Potato Parsnip Mash

Potatoes and parsnips mashed together with a little garlic, sour cream and butter make a surprisingly tasty side dish. The parsnips add a slightly sweet and spicy taste to the potatoes that I really enjoyed.

Hurricane Sandy is keeping most of us New Yorkers indoors today. So far I haven't lost power so I figured I would share this recipe in case I do later (crossing fingers I won't).

I had bought these parsnips the other day with no real plans for them, and decided I would try them mixed into my mashed potatoes. Parsnips, quite honestly are not a vegetable I grew up eating, so I never really know what to do with them. In the past, I've added them to stews and soups but I was pleasantly surprised how well they tasted mixed in with potatoes. My husband agreed, and they made a wonderful side dish to the roast beef I prepared in the oven.

Do you have a favorite way you enjoy parsnips? Would love to hear how you prepare them!

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Bewitching Skinny Chocolate Cupcakes

Head on over to Dash Recipes where I share with you a super easy recipe for Halloween cupcakes. All you need are some small and large cupcake liners to make these cute little witch hat toppers.

And the cupcakes? Just a few ingredients transform a box mix into a virtually guiltless treat – Greek yogurt, water and egg whites – no oil or butter added.

Click here for the full recipe:  Bewitching Skinny Chocolate Cupcakes.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Shooters

When you need a "little" treat, these delicious pumpkin cheesecake shooters are the perfect sweet fix. Perfect to serve at Halloween party or to add to your Thanksgiving table!

I love the idea of serving bite sized desserts at a party, it's perfectly portioned, and if there are other desserts on the table, it's just the right amount. You can buy inexpensive shot glasses at the dollar store and if you are bringing a dessert to a party, you can even give the shot glasses to the host as a gift.

These can be made ahead and kept chilled until ready to serve. Of course, if you rather use larger glasses, you can make 8 servings and double the filling.

My whipped topping of choice is Truwhip, and I'm excited they just came out with a light version! I love that it contains all natural ingredients, no HFCS, hydrogenated oils, transfats or GMOs. 

Enjoy!

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Roasted Pumpkin Sage Soup

Pumpkin season is in full swing, and this pumpkin soup is the perfect first course for any meal. Use a hollowed out pumpkin as a bowl for a beautiful presentation.

The aroma of roasted pumpkins and sage smells like everything I love about Thanksgiving – warmth, comfort, family and friends. 

If you can't find sugar or pumpkin pie pumpkins, acorn squash or butternut would work fine it it's place. This soup can be made ahead and reheated when ready to serve.

I went pumpkin picking a few weeks ago and and had so many sugar pumpkins, I knew I was going to use some as bowls. Wouldn't this be beautiful on your Thanksgiving table! Completely optional, but if you want to do this, look for small pumpkins, about 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 lbs, otherwise your bowls will hold too much soup.  To make the bowls, I followed this method only I roasted them 15 minutes longer. You can do this a day ahead, then heat in the oven before serving to keep your soup warm. I actually washed mine after using and they still look good.


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Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Parmesan Sauce

Something magical happens to pasta when you combine it with a creamy butternut squash puree, a little Parmigiano Reggiano, leeks, garlic and sage.

I found this out by accident.

This started from a mistake, a butternut squash puree that was far too thin and liquidy.  A very HAPPY mistake!

This is an awesome blender!!

Sauteed leeks and a good quality cheese make this simple savory pasta dish a HUGE success, even if you're not a fan of butternut squash. You'll swear this is full of cream and butter... but it's not. This is perfect for Meatless Mondays, or any night of the week.

It's super easy to make with only a few ingredients, and is very filling. To speed this up, you can buy pre-cut butternut squash. I was craving a thick spaghetti, but any pasta shape would work. Whole wheat of gluten-free pasta would also be great! My family isn't a fan of whole wheat, so I use Ronzoni Smart Taste or Dreamfield's low carb pasta.

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Spooky Spider Cupcakes

Spooked at the thought of all the Halloween temptations we are about to experience at the scariest season of the year?

Well you need not fear – these Spooky Spider Cupcakes are lighter on the waistline, and are sure to be all the fright at your next Halloween party.

The cupcakes themselves are made with just THREE ingredients: boxed cake mix, canned pumpkin and WATER! The topping is a chocolate glaze, just a smear - just enough to help the sprinkles and eyeballs adhere to the cupcake.

