Shirtless Run in January and Spicy Peanut Butter on a Sweet Potato

Today is my no weight lifting day. Good thing since it was 75 degrees and made for a great run without a shirt.  How many places can you (comfortably) run without a shirt in January?  Not many in the U.S. for as much as I know.

After getting home from work, I made the quick decision to make use of the nice weather and changed into running shorts and my Vibram Five Finger Bikila's.  I put our dog, Abby, on a leash and had a nice, moderate pace run for about 30 minutes; this equates to about 4 miles.

The run was nice and I followed up with 3 rounds of 5 handstand push ups and 8 strict chin-ups.  Good stuff.  I then made a giant protein smoothie with strawberries, vanilla egg white protein powder (sweetened with stevia), steamed spaghetti sqaush, carrots, and more stevia.  Delicious!

I would be posting pics of my food, but right now I have the slowest internet and no more space on my Blogger account.  I need to find another picture hosting website soon!  Any suggestions?

Another picture I wish I could share is from part of my dinner tonight; sweet potato with Peanut Butter & Co. The Heat is On peanut butter.  I've mentioned how good sweet potatoes and pb can be, but the spicy factor makes it just that much better!  Have you tried?

Question of the Day: Do you follow a certain training routine or just wing it each day?  Mix it with cardio and strength or only one?

Hey....tomorrow is Friday...Rejoice!

WIAW #15 Sweet Potatoes With Peanut Butter: What Have I Been Missing!?!

Holy peanut butter and bananas, Batman, this PB Crave peanut butter with sweet potatoes is outstanding! I’ve been seeing PB Crave peanut butter posts across the foodie blogs lately and I finally have the opportunity to try it myself. PB Crave sent me a jar of each flavor to sample and I’ll have a tasty review along with a giveaway posted in the near future. Please check back often!

Really, I have never tried PB with sweet potato until this weekend and wow, I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. I first tried the combo with plain, fresh ground PB and cinnamon which delighted my mind, body, and soul mouth. Ok, maybe soul too; who knows? Then I took it a step further by using the PB Crave Coco Bananas peanut butter and knew there was no going back.

I’m hooked; sweet potatoes and peanut butter will become a staple for me. Have you tried this combo yet? Have you tried it with bananas or PB Crave Coco Bananas? If you answered “No” to either question, do it, and do it soon!

Needless to say, for June’s What I Ate Wednesday “Sensible Snacking” theme, sweet potatoes and peanut butter have taken over. Also, veggies aren’t a problem as I thoroughly enjoy them cooked, raw, blended, or whole, but I’ve trying to eat less packaged grain foods at work lately.

Luckily, Zilks Foods sent me several of their healthy hummus flavors to review and I’ve been able to have this with cut veggies for snacks. I usually steer clear of buying packaged hummus because more ingredients than necessary always seem to be added. Not the case with Zilks, it’s the same thing (real food) you would use at home. Plus I’ve been delighted with each flavor so far. Check out their site for ingredients and nutrition information, and then get some if you can. Keep checking back for my Zilks review too.

Review Coming Soon! This is one of my favs!

Snacks are just fun to eat, and if you choose, healthy, wholesome snacks, they can become your meal! Eating snacks for meals means you get to have several different and delectable things to eat at once. I don’t see a problem with this at all. Do you?

I have a few reviews to post in the coming weeks, and so far, I’d say they are all good ones. I hope you come back often just to see what’s going on and if the next review is up and ready for you to read.

Now, lets have a look at What I Ate Wednesday…..
*Update* I just realized I haven't been mentioning the person who makes this weekly event possible.  Thank you, Jen @ Peas and Crayons for putting this all together!!







B-Fast: Sweet potato with plain Chobani Greek yogurt, natural pb, and cinnamon (I wanted to just split it like a baked potato, fill with yogurt and pb, then pick it up to eat like a burrito; but I used utensils only b/c I was at work); French press vanilla coffee with a splash of milk

Snack: Raw carrot sticks and Zilks Roasted Red Pepper and Jalapeño Cilantro Hummus (2 different flavors) mixed with tuna for dipping. The combination of sweet red pepper and fiery jalapeño was a flavor party in my mouth….that’s a good thing!

Lunch: One more superior product I have the opportunity to review; Fig Foods Kabocha Squash Soup with my own addition of mozzarella pieces and green onions. Side of Zilks Hummus with Real Bacon (amazing, try asap) and mushrooms underneath.

Have you hear of Fig Foods? They are only in the Whole Foods in my area, but looking to expand soon. They support green living and also happen sell soups with only whole foods, beans in aseptic containers, and other unprocessed products. Kelley had the Split Pea and Potato; she gives it 2 thumbs and 2 big toes up…….I concur!

