Quick Brown Rice and Black Bean Bowl

Another EH meal ...we put shrimp in this which was a nice touch but I'm pretty sure the boys just picked out the shrimp and ate that and some rice instead hahah

 

Butternut Mac n Cheese

Friday in Lent so needed something the whole family would enjoy....Brody and I really liked this -- Ross was not impressed.  He said it didn't have enough flavor (but I just think that's because it didn't have any meat...hehe)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 oz whole wheat rotini

1/2 C fat-free milk

6 oz butternut squash

1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp dry mustard

pepper to taste

1 tablespoon parmesan, freshly shredded

1 tablespoon bread crumbs 

Prepare 8 oz whole wheat rotini according to package directions.

In medium saucepan, simmer 1/2 c fat-free milk with 1/2 12 oz package frozen butternut squash until combined. Remove from heat and mix with 1 c shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp dry mustard, and pepper to taste.

Pour drained pasta into 8" x 8" baking dish, stir in cheese mixture, and top with 1 Tbsp each Parmesan and bread crumbs.

Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.

                                

Sweet Potato Burrito

So Brody is 9 months old - and I'm looking 9 months prego still.....and because I won't make time to work out (I justify that I need to be with Brody when he is awake since I'm a working mom....) - I figured I can concentrate on what I eat and see where that takes me!  This was UBER healthy (prior to that dollop of sour cream!) - and it was really really really good!!!  Ross said "this would be really good with chicken" - go figure...but it was really good even without meat!!  MAKE IT and pray I shed lbs!!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked hot paprika (or chipotle powder)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
sea salt and black pepper
4 to 6 whole wheat tortillas
2 roasted red peppers (I used jarred)
2 cups cooked black beans or 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1+ cup shredded Jack cheese

Avocado Salsa Verde
2 ripe avocados from Mexico
1 cup mild salsa verde, jarred
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh jalapeño, deseeded and roughly chopped (optional)
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
up to 2 tablespoons water, to thin as necessary
sea salt, to taste (optional)

Toppings
1 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 small red onion, finely chopped
finely chopped jalapeño (optional)
sour cream

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Scrub and peel the sweet potatoes. Chop them into large, bite-sized chunks, about 1 to 1 1/2-inches wide/long and 1/2-inch deep. Toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, cumin, smoked hot paprika, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper. Make sure they are lightly coated in oil on all sides. Pour the sweet potatoes onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Arrange the sweet potatoes evenly in a single layer. Do not overcrowd. Bake for about 45 minutes, flipping the sweet potato chunks halfway, until they are golden and caramelized around the edges.

Make the avocado sauce: in a food processor or a good blender, combine the avocado flesh, salsa verde, garlic, jalapeño (skip this if your salsa is spicy) and lime juice. Blend. Add the cilantro and blend again. Add water to thin out the sauce if desired; the sauce should glop easily off a spoon. Taste and blend in some sea salt or add another squeeze of lime if necessary. This sauce should taste like a real kick in the mouth; you’ll know you’re done when you can’t stop going in for another spoonful of the stuff.

Make sure the oven is still on at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.* Place your tortillas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. In the middle of each tortilla, put down a couple strips of roasted red pepper, then pour 1/3 cup black beans down the center and top it all with 1/3 cup roasted sweet potato chunks. Sprinkle 1/4 cup or more of jack cheese on top. Pull one edge of the tortilla over to the center of the burrito, then pull the opposite edge over to overlap a bit. Gently roll the burrito over. Repeat with remaining burritos. Bake your burritos for about 5 minutes on the middle rack, until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are lightly crisp.

Carefully transfer each burrito to a plate. Smother it in avocado sauce, sprinkle with ample romaine lettuce, some chopped red onion, jalapeño if you’d like and a dollop of sour cream. Go at it with a fork.