And the verdict in my house, everyone thought they were SPOOK-tacular!

If you follow my Facebook Fan Page and suddenly stopped seeing my posts, here's why: Facebook made changes to get people to pay to promote their posts.

Easy fix, to continue seeing my recipes on Facebook, go to the top of my fan page and under "Liked" click "Add to Interest List" and you will continue to see all my posts. Please share that info!

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Kale and Potato Soup with Turkey Sausage

A hearty soup made with kale, potatoes, carrots, and sausage.

I'm feeling a bit under the weather this week. It seems I caught a cold from my toddler who just entered Pre-K. Along with her projects, crafts, and books, she's been taking home a new cold each week (lucky me!)

Right now hot tea and soup are on the menu. I thought I would make something from the archives that I haven't made in a while, something with lots of vitamins and antioxidants to help me kick this cold.

So I made this soup, which really hit the spot. It's a meal in a bowl and kale is one of the healthiest vegetables around, high in vitamins K, A and C with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

This soup will taste as good as the sausage you purchase, so be sure to find an Italian turkey or chicken sausage that you like, either would work. If you want this a little spicy, you can certainly use a hot sausage instead. Vegetarians could swap the sausage for soyrizo and vegetable broth.

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Garlic Sweet Potato Mash

Sweet potatoes are often smothered in sugar and topped with more sugar, but this savory version will surprise you and your loved ones and keep them coming back for more!

Need a few good reasons to pass on plain old potatoes and get sweet on sweet potatoes instead? These orange tubers are one of the top food sources of vitamin A, which helps protect your peepers. It also contains vitamins C and B-6, fiber, copper and potassium.

Pair this with chicken, Salisbury Steak, Pork Chops, or Turkey Meatloaf. Double or triple this recipe and add it to your Thanksgiving menu.

Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place and they’ll stay fresh for several weeks. Sweet indeed!

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Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal

A warm, creamy bowl of pumpkin spiced oatmeal is a great way to start your morning! High in fiber and heart healthy whole grains, this breakfast will fill you up and keep you satisfied until lunch.

I love the convenience of overnight oats in a jar, but today I was craving a warm bowl of oatmeal just like Mom used to make. She made the best oatmeal when I was a kid, it was so creamy (made with whole milk) and she always cooked it with cinnamon sticks.

I tried to replicate the creaminess using a blend of almond milk and water to keep it light and the results were wonderful. Topped it with homemade pumpkin butter, skinny pumpkin granola and a pinch more cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice... heavenly!

If you've made pumpkin granola, it's the perfect topping to add a little crunch. If not, you can top it with a few dried cranberries and chopped pecans or pepitas. Enjoy!

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Garlic Roasted Cauliflower with Toasted Asiago Bread Crumbs

Cauliflower, tossed with a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper then roasted in the oven transforms this powerful cruciferous vegetable into a nutty, delicious side dish, especially when topped with toasted bread crumbs.

You can even add a little color to your plate by choosing a hue other than white—cauliflower now comes in a variety of colors from orange to green to purple. Not only does it contain disease-fighting antioxidants, but it also offers a healthy helping of vitamin C, folate and fiber.

Makeup!

A few weeks ago, I traded in my apron for some heels and slimming jeans as part of a photo shoot for Jones New York.

I was transformed from by the magic of Gregg @greggmakeupnyc who's celebrity list is quite extensive, I knew I was in good hands.

I've been on sets of photo shoots before because pre-skinnytaste I worked as a graphic designer, but Getting to sit in the hair and makeup chair, and having a stylist dress me was a whole lot more fun!

You can see the final image below, I am wearing their slimming denim jeans with a pretty blouse. This was part of an online campaign where they photographed three other bloggers; a chef, a decorator and a stylist.

The ads are currently live on Self.com, Bon Appetit, Glamour and Condé Nast Traveler.

This was so much fun, and quite different than spending the day in my kitchen. And what's a girl to do in NYC when all dressed up, with their hair and makeup done? Go shopping of course! I stopped for lunch, and did some prop shopping before heading to the Union Square Greenmarket where I picked up a beautiful head of cauliflower.

After a day in the city, I was happy to get home to my family and make them a delicious meal – Garlic Lover's Roast Beef with this roasted cauliflower, the perfect ending to a great day.
 