Kelley's Soup

Snack: Green tea mixed with herbal Yogi Tea; Jay Robb Whey protein shake (yes, another future review; a good one too) before leaving work to workout.

Dinner: Giant salad topped with roasted Brussels, mushrooms and Zilks Salsa; cold barley cereal mixed with dry roasted pistachios, Chobani Greek yogurt, cinnamon, and a few drops of stevia; another sweet potato with Chobani Greek yogurt and PB Crave Coco Bananas peanut butter (can't get enough!)

Really, can this mix ever get old? Doubtful!

Phew, what a day, and we’re only half-way through the week! Boo. It seems like I have a lot on my plate (literally) to sample and review, but no complaints here! As long as the products have clean, wholesome ingredients, I say bring’em on! How else can a healthy foodie, be a foodie and have good food to share and mention to others?

Q: Do you get or would you like to have multiple products to sample? If I get to select what companies provide the samples, I’m always willing. If it’s McDonald’s trying to send something, they can just toss it instead.

Happy WIAW!!

Coconut Black Bean and Sweet Potato Casserole

 No pull-up and heavy bag station today, *sigh* maybe tomorrow. But no worries, I’m excited for today’s lunch of coconut black bean and sweet potato casserole. Wow, that’s a long name, maybe I should make it an acronym…C.B.B.S.P.C; “you down with CBBSPC…yeah you know me”……never mind.


Do you ever wish you could take back things you just said? See above paragraph and know that my answer to this question is YES. Moving on now……


Ever since going to Breckenridge, CO over a week ago, I have been craving a mixture of black beans and sweet potatoes like I had when visiting there a year ago. I decided to feed my craving by making this for one of our lunches this week, and since I had a small sample of it the other day, I’m ready for the full course!

Does coconut, black beans, and mashed sweet potato all combined in a casserole and baked until a toasty brown crust forms sound good to you? Then gather the following ingredients and make it yourself; your friends, family, and taste buds will thank you.


Coconut Black Bean and Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients (4 – 6 servings)
1 ½ cups dry black beans; soaked overnight (about 8 hours); or 2 cans of black beans rinsed and drained
4 cloves garlic; chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes; scrubbed, skin-on and cut in 1 inch cubes
12 oz bag of frozen Marepoix blend; I get this at Kroger (mix of celery, onion, and green peppers); chopped onion would be ok if you don’t have this
16 oz bag of frozen broccoli; use whatever you have around; spinach would be good too
1/2 can of coconut milk
1 tablespoon cumin
1/4 t cayenne; I doubled this since I like the spice
3 tablespoons dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 red bell peppers; seeded and chopped
1/2 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
Optional: 1/4 to 1/2 cup favorite salsa and/or Greek yogurt

Directions you don’t have to follow:

Heat a large sauce pan or deep skillet with a lid to medium high heat. Add maripoix or chopped onions and sweat for several minutes; add chopped garlic and cook for another minute. Add everything else except the eggs and stir well; bring to a simmer and cover. Cook covered for 30 to 40 minutes; you should be able to easily pierce potato pieces with a fork. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Let cool for about 15 to 20 minutes so you don’t cook the eggs.

I love using personal sized Pyrex dishes to bake in then just put a lid and store.

While waiting, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add eggs and salsa and/or Greek yogurt if using. With a large fork or potato masher, mash everything together until well incorporated. Mix Greek yogurt in for a little tanginess. Transfer mixture to glass baking or casserole dish and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The top should turn a crispy gold or brown. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

I love the versatility of this dish. You can use any vegetable you want in place of what I listed and still have a tasty casserole. The coconut milk really makes for a unique flavor! If coconut is not your thing or you just don’t have any, use more chicken broth or add diced/chopped tomatoes (I use Pomi brand since their tomatoes are packed in a bpa-free container) instead.

Do you have a favorite (maybe several) dish/meal/food that reminds you of a certain time or place and you like to recreate at home? Do you change anything or keep everything exactly the same?

For me, the sweet potato and black beans did not have coconut milk and was in a burrito. I requested to have the mix in a bowl and fell in love with it like that. Since then, I have made two personalized versions, the recipe above and one I posted last year using canned tuna. I wonder what I’ll do next time; maybe for breakfast with scrambled eggs!!

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie and Making Others Happy with Food

 Coming back from Breckenridge, CO left us in a sad state since we know it means going back to work. Since we were both fighting off the inevitable and thinking of a way to delay going to work, I decided to seek solace through food. My Sunday was mostly spent in the kitchen because it’s therapeutic to me; prepping our lawn for summer was Kelley’s therapy.

