Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread | Gluten-Free #PurplePowerToThePeople

Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread is gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free.White bread ain’t got nothing, not one single thing on my Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread. That is, unless you actually like gummy simple carbs and are willing to put your bod through the resulting blood sugar surge/crash and gathering of gluten all from eating one puny slice.

Stokes Purple Sweet Potato

This kinda weird, but decidedly delicious flatbread has none of that nonsense. Featuring Stokes Purple®, a special type of California-grown, non-GMO sweet potato with purple skin and vibrant purple flesh that get even brighter when cooked, this bread alternative is nothing to “loaf” about – flat is where it’s at! #PurplePowerToThePeople

The texture of a Stokes Purple® is a little drier and denser than a traditional sweet potato, rendering it perfect for a substitute flour filler in my grain-free, gluten-free flatbread recipe. Purple sweet potatoes offer similar nutritional benefits of regular orange sweet potatoes in the fact that they are both healthy source of complex carbs with a low GI impact, are full of dietary fiber and many essential vitamins and minerals. The Stokes Purple® also has anthocyanins, a plant flavonoid that not only gives the potatoes their distinctive purple hue, but also have been linked to a host of health benefits including reductions in certain cancers, lowering of bad cholesterol,  improvements in vision, liver and heart health, and have also been linked to boosts in cognition.Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread is a gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free and dairy-free bread substitute! Eat as a starter, sammie, snack or side dish!

So back to the sweet potato flatbread details, the recipe also features almond meal, and coarsely chopped pumpkin and sunflower seeds. There are a couple eggs in the recipe, but otherwise it’s dairy-free and suitable for a vegetarian or gluten-free diet. If you have an allergy to nuts, sub out the almond meal for an equivalent amount of oat-flour to keep it nut-free.

nutty-purple-sweet-potato-flatbread Eat this gluten-free flatbread warm out of the oven, spread with a little honey butter – it’s like eating a sweet potato in portable, easy-to-pick-up format. But, a little more interesting and flavorful than that “sweet potato toast” trend on Pinterest. You can also use two slices to bookend your favorite sandwich fillings – since I made these right after the holidays, my gluten-free sandwich is layered with leftovers including turkey, cranberry relish and spinach!

nutty-sweet-potato-flatbread-sandwich-feet

Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes available in select markets and by mail.

Have you ever had a purple sweet potato? What are your favorite potato toppings or sammie stuffings? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Enjoy as a sandwich, starter or side dish, Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread is nutritious, delicious, and gluten-free option for dinner, lunch or snack.
Course: Appetizer, bread, Sandwich, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup unsalted, roasted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 1 teaspoon seasalt
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teapsoon garlic powder
  • 3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato flesh room temperature
  • 1/3 cup almond milk (or milk of choice) may need a splash more
  • 3 large eggs
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400F degrees. In small food processor, coarsely chop sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Add to small bowl, along with other dry ingredients including almond flour, salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder.
  2. In small blender, add milk, eggs and 1 cup of pre-cooked sweet potato mash and process until smooth. Stir in remaining cooked sweet potatoes with spatula, adding a splash more milk if needed, but consistency should remain fairly thick.
  3. Scrape this wet mixture into bowl with dry ingredients and mix with spatula until well combined.
  4. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread batter from end to end, corner to corner, keeping even thickness. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin and sunflower seeds, if desired.
  5. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until edges and top are turning lightly golden brown. Remove from oven to cool on wire rack.
  6. Cut into pieces and serve warm or at room temperature. Save leftovers in zip-top bag in refrigerator – reheat in microwave or toaster oven before serving.

Easy Seared Ahi Tuna with Rainbow Winter Veggie Toss

Seared Ahi Tuna with Riced Rainbow Winter VegetablesAhi Tuna, a fish so nice they named it twice!  Yup, “ahi” is simply the loosely translated name for “tuna” in Hawaiian. If you love fish, but aren’t familiar with Ahi, you need to make its acquaintance soon – and the Seared Ahi Tuna from the line of Bumble Bee SuperFresh® seafood is a quick, convenient way to make waves and earn raves at the dinner table. Bumble Bee SuperFresh Seared Ahi Tuna

