I love borscht and grew up eating the Manischewitz version out of a large glass jar, cold with a dollop of sour cream. Then I discovered the “real thing” – Russian style borscht made with carrots, beets, cabbage, dill, mushrooms and potatoes, served warmed as a comforting winter soup thanks to Barbara Kafka’s classic cookbook, Soup, A Way of Life.

I remember her recipe for Vegetarian Borscht as being very labor intensive. I made a triple batch and it literally took me all afternoon to chop those vegetables! I was exhausted by the time the borscht was done, but it was so worth it.

As part of the DailyBuzz Moms 9x9 challenge, I wanted to recreate that soup and health up the borscht a bit. Due to my food sensitivities, I omitted the cabbage and the white potatoes. Instead, I substituted kale and purple potatoes, both of which are much more nutrient dense. I also used powdered stevia instead of sugar, reduced the amount of salt, and used no fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

My son Nathan, who is almost 12, loved the borscht. He had it for dinner the other night. The next day he had it for breakfast and took the borscht to school.

Vegetarian Borscht with Kale

Based on Barbara Kafka’s recipe from Soup, A Way of Life

Print
Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 7 medium beets, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 very small or 1/2 large celery root (about 3/4 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 pounds purple potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 bunch kale, choped in 1-inch pieces
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 medium bunch dill, fronds only, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup powdered stevia
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1-2 small containers no fat Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Soak the dried mushrooms in 1 cup hot water for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, and squeeze out the excess liquid. Strain all the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Reserve the liquid (there should be 1 cup) and the mushrooms separately.
2. In a larege stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes until the onions start to caramelize.
3. Add the beets, carrots, parsnip, celery root, 8 cups water, and the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the potatoes, garlic, kale and sundried tomatoes.
5. Return soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the reconstituted mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
7. Remove soup from the stove top. Stir in the dill, stevia, vinegar, salt and pepper.
8. Pour soup into bowls and add a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Prep Time: 45 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

Total Time: 2 Hours 5 Minutes

Nutrition Grade A from CalorieCount

Weight Watchers POINTS = 4

Servings: 8 main course servings

• Serving size: 579 g
• Calories: 215
• Calories from Fat: 37
• Total Fat: 4.1g
• Saturated fat: 0.6g
• Unsaturated fat: 3.5g
• Sodium: 1020mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 39.9g
• Sugar: 12.8g
• Fiber: 8.5g
• Protein: 6.6g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

Note: nutritional information is based on borscht without the Greek yogurt.

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Vegetarian Borscht with Kale: a comforting soup recipe for the DailyBuzz Moms 9×9 is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I know for many of you, taking nutritional supplements was on your New Year’s healthy resolutions list. How’s it going? Are you confused by all the vitamin and supplement choices out there? Well, Centrum has come up with a Nutrition Possible Assessment to help you determine your individual nutritional supplement needs.

I’m always on the lookout for new nutritional supplements that fit my individual needs. That’s why I was excited to try out ProNutrients, Centrum’s new line of dietary supplements that are formulated to work with a multivitamin. 

The line includes Omega-3, Probiotic, and Fruit & Veggie - three supplements that support health and well-being.  Each supplement is backed by the nutritional expertise of Centrum, which identifies the right ingredients to your nutrition to the next level.

I was very happy to see that they’re offering a fruit and veggie supplement. I was taking something similar that was very expensive, so now I have a more affordable alternative. Recently, I saved even more money by using Centrum coupons from the last two weeks of Sunday newspapers and going to the ProNutrients Facebook page for a $5 off coupon. Many stores like Walgreens and Kroger have Centrum ProNutrients on sale this month, so take advantage and stock up like I did!

Or you can win a sample bottle of Centrum ProNutrients – see the bottom of this post!

Juicing with ProNutrients Probiotics

As part of my Centrum ProNutrients review , they sent me a juicer to create a few smoothies to use with their ProNutrients Probiotic. Centrum’s probiotic comes in powder form so you can add it to cool foods and drinks.