Working off the adage “A happy wife is a happy life,” I wanted to make something for Kelley to make her happy. This, in turn, will unleash my happiness! For breakfast, I made some pretty tasty pumpkin protein crepes in an effort to capture the feeling of eating crepes in Breck. The crepes were a success (or she’s a good liar) and she readily stuffed one with goat cheese just like she had on vacation. Great, happiness level going North!


Now I needed to keep it up and make some good lunches for the work week ahead. I scanned my brain thinking of the food we had and that she likes: goat cheese, check….jersey sweet potatoes, check……green onions, check. I know all of these things alone are cherished by my dear wife, but what if *enter suspenseful noise* I combined them? And that’s exactly what I did….

Since I usually steam a blend of frozen mixed beans and veggies to pair with jersey sweet potatoes, I decided to spruce the meal up a little. I made an easy vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie. Here is what you need and what to do with it all:

Vegetarian Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients (Serves 2)

2 medium jersey sweet potatoes (scrubbed with skin on; you can use your favorite spud or even cauliflower)
3 – 4 ounces plain goat cheese “chevre”
2 cloves crushed and chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped green onion (chives)
1/2 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 egg (not necessary but helps hold things together)
1 tsp each of cumin, chili powder, paprika, parsley, dill, and ground turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne (I used more b/c we like it spicy!)
1/2 cup of your favorite jar of salsa
Ground pepper to taste
1 bag frozen mixed beans and veggies (I used a fiesta blend)

1 bag frozen peas

 

Preparation

Turn your oven broiler on.

Wrap scrubbed spuds loosely in paper towels and microwave for 4 – 5 minutes on each side; they will be soft to the touch when ready. Place potatoes in medium bowl, add all ingredients but the frozen foods and 1/2 cup of salsa and mash with a potato masher or large fork.

Microwave steam frozen veggies and peas in microwave-safe container. Season with a little sea salt and ground pepper to taste and add the remaining salsa; I used more of the same spices used in the potato mixture too. Feel free to experiment here, I like to change the herbs and spices used as much as possible.

Transfer veggie mixture into glass baking dish (I used individual dishes so I didn’t have to do anything after broiling) and spread mashed potato mixture evenly across the top. I ran a fork across to help with even cooking and it looked cool to me. Sprinkle with a little more paprika and broil for 5 to 10 minutes until a golden crust appears. Remove from oven, let cool, and store in fridge.

We had this meal today for Meatless Monday and Kelley really liked it. So, I guess I have one more day of a happy life with my happy wife. I only hope tomorrow’s food is good enough for another day of bliss!

Do you try to make your loved one happy with food?

Back to 5 Day Work Weeks....What's for Lunch?

The holidays are over, which means its back to the 5 day work week for a while. Sure could’ve used Monday off since I was getting so used to it. Despite the regular 2 day weekend this past weekend, I was able to knock out cooking for the week along with an oil change and tire rotation on Kelley’s “Suby” to boot! Kelley and I even had a nice 6 mile run with one of our friends on Saturday. It was a slower run since Kelley was still getting over a crappy cold, but I wore a 20lb vest that kept me from going too fast. These runs are nothing compared to what we had during marathon training, but they are definitely more enjoyable…besides the wind…..it blows.

Instead of trying to take on different meals for each day, I cooked in big batches so we’ll have leftovers twice this week. I’m just hoping Kelley enjoys it the first time and really wants the same thing again; I gave no reason not to like the food.

This week’s meals will be slow cooker barley vegetable stew with shredded turkey breasts, quinoa with tomatoes and black beans, and jersey sweet potatoes with broccoli, beans, and carrots. Cooking with the slow cooker requires little prep time but loads of flavor. When you just don’t feel like prepping a cut of meat (chicken/turkey breast, tenderloin, round roast, etc.), the slow cooker is a savior; just add the veggies, liquid, and seasoning you want, top with your cut of meat, cover and cook on low or high until done. I like to start the cooker on high while adding ingredients, and once finished, switch to low for a nice slow cooking process.

Today is sweet potato day (one of Kelley’s favorites), and it is always a nice change to have this meal once a week. I mentioned the Jersey Sweet Potato in a past post on….surprise…sweet potatoes, and suggest you try them if given a chance.

