Family-Friendly Dinners + Sides: A collaboration - Part 1

Hey guys!

I’m excited to announce that Jackie from Moments of Musing and I are collaborating to bring you a 5-part series of healthified and QUICK (30 minutes or less) dinners and sides with the whole family in mind!

Give Jackie a follow on Facebook and Instagram and be sure to keep up with her beautiful and oh so relatable blog. She writes about a collection of her musings on motherhood, life + style, and positivity. Who doesn’t need more of that in their life?!

CHECK OUT THE FIRST OF THE 5-PART SERIES RIGHT HERE!

XO,

Tara

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Hummus

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Hummus (Servings 4)

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet potatoes

• 2 tablespoons sea salt

• 1-2 cups baby kale leaves 

• ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes 

• 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 

• Sea salt and cracked black pepper 

• 1 sweet onion, chopped

• 1 cup hummus

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 

2. Place the sweet potatoes on an baking sheet, pierce a few times with a fork and rub with salt. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until cooked. 

3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, place the kale, chili, oil salt and pepper on a baking sheet with parchment paper and toss to combine. Cook for 8–10 minutes or until golden. Set aside.

4. Heat a sauté pan to medium-high heat.  Add 1 tsp. of olive oil and add chopped onions.  Sauté until golden brown.  (about 15-18 minutes)

5. Cut the sweet potatoes in half, and top with the hummus, caramelized onion and crispy kale to serve.

If your family is anything like mine, hummus is an entire food group!  Sometimes homemade, usually store bought (because...time saver), but no matter what, there's always a shelf in the fridge dedicated just to our hummus.  An occasional container of salsa, dressing, or dip might try to sneak up there with the hummus, but that usually doesn't last long.

So, why not pair something warm, sweet, delicious, and colorful like sweet potatoes with one of the only foods that every person in our household eats?!

If you try the Baked Sweet Potatoes with Hummus recipe, drop a comment and let us know what you think!

In good health,

Tara

P.S. If you are enjoying these recipes and are looking for more delicious plant-based & gluten-free options, make sure to sign up for my email list!  I will hook you up.  ;-)

You can sign up right on my homepage at TaraAllenHealth.com

Amazing Stuffed Mushrooms

Somewhere around this time every year - the first week of January - it's like my body is ready to be done with the cookies and wine and wants REAL food.  I used to be left with sugar cravings after the holidays, but ever since practicing my own Reset (such as the 10-Day Healthy New You Reset starting this Monday), I've learned how to quickly bounce back and give my body more of what it needs (balance!) so it stops yelling at me to feed it more sweets.  :-)

So, here we are in the first week of January and, once again, I was craving something substantial.  REAL food. A meal. Substance. 

I thought you might be as well.  Or, at least, you might benefit from the real food to help quiet your own post-holiday cravings!

If you plan on making this vegan & gluten-free dish, drop a comment and let me know!  I enjoy hearing from you!

Amazing Stuffed Mushrooms (Serves 4-8)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs mushrooms (you can use baby portobellos, cremini, or button)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped (reserve a little extra for serving)
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
• sea salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Remove mushroom stems (and set aside for later). Brush mushrooms with a little olive oil, place (stem side up) on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
3. In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add 1 T of olive oil.  Saute the shallots, bell pepper, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes for about 3 minutes - until they start to get tender.  
4. Add in the parsley, finely chopped mushroom stems, and chopped walnuts, cook another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add in chopped spinach until it wilts.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Remove mushrooms from the oven, pour off any water that accumulated in the mushrooms.
7. Spoon the sauteed filling into the mushrooms and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes.
8. Top with fresh, raw, diced red bell peppers and serve warm.

If you enjoy trying new healthified, gluten-free & vegetarian recipes, sign up for my newsletter so you can receive them straight to your inbox. :-)

Hope you enjoy!

In good health,

Tara