Honestly? When I think fall I think sweet potatoes. I know a lot of people are making pumpkin oatmeal and pumpkin cookies and pies. But give me a sweet potato pie, fries, baked, any way you slice it or cook it... just give it to me. In the fall I liken sweet potatoes to chocolate. It's my go-to for satisfying my sweet tooth without killing my workouts. I mean, I still eat chocolate of course- it's just that if I have a sweet potato in front of me, I'll eat that first- before I devour the chocolate.
Priorities people!
Yesterday I hit up Stop & Shop on the way home from work to pick up a few things. I'm texting Taste Tester asking what he needs. Trying to remember what was on my list of things that I needed... when I remembered I needed apples. And sweet potatoes. Racking my brain trying to come up with a decent dinner to make... I decided to throw the apples and sweet potatoes together. What better fall meal than
sweet potatoes and apples baked in a sweet syrupy honey maple sauce?
I did not get half of what I wanted on my list. I didn't get rice milk for me, I didn't get regular milk for the Peanut. I didn't get rice. I didn't get mashed potato mix either (YES I LOVE THAT STUFF!). I did get YELLOW American cheese for Taste Tester. And randomly... I got frozen Kale. Weird.
I got home and started cooking! Well, after I worked out of course. Hip Hop Abs Scuplt 2... good for the stomach before I eat all the candy corn we have!
I sprayed my pan with a few spritzes of canola oil first and then sliced up two medium sized gala (my fav) apples and two large sweet potatoes. I softened the potatoes in the microwave first just so they were easier to peel. I melted some Earth Balance margarine (about 2 tablespoons) and added maple syrup (the good stuff- not the cheapy stuff) and honey to taste. I used a lot. You may need a little less if your sweet tooth is not as demanding as mine is. I poured the mixture all over the apples and sweet potatoes and popped it in the oven at 350. This really only needs to cook for about 30 minutes. I left it in for 40 and my apples were kind of mushy. Here I was thinking it would need to be longer because of the sweet potatoes. Guess not!
I baked the chicken in the top oven (I'm spoiled at my parents house- my mother has a double oven. Fun!) with a dash of salt and a drizzle of honey. I cooked this also at 350 for about 15 minutes. Taste Tester (the self professed "Meatarian") had a 6 ounce chicken breast and I cooked myself a 4 ounce one.
Here is the end result for the sweet potato and apple mix- minus my sample of it. I know it looks so shiny and yummy!
Delish and fast! I'm telling you, Rachel Ray has got some competition coming!
On a side note...
I'll be heading to the
Vegetarian Food Festival November 1st in Boston. Even though I am too much of a BBQ freak to really go vegetarian for a significant amount of time, I do try to eat meatless at least a few days a week.
Wheeler's Frozen Desserts will be there (the infamous Boston based vegan ice cream parlor!)- as will my fellow blogger Hannah from
BitterSweet. She will be doing a "how-to" on frosting layer cakes. Any event that feeds me free dessert... is MY kind of event!
It's free to attend and is right across the street from the Roxbury Crossing T stop. If you choose to drive there is ample free parking.
Taste Tester will also be in attendence, even though he would rather die than go vegetarian (I will never convince him of the health benefits of going veg- the only thing I can do is make sure whatever he eats- is healthy!). As will the pint sized version of me, the Peanut! Let me know if you are interested in going I can send you more info!
Priorities people!
Yesterday I hit up Stop & Shop on the way home from work to pick up a few things. I'm texting Taste Tester asking what he needs. Trying to remember what was on my list of things that I needed... when I remembered I needed apples. And sweet potatoes. Racking my brain trying to come up with a decent dinner to make... I decided to throw the apples and sweet potatoes together. What better fall meal than sweet potatoes and apples baked in a sweet syrupy honey maple sauce?
I did not get half of what I wanted on my list. I didn't get rice milk for me, I didn't get regular milk for the Peanut. I didn't get rice. I didn't get mashed potato mix either (YES I LOVE THAT STUFF!). I did get YELLOW American cheese for Taste Tester. And randomly... I got frozen Kale. Weird.
I got home and started cooking! Well, after I worked out of course. Hip Hop Abs Scuplt 2... good for the stomach before I eat all the candy corn we have!
I sprayed my pan with a few spritzes of canola oil first and then sliced up two medium sized gala (my fav) apples and two large sweet potatoes. I softened the potatoes in the microwave first just so they were easier to peel. I melted some Earth Balance margarine (about 2 tablespoons) and added maple syrup (the good stuff- not the cheapy stuff) and honey to taste. I used a lot. You may need a little less if your sweet tooth is not as demanding as mine is. I poured the mixture all over the apples and sweet potatoes and popped it in the oven at 350. This really only needs to cook for about 30 minutes. I left it in for 40 and my apples were kind of mushy. Here I was thinking it would need to be longer because of the sweet potatoes. Guess not!
I baked the chicken in the top oven (I'm spoiled at my parents house- my mother has a double oven. Fun!) with a dash of salt and a drizzle of honey. I cooked this also at 350 for about 15 minutes. Taste Tester (the self professed "Meatarian") had a 6 ounce chicken breast and I cooked myself a 4 ounce one.
Here is the end result for the sweet potato and apple mix- minus my sample of it. I know it looks so shiny and yummy!
Delish and fast! I'm telling you, Rachel Ray has got some competition coming!
On a side note...
I'll be heading to the Vegetarian Food Festival November 1st in Boston. Even though I am too much of a BBQ freak to really go vegetarian for a significant amount of time, I do try to eat meatless at least a few days a week. Wheeler's Frozen Desserts will be there (the infamous Boston based vegan ice cream parlor!)- as will my fellow blogger Hannah from BitterSweet. She will be doing a "how-to" on frosting layer cakes. Any event that feeds me free dessert... is MY kind of event!
It's free to attend and is right across the street from the Roxbury Crossing T stop. If you choose to drive there is ample free parking.
Taste Tester will also be in attendence, even though he would rather die than go vegetarian (I will never convince him of the health benefits of going veg- the only thing I can do is make sure whatever he eats- is healthy!). As will the pint sized version of me, the Peanut! Let me know if you are interested in going I can send you more info!