All you need to prepare this easy, yet delicious meal is one organic sweet potato person, and a mixture of beans and veggies. We buy a frozen “fiesta blend” mix at the store that has broccoli, carrots, and green beans along with garbanzo, navy, and red kidney beans. Rinse/scrub the potatoes, pierce a couple times with a fork, wrap loosely in a paper towel, and microwave for approximately 4 minutes for each potato. For 2 potatoes, put them in for 8 minutes total; rotating half way through. Then steam the veggies in a glass bowl in the microwave, season as you desire and put each person’s meal in an individual food container (if taking to work like we do) to enjoy.

Sweet Potatoes w/ Goat Cheese and Veggies...Yum!

Some flavor enhancers for this meal include goat cheese (another Kelley favorite; notice a trend here?), Drew’s Smoked Tomato Dressing that I mention in this post, and several herbs and spices like dried dill, parsley, and cilantro with cumin, cayenne, paprika, and garlic powder. I put any and all of these things on the veggies and potato and mix well; this makes a great meal and a happy wife!

Do you have any quick-prep meals that are great to make when in a time crunch? If not, feel free to use this for your next “quick-fix” or anytime…..you’ll be happy you did.

Five for Friday: 5 Things to do With a Sweet Potato

Potatoes are an incredibly underrated vegetable. Both regular and sweet potatoes offer distinctive nutritional benefits, but are completely different vegetables from each other. These two potatoes actually come from two completely different families in the plant kingdom. While many sources hold sweet potatoes on a pedestal claiming they are far superior to the regular “baking” potatoes, they both have a welcome place in our diet.

Just like the regular spud, sweet potatoes come in many varieties and range in color from a pasty white to a deep red; each imparting unique tastes and textures. Although sweet potatoes do taste sweeter than their distant “white” cousins, they do not spike our blood sugar as much as the regular spuds. One reason for this is from the fact that sweet potatoes have almost double the amount of fiber than their counterparts; fiber plays a major role in slowing digestion and releasing sugar. Both varieties offer similar amounts of vitamins and minerals, but sweet potatoes come out on top for antioxidant content. So, don’t skip out on baked potatoes as they have a lot to offer in flavor and nutrition, but I want to focus on the sweet tuber today.

First, let’s look at how to select your sweet potato. WHFoods.com has great tips on how to select and store a sweet potato:

“Choose sweet potatoes that are firm and do not have any cracks, bruises or soft spots. Avoid those that are displayed in the refrigerated section of the produce department since cold temperature negatively alters their taste.

Sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place, where they will keep fresh for up to ten days. Ideally, they should be kept out of the refrigerator in a cool, dry, dark place not above 60 degrees F / 15 degrees C, which would fit the characteristics of a root cellar. Yet since most people don't have root cellars, we'd suggest just keeping your sweet potatoes loose (not in a plastic bag, but if desired, a brown paper bag with multiple air holes punched in it will work) and storing them in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated cupboard away from sources of excess heat (like the stove).

After selecting a sweet potato or five following the tips above, here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy:

1. Sweet Potato Peanut Stew or Bisque – Eatingwell.com provides a great recipe I use and change as needed. Instead of the tomato juice their recipe calls for, I use canned chopped tomatoes; sometimes I toss some cubed and cooked chicken breast in after pureeing for a protein boost. The peanut butter provides healthy fat that enables the body to better absorb the beta-carotene in sweet potatoes.

2. Sweet Potato Pureed with Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey – just like that, so good. Cube and steam the sweet potato in the microwave, throw all ingredients in a blender with a little milk, and blend away! This is great hot or cold and with or without roasted peanuts added for a little crunch.

3. Roasted Sweet Potato – either cut into fries or simply cubed, I love baking these in a 375 degree over for 30 – 45 minutes. The roasting brings out the sweetness of the spud and is even better with cinnamon sprinkled on top. For something savory, toss with whole garlic cloves, ground cumin, and parsley to roast in the oven; this is great served cold too!

4. Sweet Potato, Tomato, and Black Bean Salad – cubed and roasted or cooked in the microwave, mix the sweet potato with drained and rinsed black beans and fresh or canned chopped tomatoes; keep in the fridge to use as a quick go-to meal. Season with ground cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, and cilantro for extra spice; I like to use this mixture as cool topping on salad greens which is nice in this hot weather!  Try adding sliced avocado for a cool and creamy addition with extra nutrition.

5. Sweet Potato Pancakes – a great change from regular flour pancakes for a special weekend breakfast; try this recipe from Allrecipes.com, you will love it! I do not use as many eggs called for in the recipe, only 2 whole and 3 whites for me; also, I use half unsweetened applesauce and half non-fat plain yogurt instead of all yogurt. I whisk plain yogurt with peanut butter and honey to use for a tasty topping; sliced bananas with extra cinnamon is a great way to really up the flavor!