This is such a great way to “sneak” some probiotics into your children’s diets, especially if they don’t like taking pills. Plus, fresh fruit juices and smoothies are great ways to get more fruits and veggies into you and your family's diet. Just make sure to use organic fruit and vegetables whenever possible.

My kids really enjoyed my take on the classic Green Monster smoothie juice drink. They couldn’t taste the probiotics, the apples naturally sweetened it, and the kids enjoyed the frothiness, too. 

Fennel & Kale Green Monster with Probiotics

Makes two 8 ounce drinks

Ingredients:

• 3 stalks celery
• 1/2 bulb fennel
• 3 small apples
• 1 sprig fresh tarragon
• 3 stalks kale
• 2 packets Centrum ProNutrients Probiotics

Directions:

1. Wash all ingredients thoroughly in cool water.
2. Cut apples if needed. It’s not necessary to peel them!
3. Combine all ingredients in your juicer and follow manufacturers directions to make juice.
4. Add probiotic powder directly to the juice container and whisk until frothy.
5. Pour juice into 8 ounces glasses and serve immediately.

Don't forget that you can save any of the recipes you see here at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet to an online recipe box by clicking the Save Recipe button below.

Win a bottle of Centrum ProNutrients

I’m giving away ONE Centrum ProNutrients product of your choice:

• ProNutrients™ Omega-3, 50-unit package ($12.99 value) OR
• ProNutrients™ Fruit & Veggie 50-unit package ($11.99 value) OR
• ProNutrients™ Probiotic 14-unit package ($18.99 value)

Giveaway closed. Congrats to Denise S.!
 

Here’s how to enter:

1. Tell me which Centrum ProNutrients product you’re interested in trying out.
2. Take the Centrum Nutrition Possible Assessment to create a nutrition plan and get up to $10 in Centrum coupons for ONE additional entry.
3. Sign up for This Mama Cooks! Review’s RSS feed for ONE additional entry.
4. Sign up for my enewsletter for ONE additional entry.
5. Spread the word about this giveaway by submitting a link to this post on Twitter for ONE additional entry. You must leave a link to your tweet in your comment so I can check.
6. If you have done any of these additional activities you MUST come back here and leave a comment telling me what you did. I will be checking!
7. Maximum amount of entries at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet is FIVE.
8. You have until midnight MST on Friday, January 27, 2012 to enter.

ONE winner will be chosen at random. You must be willing to send me your full name, mailing address and phone number so I pass your info on to Centrum’s PR agency so they can mail you your prize. I’ll announce the winner on this blog. I won't share your mailing info with the public, just your name. If you have a blog, I’ll link back to it when I announce the winner.

The giveaway is valued at $13-19 and is only open to legal residents of the United States, 18 years of age and older. No purchase required. Odds of winning based on number of entries. Up to FIVE entries per person. ONE Centrum ProNutrients product will be given away. Void where prohibited by law. By submitting your name and email address, you agree to receive relevant promotional emails and contest follow up communications from This Mama Cooks! On a Diet in compliance with my privacy policy and giveaway rules.

Official giveaway rules.

_______________
Disclosure: I’m participating in a Centrum ProNutrients campaign hosted by One2One Network. I received nutritional product, a juicer and compensation. While all opinions stated are my own, I make no claims about Centrum ProNutrients as a product or it's effectiveness.

Juicing with Centrum ProNutrients Probiotics {giveaway} #NutritionPossible is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I still don’t know what we’re doing for Thanksgiving. Either we’re going to a friend’s or staying home. Then it’s just me and the kids (and maybe my mother in law) as my husband has already headed to Boston to start work.

When I asked the kids what they wanted to eat for Thanksgiving, they said, “Mashed potatoes and gravy!”

“That’s it?” I asked.

“Oh maybe some turkey, too,” they replied. “And pie! Or cheesecake! And sweet potatoes and stuffing if you want that, mommy.”

Well, that’s a big help, so I’ve asked my book publisher and food contacts for some recipe ideas. Let’s start with the potatoes first.

300 Best Potato Recipes: A Complete Cook’s Guide

This recipe is excerpted from 300 Best Potato Recipes: A Complete Cook's Guide by Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh © 2011 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission.

