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Loaded Baked Sweet Potato

Baked sweet potato loaded with zesty black beans, melted cheese, salsa with a dollop of cream. What can be better than a 20 minute meal!

Today’s recipe is a guest post from The Picky Eater[1]. I met Anjali in San Francisco last year; she’s a sweet blogger who I instantly connected with, she is also a vegetarian and shared this delicious (yes, I tested this myself and loved it!) recipe with us, perfect for meatless Monday!

Hi Everyone! My name is Anjali Shah and I blog over at The Picky Eater[2], where I write about healthy recipes and easy-to-make family meals. I test all of my recipes on my “fast food loving husband,” who, prior to meeting me, ate a diet of frozen pizzas and Taco Bell, so any recipe that makes it on to my blog is “husband approved”!

I’m so excited to be a guest blogger today on Gina’s site! Ever since I met her at the Foodbuzz Conference last year and saw the amazing photographs and wonderful recipes on her blog, I’ve been a fan – and I’m so honored to be a part of this blog and meet all of you.

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to makeover comfort foods into healthy versions that taste amazing, are full of flavor and feel just like the original.

Today I’d like to share one of my favorite recipes – my Loaded Baked Potato Makeover. My healthy swaps include: sweet potatoes instead of russet, “loaded” toppings like black beans and veggies sautéed with spices, and a dollop of cream (which is my favorite swap – 0% Greek Yogurt for sour cream!) The husband usually can’t tell the difference, especially when I spice up the yogurt with some taco seasoning.

This meal is delicious and takes only 20 minutes to make, which is why I love making it after a long day at work – I know I’ll have something yummy in my stomach in the same amount of time it would take to pick up takeout. The husband loved it too, and it has since become a staple weeknight meal in our house. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Loaded Baked Sweet Potato “Healthified” 
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 1 potato • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pt
Calories: 307 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 53 g • Fiber: 10.5 g • Protein: 15 g • Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 312 mg  (without salt)

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium sized sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt (or light sour cream)
  • 1 tsp taco seasoning
  • 1 tsp olive or canola oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika or smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1-1/3 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup mild or spicy salsa
  • 1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese blend
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions or cilantro

Directions:

Poke holes in the potato with a fork, cook on your microwave’s potato setting until potatoes are soft and cooked through (about 8-10 minutes on high for 4 potatoes).

Combine yogurt and taco seasoning in a small bowl, mix well.

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add peppers, onions, chili powder, paprika, cumin and salt; cook until the onions have caramelized slightly, about 5 minutes. Add black beans, stir to combine and heat through (about another 5 minutes).

Slice the potato lengthwise down the middle or as I did in the photo, use a fork to pierce the top in an oval shape, then remove the top of each potato. Top with 2 tbsp shredded cheese, 1/3 cup of black bean mixture, 2 tbsp Greek yogurt mixture and 2 tbsp salsa of salsa. Enjoy!

Anjali Shah is a food writer and owner of The Picky Eater[3], a healthy food and lifestyle blog. Follow her on

TwitterFacebookPinterest, or Google+.

References

  1. ^ The Picky Eater (pickyeaterblog.com)
  2. ^ The Picky Eater (pickyeaterblog.com)
  3. ^ The Picky Eater (pickyeaterblog.com)

Seared Sea Scallops

Seared Sea Scallops

by Pam on March 20, 2014

I was in the mood for seafood so I went to my local grocery store to see what looked good. I saw huge sea scallops and decided to give them a try. I was looking online for recipe ideas and realized that I bought “wet” scallops instead of “dry” scallops. Scallops are sold either “wet” or “dry.” “Wet” scallops are treated with phosphates, which causes them to absorb water. This extra water makes them heavier and more expensive. ”Dry,” natural scallops that have not been treated with any chemicals. So, learn from my mistake, buy “dry” scallops, if possible. Luckily, I found a simple solution on America’s Test Kitchen[1]. I soaked the scallops in a water/lemon juice/salt brine for 30 minutes to help rinse the phosphates out. I rinsed the scallops then sandwiched them between towels to soak up the excess liquid. I simply seasoned them with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper before searing them in a little butter. They turned out great. My daughter was not a fan of the scallops which surprised me because she loves sushi. My son said they were good until the next day when he told me that he actually didn’t like them. Thankfully, my husband and I both thought they were delicious. I served these scallops with the Caramelized Onion Orzo[2] and the Spinach, Tomato, and Bacon Sauté[3] for a healthy and delicious dinner.

If you can only find “wet” scallops, soak them in a solution of 1 quart cold water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons table salt for 30 minutes. Remove the small side muscle from the scallops. Place a towel (or a few paper towels) down on a large plate. Place the scallops on the towel then cover with an additional towel (or paper towels). Press gently to remove excess water.

Add the butter to a large saute pan on medium-high heat. Season both sides of the scallops with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Once the pan is hot, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2- 2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a  golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve IMMEDIATELY. Enjoy.



Print[4]

Save[5]



Seared Sea Scallops




Yield: 4



Ingredients:

Brine:

1 quart (4 cups) cold water
1/4 cup of lemon juice
2 tbsp table salt

Scallops:

15 sea scallops
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 tbsp butter

Directions:

If you can only find “wet” scallops, soak them in a solution of 1 quart cold water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons table salt for 30 minutes. Remove the small side muscle from the scallops. Place a towel (or a few paper towels) down on a large plate. Place the scallops on the towel then cover with an additional towel (or paper towels). Press gently to remove excess water.

Add the butter to a large saute pan on medium-high heat. Season both sides of the scallops with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Once the pan is hot, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2-2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve IMMEDIATELY. Enjoy.



Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking
Brine recipe from America’s Test Kitchen

References

  1. ^ America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com)
  2. ^ Caramelized Onion Orzo (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
  3. ^ Spinach, Tomato, and Bacon Sauté (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
  4. ^ Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
  5. ^ Save to ZipList Recipe Box (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)

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