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Delightful Apple Spiced Scones with Spiced Glaze

When the weather gets cool, turn your oven on and warm up the house with the sweet smell of apples and cinnamon. The temperature dropped like 20 degrees since last week, and these homemade buttermilk scones with small bits of apples and a cinnamon spice glaze were the perfect excuse to bake.

Chocolate chip scones are usually my favorite scone variety, but these apple scones may have taken their place! The scones aren't too sweet, so the glaze gives it the perfect balance of sweetness in every bite. If you want to cut back on your sugar, you can make half the glaze, then drizzle it on instead.

Perfect for an afternoon tea or a lazy Sunday brunch. Enjoy!

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Skinny Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

What's football without the appetizers. These potato skins are stuffed with shredded buffalo chicken breast made in the crock pot, then topped with melted cheese, blue cheese dressing, carrots and celery – they are seriously delicious!

Remember these crock pot buffalo chicken lettuce wraps? Same chicken, only this time I stuffed them in potato skins and topped them with cheese. So good!

You can make the chicken, blue cheese dressing and potatoes ahead, then when you're ready to serve your guests assemble them and pop them in the oven! Double or triple it for more servings.

They even make a great meal, I had 3 for lunch and it totaled 7 points plus and I was a happy camper. Enjoy!

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Low Fat Creamy Mushroom Soup

A velvety mushroom soup that is low in fat, yet rich in flavor. Perfect for lunch with a sandwich on the side, or makes a lovely first course for dinner.

I first posted this recipe December 2010, back when I was still working a full time job and running home to cook and take photos. Most of those photos are pretty bad, so I am slowly re-shooting them. The photo just didn't do this soup justice - it's so flavorful and light at the same time, even my teen who could care less about eating "light" often requests this.

And, it's so simple to make, the shitake mushrooms give this soup incredible flavor, I wouldn't substitute them. If you are watching your sodium, you can certainly use less bouillon or replace it with chicken broth.

Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Pork and Green Chile Stew

Chunks of lean pork, slow cooked in the crock pot with tomatoes, green chiles and jalapeño for a delicious weeknight meal with a little bit of heat!

Serve this with tortillas, or over brown rice with a little light sour cream and a slice of avocado if you wish and you'll have a delicious meal.

This recipe is really so versatile – you can add more broth if you want more liquid, you can also add tomatillos, cilantro, and make it your own. For speed and convenience I used canned green chiles and jalapeno, but you can certainly use fresh and roast your own. This has a little bit of kick, but you can certainly turn it up by adding more jalapeños or chile powder.

I bought a boneless loin roast and trimmed quite a bit of the fat off before cooking, so keep it in mind that you'll lose some meat.  I like to brown the meat before adding it to the crock pot for best results and add a little flour to pork as it browns before adding it to the crock pot so that it thickens a bit. If you have gluten allergies, you can skip this step. If you don't have time to brown your meat no worries, it will still work out fine. Enjoy!


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Apples and Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa

Some of you may be asking, quinoa for breakfast? Well yes, quinoa served warm, with it's nutty taste and chewy texture, pairs beautifully with fresh crisp autumn apples, golden raisins, pecans, warm milk, vanilla and cinnamon – a delightful breakfast that is both protein packed and comforting.

I just love the flavor sensations from each spoonful – the sweetness of the raisins, the pop from the quinoa, and the crunch of the apple and pecans. Fresh pears and cranberries would also make a wonderful alternative to apples and raisins. If you like your cereal a little sweeter you can drizzle it with a teaspoon of honey just before eating.  One bowl will keep you fueled and satisfied until lunch.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a hunger-curbing and power-packed nutritional all-star.  Loaded with satiating protein (8 grams per cup) and filling fiber (5 grams per cup), this superfood digests slowly, which keeps blood sugar and insulin levels steady. You’ll also get impressive doses of doses of thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, zinc, potassium, magnesium and selenium, along with 15 percent of your daily iron needs. No wonder the ancient Incas, who considered the crop sacred, referred to quinoa as the mother of all grains!

Be sure to rinse the quinoa well before cooking to rinse off the saponins which has a slightly bitter flavor.  I like to warm my milk up, then pour it in right before serving. Enjoy!

Nutritional information for quinoa provided by Heather K Jones, RD (aka The Diet P.I.).

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