Baked Sweet Potatoes

This recipe totally cracks me up - so this is kind of a joke. What cracks me up the most is that on the difficulty scale it got a 2 out of 5 - 5 being the hardest.

Ready in: > 2 hrs ?
Difficulty: 2 (1=easiest :: hardest=5)
Serves/Makes: 5

Ingredients:
5 medium sweet potatoes or yams

Directions:

Wash potatoes. Drain but do NOT dry. Set in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours (depending on size of potatoes).

This recipe from CDKitchen for Baked Sweet Potatoes serves/makes 5

Inside-Out Lasagna

I was looking around Shine.yahoo.com and came upon this recipe. I haven't tried it but I know we would like it,

Inside-Out Lasagna
8 ounces whole-wheat rotini or fusilli
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
8 ounces sliced white mushrooms (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
8 cups baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, spinach and crushed red pepper (if using). Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring once halfway through, until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes.
4. Toss the sauce with the pasta and divide among 4 bowls. Dollop each serving with 3 tablespoons of ricotta.

Makes: 4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Per serving: 364 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 14 mg cholesterol; 55 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 16 g protein; 7 g fiber; 588 mg sodium; 786 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (90% daily value), Vitamin C (50% dv), Folate (25% dv), Potassium (22% dv), Calcium (21% dv), Iron (20% dv).

"When you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is." ~Alice Waters

I found this quote today while surfing the net. I thought it applied nicely to our cute little recipe blog.

Food Nanny

A website with recipes and plan ideas to help bring a happy family to the table.
http://thefoodnanny.org/

My Favorite Rice ~ Becky

I got this recipe from the Food Network, good ol' Emeril. Below is how I make it, but if you want the way Emeril makes it you'll have to click here, and you'll need a saucepan that is oven safe (which I don't have, and probably never will.)

GREEN ONION RICE PILAF

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup small diced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups long grain white rice (I think any rice will work. We use Uncle Ben's, and it's not long grain)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white pepper (we use regular black pepper)
3 cups chicken stock or water (we use chicken stock)
1/4 cup thinly sliced chopped green onion tops

Directions
Place a 2-quart, saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they are translucent and begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Add the rice to the pan and saute (being sure to stir the rice and coat it with the oil), until toasted, (I love toasted rice!) about 4 to 5 minutes. Season the rice with the salt and white (black) pepper. Add the chicken stock to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water comes to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid and let simmer for 20-25 minutes (however, long it takes to normally). Let stand for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, and add the green onions to the pan and toss with a fork to combine.

It is so delicious and easy!