about 25 min), reserve liquid and remove chicken. Add broth and noodles. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer until noodles are soft.  Chop chicken into small pieces.  Add chicken, garlic, carrots, and herbs to noodles and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Stuffed Pesto Bell Peppers

This recipe is very low in cholesterol!  99% fat free ground turkey is the only culprit here.

Ingredients:
4 red or green bell peppers- best to choose large bell peppers whose structure allows them to stand up.
1 lb 99% fat free ground turkey
1/2 large onion, chopped
8 oz pkg Uncle Ben's prepared rice
1/4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves minced garlic
3/4 cup vegan pesto- recipe follows. Prepared pesto works also but contains parmesan cheese which will slightly increase the cholesterol count for this recipe.
3 slices vegan cheese
2 cups prepared pasta sauce
Salt/Pepper to taste


Directions:
Cut tops off of peppers and heat in microwave oven until  peppers start to soften. Pour 1 & 1/3 cup pasta sauce in oblong baking dish and place peppers on top of sauce. Sauté turkey, onions, tomatoes, and garlic in skillet until turkey is cooked.  Stir in 2/3 cup pasta sauce and add vegan cheese, stirring until well mixed, then add 3/4 cup pesto.  Prepare rice according to package instructions.  Add to turkey mixture.  Scoop turkey/rice mixture into each pepper. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Vegan pesto:

3 cups fresh basil leaves

3 cloves garlic

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup pine nuts or walnuts (for those with nut allergies, substitute 1 cup chick peas)

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (optional but really yummy!)

Salt/pepper to taste

Puree ingredients in food processor until thoroughly blended.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

A spicy variation on traditional stuffed peppers that is full of flavor and looks like you have been cooking all day. I have fallen in love with the new prepared rice packages.  Perfect rice in just 90 seconds!  For this recipe, I have found Uncle Ben's to be the best!

Ingredients:
4 poblano peppers (sometimes called pasillas)
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup  chunky salsa
2 slices vegan cheese
8 oz. pkg Uncle Ben's fully-cooked brown rice
1/2 lb lean ground turkey
1 tsp. chili powder
Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:
Lay peppers on their sides and cut off 1/3 off the sides-they do not stand up like bell peppers.
Dice the portion of the poblano chiles you cut off.

Heat oil in skillet and add turkey, onions, chopped poblanos, tomatoes, and seasonings.  Sauté until turkey is done.  Prepare rice according to pkg. instructions.  Add to skillet then stir in 1/2 salsa.

In rectangular baking dish, spoon filling into each poblano.  Fill until about 3/4 full, add 1/2 slice of vegan cheese, then spoon the rest of the mixture over the top.  Allow the remained rice/turkey mixture to fall to the bottom of the dish. Stir the remaining salsa into the extra rice at the bottom of the dish.















Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.