BAKED SWEET POTATOES WITH CHILI BEANS

I had a late night chat in the driveway with a friend a few nights ago that got me thinking about the things we do that make us feel "healthy." OK, first off, I love the driveway chat - you know, you're getting ready to head back home and then you kind of unload the stirrings of your heart in those last moments of conversation? "Yes, things are great, lovely to see you. But oh, hey, I feel like I may be going nuts!"- that's the good stuff. Anyway, we we're talking about how when life gets busy the first sacrifice is the "leisure" of doing the things that make you feel healthy inside. Hugh needs to read sometime during the day, the more the better, but always in the morning with his particularly perfect cup of coffee. Even when he has a list of things to do, he does this, and it has been a great example for me. Mine is a bit more literal in the way of feeling healthy, as I need to get out and move. Be it pilates, yoga, a long walk with a friend. Somewhere along the way, I picked up this impression that working hard meant not getting to do the things that make you happy/healthy, and in turn, me feeling guilty for going to pilates at 10:30 when I should be trying to come up with more recipes. There is actually a great article in this month's Whole Living about time, pretty interesting.

The thing is, especially during the current point in my life, where some days I am forcing out creativity, you've got to do the stuff that feeds your insides. Maybe those of you who actually do creative work, already know this, but if the hours of obligations and responsibilities aren't giving way to the things you NEED... find a way. The tai chi, brushing up on Spanish, volunteer work, hip hop class, vegetable garden etc... it fits in somewhere.

My sister chose a few meals to be delivered from me as her birthday present. The woman is picky about vegetables, textures and most things green. I mentioned her a while back. I made this for her so she had something easy to warm up while also being nutritious and filling. If you need to bring a meal to a friend who isn't feeling well, just had a baby, a new neighbor, or the like, it's easily portable and keeps for a few days. Serve it with a little side salad and ta-da! less time on dinner, more time at hip hop class, and such as :)

BAKED SWEET POTATOES WITH CHILI BEANS // Serves 4

The recipe includes cooking the beans from scratch, which is slightly time consuming (all be it, hands-off time). You could use well rinsed, canned beans to speed things up. I'd go one can pinto, one can black beans.

4 Small Yams/Sweet Potatoes

Heaping 1/2 lb. Pinto-type Beans, I used Rancho Gordo beans, soaked in water overnight.

2 tsp. Olive Oil

1 Yellow Onion

2 CLoves Garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Cumin

1/2 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Smoked Salt

28 oz. Can San Marzano Tomatoes

Cilantro

Chopped Red Onion

Avocado

Sour Cream or Whole Milk Greek Yogurt

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Pierce holes in the sweet potatoes/yams, lightly wrap them in foil, and bake on the middle rack for about 45-55 minutes.

2. Put the beans in a pot and completely cover with water, plus 2 extra inches. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 45-60 minutes until the beans are cooked through.

3. While the beans cook, thinly slice the onion. Over medium heat, warm the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot and cook the onions and garlic until softened. Add the spices and the jar of San Marzano tomatoes. If the tomatoes are crushed, great, if they are whole, just smush them to a puree. Bring to a simmer and reduce for about 20 minutes while the beans finish cooking.

When the beans are cooked, drain and add them to the tomato mix, cook another 10 minutes for all the flavors to marry. Taste for salt and spices, add more if desired.

4. Split open the baked sweet potato/yams and create a little cavern down the middle. Fill the cavern with the chili beans and add toppings as desired. I like a bit of avocado, sour cream and cilantro. You could go with a bit of shredded cheese and minced red onion... something tells me you've had chili before and know the drill.

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP

I find it funny that when you fall in love with someone, and even more so when you marry/live with them, you kind of morph into an unintentional, uni-person at times. The things you eat blend, the lingo or nicknames you have for things become everyday vernacular, you want what they want (for their sake), and circumstances that make them sad, cut you straight to the bone.

I'm the morning person who now consistently finds herself staying up late, and I swear to you we show up places in coordinating outfits that we don't notice until someone teases us. I sound like I've lost all sense of myself, but for serious, I really think it's crazy how much you're influenced when you don't even know it.

I've tried to make a point this year of spending time with people that are positive and encouraging to be around and trying to be the kind of person that someone wouldn't mind being influenced by. That's harder than you'd think, would you believe my language has gotten worse despite said intentions?

I started thinking about this, because both Hugh and I don't care for raw tomatoes. We both love salsa, marinara and roasted tomato soup, but please don't put tomatoes in my salad. But it wasn't always this way, I grew up on raw tomatoes, lots of them, the first half of my life, a 'salad' was routinely tomatoes and cucumbers with Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (Mom! I'm so grateful and I love you). We grow up and somehow the way we think or what we eat and the company we keep changes, and I find it pretty phenomenal that we refine ourselves little by little, most of the time without even realizing it. It happens right under our noses. So here I am, some version of myself but mostly a composition of people who have loved and influenced me in one way or another.

So this soup, while easy in preparation and simple in ingredients, is only as good as the tomatoes you use (pay attention, did you catch the life metaphor there?). If you have a local farmer's market, roadside farm stand or grow your own, this is the time to use them. Regardless of them being roasted, the integrity of the tomato stands out. I thought it would be good with some homemade pesto croutons, or some smoked paprika if you want a bit of heat, but it's just as comforting with a slice of crusty bread.

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP // Serve 2 as an entree, 4 as a side

Because it's summer and I prefer things lighter, I honestly did not add any cream. This is your choice. It will take an edge off of the acidity, but I thought a little cheese crostini balanced it out just fine.

