What I Ate Wednesday- Sweet Potato Fries

In an attempt to revamp my blog, Food Friday has now become What I Ate Wednesday! I hope you enjoy this and all the other posts that will be coming your way!

Last week I was discussing sweet potatoes with the girl that I nanny for (really, this wasn't the weirdest topic we've ever had), and we discovered that we both LOVED sweet potato fries so I promised I would make them for a (healthy!) snack the next day. I've made sweet potato fries before but it's been awhile and I couldn't remember what temperature, how long, what to season with, so I went on the Internet to search. There are a hundred different ways to make sweet potato fries. Garlic salt, oregano, paprika, and on and on. Finally I decided to go basic and they were a huge hit!

Here's what I did:






Start with fresh sweet potatoes. Clean, peel, and cut into fries according to preference.







I cut these up during the day while the kids were at school to cut down on prep time after school.

I didn't get a photo of the next step (sorry!), but here's what I did:
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
-Line baking sheet with wax paper.
-Toss fries with a LITTLE olive oil and spread out on sheet.
-Salt and pepper according to preference.
-Bake for 20 minutes turning the fries once halfway through.
-Let cool and enjoy!






What are some healthy snacks that you make?

Love,
Jess

Food Friday...just a little late

I know, I know, my second week on the blogging job and I'm already a failure! I had very good intentions of posting this last Friday but my wonderful friend Leah surprised me and flew in for a visit on Thursday. Anyway, more on that later...I know present to you FOOD FRIDAY!

This is a recipe that I tried a few months ago but I love it so much I wanted to share it with you! Liz and I found this gem on Pinterest courtesy of the food blog Pinch of Yum.

Healthy Sweet Potato Skins

Ingredients

• 2 medium or large sweet potatoes


• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter


• 1 shallot, minced


• 1 bag fresh baby spinach


• 1/4 cup light sour cream


• 2 ounces light cream cheese


• 1 cup chickpeas


• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bake sweet potatoes at 350 for 45-60 minutes, or until fork tender.


2. Cut sweet potatoes in half and let cool for 5-10 minutes. While sweet potatoes are cooling, saute the shallots with the butter over medium heat until translucent. Add fresh spinach and heat for 2-3 minutes, until spinach has cooked down. Set aside.


3. Scrape the sweet potato out of the peel, leaving a thin layer inside with the peel so that it can stand up on its own. Mash the sweet potato with the cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in chickpeas, spinach, and salt and pepper.


4. Coat potato skins with a drizzle of oil and bake for about 5 minutes to get a crispier outside. Remove from oven and fill each skin with the sweet potato mixture and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake again for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and filling is heated through.

Let me know how this turns out for you!

Love, Jess