300 Best Potato Recipes also has recipes for dishes like Gnocchi-roni and Cheese, Saffron Potato Cakes, Sweet Potato-Crusted shrimp , and even Potato Fudge! If you’re a lover of all things potato, put this cookbook on your holiday present list.

Pan-Fried Sweet Potatoes with Gremolata

Makes 4 servings

Gremolata is a fragrant mixture of lemon zest, parsley and garlic, sometimes with added bread crumbs. This is a lovely dish to serve alongside turkey or pork.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces pancetta, cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound) peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 1⁄3 cup bread crumbs
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems trimmed, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a heavy skillet over medium heat, combine pancetta and oil. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Toss sweet potato into pancetta. Cook, without stirring, for about 10 minutes or until sweet potato pieces are golden brown on the bottom. Using tongs, turn and cook for 6 to 10 minutes more or until tender and browned on the other side. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
3. In another skillet, melt butter over medium heat until bubbling. Stir in bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until golden brown and crisp (don't let them burn). Remove from heat and stir in parsley and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt (remember, the bacon may be salty) and freshly ground pepper.
4. Scrape bread crumb mixture over sweet potato mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

This Mama’s tips

• Substitute orange zest for the lemon zest.
• For a nice color contrast, add a few handfuls of baby spinach to the sweet potato mixture for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
• If you can’t find pancetta, substitute bacon. Turkey bacon will work.
• Instead of butter, use your favorite buttery spread.
• If you’re gluten free, make GF bread crumbs by toasting your favorite GF bread. Put bread into a blender or food processor and process until turned into bread crumbs. You can also do this with frozen bread slices.
• If you have vegetarians coming to Thanksgiving, use tofu bacon. It’s actually pretty good and people will like it until you tell them it’s tofu.

Photo credit: Colin Erricson

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Pan-Fried Sweet Potatoes with Gremolata is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Pizza’s a great dish for Meatless Monday nights . This recipe is from Food Network star, Robin Miller’s new cookbook Robin Takes 5: 500 Recipes, 5 Ingredients or Less, 500 Calories or Less, for 5 Nights/Week at 5:00 PM coming to bookstores on November 1, 2011.

Robin Takes 5 features 500 recipes that require five ingredients (or fewer). Each recipe is 500 calories or less, too. Whether you’re cooking for one or are a busy parent feeding the whole family, this could be the cookbook for you.

Robin also features many recipes that are great for entertaining and the holidays. (They’re marked with a special icon.) Plus, there’s some great Thanksgiving recipes like Roasted Turkey Breast with Maple Mustard and Sweet Potatoes that will make your holiday cooking easier and healthier.

I’m looking forward to trying out some of her desserts like Molten Lava Brownies or Coconut Macaroons, too.

Niçoise Pizza with Olives, Red Peppers, and Gruyère

From Robin Takes 5! 500 Recipes, 5 Ingredients or Less, 500 Caloies or Less, 5 Nights a Week at 5:00 PM by Robin Miller/Andrews McMeel Publishing.

Print
Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh or frozen bread or pizza dough, thawed according to package directions (or you could try my healthy whole wheat pizza dough recipe, if you have the time)

• 2 cups thinly sliced roasted red peppers
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Roll the dough out into a large circle or rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Transfer the dough to a pizza pan or baking sheet.
3. Top with the peppers, olives, cheese, and oregano.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 25 Minutes

Nutrition Grade NA from CalorieCount

Weight Watchers POINTS = 7

Servings: Serves 6

• Serving size: 1/6 of the pizza
• Calories: 322
• Total Fat: 12g
• Saturated fat: 4g
• Unsaturated fat: 8g
• Sodium: 826mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 39g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 12g
• Cholesterol: 20mg

Photo courtesy of Robin Miller/Andrews McMeel Publishing.

Meatless Monday: Niçoise Pizza with Olives, Red Peppers, and Gruyère is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

When I was first approached by Door to Door Organics to do a review, I was a bit skeptical. After all, I live near so many farms (organic and conventional) and have access to farmer’s markets. Also, my local supermarkets do a decent job of providing some organic vegetables at a decent price. So why would I want to go to a  a home delivery service that at first glance seems a bit pricey?

