Sweet Potato Apple Mash

Warning:  Highly Addictive Thanksgiving Side Dish Below

Made 10x more addictive by the fact that it's super duper easy.

Four ingredients easy.  Three steps easy.  One pan only easy.

So easy, whipping up a second batch shoudn't be a problem at all.  Which is good, because with the addictive-ness level so high, you may need to do just that... before your Thanksgiving guests even arrive!

In case you didn't quite catch on yet, this Sweet Potato Apple Mash is downright simple, but also completely delicious.

If you're hosting Thanksgiving at your house this year, and want a stress-free side dish to prepare, this could be exactly what you're looking for.  Just be sure to double the recipe if you're serving a large crowd.  Being able to make more during dinner doesn't necessarily mean you want to :)

Sweet Potato Apple Mash - greatly inspired by this recipe

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 3 medium apples (just use your favorite type)
• 3 tbsp oil
• Spices: cinnamon, ginger, salt, and pepper all to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut sweet potatoes and apples into cubes.  Place in a deep baking dish and toss with olive oil (you don't have to measure it, just make sure everything in coated).  Spread out potatoes and apples in dish evenly, in only one layer if possible.  Roast for approximately 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool a bit.  Sprinkle with spices.  Then take a potato masher, or whatever other tool you have on hand that may work, and mash the mixture until it reaches desired consistancy.  I like to mash it until it's mostly broken down, but still has a bit of texture to it.  Serve immidiatley, or refridgerate until serving time.

What to do with your super addicting Sweet Potato Apple Mash:

• Make a gigantic batch and serve it as a (healthier) side dish on your Thanksgiving table.
• Spread it on a pizza (just an idea: this stuff, spinach, caramalized onions, and mozzarella.  Yummmm!)
• Make a sandwich (something along the lines of this, maybe?)
• Eat it by the spoonful when the midnight munchies strike
• Put it on toast for breakfast

And those are just a couple of my ideas.  Seriously, this stuff is worth making.  On a weeknight or for Thankgiving.  Or both!  Yeah, that could work...

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Let's face it, everyone loves french fries.

After all, it's hard not to when they're everything one wants in a snack. Crunchy, salty, crisp, and oh, so delicious. I could eat french fries by the bucketful they're so addicting.

But I don't.  Because, along with their extreme tastiness, fries are also pretty darn unhealthy.  In fact, usually when I have them at some restauran, I end up regretting it a couple hours later, when I start to feel like a big, heavy zombie.

However, that did not mean I was going to give up fries all together.  Heck no.  I was still going to enjoy my fries, just in a healthier way.

Sweet Potato Fries became that way.  I found a recipe that makes them in the oven without a drop of oil, so they're much better for you than most of the fries out there.

And the best part?  They're just as heavenly as the fast-food fries I love!  Crunchy and crisp and totally awesome.  Everything that makes a french fry, a french fry, minus the unhealthy factor.  Yum!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries - original recipe can be found here

• 2 medium sized sweet potaoes
• 1 egg white
• sea salt, to taste
• optional: herbs or other spices to season fries with (I actually only used salt when I made these)

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into strips of even thickness.  It doesn't matter how thick they are, but make sure each fry is around the same size, so none burn.
Soak your fries in a bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes*.  Drain and pat totally dry.
Preheat oven to 425F and line 1 or 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk egg white until slightly foamy.  Add potato pieces, and any seasonings you want on your fries.  Toss around, making sure to coat every piece.  Spread potato pieces onto prepared baking sheets in a single layer with as few as possible touching.
Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven, venting the oven around every 5 minutes or so to let steam escape (you don't have to do this if you have a convection oven).
After 15 minutes, take out fries, flip them over, and return to oven to finish cooking.  This should take around 15 minutes, but it really depends on the thickness of your fries, so keep an eye on them (mine only took 10-12 minutes).
Once fries look ready, reduce heat to 200F and let crisp for 10-20 minutes (I only did it for 10 because I was short on time).  Season with more salt (or other seasonings), if desired, and serve fries as soon as possible so they don't loose their crisp.  If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container.

* The potatoes can soak for up to 2 days, so, if you want the fries to come together faster, you can peel and soak your potatoes the day (or morning) before and leave them in the fridge soaking until your ready to continue on with the recipe.

Believe me when I sat that being able to shove french fries into your mouth without feeling guilty is one of the best feelings in the world.

It's something you need to experience.

Lucky for you, these fries are super simple, and along with a few sweet potatoes, you probably have every ingredient needed to make them lying around your kitchen.  So, you see, a healthy french fry really isn't that hard to acheive.  I bet you could even make these in time for dinner tonight!

(P.S.  Don't forget about the giveaway!  It's coming soon, so stay tuned)

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Cheesy Star Chips

Sautéed Veggies

This is probably the easiest thing you could ever do with all your leftover vegetables.

It's also probably the most tasty.

In all honesty, I'm not sure I can even call this a recipe. There's one step and almost no specific ingredients.

But, on the other hand, it tastes way too good not to share.

Like, so good, you'll want only vegetables for the rest of your live.

Sautéed Veggies
(sounds simple, tastes amazing)

You need. . .

• A bunch of fresh veggies (corn tastes really good)
• Fresh basil
• Olive oil
• That's all!

What to do. . .
Sauté your vegetables in the olive oil. Add basil. Devour.

I bet you're laughing. I bet you're thinking, "how on earth could something so simple create something as tasty as she's describing"

I get that. It sounds crazy.

However, don't you dare let that stop you from trying this, because, soon, you'll be the one talking about the wonders of basil, leftovers, and olive oil. Soon, you'll be the one people are laughing at.

But, I bet you won't mind one bit, because you'll have your sautéed vegetables and those laughing people, they won't.