1 1/4 lb. Ripe Tomatoes (about 4 Large Tomatoes)

1/2 Medium Yellow Onion

3 Garlic Cloves

1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

1 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley

1 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable or Chicken Broth

1 Tbsp. Organic Tomato Paste

1/4 Cup Heavy Cream or Half and Half, optional

Fresh Oregano + Basil for garnish

Fresh Grainy Bread

Mozzarella Cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350'. Cut the tomatoes and the half of an onion into wedges. Use your finger to push out some of the seedy parts of the tomatoes, but this is not a huge deal, just get out the big seedy parts, a bit intact is fine. Spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the salt, a generous amount of pepper, the chopped parsley and gently toss it with your hands. Tuck the garlic cloves somewhere in a tomato, so they don't burn. Roast on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and reduced to about half their size. Remove and cool slightly.

2. Warm the broth and stir in the tomato paste to dissolve. Add the all of the ingredients from the roasting pan into the broth and let it gently simmer for 5-10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the bowl, or with a food processor or blender. The soup should be smooth, with some texture. If you don't like any texture at all, you could run it through a fine mesh sieve. Return it back to the pot, and add the cream to taste, if using. Taste for salt and pepper.

3. Serve with some toasted bread, or broil a few slices with a piece of mozzarella on top. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and oregano.

Sara Forte 2019-02-12

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP

4

A simple and delicious roasted tomato soup with garlic and onion.

• 1 1/4 lb. Ripe Tomatoes (about 4 Large Tomatoes)
• 1/2 Medium Yellow Onion
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley
• 1 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable or Chicken Broth
• 1 Tbsp. Organic Tomato Paste
• 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream or Half and Half, optional
• Fresh Oregano + Basil for garnish
• Fresh Grainy Bread

93 calories6 grams fat10 grams carbohydrate3 grams protein

Preheat the oven to 350'. Cut the tomatoes and the half of an onion into wedges. Use your finger to push out some of the seedy parts of the tomatoes, but this is not a huge deal, just get out the big seedy parts, a bit intact is fine. Spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the salt, a generous amount of pepper, the chopped parsley and gently toss it with your hands. Tuck the garlic cloves somewhere in a tomato, so they don't burn. Roast on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and reduced to about half their size. Remove and cool slightly.

Warm the broth and stir in the tomato paste to dissolve. Add the all of the ingredients from the roasting pan into the broth and let it gently simmer for 5-10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the bowl, or with a food processor or blender. The soup should be smooth, with some texture. If you don't like any texture at all, you could run it through a fine mesh sieve. Return it back to the pot, and add the cream to taste, if using. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve with some toasted bread, or broil a few slices with a piece of mozzarella on top. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and oregano.

PT15M

PT45M

PT1H

American

Entrée

vegetarian, soup, gluten free

GREEN BEAN + BLACK QUINOA SALAD

I made a post out of what I had on hand! Congratulations, self! I have wandered from my grocery budget lately. I can pinch pennies on most things, but get me to a market and I feel like I am spending monopoly money. The same girl who holds on to gift cards that have under a fifty cent value... yeah. Lately, I've been coming home with pretty bottles of red wine from Trader Joes and the things is, I prefer white wines, I don't even like red wine! They're inexpensive bottles, but that's beside the point. So, of course I cried out of guilt, punished myself by drinking the red wine I don't even like (this is a confusing punishment, I'm aware), and am pretty sure I snapped out of the grocery addiction.

I tend to become a bit unmotivated when the weather warms up, and I'm certainly not turning on our ancient oven which heats up the entire upstairs. I have loads of green beans from my CSA basket, and admit they're not really a vegetable I would purchase otherwise. The green bean isn't known for being the most versatile ingredient - sort of akwardly lanky and reminiscent of your grandma's, creamy holiday casserole. But as a hater of waste and in my renewed frugalness, I dressed them up enough to be a dish I would bring to a backyard dinner party, or something I would take a bite of while passing the fridge for a snack.

The green beans stay crisp from a quick blanch, and the quinoa adds a bit of protein to fill you up. If you like your salads to be a little easier to eat, simply chop up those lanky beans to bite size pieces. Ignore the oven, have a tasty salad and it's the weekend again, party people.

GREEN BEAN + BLACK QUINOA SALAD // Serves 4-6

I made my dressing with a lemon infused olive oil because I had some and I am obsessed with it, but it is not necessary. Use that if you have it, and if you'd like a bit of citrus, add a bit of fresh lemon zest when tossing everything together.

// Dressing //

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup white balsamic or champagne vinegar

2 tsp. agave nectar or honey

2 cloves garlic, grated

Handful of basil leaves

1 tsp. sea salt

fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup quinoa (black or red is pretty, but any color works)

1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed

4 scallions/green onions

1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed, roughly chopped

In a blender or food processor, whirl all of the dressing ingredients together. Taste for salt and pepper and set aside in the fridge.

Bring 1 cup water to a boil and add the quinoa, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and leave the cover ajar to cool.

Blanch or steam the green beans until just barely tender. Drain well. Give them a rough chop. Add green beans to the cooled quinoa. Thinly slice the scallions and add them, and half of the chopped hazelnuts to the bowl and toss with desired amount of the dressing. Finish the salad with a few grinds of fresh black pepper and the rest of the hazelnuts. We could add some shaved parm here. Serve at room temperature or chill in the fridge. The leftovers hold up great.