With colder weather just around the corner, I tossed together some of my favorite hearty and vibrantly-hued veggies into a simple yet stunning side dish – Winter Rainbow Veggie Toss with Gingered Lemon Glaze. This healthy vegetable recipe of finely diced purple sweet potato, butternut squash and cauliflower makes a colorful sidekick to the beautiful pink center of seared Ahi but it would also be totally on fleek with other fish or lean proteins. In the summer, this no-cook tuna is the perfect protein to top a crisp, fresh salad and is sure to elevate any lunchbox and get co-worker’s tongues wagging! Bumble Bee SuperFresh Seared Ahi Tuna

Easy Seared Ahi Tuna with Rainbow Winter Veggie Toss makes a quick, convenient and healthy weeknight dinner.I really appreciate that Bumble Bee SuperFresh® Seared Ahi Tuna is wild caught and harvested from sources managed to promote healthy fish stocks for future generations – that’s important to the values held by me and my family. A more selfish benefit however is the lack of nasty fish smell. Thanks to prepping straight from the freezer, there is no off-putting “fishy smell” that sometimes comes with thawing and cooking fish and seafood at home – it’s amazingly fresh tasting and fresh smelling! None of my kids has ever walked in the house and said “ewwwwww”!

So, let’s get this Ahi party started! To “prepare” the Bumble Bee SuperFresh® Seared Ahi Tuna, simply remove from the finely sliced fish from the freezer and vacuum pack wrapping and allow to defrost in the refrigerator for 3 hours. That’s it! The wild caught, premium grade fish is already encrusted with a garlic peppercorn rub and pre-seared to enhance taste and texture. That’s it, that’s all!

Riced Rainbow Winter Veggies with Gingered Lemon GlazeWhile the tuna is thawing, you can prep the veggies for the Winter Rainbow Veggies with Gingered Lemon Glaze. The recipe is super simple to heat up, but there is some elbow grease required to chop all the veggies. For speed, I suggest using an official potato ricer or even a spiralizer on the squash and purple potato, dicing down the spirals afterward. Head down to the recipe below for the full detail!

Find out where to buy Bumble Bee SuperFresh SeafoodAre you ready to impress your family and friends with Bumble Bee SuperFresh® products, they’ll naturally assume a lot of time and trouble went into preparing a such fine dining holiday experience. No need to mention that the Bumble Bee SuperFresh® Seared Ahi Tuna is simply “thaw and serve,” that will be our little secret. Head over to the Store Locator or Amazon Fresh to get your hands in this convenient, high quality product that is perfect for both special celebrations and everyday dining. If tuna isn’t your thing, the line of Bumble Bee SuperFresh® also includes Tilapia with Lemon, Pepper & Herbs, Tilapia with Garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salmon with Garlicky Black Pepper and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Salmon with Garden Pesto.

Are you a fish fan? How many times a month do you eat it at home? Favorite fish or recipe? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Easy Seared Ahi Tuna with Rainbow Winter Veggie Toss
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 
Create a vibrant and very festive weeknight dinner this holiday season with convenient, frozen seared tuna and a simple diced medley of winter vegetables.
Course: Main Dish, Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine: American, Asian
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 package Bumble Bee SuperFresh® Seared Ahi Tuna
For Rainbow Winter Veggie Toss
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup finely diced or riced purple sweet potato
  • 1 cup finely diced or riced cauliflower
  • 1 cup finely diced or riced butternut squash
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons reduced sodi
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • salt and pepper to season
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
for Ahi Tuna
  1. To prepare fish, simply remove from the finely sliced fish from the freezer and vacuum pack wrapping and allow to defrost in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
For Rainbow Winter Veggis
  1. Heat olive oil in large skillet to medium-high heat.
  2. Add sweet potato, cauliflower, and squash and saute, stirring frequently, for approximately 5 minutes or until becoming tender.
  3. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 additional minute.
  4. Stir in lemon juice and soy sauce and until heated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with lemon zest.

