Sexy Spiced Sweet Potato Bread

This sweet potato bread is has sugar, spice and everything nice- but it's skinny and that makes it sexy!

Sweet potatoes, that sweet bi-curious veggie. It seems so sweet, but we all know that it's begging to be naughty. Maybe like that chick from 50 shades of gray. She seems so sweet and then next think you know she's getting all kinky and shit.

Skinny Southern Sweet Potato Casserole

A traditional southern sweet potato casserole- kept all the yum and remove the excess fat and calories to remove the guilt! 

I got some skills.... Fat cutting, flavor keeping skills!  I'm not a self tooting horn usually, but in this case I shall toot toot away! 

This skinny sweet potato casserole kicks some serious taste buds! I do it for me, but I mostly do it for you guys out there! 

Ye asked and ye shall receive!

You guys told me via social media you were really looking forward to sweet potato casserole. You said you wanted some slimmed up classics.

So I got your back! 

This recipe usually is a calorie killer- also loaded with carbs and fat. So I employed a couple of my own tricks to keep this recipe as true to the original but cut out the guilt!

It's got HALF THE FAT, LESS CARBS and 172 calories less per serving!! 

Time to do a happy dance!

I totally added this gif in honor of Fork and Good's Emma!

Trick 1- this is not just sweet potatoes, I added half pumpkin purée. So right there I cut a whole lotta carbs. I sleiged them! Dead! Ps- you cannot tell at all! It tastes just like the original! Seriously, scouts honor!

Trick 2- cut out the extra butter and sugar. The original recipe called for a cup of butter and a cup of sugar for the filling alone. Yowsa! Seriously this was bad ya'll! I refuse to ever use that much butter unless it's a cookie. So I went with 2 tablespoons of butter, it was buttery enough, went with the third cup of sugar- totally sweet enough! Besides- it's got candied pecan topping! I also cut out extra butter and sugar from the topping too!

Okay so you're all like- why did you do this?! I love my casserole as is.

Well I love it too and I totally assure you this is jut as good. All that extra fat and sugar is fun, but there is a threshold where you cannot taste it anymore and it just doesn't need to be there.

It's like frosting a cake and then adding chocolate ganache on top-

Like a third nipple- who needs one of those?  Pointless! (Having flash backs of Chandler's third nipple on Friends)

So quit your whinning and try this recipe! Then you can crawl on back and tell me how it rocked your world!

Drooling yet??

Recipe skinnified and adapted from this recipe here.

What you need:

Sweet Potato Filling

4 small sweet potatoes, mashed
1 can pumpkin puree
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup lowfat milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Candied Pecan topping

1 cup pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter

How to make it

1- Preheat oven to 350º
2- Combine all ingredients for sweet potato filling in a bowl, place in a medium casserole dish, I used a 8" circular dish.
3- Combine all ingredients for topping, sprinkle over the top of filling.
4- Bake 30-40 minutes until topping has browned.

Nutritional Information

Before

After

Roasted Autumn Trio- Apple, Onion and Sweet Potato

It's not just fruits, it's vegetables. It's not just savory, but sweet. This roasted trio defies expectations and conventions and can be served with nearly any meat as a side. 

I buck traditions whenever possible. It's just the way I am. You would expect fruits to be chillin' with other fruits and veggies to be hanging with their veggie friends... But in my world I like them to party together and find common ground. Well they totally did just now with their bi-curious vegetable, the sweet potato. Is is a veggie or a fruit, it is starchy but sweet. This root vegetable is the perfect way to bridge the gap from sweet and savory.

So for a simple side I created this ménage e trois. I added a little sugar and spice... Because they really do make everything nice. Mixed it up and roasted it. 

Call it a day and call your dinner done! 

This was the perfect accompaniment to the beautiful apple and sage stuffed pork roast I posted last week! Seriously amazing together. Yet so so easy. 

But that's his this girl rolls. Only bust a sweat on special occasions, you know? 

What you need

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
5 medium sweet potatoes (or about 8oz.), diced

1 large apple, diced (I used honeycrisp)

1 medium red onion, diced
Sage leaves for garnish

How to make it 

1- Preheat oven to 415º
2- Whisk together the olive oil, brown sugar and spice in a large bowl.
3- Toss all diced fruit and veggies in it.
4- Place on a ceramic cookie sheet or cookie sheet lines with foil.
5- Garnish with sage leaves.
5- Bake for 25 minutes.

Nutritional Info

Autumn Shepherds Pie

Why is this a Foodgasm?

One of the greatest parts of Autumn is all the awesomely comforting food. Shepherd's Pie is a comfort classic of meat and potatoes that just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. However, the calories and fat packs on the sweater-weather pounds. Yeah, I don't like that part either, but that is why I am here to not only take this up a few notches with flavor, but also greatly reducing the fat! Is it magic? No it's a foodgasm!

So what did I do to achieve this? Let's take it layer by layer...
The meat layer- I took my trick from my magic portobello beef tacos and added lots of finely chopped mushrooms to the mix as well as some garlic, onion and bell pepper. To add bulk to our meat layer, lots of veggies for vitamins and fiber and for FLAVOR! I also used 93% lean ground beef, which can be rather dry, but with all the veggies it makes it much better!!
The potato layer- I used sweet potatoes since they have more nutritional value with lots of vitamins, **but this is the genius** I used some pumpkin puree mixed into it. Not only adding fiber and bulk but also giving it - FLAVOR. I also used light butter and reduced fat milk. You will not miss any of that fat, I assure you!
The cheesey crust- Reduced fat cheese is the answer, fat free is a no-go, not melty enough and lacks flavor!
 

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Quiche with a Sweet Potato Crust

Why is this a Foodgasm?
The sweetness of the caramelized onions and sweet potatoes combined with the creaminess of the goat cheese comes at you like a savory and sweet symphony on your tongue! No joke! This is where it's at. You need this in your mouth!

I came up with the idea since I have been on a goat cheese roll lately and I just knew I had to try this! I made a Pesto Quiche with a potato crust before and I knew I had to try this ideas of caramelized onions and goat cheese but with sweet potatoes. Then I thought since this crust doesn't cover the sides I am gonna try and use a springform pan and hot damn it worked! Like all my foodgasms this is pretty damn easy to make and low in fat! Not to mention this is loaded with vitamins. So not only is this a trip to delicioustown, but a one way ticket to a healthy life! Score!