Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary Chickpeas and parmesan

I'm constantly baking, but I really do love to cook, too. When we were first married, I'm pretty sure I was the primary chef, but when Jordan discovered Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, followed quickly by a Thomas Keller obsession, and now charcuterie, he pretty much assigned me sous chef status which is fine by me, so long as he doesn't steal my baking princess crown. 

I love how flexible cooking is compared to baking, the way colors blend together in a big pot, and the way your house smells (sometimes I'll even step outside and come back in so I can re-smell my food- is that weird?). I hate all the dishes I'm left with, the ridiculous amount of time a good meal can take to pull off, the flecks of parsley that stick to my counter and don't see for a week and by then it's crusty and impossible to remove, the concept of mise en place because organization and planning make my head hurt, the multiple trips to various grocery stores because Trader Joe's doesn't have everything, and then there's the fact that my kids will rarely touch what I make. My favorite is that Georgia will actually point to food we've made and say "Eeeew, That's disgusting"- charming little button, isn't she?

But that didn't stop me from making a delicious vegetarian dinner the other night. Jordan was working late and I was craving something fantastic but it also had to be super easy. Not a problem here, because I hit the jackpot that day and found a fantastic blog @ afarmerinthedell.com.  Not only is Andrea adorable- and her dog, too- but her recipes all look so good, and the pictures are healthy food porn. You know, the kind of food porn you don't feel guilty about (unlike those Slutty Brownies I'm dying to make from Pinterest- c'mon, you know the ones I'm talking about, with an Oreo cookie layer sandwiched between a layer of chocolate chip cookies and brownies). I want to try all of her recipes, but I commenced with her sweet potatoes with rosemary chickpeas because I had all the ingredients on hand, it was *pretty* much in adherence with my 28togreat "clean eating" I am trying to do this month, and I'm all for Meatless Mondays, or Wednesdays. Another reason to check out her blog is that she and her husband moved to Oregon from the East coast to become farmers which is so romantic and gutsy! Threaded between her recipes are awesome little farming (mis-)adventure stories that make you crave a simpler life. 

I followed her recipe except I added a tablespoon or so of kalamata olives into the bean mix for some punch and a pinch of fresh thyme. I also nuked the potato in the microwave instead of the oven method. Works like a charm and shaved off 40 minutes.  I served it with a side of sautéed green beans and leftover asparagus/mushrooms. Since I only made one potato, I used the leftover chickpeas in my salad for lunch the next day. That's my sign that this dinner will be added to my quick-and-clean, as opposed to quick-and-dirty, dinner rotation. Let me know if you like this recipe. Do you think it's missing anything?

Rosemary Parmesan Chickpea Sweet Potatoes (serves 2)

*adapted from afarmerinthedell.com

2 sweet potatoes

3/4 cup cooked chickpeas

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tbs finely grated parmesan cheese

1 tbs minced fresh rosemary

pinch of fresh thyme

2 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Kalamata olives, sliced in half, optional 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash and scrub your sweet potatoes. With a fork poke a few holes in your taters. Place in the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (or until potatoes are tender. Depending on the size of your taters this will take longer or shorter than my recommended time)

Meanwhile, saute your garlic over medium heat in a little olive oil in skillet. After about 2 minutes add the chickpeas. Cook until chickpeas are slightly crispy. Then add the rosemary, thyme, and olives (if using). Cook for a minute or two longer. 

Remove your potatoes from the oven. Slice the potatoes lengthwise and squish the ends together to open. Stuff them with the chickpeas and garlic. Drizzle with remaining olive oil, parmesan, salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Primal Fudge -healthy homemade candy?

A few weeks ago I saw a post on Pinterest for Primal fudge - which basically means that if you are following a Paleo diet, you can eat this chocolate crack. It has no dairy, no refined sweeteners, and the fat source is coconut oil and nut butter, which are overall healthier for you than the usual butter/whipping cream combo found in traditional fudge.

Can I nerd-out for a minute?

Coconut oil is a saturated fat, just like butter. However, the primary buzz-worthy difference between the two is that coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides (MCT). So, you ask? Well, the MCT found in coconut oil (lauric acid) has been found to raise HDL levels, the good cholesterol, which is the good news. The bad news is that it also raises your LDL levels (just like butter) = so it's slightly better for you than butter but still not great for your arteries. All the other claimed health benefits are just that at this point, so treat coconut oil as you would any saturated fat, and make sure it's less than 10% of your calorie intake. I've heard coconut oil can improve Alzheimer's symptoms, improve metabolism, prevent cancer and heart disease (the list goes on) - but until good research can confirm these findings, I'd use it sparingly and focus on liquid fats, like olive oil and canola oil. That said, I fully endorse keeping some in your cupboard as a butter replacer - it can make some mean cookies and stir-frys.  As for the nuts, I think most people feel pretty confident saying that nuts are super healthy for you- they contain "good" fats but if eaten in large quantities, will make you fat! Thats's because they are not a low-calorie food, but still an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and fiber. I eat a ton of nuts, and feel very little guilt about that. Since I'm already on my soapbox, I will also comment that I do in fact feel that unrefined sugars are a smarter way to go. I know many RD's will disagree and site the fact that sugars are all metabolized virtually the same way, so a teaspoon of sugar is the same as a teaspoon of honey once it hits your mouth (and hips). But what about the antibacterial/antifungal and antioxidant properties that have been found in honey? Or the vitamins and fiber found in dates? Not to mention the legitimate desire of many of us to seek out foods found in their natural state rather than fresh from the factory. In a world that has preserved, pre-packaged, pre-cooked, sterilized, and refined EVERYTHING, there are a growing number of us who crave food in its original, pure form without added junk. Some of us don't care if the shelf-life of our bread is 5 days rather than 3 weeks. In fact, some of us are no-joke, flat-out scared by Wonder bread, because bread was never meant to last that long on the shelf (of course Hostess completely disagrees with me on this, I'm sure). I think the potential health benefits of the unrefined sugars are worth further exploration in research and definitely a smart consideration if you are adding sugar to a recipe. And I'm off my soapbox for now.

OK, back to the recipe. It is super simple to put together. The hardest part is waiting the 10 minutes for them to harden in the freezer. As a side note, these are best eaten right out of the freezer or refrigerator, as they tend to melt fairly quickly. Not great for traveling but who needs to travel with fudge??

PRIMAL FUDGE

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup smooth nut butter of choice (I used a peanut/almond butter combo-salted)
1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder (I love Trader Joe's brand)
1/4-1/3 cup honey (agave also works)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Over low heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the nut butter, vanilla, and honey. Whisk vigorously until combined. Finish by adding the cocoa powder and beating well. Pour into paper cupcake liners and freeze for at least 10 minutes before devouring. Store in airtight container in freezer or fridge.

Alternatively, you can melt coconut oil and blend all ingredients in your VitaMix or Cuisinart.