Parmesan Purple Sweet Potato Grits with Creole Shrimp

Topping cheese grits with shrimp isn’t anything new down here in the south, but mashed purple sweet potato grits is an unexpected and utterly game-changing twist! I feel like I should rename this post, Grits Gone Wild. Plus, I love how it’s a quick fix on busy nights and, if desired, the shrimp can be left off for a vegetarian side dish . . . . perhaps for Thanksgiving?

Purple Sweet Potato Grits with Creole Shrimp

Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are different that their classic orange cousins not only in color, but they are favorably denser, richer and offer well-balanced sweetness. Read on to get the Parmesan Purple Sweet Potato Grits with Creole Shrimp recipe, find out more about this healthy complex carb that is perfect for your active lifestyle and to enter my giveaway for Purple Sweet Potato & T-shirt Giveaway. Continue reading

Almond Joy Cookie Brittle { Gluten Free }

Tracking PixelThis is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill.

I’ve been baking for others, ever since I was a grade school girl! I would pour over my now vintage children’s cookbook thoughtfully deciding which recipe would suit a family member or friend best. A specialty I made for my little brother nearly every Saturday morning was a muffin dunked in butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. I have no doubt he’d remember, if you asked! Almond Joy Cookie Brittle with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Blend

I wish my brother was closer so I could share a batch of my gluten-free Almond Joy Cookie Brittle with him, especially since his birthday and the holidays are fast approaching! Oh wait, I can ship the cookies his way and turn an ordinary day into the sweetest mail day ever!   Read on to get the recipe, find out how baking for others benefits all parties involved, and learn how Bob’s Red Mill helped make this batch of cookie brittle the best yet!  Continue reading

Lemon Ginger Green Beans with Almonds + Holiday Sides

November is here and it’s time to start thinking about healthy Thanksgiving side dishes! One of the best things, other than gathering with family and friends, is the sheer smorgasbord of side dishes that go along with the meal. On a normal day, I’m lucky to get two plant-based accompaniments with our main protein, but during the holidays it’s more like a dozen delicious things to go alongside our turkey or roast.Lemon Ginger Green Beans with Almon

This recipe for Lemon-Ginger Green Beans with Almonds is a snap to make and so much fresher and fitter than the creamy green bean casserole of yore.  Read on to get the 10-minute recipe and a few other ideas for vegetable side dishes. Continue reading

Lightened Pumpkin Spice Crumb Cake (gluten free option)

Autumn means ALL the pumpkin-spiced things! It’s a seasonal craze I can support  — and, by support, I mean “hold up to my mouth and shove in!”Lightened Pumpkin Crumb Cake - gluten-free

So, with the hubby’s birthday right in the smack of pumpkin month, I don’t even ask him what flavor cake he wants. He’d normally say “chocolate,” but in September, October and November, the only option is pumpkin spice. Check out my Lightened Pumpkin Spice Crumb Cake (gluten-free), get the recipe and find out what yumminess I served it with. Continue reading

Purple Sweet Potato Salad with Figs, Pomegranate and Balsamic Syrup

Nothing better than a beautiful salad alongside dinner and there have been so many fresh and colorful “fixings” at the market. In Texas, our seasons seem to not pay attention to the rules — they intersect and linger around, meaning lots of produce choices for me!Purple Sweet Potato Salad with Figs, Pomegranate and Balsamic Syrup.

 

For example, I’m still seeing fresh, summery figs in abundance, but also cooler weather fruits and vegetables like pomegranates and purple sweet potatoes. I can’t decide what to choose, so I choose it all and make a Purple Sweet Potato Salad with Figs, Pomegranate & Balsamic Syrup. Read on to get the recipe and (hello) learn more about these out-of-the-ordinary, colorific tubers! Continue reading