Tag: healthy eating (Page 2 of 4)

Paprika Sweet and Red Potato Fries

October 29, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 2 Comments

I must admit that putting a meal on the table has been a bit of a struggle this past couple of weeks. Things have been so busy with my kids’ soccer and basketball schedules, school events, and other things that it feels like we have been running around a lot, in need of wholesome nourishment to ground us. It is all good stuff, and I am glad my kids are involved in activities they enjoy. But eating well during this busy season can be a challenge. The recipe I posted below for homemade fries made from sweet potatoes and red potatoes is a good one for this busy time. It does take a little time to slice the potatoes and bake them, but while they are baking I can throw together a salad and heat up some veggie burgers, and by the time the fries are done, I’ve got a delicious, healthy meal. And the few minutes I spend slicing the potatoes is worth it–the homemade fries are of course much healthier than the fries found at most restaurants. They are baked in a small amount of olive oil and only a sprinkling of salt, with the paprika and garlic powder giving them lots of flavor. The sweet potatoes are full of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin A and potassium. The red potatoes aren’t so bad either; they have lots of vitamin C, minerals, and fiber. The key to making these homemade fries taste good is to bake them long enough that they are kind of crispy and not too mushy. I love the colors of these fries–they remind me of fall leaves. As for the veggie burgers, I just heat them in a skillet, toast some bagels to serve the burgers on, and add some sliced cheddar.

Paprika Sweet and Red Potato Fries

Servings: 4-6 side servings
Time: 10 minutes prep. time plus about 18 minutes bake time
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Ingredients:

3 cups sweet potatoes, sliced into strips
3 cups red potatoes, sliced into strips
1-2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly wash the sweet potatoes and red potatoes. Slice the potatoes into thin strips, like the shape of french fries. Place them in a medium-size bowl. Gradually add the olive oil. Add just enough oil to lightly coat the potato slices, but not so much that it is dripping from them. Add the paprika, garlic powder, and salt. You can adjust the seasonings to suit your own tastes–these are just suggested amounts that work for my family. Toss the potato slices so the olive oil and spices are evenly distributed. Arrange the potato slices on two baking sheets and put in the oven. Bake for about 16-20 minutes. It helps if you flip the fries about halfway through baking time. Fries are done when they are just crispy on the outside. Enjoy!

Vibrant Vegetables and Garden Candy

July 7, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 2 Comments

One of the many things I like about summer is the availability and abundance of raw, fresh food. Although I truly enjoy recipes and baking and cooking, sometimes all you need is a few fresh ingredients and you’ve got a beautiful salad, and munching on fresh vegetables is the best kind of snack. When food is just-picked or recently harvested, the flavor really pops.

On a recent trip to a farmers market in northern Michigan, my sister-in-law and I found all kinds of yummy produce. She bought a variety of greens and lettuces, green onions, and radishes, and made a vibrant, crunchy salad. One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to make a salad out of whatever is in season. You can just taste the brightness, and the level of nutrients is at its highest when foods are recently harvested. As my husband would say, when we eat in-season vegetables, we can feel the nutrients flowing into our bodies and giving us energy. I have already written about the many nutritional benefits of leafy greens in a previous post, but as for radishes, they are full of vitamins and minerals as well. According to www.med-health.net/Health-Benefits-Of-Radishes.html, radishes also have anti-fungal and antibacterial properties and a high water content.

Another food that is in season right now, at least in our garden here at home, is green peas. They are just becoming ripe enough to harvest. At our house, peas rarely even make it to the kitchen, they are eaten so quickly. Maybe we just don’t grow enough of them. My kids love to pick them and eat them right out of the pod (the pod keeps the peas nice and clean too). My daughter calls them “garden candy” because they are so sweet. I don’t mind the fact that the peas are eaten before they even reach the kitchen–I know my kids are eating a really healthy snack. Some nutritional information about peas can be found at www.care2.com/greenliving/10-health-benefits-of-peas.html. This website states that peas have not only micronutrients and fiber, but also protein. That is a big bonus for our family, since we do not eat a lot of meat. Peas are also very portable and easy to pack as a snack–you just have to open the pod and pop them into your mouth.

I hope you enjoy all the fresh vegetables you can find this summer. They are such a treat for the senses and great for our health.

Lemon-Mint Sunshine Water

June 30, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 0 Comments

Now that the temperature is heating up outside, we need to think about staying hydrated more than ever. I have been reading a book called Superfoods by Tonia Reinhard, and she includes water in the top 200 superfoods, or healthiest foods on the planet. She reminds us that water is one of the six essential nutrients necessary not only for survival, but for good health as well. It is so easy to reach for some kind of sweetened drink when we are thirsty, but water delivers the best hydration without all the sugar and additives. Sometimes it can feel like work to drink enough water, so in the summer, I like to make my own version of herb-infused water. It is more fun than drinking plain water–it gives the water a delicate flavor and adds some extra health benefits as well. According to www.naturalnews.com/042942_lemon_balm_health_benefits_antioxidants.html, lemonbalm is a calming herb. It also contains antioxidants. Mint adds some assets to the water too. Besides a refreshing flavor, mint boosts our health. An article at www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-mint.html says that mint is soothing to our bodies. It can help with nausea and even boosts our mood, among other things. Both lemonbalm and mint are really easy to grow. In fact they are so easy to grow, that you need to either plant them in a pot, or plant them somewhere where they are contained somehow. Otherwise they will spread like crazy.

We grow our own herbs here at home, so in the summer, I love to just walk outside and pick a handful of lemonbalm and a handful of mint, and prepare to make what I like to call lemon-mint sunshine water. (You can also find lemonbalm and mint leaves in the herb section of many grocery stores). After you wash the herbs, just fill a glass container with water (I use a 3 quart glass jar) and place a handful of the herbs in the water. (You can experiment with the amount of herbs, depending on how much flavor you want.) Cover the jar and set it outside in direct sun. This water works best if it can steep out in the sun for the whole day, so I start it in the morning and pull it in when the sun gets lower, in the early evening. It tastes best cold, so refrigerate it and give your some true refreshment!