Baked Potato Skins

Use the potato skins from the sweet potato layer bake to make yummy potato skins. Most of the nutrients in a potato are in the skin so smother them with cheese for a tasty treat.

4 baked potatoes, with flesh scooped out
grated cheese
bacon bits
olive oil
seasoning salt (or salt & pepper)

Turn oven to broil. Toss potato skins with olive oil and seasoning salt (or salt & pepper) place open side down on baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes or until crisp. Turn over and stuff each skin with cheese and bacon bits. Broil for another 10 minutes or until crisp.

Layered Sweet Potato Bake

The only time growing up I ever ate sweet potatoes was at Thanksgiving with marshmallows on them and they were so sweet it almost made you feel sick. I've since discovered eating them like a regular potato tastes so much better (although I do have a few sweet crunchy recipes I love as well) and they are heathier than white potatoes. This is a fun mix of both potatoes. You can use flavored cream cheese spread in place of sour cream and lipton onion soup mix. Save the skins on the white potatoes- up next are crunchy potato skins followed by mile-high biscuits...

4 white potatoes
2 sweet potatoes
1/2 cube butter
2-3 tablespoons lipton onion soup mix
1 cup sour cream (or 8oz cream cheese)
1/2 cup grated cheese (mozzarella or parmesan)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup French's fried onions (optional)

Cook and peel potatoes (microwave, bake or boil). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In one bowl mash white potatoes, add 1/4 cube butter, 1-2 tablespoons lipton onion soup mix, 1/2 cup sour cream or 1/2 package cream cheese, 1/4 grated cheese, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1-2 tablespoons milk, mix until potatoes are smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl mash sweet potatoes with remaining ingredients (except cheese and fried onions). Spread the potatoes in layers in a small casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and fried onions. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Morning Glory Muffins

More muffins! This is one of my favorite muffins- it's a close call between these and the pumpkin muffins, but these might win out. They are like mini carrot cakes. I make them with 100% whole wheat and when you add the carrots, apples and raisins, it's hard to get more nutrition packed into one tasty little muffin. This recipe comes from my favorite King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking book.

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups whole wheat or white flour

1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups peeled/grated carrots
1 large apple, peeled, cored, grated
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup wheat germ (optional)
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
Preheat oven to 375. Soak raisins in orange juice in a small bowl. Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients, add together just until moistened. Drain & stir in raisins. Scoop into muffin cups and bake 25-28 minutes. If you really want to be bad- top with a bit of cream cheese frosting...

Cranberry-Orange Muffins

I got this recipe from my friend JoAnn who is an amazing cook- I have used her recipes several times here and have several more I will be posting in the future (look for mango chicken in the next few days!) Muffins are my boys favorite snack and I'm always looking for healthier recipes that I don't feel guilty snacking on as well. This recipe fits the bill. JoAnn posted it on her blog here. I just changed a few things. They are very filling, almost like an oatmeal cookie, my boys gobbled them up in a matter of minutes.

2 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground white wheat)
1 cup oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup craisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon orange zest (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Soak the cranberries in the orange juice in a separate bowl while preparing the batter. Mix the dry ingredients then add the wet ingredients including the cranberries in orange juice and orange zest. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 15-17 minutes.

Black Bean Quesadillas & Black Refried Beans

I love black refried beans. Black beans with lime are a match made in heaven. They are so easy to make and so yummy. I like to use them for black bean quesadillas or just as chip dip. Add spices to suit your taste. I don't care for spicy food so I limit the chili powder and I love lime, so I use lots of it. I also love to make my own chips and sprinkle with lime juice. Yum.

Black Refried Beans
1 can black beans (or dried, cooked black beans)
1 can diced green chilies
cumin to taste (about a teaspoon)
chili powder to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
lime juice (fresh or you can use limeaid, about half of a fresh lime or a spoonful of limeaid)
salt to taste (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)

Mash black beans with potato masher. Heat a tiny bit of oil in a non-stick skillet. Add all ingredients and heat thoroughly, stirring so the beans don't stick to the pan. These beans combined with ripe avocado make the best burritos, tostadas or meatless enchiladas.

Black Bean Quesadillas

Spread black refried beans over a flour tortilla, top with tomatoes, cheese and other desired toppings. Cover with another flour tortilla. You can cook in a skillet with a bit of butter until brown and crispy on both sides or broil in the oven until crispy.

Pumpkin Muffins (whole wheat)

This is the best pumpkin muffin recipe! It is so scrumptious. And any muffin recipe with 100% whole wheat that tastes fabulous is totally worth making. I think my boys like muffins better than cookies- the batch was devoured in less than 30 minutes!

*NOTE: I've updated this recipe and reduced the sugar by more than half. This version is healthier and tastes just as fabulous, however if you want to double the sugar and use white flour, you can!

I prefer using butternut squash in place of pumpkin in almost all my recipes- it has a milder flavor and seems a bit more moist than pumpkin. We have a local farmer that sells them for 50 cents each in the fall. They can be stored in a cool place for 6-8 months or you can slice in half, sccop out the seeds, microwave for 10 minutes, mash and freeze in ziploc freezer bags. I freeze 1 cup at a time then it's easy to pull out and use in a recipe.

This recipe comes from my favorite Whole Grain Baking book by King Arthur Flour, but I've modified it to be a little healthier.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

1 cups whole wheat (I use freshly ground white whole wheat or King Arthur whole wheat flour)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 cube) butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pumpkin (I use fresh pumpkin or butternut squash)

3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I love it with pecans)

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in bowl. Cream together butter & sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla and pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients mixing until evenly moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into 12 muffin tins, bake 22-25 minutes.

Apple Stuffed Pork Chops

I know I always say the recipe is easy- because it is! When you have 3 kids 3 and under you don't have time to cook elaborate meals, so I do my best to find recipes that are simple, quick, taste good and are relatively healthy.

4 pork chops, boneless
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspon onion or garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 apple, cored and finely chopped
1/2 onion chopped
2 teaspoons parsley
1 cup stuffing mix (I like chicken flavor)
2-4 tablespoons apple juice
1 tablespoon oil

Trim fat from chops. Cut a pocket in each by cutting a slit in the meat and working the knife inside almost to the end of the chop, try to keep original slit small so filling won't fall out when cooking.

Stir together pepper, garlic salt, and cloves. Sprinkle over both sides of pork chop and rub into meat.

In a saucepan over medium heat saute onion in oil until tender, add apple slices just until soft. Stir in stuffing mix, parsley and apple juice (just to moisten). Remove from heat and transfer to separate bowl.

Stuff each pork chop with apple stuffing mixture, reserve the remaining mixture for garnish. Use a bit of oil to prevent chops from sticking to the pan (or you can grill) cook the pork chops over medium heat for 20 minutes, about 10 minutes each side, don't overcook.

Serve over rice and top with applesauce and remaining stuffing mixture.