The potato is a versatile food and can be prepared in less than 10 minutes for when you have no time to spare. Kelley and I have found the Jersey Sweet Potato to be our favorite so far; we simply rinse and microwave for 4 -5 minutes and enjoy topped with plain, non-fat yogurt. Similar to my squash puree mixtures, I sometimes use cooked sweet potato instead; this makes for a very creamy and delicious treat when mixed with frozen berries or bananas.

Don’t be scared to eat more potatoes, both sweet and regular are great nutritional powerhouses. Buy organic so you can just rinse the skin and eat it to obtain the vital vitamins and minerals it has within. If you do not buy organic, you might be better off peeling the potato to limit the amount of pesticides you ingest.


How do you enjoy sweet potatoes?

Getting Better and Sweet Tubers

It's taken longer than I planned for another post, but driving back from Breckenridge and fighting the infections kept me pretty busy.  I just got a call from the doctor confirming I had MRSA, which is defined on WebMD.com as:

 "Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body. It's tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus -- or staph -- because it's resistant to some commonly used antibiotics"

A basic Google search on MRSA made me very grateful my infection was stopped earlier rather than later.  I have my wife, Kelley, to thank for pushing me to go to the doctor.....thanks Kelley! I am still trying to fully recover from MRSA on my finger and nose, but have improved a great deal.

Anyway, on to the important things.....FOOD!  I mentioned a great meal I had at a local Breck eatery called Amazing Grace Natural Eatery, with sweet potatoes, black beans, scrambled eggs, and spinach.  I wanted to post a similar recipe I am going to use to recreate this meal at home.  I figured this would be a great time to find some benefits of sweet potatoes to know how I'm helping my body as I take each delicious bite.

It turns out that sweet potatoes offer numerous benefits I wouldn't have expected.  I found the following information at http://www.whfoods.com/:

High in antioxidants - "In some studies, sweet potatoes have been shown to be a better source of bioavailable beta-carotene than green leafy vegetables." and "Recent research has shown that particularly when passing through our digestive tract, sweet potato cyanidins and peonidins and other color-related phytonutrients may be able to lower the potential health risk posed by heavy metals and oxygen radicals. That risk reduction is important not only for individuals at risk of digestive tract problems like irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis but for all persons wanting to reduce the potential risk posed by heavy metal residues (like mercury or cadmium or arsenic) in their diet."

An anti-inflammatory - Skip the Tylenol, eat sweet potato! "In animal studies, reduced inflammation following sweet potato consumption has been shown in brain tissue and nerve tissue throughout the body. "

Assists in controlling blood sugar - "Recent research has shown that extracts from sweet potatoes can significantly increase blood levels of adiponectin in persons with type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin is a protein hormone produced by our fat cells, and it serves as an important modifier of insulin metabolism."

And there are studies connecting the sweet potato to antibacterial and antifungal properties as well.  Seems like something I could've used several days ago!!  Click the link provided above for an in-depth analysis on the sweet potato, very interesting and informative.

Now for the edible portion of this post.....

Most of my cooking is for lunch at work for Kelley and me, therefore, I am replacing the original protein (eggs) with tuna.  I feel eggs do not hold up very well in dishes that will be re-heated after a day or two, so using chicken, turkey, tuna, or whatever you like might work out better.

What you need for 4 servings:

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 - 6 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic and use a lot of it!)
• 1 cup + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp coriander
• ½ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• 2 cups sweet potatoes, cubed (no need to peel unless skin is really damaged)
• 6 oz frozen, whole leaf spinach, thawed
• 1 15oz can of black beans, drained
• 1 6oz can of tuna in water, I buy the "no salt added" variety
• 2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro / 1 TBS dried cilantro 
• Favorite jar of salsa
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat 1 TBS broth in a large stainless steel skillet. Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. (I choose to saute in broth and add oil to finished foods since most of the benefits of oils are damaged when exposed to high temps.)
2. Add spices and mix thoroughy. Add broth and sweet potatoes. Simmer covered over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover to allow sauce to thicken and cook another couple minutes.
3. Press water out of spinach, drain the canned tuna, and add both to the sweet potatoes. Cook uncovered for a few more minutes to allow sauce to thicken. Add cilantro, salt, and pepper. Pour as much salsa as you would like on top. I also sprinkle more cayenne for myself since I (obviously) like it a lot. 

Here are the ingredients, minus the frozen spinach, which of course I did not have.

I opted for frozen broccoli instead, turned out good to me, hopefully Kelley will like it for lunch today!!  I know, the potatoes cooked too long and were pretty soft....but still tasty!

Enjoy and let me know your own variations!!