Here are seven reasons why!

Reasons why Coloradans should sign up with Door to Door Organics

1. Door to Door Organics support local farmers whenever possible.  Here in Colorado, 80-90% of Door to Door Organics’ produce is sourced from local farmers. Door to Door Organics offers a “Local Farm Box” throughout the summer through October with 100% Colorado grown produce. This year, they are working with more than 15 local farms, offering sweet corn, tomatoes and summer squash from Full Circle Farms in Longmont, peaches and cherries from First Fruits in Hotchkiss, spinach and other greens from Grant Family Farms in Wellington, and a great deal more.

2. Door to Door Organics offers flexibility. I’ll never forget a friend calling me up to ask advice on how to cook up kale. Seems her CSA was sending her bushels of the stuff. After a few meals she was tired of trying to figure out new ways to cook it – and her family was sick of eating it.

Door to Door Organics’ customers have the ability to set preferences by choosing the produce they do or don’t want. You can make up to five substitutions with the current menu offering, and add additional items as well. You can also shop for groceries such as Colorado organic grass-fed beef, chocolate, coffee, and fresh-baked artisan bread, as well as order produce not grown in Colorado, such as bananas and avocados.

3. Door to Door Organics meet your family’s need. I’ve had friends overwhelmed by their CSA shares. It’s just too much food and they end up giving a lot of it to friends and neighbors. Door to Door Organic’s Local Farm Boxes are offered in two sizes: the Bitty, perfect for 1-2 people per week, and the Small, a good size for two to four people. They also offer other options, such as mixed fruit and vegetable boxes of various sizes. You can see all the box offerings here.

4. Door to Door Organics is convenient. If I was to get an organic CSA share, I’d have to take an hour round trip drive into Boulder County or a 90 round trip drive to Loveland once a week. What a time sucking and gas guzzling waste of my time! Instead, Door to Door Organics comes to you. In Colorado, their delivery area spans much of the state including Colorado Springs to Fort Collins, east to Reunion, and west to Gypsum and Steamboat Springs.  Delivery is included in the price for most areas throughout the Front Range.

5. Door to Door Organics is reasonably priced for what you get. The Bitty box starts at $24.99 and the Large Mixed box is $59.99. I received a Bitty box to facilitate this review and it was perfect for about a week’s worth of side dishes. (I got a cucumber, a pint of tri-color cherry tomatoes, a bunch of bok choi, a bunch of green beans, a Japanese eggplant, a bunch of kale, a bunch of lettuce, and a handful of shallots.) The produce was delicious. And if I had to factor in the convenience, variety and not having to drive all over town to go shopping, it seemed like a great price for organic produce.

There are other ways to save with Door to Door Organics. You can set up a co-op and have four or more boxes delivered to the same location for a discount. You could do this at work or your children’s school, sign up coworkers and other parents, and all benefit from the discount and the healthy veggies and fruits! There’s also a referral program, called a invitations program, where you can give friends or family a 50% discount off their first box of organic produce.

6. Door to Door Organics believes in helping their customers. Each Local Farm Box includes farm origin information for each item, which would come in handy if, god forbid, there was ever a recall. They also include farm news and details on upcoming farm events, including farm tours you can bring the kids, too. They also send you seasonal eating tips, and recipes. They recently launched a new feature on their website, Door to Door Organics Kitchen, which offers numerous recipes for everything you receive in your order. No more wondering what to do with all that kale!

7. Door to Door Organics is not just in Colorado. They also have programs in Kansas City, Chicago, Michigan and the East Coast including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Prices and offering vary by regions. If they don’t cover your area, put in a request to colorado@doortodoororganics.com.

For more information

For more information on Door to Door Organics in Colorado, visit Colorado.DoorToDoorOrganics.com or their FAQ page. You can also check out their main website at doortodoororganics.com. Connect with them on Facebook or follow Door to Door Organics on Twitter.

