Balsamic Glazed Sirloin

This is another recipe that I found in my latest Clean Eating Magazine.  They have a lovely picture that some food stylist spent hours on I'm sure.  The picture did it's job though because I couldn't wait to make the recipe at home.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly (like I ever do) because I didn't want to buy things like safflower oil, which I would only ever use for this recipe.  I was a little disappointed with this.  The vinegar taste was a little overwhelming but I did like the way the steak came out.  I feel like a spoon of brown sugar would go a long way with this dish.

Balsamic Glazed Sirloin:
(adapted from Clean Eating Magazine, March 2012)
4 servings, 7 WW+

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onions
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed of any fat
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Ground black pepper to taste
1 carton sliced mushrooms

In a small bowl combine the vinegar, onions, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder.  In a large pan add the sirloin and top with 2 tablespoons or the vinegar mixture, turning to coat.  Marinate for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, fill a pot with 2 inches or water and insert a steamer basket.  Steam the potatoes  until tender, about 13 minutes.

Carefully remove the potatoes and dump out the water.  Transfer the potatoes back into the pot and beat with an electric mixer.  Add the milk, salt, brown sugar, and ground ginger.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Remove the sirloin from the marinade and add to the skillet.  Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, transfer to a cutting board, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add the remaining vinegar mixture and the mushrooms to the skillet, bring to a boil and let cook for 1-2 minutes until reduced, scraping and stirring with a wooden spoon constantly.  Remove from the heat and add the remaining salt and pepper.  Slice the sirloin against the grain.  Serve with the mashed potatoes and reduced vinegar sauce.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I love sweet potatoes.  I will eat them pretty much anyway I can.  I've had a bunch of sweet potatoes to use up since Thanksgiving and this is one of the ways I've been eating them.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries:
(Ina Garten- Barefoot Contessa)

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Halve the sweet potatoes lengthwise and cut each half into 3 long spears. Place them on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil. Spread the potatoes in one layer. Combine the brown sugar, salt, and pepper and sprinkle on the potatoes. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn with a spatula. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Sprinkle lightly with salt and serve hot.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I love sweet potatoes and Thanksgiving and fall are the perfect time to make them.  This is a basic recipe for sweet potato casserole, which is perfect for all of the holiday get-togethers that happen during this time of the year.

Sweet Potato Casserole:

5 sweet potatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, divided (1/4 cup softened)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray (or rub butter on it).

Bake the sweet potatoes for 35 minutes.  Once they're out of the oven and cool mash the potatoes.  Put them in a bowl and add the salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, sugar, and heavy cream.  Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.

In another bowl combine the rest of the butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans.  Mix together with a fork and spread over the sweet potato mash.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the topping in crisp and lightly browned.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Hash

Sunday afternoon I was digging through the kitchen to try to find something to eat for lunch.  I found a sweet potato, left over black bean patties, bell pepper, onions, garlic, carrots, and regular potatoes.  I decided to experiment with everything and came up with a black bean sweet potato hash.

If you don't have left over black bean patties feel free to use half of a can of black beans, slightly smashed.  Just use what you have.

I love it when I can use up leftovers.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Hash:
(inspired by The Pioneer Woman's Breakfast Potatoes)

1 sweet potato
1 yukon gold potato (or whatever you have)
1-2 left over black bean patties, broken apart
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, diced
salt and pepper to taste
paprika to taste

Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling water until they are easy to poke with a fork.  When finished peel the sweet potato and cut all of the potatoes into cubes. 

In a large skillet heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon canola oil.  When the oil is hot add the onion, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper.  Spread out the vegetables so that everything has the chance to brown.  Once the veggies are nice a crispy add the potatoes and the black bean patties, stir to mix everything together.

Let the potato mixture cook until nice and brown, then flip and cook the other side.  Add salt, pepper, and paprika and cook until they are as crispy as you'd like.

I would consider this a main meal.  It's also one of those meals that you could add or subtract any vegetables that you would like to have.

Sweet Potato Latkes

Now that it's officially "The Holidays" I decided it was time to jump right into recipes that make me think of fall.  Sweet potatoes are one of those things.  I love sweet potato casserole and candied yams but maybe this year it's time for a change.  (Or at least time to make more than one type of sweet potato)

Sweet Potato Latkes:
(National Public Radio)

1 lb sweet potatoes
2 Tablespoon ginger
2 eggs
½ cup flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder

Shred sweet potatoes and mix with ginger. Mix all other ingredients together into a batter, then mix in the shredded potatoes. Fry in 1/2 inch of oil. About 1/3 cup of batter makes one latke.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Another recipe from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Foose.  I love sweet potatoes and I love biscuits.  This sounded like a perfect combination to me!  Serve warm with a little butter and honey!


Sweet Potato Biscuits:
(Screen Doors and Sweet Tea)

1 cup mashed baked sweet potato
2/3 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450*. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium bowl, the sweet potato, milk, and butter. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add to the potato mixture. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the sweet potato mixture to form a soft dough. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a deep golden orange tinged with brown. Serve warm or let cool on a wire rack.

Sweet Potatoes... On Crack!

It's been a rough day for Mrs. T.  In an attempt for me to get my mind off of things I have been going through my cookbooks.  Some of them I haven't looked at since my bridal shower.  One of the ones I was looking at was Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose.  It's a great cookbook that is full of amazing southern recipes.

I haven't been able to make any of these recipes yet but I've been slowly going through the book and typing them up so I'll have them whenever I have a chance to start cooking.  Here's one that I found tonight.  It looks amazing.

Inside-out Sweet Potatoes:

(Screen Doors & Sweet Tea)

1 cup crushed cornflakes
1 large egg
6 sweet potatoes, baked and mashed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon sherry, bourbon, or vanilla extract
8 large marshmallows
Canola oil, for frying (1 ½ cups)

Put the cornflake crumbs in a shallow dish. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl, set aside.

Combine the mashed sweet potatoes with the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, flour, orange juice, and sherry. Working with your hands, use the mixture to encase each marshmallow, forming a ball. Dip each ball in the egg wash and then roll in the crumbs. Refrigerate while preparing to fry.

Preheat oven to 200*. Set a wire rack over newspaper or paper towels to cool and drain the balls after frying.

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat to 375*.

Fry the balls one or two at a time for 3-4 minutes, turning as needed, until lightly browned. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon, and place the drained balls on the prepared rack and in the oven to keep warm while frying the remaining batches. Serve warm.

**photo credit: pauladeen.com**