What's On the Side: Indian-spiced Roasted Sweet Potatoes

These Indian-spiced roasted sweet potatoes, tossed in coconut oil and flavored with garam masala, will add an exotic flair to any meal. 

Fine, fine, I'll admit it. I think I might need a vegetable-roasting intervention. How many roasted vegetable recipes are too many roasted vegetable recipes? Don't answer that.

But I have been trying to do more meal prep on the weekends, and roasting a huge pile of veggies is a simple way to make sure there are ready-to-use ingredients on hand all week long. I've jumped on the veggie bowl trend of late, and these Indian-spiced roasted sweet potatoes served alongside baked tofu, microgreens, roasted broccoli, and quinoa make for a super-hearty and filling mid-day meal.

Indian-spiced Roasted Sweet Potatoes (printer-friendly version)
makes 2-4 servings

1 ½ tablespoons melted virgin coconut oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons garam masala
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking oil and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, coconut oil, and garam masala. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
4. Spread the potatoes into an even layer on the prepped baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time, until caramelized and fork tender.

What's For Dinner: Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

I tend to pull out my slow cooker to make chili, but this is a quicker stove-top chili recipe. Like last Friday's Middle Eastern lamb stew, the recipe for this sweet potato and black been chili also comes from EatingWell One-Pot Meals by Jessie Price & the EatingWell Test Kitchen. Although the original recipe calls for cooking the sweet potatoes in the broth, I chose to roast the sweet potatoes to pull out some more flavor. Doing so adds about 20 minutes to the cooking time, so if you're in a hurry, you can always just follow the original recipe's instructions by simmering the diced sweet potatoes in the broth for about 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

I like to play around with the spices every time I make chili, and aside from the obvious use of chili powder, some of my favorite go-to additions include oregano and unsweetened cocoa powder (something I say has to do with my Cincinnati upbringing, though I must admit I probably ate more Hormel chili than Skyline or Gold Star chili whilst an Ohioan). Playing around with the spices also helps you to control the heat; if you prefer a bit more spice you could add in more cayenne pepper, add a sprinkle (or more) of red pepper flakes, or shake in a dash of hot pepper sauce.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1" pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder, divided
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can organic diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil
2. Place the diced sweet potato in a small bowl. Add in the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder, and a dash or two of salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Spread the seasoned potato pieces onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping the potatoes after 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to a Dutch oven or large soup pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and golden, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, garlic, chili powder, salt, oregano, cayenne pepper, and cocoa powder. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, and lime juice. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the roasted sweet potato, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. Before serving, stir in the chopped cilantro. Serve with your favorite chili fixins' such as plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream), shredded cheese, crackers, or chopped scallions.

(recipe adapted from EatingWell One-Pot Meals by Jessie Price & the EatingWell Test Kitchen)

What's On the Side: Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Okay, enough with the sweet treats (for now...). Let's talk savory dishes today. On Monday, I made  maple-glazed wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets for dinner. To counter the sweetness of the maple glaze, I wanted to serve a side that leaned on the spicy side of things. I first heard about this recipe for chipotle mashed sweet potatoes on the Alton Brown podcast; Alton discussed it as one of his favorite sides to serve alongside a Thanksgiving turkey. I filed the recipe away as something to try in the future -- so here we are a few weeks later and I finally had a chance to give the recipe a whirl.

The flesh of a sweet potato can vary from light yellow to bright orange. As you can see in the image above, the sweet potatoes I used were of the light-yellow-fleshed variety. Though one variety of sweet potato make look different from another, I don't find there to be a drastic difference in flavor. In this dish, the sweetness of the potatoes are perfectly complemented by the smoky spiciness of the chipotle peppers. In fact, the chipotle peppers add such a smoky flavor that D asked if I had added bacon into the mix. (Nope!)

Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 whole canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped fine
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can of peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. Add about 2 inches of water to the bottom of a large sauce pot. Bring the water to a simmer, then add to the pot the steaming basket with the chopped sweet potatoes, top it with the lid, and steam the potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes. (If you don't have a large sauce pot, you can steam your sweet potatoes in two batches, as I did.)
2. Place the steamed potatoes in a large shallow bowl. Add the unsalted butter and mash with a potato masher. Then add the chopped chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and salt and continue mashing until fully incorporated. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt if necessary.
3. Serve immediately.

(adapted from this Alton Brown recipe)

What's For Lunch: Curried Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

If you happen to follow me on Pinterest, you may have noticed that I went on a bit of a soup-pinning frenzy last week. I'm always on the lookout for new soup recipes to try; I love that within 30-45 minutes, you can cook up a (in my case, typically large) batch of soup. I've been on a curry kick lately (perhaps because curry flavors aren't typically on Northern Wisconsin restaurant menus?!), and a few recipes I found for soups that featured the flavor of curry inspired the creation of this Curried Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup. I'm typing these recipe headnotes as the soup is cooking on the stovetop in the kitchen; it smells unbelievable in here right now and I cannot wait to serve myself up a bowlful and dig in!