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Disclosure: I received a Bitty box of produce to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

7 reasons why you should sign up with Door to Door Organics is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Meatless Monday has become the new norm in many schools and homes. After all, it’s a great way to get kids to eat their veggies. However, like many moms, I’m concerned that if I cook up a meatless dish my kids won’t get enough protein to keep them full and satisfied. One way around that is to use tofu.

Tofu is cholesterol free, high in protein, low in carbohydrates and has been directly linked to heart health benefits. According to the FDA, consuming just 25 grams of soy protein a day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce your risk of heart disease.

I’m a big fan of tofu, especially the tofu shirataki noodles made by House Foods. Their recipe for tofu and veggie stir fry is a great way to convince your family that tofu isn’t icky and tastes pretty good when mixed with yummy vegetables and a stir fry sauce. This is also an easy dish to prepare if Meatless Mondays are new to you or you don't have a lot of time to cook up dinner.

Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry

Recipe courtesy of House Foods

Print
Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 (12 oouce) package House Premium Extra Firm Tofu, drained and cut into 1/2" strips
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 3-4 tablespoons, soy sauce or stir fry sauce of your choice
• 1 (14-16 ounce) package frozen stir-fry vegetables
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, rice starch or arrowroot dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
• 3 cups cooked rice (brown or white)

Directions

1. Coat frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Lightly brown tofu and garlic in oil.
3. Add soy sauce or stir fry sauce and vegetables.
4. Cover and “steam” your stir fry for 7 to 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
5. Add cornstarch mixture, stirring 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens.
6. Serve over rice.

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 20 Minutes

Nutrition Grade N/A from CalorieCount

Weight Watchers POINTS = 5

Servings: 4

• Calories: 269
• Calories from Fat: 51
• Total Fat: 5.3g
• Saturated fat: 0g
• Unsaturated fat: 0g
• Sodium: 665mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 42g
• Sugar: N/A
• Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 13g
• Cholesterol: omg

Meatless Monday: Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

This month’s Secret Recipe Club recipe comes courtesy of Tea and Scones and not a minute to soon. The late summer harvest from our garden is coming in. I had several very large zucchinis and was stuck on what I wanted to do with them. Should I made ratatouille? Stuff them? Try making some gluten free zucchini bread?

I searched Tea and Scones, and found her take on Ina Garten’s Zucchini Pancakes. Perfect!

I made a few tweaks to the recipe to make it gluten free and to use up some of the sage in the garden. The whole family enjoyed them, though my husband thought they'd be a bit better served with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

I thought they were delicious on their own, and were just as good the second day cold as a lunch time snack.

Zucchini Pancakes

From Tea and Scones

Print
Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 pounds zucchini, grated (no need to peel)
• 1/4 cup onion, grated
• 2 shallots, grated
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup egg whites
• 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Grate the zucchini, onion and shallots in a food processor.
3. In a bowl, mix rest of ingredients, except the canola oil.
4. Immediately stir in the zucchini, onion and shallots and mix well.
5. Heat oil in a large sauté pan or pancake skillet over medium heat.
6. Drop 1/4 cup of batter on to the pan or skillet. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
7. Place the pancakes on a oven safe plate or sheet pan and keep warm in the oven.
8. Continue to make pancakes until all the batter is used.
9. The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour

Nutrition Grade A from CalorieCount

Weight Watchers POINTS = 1

Servings: 14 pancakes

• Serving size: 1 pancake
• Calories: 76
• Calories from Fat: 17
• Total Fat: 1.9g
• Saturated fat: 0g
• Unsaturated fat: 1.9g
• Sodium: 141
• Total Carbohydrates: 12.4g
• Sugar: 1.2g
• Fiber: 1.3g
• Protein: 2.9g
• Cholesterol: 23mg

More from the Secret Recipe Club!

Want to join the Secret Recipe Club? You can sign up here!

Zucchini Pancakes #SecretRecipeClub is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

After struggling with the mandoline to create waffle fries for my Alexia Foods “Reinvent a Classic” French fry creation, I went with crinkle cut fries. My Pampered Chef mandoline isn’t set up to make them without a lot of hassle. Plus I was having a tough time getting a consistent cut.