Vegan Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Cilantro Chimichurri

When I’m looking to make a meat-free soup into an entire meal, I have couple non-negotiable. The soup needs to be hearty and thick (as opposed to thin and brothy), it needs to have tons of flavor, and also should have a decent showing of protein.  Vegan Chipotle Sweet Potato SoupMy recipe for Vegan Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Cilantro Chimichurri meets all of these requirements and more — the “more” bonus is that it’s super easy to make and is loaded with healthy carbs to fuel my long runs and intense workouts. Slightly spicy while simultaneously smoky and just a tad sweet, a big hearty bowl of this meat-free, dairy-free, vegan soup will get you warmed up and keep you filled up until the next meal! My serving size is very generous and, sans the chimichurri, has 400 calories, 20 grams of protein, 80g healthy complex carb, 4g fat – plus is very high in potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

Pin this for later!Vegan Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup makes a hearty, healthy meal on busy nights. Pureed beans in the soup add extra protein, making this a great meal solution for vegans, vegetarians and those looking to go meatless for the night.

Nutrient-rich sweet potatoes blended into vegetable stock make up the bulk of this super simple soup recipe. Pureed white navy beans have been added for additional protein and fiber and help boost this soup into a full-fledged meal appropriate for vegans, vegetarians or anyone looking for a nutritious meatless option. As I mentioned, this is a great go-to soup when I’m carb-loading for winter marathons, Spartan races and other endurance events.

blooming-chipotle-powder-for-sweet-potato-soup-litehouseWhen making this simple soup, a step you don’t want to skip is to “bloom” the chipotle chile powder in the stock pot before adding any of the other soup ingredients. Blooming most spices helps to intensify their depth and complexity — the smoky flavor of ground chipotle pepper really opens up with this front-end method.

I originally developed this recipe for Litehouse Food’s Living Litehouse Blog using their Instantly Fresh Guacamole Blend as a quick fix in both the soup and the quick-fix Cilantro Chimichurri.  I highly recommend this freeze-dried herb product, it’s one of my all-time favorites with multiple uses beyond just guacamole making – try it in soups, stews, casseroles, stir-frys, and skillet dinners. However, if you can’t find the product in your market, I’ve asterisked the recipe with substitutions.

Cilantro ChimichurriThe Cilantro Chimichurri blended up to dress the soup is a bright and vibrant contrast to the more scarf-and-sweater vibe of the hearty soup. Plus, it adds a drizzle of heart-healthy olive oil to a soup recipe that is nearly fat-free.  You can also use this Cilantro Chimichurri on drizzled on steak and fish, as a salad dressing, or mixed into Greek yogurt as a dip.

How are you prepping your sweet potatoes this fall? What is your favorite type of soup? What fuels your running the night before? Please share in the comments, XOXO — Jennifer 

Vegan Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Cilantro Chimichurri
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
A big bowl of this sweet-savory nourishing vegan soup provides plenty of protein and healthy complex carbs to fuel your most active endeavors.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, Mexican, Southwestern
Servings: 4 main dish servings
Ingredients
for Soup
  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise (about 2)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon oive oil
  • 2 teaspoons chilpotle chile powder
  • 3 cups canned great northern beans, undrained about 1 1/2 cans
  • 1 quart vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup Instantly Fresh Guacamole Blend Freeze-Dried Herbs *substitution directions at bottom of recipe
for Chimichurri
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves small, tender parts of stalks okay
  • 1/4 cup nstantly Fresh Guacamole Blend Freeze-Dried Herbs *substitution directions at bottom of recipe
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Place potatoes, cut sides down, in an 11 x 7-inch microwave-safe baking dish. Add 1/3 cup water; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cool slightly, discard potato skins. Heat stock pot over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add chipotle chili powder and sauté 1 minute or until fragrant.
  2. Place undrained beans in blender with approximately ½ cup of vegetable broth, pulse until smooth. Add to stock pot.

  3. Scoop sweet potatoes out of skin and add to blender with remaining vegetable broth and ¼ cup Guacamole Blend herbs. Process until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Add mixture to stock pot. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. If soup seems too thick add additional water or vegetable broth to suit preferences.

