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Spinach, Tofu and Tomato Casserole: My Babymoon Bake

October 6, 2010 in Desserts, Entrees, Gluten Free, Vegetarian Entrees

Spinach, Tomato and Brown Rice Bake

Spinach, Tomato and Brown Rice Bake

Some of you out there know that in my other life, I work as a postpartum doula (as well as other in childbirth & baby related roles), which means I help take care of women and their babies during the “Babymoon” period, a.k.a. the fourth trimester, a.k.a. the first three months of a newborn’s life. Along with breastfeeding support, giving tips on infant care, and light housecleaning, one of the most popular functions of a postpartum doula is, happily for me, meal preparation! I love this part of my job almost as much as holding sweet little bundles in order to give mama a break.

Many relatives and friends like to bring over casserole-style dishes, which are highly practical as they can be frozen, stored efficiently, and are easily reheated – they can, however, be a bit on the heavy side. I have a few favorite recipes for new families, with an emphasis on nutrition and digestibility, but I recently tinkered around and figured out what might be the ultimate meal for a new mama. A midwife in Jennifer Block’s book  “Pushed” described the postpartum meal that she always prepares for her clients as being nourishing, quickly absorbed, high in iron and in fiber; it’s typically based in greens and brown rice, then sweet potatoes, or any other favored vegetable. My version includes spinach (though you could use fresh kale or chard), brown rice and tomatoes. Read the rest of this entry →

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Sweet Potato, Spinach & Lentil Stoup

October 7, 2009 in Appetizers, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Entrees

Whatever your personal feelings might be re: Rachael Ray, particularly some of the nicknames and abbreviations she comes up with, honestly, I think this fits into the RayRay-invented category known as “stoup”, somewhere between a stew and a soup. Read the rest of this entry →

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Sweet Potato Sunday Dessert

March 30, 2009 in Desserts

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

For our usual big Sunday dinner, we asked folks to bring a sweet potato dish – such a yummy and healthy meal! Hence the “Sweet Potato Sunday” theme.

I decided to try to upgrade my usual pumpkin cheesecake dessert by trying sweet potatoes in place of the pumpkin.  Yams have the same inviting color as pumpkin, but are so much more flavorful and sweeter. So, to cut the sweetness just a little, I added some sour cream to the recipe. It turns out that sweet potatoes are perfect for cheesecake – the same color and texture as pumpkin, but with more flavor. The cheesecake was fluffy, light and creamy to boot. I highly recommend this recipe!

Remember to bring ALL the ingredients to room temperature before mixing – this eliminates lumps and adds to the fluffy texture.

SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix all crumbs and butter together and then press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Chill in the refrigerator while mixing the cheesecake filling together.

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream, divided
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix with mixer the following, adding each ingredient slowly while mixer is on medium speed: cream cheese, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, eggs one at a time and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Pour mixture into spring form pan. Wrap pan bottom and sides with aluminum foil. Place spring form pan in a large roasting pan and fill pan with hot water, half way up sides of spring form pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Lower oven temperature and bake another 20 to 30 minutes, until cheesecake is mostly set in center but is still a little jiggly.

Mix together the remaining 1 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and all the powdered sugar. Pour on top of cheesecake. Return to oven and bake another 8 to 10 minutes, until topping is set.

– posted by Donna

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Southwest Sweet Potato Salad

March 30, 2009 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes, Vegan Recipes

Southwest Sweet Potato Salad

It’s true, I can’t get enough. I could eat sweet potatoes every day, easily. (As could my almost-one year old daughter!) Here’s another, great for spring and summer, perfect for picnics as there’s no pesky mayo to worry about, and sure to be a healthy hit.

SOUTHWEST SWEET POTATO SALAD

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
5 garlic cloves, 2 minced and 3 peeled but whole
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
dash chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks
2 poblano peppers, seeded, roasted, skinned and diced*
2 cups corn
2 red bell peppers, diced
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Whisk together vinegar, seasonings and the two minced garlic cloves. Slowly whisk in olive oil; set aside. Boil sweet potatoes and remaining three whole garlic cloves in salted water just until fork tender – approximately 20 minutes. Drain and let cool, discarding garlic cloves.

In a large serving bowl, stir together vinaigrette, poblano peppers, corn, bell peppers, scallions and cilantro. Add sweet potatoes and toss together. Add additional salt and coarse black pepper to taste.

*For tips on roasting peppers of all kinds, check this out from The Wednesday Chef!

– posted by Anne

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Caribbean Sweet Potato Hash Browns

March 25, 2009 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes, Vegan Recipes

Sweet Potato Extravaganza 2009 continues with this easy, healthy treat. I do like using coconut oil if you have it on hand, but if not, olive oil will work just fine. Also, I used my Cuisinart’s shred function for the sweet potatoes, but if you don’t have one, the large holes on a good old-fashioned box grater does the job perfectly well too.

Caribbean Sweet Potato Hash Browns

CARIBBEAN SWEET POTATO HASH BROWNS

1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes (garnet variety), peeled and shredded
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened grated coconut
juice and zest (finely grated) of one lime

Heat oil over medium high in a large skillet. Add sweet potato, onion and salt; cook, stirring frequently, until sweet potato starts to soften up, about 3-5 minutes. Add red pepper and garlic, incorporate thoroughly, and cook for another4-5 minutes, stirring, until the sweet potato is just starting to brown a bit. Stir in coconut, cilantro, lime juice and zest, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve with Tangy Spiced Ketchup. Like so:

TANGY SPICED KETCHUP

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
1 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
dash cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Saute garlic in oil of your choice (as above, I prefer coconut but olive does just fine) over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in ketchup and spices, adjust seasoning to taste. Serve warm or refrigerated.

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