Instead, I used my Pampered Chef crinkle cutter. It’s so easy to cut sweet potato French fries with it that a child could use it. (With some supervision, of course.) What’s nice about the crinkle cutter is that you can make fat fries, skinny fries, long fries or short fries. It’s also great to use on other veggies for salads or stir fries.

Pictures of me courtesy of my kids, Nathan and Lucie.

Baked Sweet Potato Margarita Fries

This sweet potato fry recipe is based on the flavors of a margarita – lime, salt and agave nectar instead of sugar syrup. (The agave plant is also used to make tequila.) The baked sweet potato fries were a big hit with my kids and they were disappointed that I didn’t make a double batch.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 large sweet potatoes (6 cups)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus extra for serving
• 3 tablespoons amber agave nectar (I used Madhava Amber Agave Nectar)
• 1 lime for juice, zest and slices
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice (the juice from half a lime)
  • 1/4 teaspoon lime zest (zest from the whole lime)
  • slices of lime for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Peel sweet potatoes.
3. Using a crinkle cutter, cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch slices. (Thickness is up to you. Just try to be consistent with thickness so fries cook up evenly.)
4. Take each round disk and cut into fries, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick.
5. In a bowl, mix the minced garlic, olive oil, salt, agave nectar, lime juice and lime zest together.
6. Add sweet potato fries to bowl and toss to evenly coat.
7. Place coated sweet potato fries in a baking dish or on a baking sheet.
8. Place on the upper rack of your oven and set timer for 10 minutes.
9. When 10 minutes is up, take an oven save spoon and carefully stir sweet potato fries.
10. Close door, set timer for 10 minutes, and repeat until fries are done. They should be firm, not mushy, and should start to caramelize on the edges.
11. Serve with salt and lime slices so everyone can add more salt and lime flavor if they wish!

Nutritional Information

• Calories 218
• Calories from Fat 43
• Total Fat 4.8g
• Saturated Fat 0.7g
• Cholesterol 0mg
• Sodium 92mg
• Total Carbohydrates 42.2g
• Dietary Fiber 6.2g
• Sugars 0.8g
• Protein 2.3g
• Vitamin A 4%
• Vitamin C 44%
• Calcium 3%
• Iron 5%

Nutrition Grade A- from CalorieCount 

Weight Watchers POINTS = 4 

Fried Sweet Potato Margarita Fries

I also tried the same recipe, minus the olive oil, and cooked the sweet potato fries in canola oil on the stove top. The result was chewy, but just as delicious. However, frying is messier and not as healthy, so my advice is to stick with the baked method instead.

More about Alexia Foods

You can learn more about Alexia Foods and their products on their website. You can also print out a $1 off coupon and find Alexia Foods products using their store locator. Also, you can find Alexia Foods on Facebook.

You can also follow the competing bloggers on Twitter via the #AlexiaFoods hashtag, too.

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Disclosure: I am being compensated for my time in working with Alexia Foods on this project. All opinions are my own.

Sweet Potato Margarita Fries #alexiafoods is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Beginning today, Thursday June 30th to Monday July 4th, you can get the Cookouts Veggie Style! ebook by Jolinda Hackett for FREE for the Amazon Kindle, the Sony eReader, or from the Apple iTunes eBookstore.

This eBook contains 225 vegetarian (and some vegan) recipes that are fresh, fun, colorful, healthy and delicious and incorporate vegetables along with various meat substitutes and tofu. Incorporate these meat-free meals with other traditional cookout dishes or create a veggie spread for your Fourth of July entertaining or summer pool parties.

Cookout Veggie Style! contains recipes like Halloumi Skewers with Lemon Parsley Chimichurri, Cajun-Rubbed Portobello Caps, Fiery Chipotle Butter Corn on the Cob, and many more!