  4. To prepare Chimichurri, add olive oil, fresh cilantro, Guacamole Blend herbs, lime juice, vinegar and salt to blender. Pulse until mixture coarsely combined.
  5. To serve, scoop soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of Chimichurri.
  6. If you can't find Instantly Fresh Guacamole Blend, use this as substitute: For Soup, instead of 1/4 cup Guacamole Blend, use 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons minced garlic For Chimichurri, instead of 1/4 cup Instantly Fresh Guacamole Blend, use 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons minced garlic

BBQ Beef Bean & Sweet ‘Tater Taquitos #TexMexAndFlex

BBQ Beef, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Taquitos are baked and filled with wholesome ingredients. We are up to our chin guards in football season, so I’ve kicked up my family-friendly, meal-prepping madness into overtime. With just a little “overtime” work on Sunday, I can prepare a couple batches of my BBQ Beef, Black Bean and Sweet ‘Tater Taquitos and have enough for a couple quick-fix, weeknight dinners and leftovers for snacking on the big game day. By the way and sorry for the questionable rhyming (haha), I originally developed these onfleek-o taquitos for BeefLovingTexans.com, so check it out!

BBQ Beef, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Taquitos make a quick and easy dinner solution. Baked, not fried, and filled with wholesome ingredients to fuel an active lifestyle. Meal prep a couple batches for the freezer for busy weeknight meals or football game day snacks.

While my teenage boys and their always-hungry friends are munching what they assume to be merely crispy, crunchy, cheesy, beefy taquitos (rolled small tacos by any other name!), I snicker in silent satisfaction knowing I’ve snuck in some wholesome nutrition to fuel their busy, active bodies. Lean beef for muscle-making protein and iron, beans for even more protein plus fiber, and sweet potato in a whole grain tortillas for a double-whammy of healthy complex carbs for long-lasting giddy-up-and-go.  As Guy Fieri would say in his own punderful way, “You can’t beato these taquitos!”

These tasty taquitos can be devoured right out of the oven, or freeze a batch and then just toss in the oven (or toaster oven!) on those endless days that have gone into double overtime. This is an easy way to pass the proverbial ball over to the kids and let them do some quarterbacking in the kitchen.

mojo-citrus-guacamole-1Just add a simple side salad and your favorite Texas-style condiments like guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo and barbeque sauce.My Mojo Citrus Guacamole makes a tasty team up!

 

 

 

 

 

bbq-beef-black-bean-and-sweet-tater-taquitos-preppingOne the taquito innards are made, assemble by adding a spoonful in the middle of a whole grain tortilla, rolling up and baking (no frying here and they are still super crunchy). While corn tortillas are traditional for taquitos, I’ve found that the corn-flour “mix” tortillas are more pliable and less prone to crack. If needed, insert a toothpick to keep tortillas secure, but don’t forget to remove before serving!

beef-black-bean-sweet-tater-taquito-holding-singleEnjoy!

Favorite football team? Any football players on the family roster this year? Favorite thing to roll in a tortilla? Please share in commets! XOXO , Jennifer 

BBQ Beef, Black Bean & Sweet 'Tater Taquitos
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Roll up healthy dinner plans pronto with fit and fresh BBQ Beef, Bean &Sweet Potato Taquitos - a quick dinner or snack solution. Double batch for freezer!
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Mexican, Southwestern
Servings: 6 servings (20 taquitos total)
Ingredients
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon additional olive oil for serving
  • 1 medium sweet potato, finely chopped (approx. 2 cups)
  • `1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/3 cup spicy bbq sauce
  • 8 ounces Mexican Blend shredded cheese (2 cups, divided)
  • 20 count corn-flour “mix” tortillas, 8" to 9” diameter
  • baking spray
  • Optioan Garnish: guacamole, bbq sauce, sour cream, etc
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In large skillet, brown ground beef over medium-high heeat, add minced garlic in last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain fat and excess water. Mix in packet of taco seasoning and chili powder and 2 tablespoons of water (do not add amount of water taco season packet calls for). Stir and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer cooked beef mixture to large bowl.
  3. Add olive oil to same skillet (okay if beef residue stays in there). Bring to medium-high heat and saute diced sweet potatoes for 4 to 5 minutes or until softened and browning. Add sweet potatoes to bowl with beef mixture.
  4. Add rinsed and drained beans to beef bow. Make sure beans have drained well to prevent soggy taquitos. Let entire mixture cool down for 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. Gently stir in BBQ sauces and 1 ½ cups of cheese.
  6. Working one at a time, transfer tortilla to a work surface; place scant 1/3 cup beef mixture into center of tortilla. Bring the bottom edge of the tortilla tightly over the filling, rolling from bottom to top until the top of the tortilla is reached. Secure with toothpick. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
  7. Place taquitos onto rimmed sheet sprayed with baking spray. Spray tops of taquitos with baking spray and bake until crisp and cheese has melted, about 12-15 minutes.
  8. To reheat from frozen, heat oven to 375 F degrees and place taquitos on rimmed sheet sprayed with baking spray. Lightly cover tops of taquitos with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spray tops of taquitos with baking spray, increase heat to 400 and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until crisp, cheese has melted and tops are brown.

