recipes – gluten free

easy, homemade microwave sweet potato chips

06/18/2013 by Annalise · Leave a Comment

Microwave sweet potato chips? Really?!

That’s exactly what I thought when I first heard of this! I have been ignoring the concept, until I started intensely craving sweet potato chips today and decided to do something about it.

Usually I make sweet potato fries, in the oven. They are delicious, but always lack the ‘crunch’ I crave.

I was so skeptical of using the microwave, as I’m not a huge microwave user in general, but the more I thought about it, the more it started to make sense.

Have you ever tried to microwave something soft and moist, like bread, cake or cookies? And you know how hard and dried out they get if they stay in there even a few seconds too long?

Well, use that drying-out to your advantage for some homemade chips!

A light toss in some oil & spices and thin slices of sweet potatoes turn into crunchy, golden chips in just minutes!

Heaven!

easy homemade microwave sweet potato chips

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

10 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

1 medium sweet potato

Ingredients

parchment paper
1 medium-large sweet potato, washed
1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the tray of your microwave.

Slice the sweet potato as thinly as possible (preferably with a mandoline). Toss the slices in a bowl with a teaspoon of melted coconut oil and some salt & pepper.

Lay the coated slices out evenly on your parchment-lined microwave tray. Cook on high for 4+ minutes (this number will depend on your microwave and how thick the slices are). Start at 4 minutes and then keep adding about 30 seconds at a time until the chips are just brown.

Take them out of the microwave and let cool a few minutes for maximum crunch. Toss with a bit more salt if desired!

(I like to add chipotle chile powder and garlic powder to mine, with the salt & pepper. A salty/sweet version with cinnamon and a pinch of brown sugar would be delicious too!)

http://sweetannas.com/2013/06/easy-homemade-microwave-sweet-potato-chips.html

www.sweetannas.com

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - appetizers, recipes - gluten free, recipes - healthy, recipes - kids, recipes - natural, recipes - snacks, recipes - tips and tricks, recipes - toddler, recipes - toddlers, recipes - trim healthy mama, recipes - vegetarian ·

healthy peach berry crumble smoothies

05/27/2013 by Annalise · Leave a Comment

These smoothies are a healthy meal in and of themselves. All the sweet, luscious flavor of a summer-fruit smoothie and a juicy, peach berry crisp, without any of the guilt.

Dairy-free, sugar-free, and flavor-FULL!

(By the way… if you’re on the Fast Metabolism Diet like I was, this is a Phase 3 breakfast or lunch!)

Chia seeds and coconut oil give you the healthy fats your body craves, and no one (ahem, toddlers!) will ever know there are fresh greens packed inside their treat!

((Commence the silent cheering so as not to wake the house-full of sleeping kiddos!))

I don’t know about you, but my kids just don’t really eat too many green foods willingly. And any way I can sneak more good-stuff into their tummies is a good thing!

crazy healthy good chocolate chip pan cookie

05/13/2013 by Annalise · Leave a Comment

Ok, maybe not super healthy, because this does have sugar in it. But even that sugar is organic, and part of it good-for-you coconut palm sugar!

What does this cookie not have? Flour, eggs, butter… seriously. I know. Stop it already, right?

This cookie sounds crazy. Almost horrible. But so crazy that it is worth trying, if only just to say you did.

(Yep, that’s why I tried it. My friend kept talking about it, for like – years, and I thought she was just a tad bit nutso. But I also got tired of wondering why she kept talking about it and so, maybe just a little to shut her up if it was not good, I tried it.)

And you know what? I am so glad I finally tried it!

And you will be glad you tried it… and your friends and family will never know it’s so healthy, I promise!

I tested this out on myself, my husband, my kids, and even my father-in-law… and everyone agreed that it does not taste one bit healthy.

Crazy, huh?

Ok, so what makes it so healthy, besides all that stuff that’s not in it? Beans. Garbanzo beans (aka Chickpeas. They are the same thing.) to be exact. Lots of beans. And some apple sauce. Weird, weird stuff. So weird, you have to try it to believe it.

Seriously. GO make this cookie. You won’t regret it!!

crazy healthy chocolate chip pan cookie

Ingredients

3 cups garbanzo beans (2 cans, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup old fashioned or quick cooking oats
1/4 cup applesauce
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup shredded or flaked coconut (either sweetened or unsweetened is fine)
1/2 cup Wholesome Sweeteners organic coconut palm sugar (can substitute for more brown)
1 cup Wholesome Sweeteners organic dark brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
(optional: additional chocolate chips and coconut for sprinkling on top)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 10" cast iron skillet, or a 9x13" baking dish, and set aside.

