cilantro lime carrots

While mulling over what to do with the rest of the huge bag of carrots I had boughten from Costco, I came across this recipe that I had pinned to Pinterest and forgotten all about (something that happens to me far too often).

I'm a little picky with how I like my carrots cooked... not one that likes those cheesy carrots coated in bread crumbs, hardly able to still be called a vegetable.  These seemed like quite the opposite - light and tangy from the lime and cilantro.

I pretty much followed the recipe to a tee - just used cilantro instead of mint and green onion, as I didn't have either of those.  But I liked how the cilantro went with the lime and cumin better than I would have liked mint, so it turned out to be a good switch.  Overall they were very tasty and would definitely make them again.

cilantro lime roasted carrots

Ingredients
6 large carrots, peeled and cut into strips
1 T olive oil
juice and zest from 1 lime
1 tsp honey or agave
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
Combine carrot strips with remaining ingredients and stir until combined (I used just 1/2 of the lime before they cooked and 1/2 after).  Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until  tender crisp.
Squeeze other 1/2 of lime over carrots and drizzle with a little more olive oil if needed (mine were a little dry after coming out of the oven).  Garnish with a fresh cilantro if desired.

Serves 3-4.

brussels sprouts, take 2

So after I made the brussels sprouts in the previous post, there were more brussels sprouts to use up, but I wanted to try something new.  My aunt had told me about a raw brussels sprout salad she had at a restaurant, so I decided to try cole slaw made with brussels sprouts.  The flavor of  the brussels sprouts is stronger than cabbage, so I kept trying to think of ingredients to help tone that down a little.  Also, the texture is a little less crunchy than cabbage, so I needed to add something to give it that crunch.  I added a little of this and that until I came up with this:

brussels sprouts cole slaw

Ingredients:

3-4 cups finely chopped brussels sprouts (I used a little less than 1/2 of a 2 lb)

1 apple chopped

1 avacado cubed

a little red onion diced

a couple handfuls of walnuts chopped (sunflower seeds would be good - I think I was out of those)

sauce:

1/2 c. plain greek yogurt

1 lime juiced

1-2 T red wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Combine and enjoy! (and add more yogurt or lime juice until satisfied)  I did eat a little goat cheese with a couple bites, and liked that too.

brussels sprouts

brussels sprouts tend to have a negative connotation - the dreaded vegetable that no kid (or often, no adult!) wants to eat.  they are, however, quite delicious when cooked correctly.  one of my favorite things to do with brussels sprouts is to roast them.  just wash them, cut the bottoms off, take off the outer leaves (if they look a little dirty), cut them in half, and then just drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper, stir them up and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes, or until tender but firm and a little crunchy.  right when they come out of the oven, I like to drizzle them with balsamic vinegar which adds a little tangy sweetness.  my favorite part about roasted brussels sprouts is the loose leaves that fall off and get really crispy in the oven... uummm.

on these brussels sprouts, I decided to add a little sage flavored cheese instead of balsamic vinegar after they were roasted, which was also delicious.  parmesan cheese, would also be a good option.

roasted brussels sprouts with sage cheese

sweet potato change-up

parmesan & thyme twice baked sweet potatoes 

I originally found this recipe on pinterest, and I would link it but I'm not finding the pin any longer... hum.  

Regardless, these sweet potatoes were comforting yet lite, a delightful new spin on a classic potato.

Here is the recipe as I recall it (or modified it)

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes
1/2 c. nonfat yogurt (I used greek yogurt)
1 small onion chopped
1 clove minced garlic
2 cups chopped spinach or arugula
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
salt & pepper
3/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese *

Instructions
Bake the sweet potatoes at 400 45-50 minutes or until tender.  While the potatoes are baking, saute the onion and garlic with olive oil and a little salt and pepper until tender.  Add chopped spinach or arugula and cook until wilted.  Scoop out the inside of the sweet potatoes and mix with yogurt, thyme, 1/2 c. parmesan cheese, cooked onion mixture and salt & pepper to taste.  Put sweet potato mixture back in skins and top with remaining 1/4 c. parmesan cheese.  Bake another 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

* feel free to add as much cheese as you like to suit your taste  :)


Also, one question to the bloggers out there - how do I label my posts?  I've seen other people to do it and I can't seem to figure it out?  It would be helpful to be able to be able to categorize the recipes..