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

Healthy Holiday Side Dishes for Procrastinators

It’s a one-week countdown to Thanksgiving! I’ve noticed that on-task, super-planning people have already locked in their holiday menus and have loading up their carts at the market. I’m a bit more of a slacker, waiting until the final days to formulate my feast. No shame in my game, I get side tracked with work, working out and life!Holiday Side Dishes for the Procrastinator

If you are a like-minded lollygagger, you’ll appreciate my guide to Healthy Holiday Side Dishes for the Procrastinator. Most of these side dish recipes take between 15 and 30 minutes to make and combine pantry staples with fresh ingredients you can STILL find in the produce department. Read on to get six quick and easy recipes that actually look like you put some effort into it. 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

Greek Stuffed Breakfast Sweet Potato

I remember when mom used to make whole-grain pancakes, sausage and a fruit salad for DINNER! She would always rationalize the “backwards night” by reminding us that we were getting all the food groups, like we could even hear her through the . Today, I realize that she had a point, it really doesn’t matter what you eat and when, as long as it’s balanced. So, why not put a spin on her flip-flop with dinner for breakfast!96 Greek_Breakfast_Sweet_Potato_Skins_three_fork

I’ve done green salads, rice bowls, and steak kebabs for a morning meal, these are all quite tasty before dawn breaks . . . and super easy if leftover! Today, I’m sharing Greek Stuffed Breakfast Sweet Potatoes, a perfectly portioned and perfectly delicious way to start your day. If you’re time-crunched and always quick grab that sugary pastry, give this recipe a try (it takes only 15 minutes) and I promise you’ll feel so much better. Continue reading

How to Roast, Grill, Microwave & Slow Cook a Sweet Potato + Recipes

When I found out that today (February 22nd) was National Cook a Sweet Potato Day, I got really excited. It’s about time this delicious, nutrient-packed tuber got some attention other than in November. Packed with healthy carbs, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients, sweet potatoes are perfect for your plate year ‘round. With at least 16 varieties grown in the U.S., including one of my favorites, the Stokes Purple Sweet Potato, I can’t imagine ever get tired of this vibrant veggie.How to Cook a Sweet Potato

Bake, microwave, roast, saute, grill, fry and boil are just some of the ways to cook a sweet potato. Eat them “as-is” with simple seasons or mash flesh to use as an ingredient in soups, side dishes, smoothies, baked goods and more.  So, are you wondering just exactly how to COOK a SWEET POTATO? Read on the find out the basic methods and get some of my favorite recipes:  Continue reading