In a large food processor, combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips and pulse until well combined.

Dump the dough into a large bowl and stir in the chocolate chips. Spread everything into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.

Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving... with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top if you want to really trick your friends, I mean... be decadent!

http://sweetannas.com/2013/05/crazy-healthy-good-chocolate-chip-pan-cookie.html

www.sweetannas.com

Recipe adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - cookies and bars, recipes - dessert, recipes - desserts, recipes - freezer, recipes - gluten free, recipes - healthy, recipes - kids, recipes - make ahead, recipes - natural, recipes - snacks, recipes - tips and tricks, recipes - toddler, recipes - toddlers, recipes - vegetarian ·

pumpkin pie slow cooker steel-cut oatmeal

04/30/2013 by Annalise · 1 Comment

Do you only eat oatmeal in the fall & winter? Or do you love it enough to eat it all year like I do?

I’m pretty sure I could eat oatmeal every single morning for the rest of my life and not get sick of it. If only the rest of my family felt the same way! ;o)

So, I try to limit myself and also to change things up for them as much as I can.

I absolutely love making oatmeal in the slow cooker. Less than 5 minutes of prep and I get to wake up to a hot breakfast and a house that smells amazing!

Steel-cut oats are so good for you too… they, ahem, keep things moving rather nicely.

Also, oatmeal reheats beautifully, in case you didn’t know that!

You can make this oatmeal even healthier if you leave out the sugar and butter. (Fast Metabolism Dieters – this is a great phase 1 recipe!)

So, make a batch of this, and portion out the rest into freezer containers and reheat them as you need them. Fast, easy, healthy breakfasts on the go!

pumpkin pie overnight steel-cut oatmeal

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats
6 c water
3/4 cup milk (any kind)
1 cup pumpkin purée
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil

Directions

Lightly grease the slow cooker insert. Measure in all the ingredients and stir to combine.

Cook on LOW for up to 8 hours, or WARM if it will be longer.

When you're ready to eat, give it all a good stir (it will look separated) to bring it all together, taste for sugar and cinnamon and enjoy!

http://sweetannas.com/2013/04/pumpkin-pie-slow-cooker-steel-cut-oatmeal.html

www.sweetannas.com

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - breakfast, recipes - crockpot, recipes - freezer, recipes - gluten free, recipes - healthy, recipes - make ahead, recipes - natural, recipes - slow cooker ·

sweet potato coconut chicken curry

04/29/2013 by Annalise · 1 Comment

Oh my heavens. The smell of this dish alone is enough to cause your eyes to roll back in bliss. Seriously amazing. Heavenly.

I think heaven will smell something like this curry. And fresh baked bread, and coffee. And brand new babies.

But that’s not what we’re talking about here, we’re talking about curry.

Chicken, onions, sweet potatoes, kale… all drenched in a rich, beautiful, coconutty curry sauce that tastes too good to be good for you!

Don’t worry though… everything in this dish is good for you! And with all the nutrients your getting from the sweet potatoes, kale and coconut milk and oil, this is a powerhouse meal.

We have served this over rice, quinoa, brown rice noodles, and by itself. Eat it how you like it.

Oh, and for those of you joining us on The Fast Metabolism Diet (I’ll be talking about this more soon!), this is a perfect Phase 3 dinner.

We have had it two weeks in a row, and never have enough leftovers to keep us happy. We will definitely be making this again and again… ’diet’ or no!

sweet potato coconut chicken curry

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
3-4 small-medium sweet potatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 chicken breasts, raw or cooked & shredded
1 (15oz) can lite or regular coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth or stock
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste!)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
salt & pepper, to taste
2-3 big handfulls of chopped kale

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat until melted and hot. Toss in the onion and sweet potatoes and sauté for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add the chicken, and the rest of the ingredients, except the kale, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (if you used raw chicken) and the sweet potatoes are tender.

Take off the lid, shred the cooked chicken (again, if you used raw whole chicken breasts) and stir it back into the pan. Place 2-3 big handfulls of the chopped kale into the pan, stir gently, and then cover and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or so, until the kale is wilted.

*At this point, if you'd like a thicker sauce, feel free to raise the heat a bit, with the lid off, and simmer until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. We like ours pretty thin - almost like a soup, but not really.

Taste for seasonings, adjust where necessary, and serve hot over rice, quinoa or noodles!

http://sweetannas.com/2013/04/sweet-potato-coconut-chicken-curry.html

www.sweetannas.com