To view and download the full, FREE copy of Cookouts Veggie Style!, please visit:

• Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/iQssgn
• Sony eReader: http://bit.ly/jWJYiE
• Apple/ iTunes (preview): http://bit.ly/msbC9o

Get Cookouts Veggie Style on your ereader for FREE is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I’ve been experimenting with using NAKANO Rice Vinegars and Holland House vinegars in much of my every day cooking. Not only am I trying different types of vinegar on salads, but I’ve also used it on warm vegetable dishes like stir fry and sautéed vegetables. So when I spotted the gorgeous bunches of rainbow chard at Natural Grocers, I thought this would be a perfect way to try out Holland House’s Malt Vinegar in a dish similar to my Simple Beet Salad.

The health benefits of rainbow chard

We’ve always been told to “eat the rainbow” and rainbow chard is a terrific example with its deep green leaves and stems in red, white, yellow, and orange. You’re only missing purple and blue!

According to About.com, chard is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, potassium, magnesium, and manganese as well as being a good source of vitamin E, copper, choline, calcium, and riboflavin.

Chard is a favorite of people on low carb diets as it has practically no impact on blood glucose. Also, rainbow chard is less bitter that the traditional “Swiss” chard you may be familiar with. It has a similar taste to spinach and can be eaten raw or cooked.

Did I mention it was pretty?

Sautéed Rainbow Chard with Holland House Malt Vinegar

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of rainbow chard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• a bottle of Holland House Malt Vinegar

Directions:

1. You must thoroughly rinse off the chard leaves as they may be covered in grit. I washed each leaf individually and then placed leaves in a colander to drain.
2. Tear chard leaves into bite sized pieces.
3. Place chard pieces back into colander and rinse again. Drain.
4. Heat large sauté pan over medium heat.
5. Add olive oil to pan and then chard.
6. Cook chard until the leaves are tender and the stems are still crisp but somewhat cooked. (Don’t over cook or you’ll end up with mush.)
7. Remove chard from pan, sprinkle on vinegar and serve. Or you can serve the chard in individual plates and let everyone add the malt vinegar to their personal taste. I love malt vinegar so I used quite a bit!

Note: the chard will lose its intense coloring when cooked. It's still colorful but not as bright as it is raw.

More every day cooking with Holland House

If you’re looking for more ways to enhance your every day cooking, why not experiment with Holland House vinegars? The red wine vinegars would have gone well with the rainbow chard, too. 

Also, if you're gluten free, stick to the red wine, white wine, red with garlic, and balsamic vinegars. The malt is definitely not gluten free!

• Holland House® Red Cooking Wine. Classic Burgundy aroma with rich ruby color. Smooth, mellow flavor, medium-bodied. Light, not too dry, ideal for cooking.
• Holland House® White Cooking Wine. Crisp and light white wine aroma. Slightly dry with sauterne-like flavor.
• Holland House® Sherry Cooking Wine. Light golden color. Mild dry sherry flavor. A bit nutty, but more caramel-like.
• Holland House® Marsala Cooking Wine. Rich golden color with pleasing, mild aroma. Smooth, well rounded and sweet with hints of hazelnut.
• Holland House® Vermouth Cooking Wine. Mild vermouth aroma. Dry, light flavor. Slightly herby.
• Holland House® White with Lemon Flavor Cooking Wine. Brisk, fresh lemon aroma, just-right tang. Think white wine with a twist!
• Holland House® White Wine Vinegar. Light and crisp with a delicate balance of flavors like those found in the premium California white wine from which it is produced.
• Holland House® Red Wine Vinegar. A robust and full-bodied wine vinegar offering a pleasing concentration of flavors and rich red appearance consistent with Premium California red wine.
• Holland House® Garlic Flavor Red Wine Vinegar. Premium California red wine infused with mellow garlic flavor to create an extraordinarily versatile flavor enhancer.
• Holland House® Malt Vinegar. Drawing on the distinctive characteristics of malted barley for its rich golden color and strong—but not overpowering—flavor.
• Holland House® Balsamic Vinegar. Meticulously crafted from the juice of Trebbiano grapes from Modena, Italy, to produce full-bodied flavor that’s both aromatic and sweet.

For more every day cooking tips with Holland House vinegars, check out the Holland House Facebook page.

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Disclosure: Holland House provided product samples and compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

Sautéed Rainbow Chard and everyday cooking with Holland House is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!