Curried Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped finely
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
4 minced cloves garlic
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 peeled and diced sweet potatoes
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups filtered water
1 cup rinsed red lentils

1. Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot over medium heat. Add in the onions and carrots with a pinch of salt and pepper and saute until softened, about 4 minutes.
2. Add in the minced garlic and grated ginger. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Carefully add in the diced sweet potatoes. Cook for an additional minute.
4. Stir in the curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, and cumin. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Pour in the vegetable broth and water. Stir in the lentils. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are cooked, 25-30 minutes.
5. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

(inspired by these two recipes)

What's For Dinner: Turkey Meatloaf Cupcakes

D is on a high-protein, low-carb healthy-diet kick right now, so I've been trying some new things in the kitchen. A recent addition to our dinner menu are turkey meatloaf cupcakes. These mini-meatloafs are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. The addition of veggies into the mix also amps up the vitamin and mineral content. To stay with the whimsical cupcake theme, rather than serve mashed sweet potatoes on the side, each turkey meatloaf cupcake gets a generous piping of sweet potato "icing" before it is served. It's not exactly dessert for dinner, but it is a fun way to eat a nutritious meal.

Turkey Meatloaf Cupcakes (printer-friendly version)
makes 6 cupcakes

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves

1 carrot, chopped

1 garlic clove

1 pound organic, pasture-raised ground turkey
3 tablespoons egg whites
1/4 cup steel-cut oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 teaspoons tomato paste

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or line six cavities with paper liners. Set aside.
2. Place the onion, parsley, carrot, and garlic in a food processor with the metal blade attached. Pulse until the ingredients are finely minced.
3. In a large bowl, combine together the minced vegetable mixture, ground turkey, egg whites, steel-cut oatmeal, dried thyme, ground mustard, black pepper, and salt.
4. Spoon the turkey mixture into six of the muffin tin cavities, filling each to the top. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to flatten the top of each cupcake.
5. Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes has passed, place a teaspoon of tomato paste on top of each meatloaf cupcake and spread with a pastry brush. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.

(adapted from this recipe)

Sweet Potato "Icing"

makes enough to ice 6 meatloaf cupcakes

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large pieces

1 tablespoon organic skim milk
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon nonfat plain Greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium-high heat. Add in the sweet potatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and place the potatoes back into the pot.
2. Add the skim milk, butter, and Greek yogurt to the pot with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mash until smooth.
3. Place the potatoes into an icing bag with a star tip.
4. Pipe the icing onto each baked turkey meatloaf cupcake, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and serve immediately.

(adapted from this recipe)

What's For Dinner: Sweet Potato Chipotle Soup

I, as many people do, like to think of the New Year as a new start in terms of diet and exercise. After a prolonged period of eating lots of delicious, yet rather-indulgent, items over the holidays, it's about time I settled back into a more healthy diet. One of the best ways I know how to do this is to start off the year by adding a lot more soups into my diet. And, no, not the kind you can buy in a can from the grocery store (the nutrition of which in most cases leaves a lot to be desired) -- instead I like to make soups from scratch. Throw together a few vegetables, a box of veggie or chicken broth, and some herbs and spices, and in about 30-45 minutes, you've got a healthy ready-to-eat meal. The soup recipes I follow tend to make many portions, so it's easy to have a healthy soup on hand for lunches throughout the following week. 

The first soup I made this year was a Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. The addition of a chipotle pepper gives this soup a nice spicy undertone that doesn't overwhelm the rich sweet potato flavor. 

Sweet Potato Chipotle Soup (printer-friendly version)
makes 8-10 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
coarse sea salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 medium sweet potatoes (2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and saute until they are soft and lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cumin and minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
2. Stir in the sweet potatoes, chile, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium, partially cover the pot with a lid, and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 20-25 minutes.
3. Remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool slightly. In batches, puree the soup in a blender. Be careful to allow steam to escape while blending.
4. Pour the pureed soup back into the soup pot and heat over low. Season to taste withs salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week in the refrigerator; or you can freeze any leftovers.

(adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)

What's On the Side: Mashed Potatoes

Whenever roast chicken is on the menu, you can be assured that mashed potatoes will also be on the table at my house. For our Thanksgiving meal, I opted to follow a recipe to make "Two-Toned Mashed Potatoes." This recipe called for both Yukon Gold and Sweet Potatoes. I used Wisconsin-grown organic Creamy Gold potatoes and organic jewel sweet potatoes. However, my mashed potatoes lacked the two-tone coloration as my sweet potatoes were decidedly not orange on the inside. Regardless of their lack of orange pigmentation, they still added plenty of sweet potato flavor to the dish. I think the real highlight of this recipe is the addition of buttermilk, a smidgen of Greek yogurt, and a smattering of onion powder. I think this will be my go-to mashed potato recipe from here on out -- and I can assure you that they are just as good when just one type of potato is used, too.

Mashed Potatoes (printer-friendly version)
makes about six servings

1/2 tablespoon organic low-fat cultured buttermilk
1 tablespoon nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 pounds (about 3 medium-size) Wisconsin Cream Gold (or Yukon Gold) potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
3/4 pounds (about 2 large) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2/3 cup organic low-fat cultured buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

pinch ground black pepper

pinch salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

1. In a small container, stir together 1/2 tablespoon buttermilk, 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt, and onion powder. Cover and refrigerate the sauce until ready to use.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the chopped potatoes and leeks and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 12-15 minutes.
3. Drain and return the vegetables to the pot.
4. Add in 2/3 cup buttermilk, butter, and the prepared sauce. Mash with a potato masher. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Garnish with the chopped chives and serve immediately.

(adapted from this Eating Well recipe)

What's For Dinner: Quinoa with Black Beans and Taco-Seasoned Roasted Potatoes

I made a quick dinner the other night that combined cooked quinoa, black beans, and roasted sweet potatoes. To make the roasted sweet potatoes, I cut peeled and cut two small sweet potatoes into cubes. I then tossed the cubes with olive oil and about a teaspoon of taco seasoning. The potatoes were roasted in the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. About halfway through the roasting, I removed the potatoes from the oven to toss them and make sure the sides were roasting evenly. To make the dish, I just added together the cooked quinoa, rinsed black beans, and roasted sweet potato. Toppings included a small helping of shredded cheese and a spoonful of salsa. Easy, nutritious, and quick to prepare -- just my kind of dinner.

What's For Dinner: Sweet Potato Chili

My intention for our Super Bowl dinner/snackathon was that I would eat a bowl of veggie chili while D chowed down on some homemade buffalo hot wings. Unfortunately, I filled up on too many pretzel dogs (look for a post on those later this week) and nachos. Long story short, this chili will be the feature of tonight's dinner hour instead.

Sweet Potato Chili (printer-friendly version)
makes 6+ servings

1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz-can pinto beans or black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 no-salt added cup tomato sauce
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 small can low-sodium vegetable juice
1/2 cup frozen whole-kernel yellow corn
1 package (10 oz) frozen sweet potatoes (or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder

1. Add the chopped onion, pepper, and garlic into a 1.5 or 2-quart slow cooker.
2. Stir in the rinsed beans.
3. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, and vegetable broth, and vegetable juice.
4. Add in the frozen corn and sweet potatoes.
5. Season with cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and cocoa powder.
6. Place the cover onto the bowl and cook on high for 4.5 to 5 hours.
7. Serve with toppings such as oyster crackers, shredded cheese, or plain Greek yogurt.

What's For Dinner: Thai-Style Vegetable Rice (Revisited)

I last made this dish in 2010 (exactly two years ago, to be exact - ha!), and it's still one of my favorite slow-cooker recipes. I mixed things up a little bit by adding in some chopped butternut squash (we still have a few hanging out in our cupboard from last summer's CSA share) to this version. I always add in way more vegetables than the recipe requires, which means I have several days' worth of leftovers. I don't mind, though, as it's so tasty!

Thai-Style Vegetable Rice (printer-friendly version)
makes four servings

1 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 C frozen shelled edamame
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 t curry powder
1/4 t ground cumin
1/8 t ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1/4 cup reduced-fat unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
2 tablespoon unsalted roasted whole cashews, chopped

1. Combine the broth, vegetables, spices, and garlic into a 2-quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for 4.5 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 2.5 hours.
3. If cooking on low, turn to the high-heat setting and stir in the brown rice. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir in the coconut milk and cilantro.
4. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of chopped cashews.

What's For Dinner: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

There's just something about cold weather that makes me want to break out my slow cooker and cook up a large batch of chili. I've seen a few recipes for sweet potato chili rolling around the Internet of late, and opted to use this Real Simple recipe and this Daily Garnish recipe as inspiration to make my own large batch of sweet potato and black bean chili.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili (printer-friendly version)
makes 8 hearty servings

2 14.5-ounce cans organic diced tomatoes

2 15.5-ounce cans black beans, rinsed

1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup organic low-sodium vegetable stock

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a 4-ounce slow cooker bowl. Gently stir to mix the ingredients.
2. Cover and cook on the low setting for 7-8 hours, or until the chili has thickened and the sweet potato pieces are fork tender.
3. Season with additional salt and/or pepper to taste.
4. Provide a variety of toppings, such as shredded cheddar cheese, plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream), fresh chopped cilantro, or oyster crackers.
5. Serve alongside a generous helping of golden cornbread.

