Cinnamon Pita Chips with Lemon Yogurt Dip

Sometimes I buy foods, but then never eat them.  They end up going sour, stale, or moldy.  Bleh.

I mean, really, where on Earth did that bag of pita bread come from?  I swear I did not buy it.  But, yet, there it was, sitting in the kitchen drawer, dangerously close to going stale.

What to do?

I don't know if I've mentioned how much I hate wasting food, but it's true.  It drives me nuts.  But at the same time, I don't want eat food that's already gone bad.  Who wants to do that?

So, you see, I was in a bit of a pickle that day.  I had a big bag of pita bread going stale and nowhere to use it.  Until, I came up with an idea.

It was time to make pita chips.  And so I did.

They came out just fantastic!  Never more shall bread go stale at my house, not when something so delicious can come out of it!

And, thus, my no waste self is satisfied.  I hope you will be too.

Cinnamon Pita Chips with Lemon Yogurt Dip
For Chips:

• 130 g pita bread
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coconut oil, melted

For Dip:

• 1/2 cup plain or vanilla greek yogurt
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey, or to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.  Cut pita bread into triangles.  In a small bowl (a ramekin works well) mix together cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut oil.  Brush a bit of the mixture onto each pita bread triangle.  Place pita bread on a lined baking sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until slightly browned and crisp.  Store chips in an airtight container.  

To make dip, combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and mix until well combined.  Taste, and add more honey if needed.  Store dip in fridge.

If you're ever in a situation when you've got some pita bread, and nowhere to use it, then chips are definitely the way to go.  They're mega easy, mega yummy, and mega healthy as well.  Seriously, best almost stale bread experience ever.  And the dip?  It just takes it to the next level!  You've gotta make 'em, whether your pita bread's old or not.

P. S. It also works with tortillas :)

Revisited Recipe of the Day

Cheesy Star Chips  (a great use for tortillas)

Roasted Balsamic Sweet Potatoes and Tofu

I'm starting to think that I should just make a list of all the foods that I'm obsessed with so that you guys won't be surprised every time one ingredients starts to pop up again and again and again.

But then I think about how long that list would be and decide it's just not worth my time.  I'd much rather be creating delicious recipes using those foods than writing them all down on paper.  There's also the fact that I'm just a tad bit lazy... but that's not really important.

Anyways, if I ever did write that list, sweet potatoes would surely be one of the first foods on it.  To put it shortly, I adore them.  The color, the texture, the taste.  It's just all so amazing!

This weekend, I had a couple of sweet potatoes just begging to be used.  I was going to just roast them and serve with some stir-fried tofu, but then that previously mentioned lazy part of me got to thinking, "Why not just roast the tofu with the potatoes?"  It was an interesting thought.  Partly because I'd never seen any recipes for roasted tofu, and partly because the idea of combining 2 dinner recipes into only one (and therefore cutting off a big chunk of work) was very appealing.

I decided to wing it and see what would happen.  The result was easily 5x as good as I thought it would be.  Roasting the tofu worked great, eliminating the texture that most people don't enjoy, and also creating a crispy shell on the outside.  The taste was spectacular,too, thanks to the balsamic vinegar.

This recipe really made me realize that sometimes a lazy side, is a very good thing to have.

Roasted Balsamic Sweet Potatoes and Tofu*

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 package firm or extra firm tofu

Preheat oven to 400F.  Remove tofu from package and pat dry.  Cut into 3/4 inch cubes.  Cook vinegar and sugar in non-reactive saucepan over low heat until slightly thickened.  Place potatoes and tofu in a large bowl and coat with vinegar mixture.  Gently mix, making sure to coat everything evenly.  Spread potatoes and tofu onto a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through.  Serve with a side of greens, rice, or anything else your heart desires.

I think I should also mention that this dish was not only enjoyed by me.  The rest of my family gobbled it up, too, and I've already had a request to make it again.  In fact, I'd say that this dish is something that I'll be enjoying at least a couple more times, and most likely much more than that, in only the next couple of months.

When something is easy, delicious, and, on top of it all, healthy, it's nothing something you want to stop eating.  You can definitely trust me on that one.

* By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by The Soyfoods Council and am
eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Vegetable and Tofu Pad Thai

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.