Spicy Salmon, Sweet Potato and Pineapple Kebabs – Healthy Game Day Grub

Today was the official start of college football season and I had some hungry fans to feed over here.  Go team and I’m so diplomatic, I’m not telling which one! But, I will share with you our football party food – Spicy Salmon, Sweet Potato and Pineapple Kebabs! They were a little spicy, a little sweet and a lot sizzling damn delicious -very healthy and balanced, even the fake-cheese, nacho-loving guys gave me a high-five at halftime.

Spicy Salmon Sweet Potato Pineapple Kebabs is an easy, balanced dinner with a kick of sweet heat!

Oh, and did I mention how easy to make? Super easy, especially with spices and sauces from Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q to save me some precious party time while keeping my ATX food game going strong.Used that simple yet magical jar Bar-B-Q Spice Rub on everything I skewered and mixed some Stubb’s Sticky Sweet Bar-B-Q Sauce into plain yogurt to make a Creamy BBQ Dressing to use on a side salad and drizzle over the kebabs – I even used the leftovers for snacking with chips! Shaking stubbs on salmon kebabs

I highly recommend Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q sauce, rubs, marinades and cooking sauces – not just because they are a homegrown Austin company that tastes great and makes life easy, but also because they don’t use artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors or preservatives often found on the condiment aisle.

SizzleFish Sockeye Salmon

Also, SizzleFish.com is another company that keeps my healthy best interests in mind with their flash-frozen seafood collections. These assortments of high-quality fish, shrimp and other seafood are mindfully sourced from the best the world has to offer and shipped straight to my front door in perfectly –portioned, individually vacuum-sealed pouches.  For this recipe, I used their Alaskan-caught Sockeye Salmon, a great source of Omega 3 fats.

salmon sweet potato kebabs toes

stubb's sticky sweet bbq sauce on shrimp kebabsPair this easy grilled fish recipe with your favorite whole grains and vegetables for a balanced-healthy meal! You can also make them “half-sized” on shorter skewers and serve as an appetizer at a tailgate. If you like the idea of barbeque seafood skewers, check out my BBQ Shrimp Kebabs with Kumquats & Pineapple.  

What are you grilling for Labor Day or the big football game? Tell me your favorite football team, collegiate or NFL? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer 

This post was sponsored by Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q, however all opinions, recipes and enthusiasm are my own! 

 

 

Spicy Salmon, Sweet Potato and Pineapple Kebabs
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Total Time
18 mins
 
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 medium sweet potato, cut into large cubes
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 8 oz fresh pinapple chunks
  • 4 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut in large chunks
  • 8 oz Sockeye Salmon filets  (I used 2 4-oz packages from SizzleFish.com)
  • 2 tablespoons Stubbs Bar-B-Q Spice Rub
  • 1/4 cup Stubb’s Sticky Sweet Bar-B-Q Sauce
  • 1/4 cup plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
Instructions
  1. Use 4 metal skewers or soak 4 bamboo sticks in water for 10 minutes.
  2. Place sweet potato chunks in microwave safe bowl and par cook in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until no longer crunchy, but not too soft. Toss with olive oil, set aside.
  3. Use filet knife to cut skin off bottom of fish. Cut into 12 pieces total (6 each filet)
  4. On each skewer, thread on salmon, pineapple, jalapeno and sweet potato in alternating pattern.  Generously sprinkle with spice rub on both sides.
  5. Place skewers on grill heated to approximately 400 F degrees, cook for approximately 4  minutes, then flip and grill for 3 to 4 additional minute or until salmon is medium doneness. Transfer to platter.
  6. In small bowl, mix together BBQ sauce and yogurt. Serve with kebabs as a dip or drizzle.