What's For Dinner: Roasted Autumn Vegetables Served Over Couscous

It was about time that I roasted up some of the vegetables we've received recently as part of our CSA share. For this meal, I roasted up eggplant, delicata squash, sweet potatoes, and red onion. The veggies were roasted in a mixture of olive oil, brown sugar, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper. Though we may be heading into a bit of an Indian Summer weather-wise, this meal reminded me that I am fully ready to embrace the flavors of fall.

Roasted Autumn Vegetables (printer-friendly version)
makes four servings

1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 delicata squash, peeled, de-seeded, and cubed
3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 red onion, quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons organic light brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
3. Add the peeled and cubed eggplant to a large colander. Sprinkle the eggplant evenly with salt. Set aside.
4. Add the cubed squash, sweet potatoes, and quartered red onion to a large bowl. Add in the olive oil, brown sugar, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine the ingredients.
5. Rinse and drain the cubed eggplant. Add to the bowl of vegetables and toss to combine.
6. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
7. Spread the veggie mixture onto the prepped baking sheet. Make it as even a layer as possible.
8. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the veggies to ensure even roasting. Return to the oven and back for an additional 20 minutes, or until the veggies are lightly browned.
9. Serve over a bed of couscous. Garnish with feta cheese crumbles.

What's For Dinner: Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Burritos

Tonight's dinner is based on one of our favorite dinner entrees at Sweet Melissa's, the local vegetarian cafe. Though their version comes covered in cheesy goodness, I opted to make our burritos dry. Serve alongside some homemade guacamole and tortilla chips, and you've got yourself a meal!

Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Burritos

makes 2 servings

For the seasoned rice:

1 cup jasmine rice

2 cups water

1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning

For the roasted sweet potatoes:

1 large sweet potato, washed and peeled

olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Slice the sweet potato into 1" cubes.

3. Place the cubes in a glass baking dish.

4. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the potato cubes. Toss to coat.

5. Season the cubes with cumin and chili powder; toss again to coat.

6. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. The sweet potatoes are done when they are lightly browned and fork-tender.

7. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the sweet potato-black bean filling:

roasted sweet potato cubes

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

juice from 1/2 a lime

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, rinsed

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cooled roasted sweet potatoes with the black beans, juice of half a lime, and cilantro leaves. Stir gently to combine.

2. Place in the fridge until ready to use (or use immediately).

To make the burritos:

2 flour tortillas

seasoned rice

roasted sweet potato-black bean filling

shredded mozzarella

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 45 seconds to warm them (and make them more pliable).

3. Place about 1/2 cup of rice and 1/2 cup roasted sweet potato-black bean filling in the center of the tortilla. Top with the shredded mozzarella.

4. Fold the top and bottom of the tortilla in, then fold/roll in the sides. Spray the folded burrito with cooking spray then wrap in aluminum foil.

5. Place on a baking sheet.

6. Repeat the above steps for the second burrito.

7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

8. Remove the aluminum foil and cut diagonally down the middle. Serve immediately.

What's For Dinner: Egg Salad Sandwich

I've been craving an egg salad sandwich for awhile now -- so tonight seemed as good a night as any to make one! I served the sandwich alongside some roasted fingerling potato halves and sweet potato wedges. I seasoned the fingerling potatoes with salt, pepper, and rosemary. The sweet potatoes were seasoned with salt, pepper, and curry powder. So good!

Hardboiled Eggs

Since hardboiling eggs at high altitude can be a challenge, I looked up several directions first before heading to the stove. I finally settled on the following method:

1. Place three eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. (The water should be about an inch above the eggs.) Bring the water to a boil and allow eggs to boil for one minute. After one minute, remove the saucepan from the heat, cover, and let rest for 18 minutes.

2. After 18 minutes, drain the water and place the eggs in a bowl of ice water. Done and done!

Egg Salad

makes one serving

1 egg

pinch fine sea salt

pinch ground pepper

1 teaspoon plain organic yogurt (in lieu of mayo)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1. Peel a hardboiled egg and place it in a bowl. Use a fork to chop the egg into pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add in the yogurt and mustard and stir to combine.

To construct the sandwich, I made a base layer of baby spinach on one half of a whole wheat sandwich thin, added the egg salad, and topped it all with the other sandwich thin. Yum!