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Sheet Pan Roasted Sweet Potato Hash

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Roasted Sweet Potato HashThis delicious Sheet Pan Roasted Sweet Potato Hash makes it so easy to eat your veggies! It is bright, colorful, and healthy thanks to the bright orange sweet potatoes, dark purple potatoes, sweet red onions, gorgeous green Brussels sprouts and sunny yellow eggs.

Talk about a rainbow of colors! Once you take one bite, we think you’ll agree it tastes as good as it looks.

Roasting the lightly seasoned vegetables brings out all of the deep caramelized flavors and infuses every bite with such rich, savory goodness that you will want to serve this dish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

You will achieve the best caramelization and flavor by using a larger three-quarter size sheet pan. (aff. link) This will ensure that the vegetables will roast and not steam which can happen if they are overcrowded.

Tip: Carefully break each egg into a small bowl then pour into the wells you have made in the vegetables on the sheet pan.  Repeat, one egg at a time, until all 6 eggs have been transferred to the sheet pan.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 22-28 minutes
Serves: 6

Roasted Sweet Potato HashIngredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 lb. small purple potatoes, cut in half
8 oz. Brussels sprouts, cut in half
1 large red onion, roughly chopped
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 t. onion powder
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
6 large eggs

Optional garnish:
Dried herbs of choice

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat® baking mat. If using parchment paper, lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, Brussels sprouts, red onion, garlic, onion powder, and olive oil until vegetables are well coated. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
  3. Spread the sweet potato mixture onto the prepared sheet pan in a single layer without overcrowding and roast in pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes. Stir vegetables and continue roasting another 8-10 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
  4. Remove sheet pan from oven and create 6 round, evenly spaced wells among the vegetables. Carefully pour an egg into each opening, keeping the yolk intact. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and return pan to the oven.
  5. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the egg whites are set and the yolks reach the desired level of doneness. Remove sheet pan from oven and garnish with crushed kale chips or dried herbs of choice, if desired, and serve immediately with the roasted vegetables.

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Mouth-Watering Tuscan Braised Pork Roast

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Tuscan Braised Pork RoastDust off that Dutch oven and get ready to be amazed at how tender and juicy an ordinary pork roast becomes when we let it slowly braise in this Tuscan-inspired marinade. Simmered low and slow your roast will literally be fall-apart tender and delicious.

Tip: The longer your meat marinates the more flavorful and tender it will be. In fact, 1-3 days in the refrigerator is perfect. However, if you are crunched for time, the pork can be marinated at room temperature for up to 2 hours before cooking. Patting your pork dry with paper towel helps sear in the most flavor before braising.

Prep time: 15 minutes (+ time to marinate)
Cook time: 2½ – 3 hours
Serves: 6

Mouth-Watering Tuscan PorkIngredients:

2 c. dry red wine, such as Chianti
1 large red onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 T. whole fennel seeds, crushed
1 t. red pepper flakes
3 – 3½ lbs. pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2 or 3 large pieces
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 14.5-oz. can Italian plum tomatoes, diced and undrained
1 – 2 c. chicken broth, preferably organic
(Optional) Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

  1. Add wine, red onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, crushed fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes to a large glass or other non-reactive bowl and stir to combine.
  2. Add pork chunks to bowl and turn until each piece is covered. Cover and place bowl in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Turn pork occasionally while marinating to evenly distribute flavors.
  3. To prepare, remove bowl from refrigerator and remove pork pieces from marinade. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
  4. Separate the marinade liquid from the solids and reserve both, discarding the woody herb stems and bay leaves. Set aside.
  5. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-duty skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the marinated pork and sear until evenly browned on all sides, approximately 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
  6. Add the solids from the marinade and cook until onions are soft and translucent, approximately 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently.
  7. Add liquid from marinade to skillet and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until liquid is reduced to approximately one third of its original volume.
  8. Add tomatoes and 1 cup chicken broth and stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2 to 2½ hours, stirring every half hour or so. Add more chicken broth, if needed, while cooking.
  9. When pork can be pulled apart easily with a fork, remove from heat and let rest in warm juices for 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately over a bed of creamy polenta and garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

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Apple-Cinnamon Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

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Apple-Cinnamon Slow Cooker OatsThere is nothing better than waking up and having a delicious and healthy breakfast hot and ready! If your house is like mine, mornings are crazy busy so you will love the fact that this make-ahead recipe is prepared the night before.

Your slow cooker will do all the work while you are fast asleep, and you will awake to the sweet aroma of cinnamon and apples that will remind you of a freshly baked apple pie.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 6-8 hours
Serves: 4-6

Important Tips:

This recipe has been developed and tested using steel cut oats. Do not substitute any other type of oats for this recipe. Cooking times are based on using steel cut oats only.

It is important to either line or heavily grease the sides of your slow cooker insert before adding your ingredients. Skipping this step will cause the oats to stick to the sides and they will be very difficult to remove.

Apple-Cinnamon Steel Cut OatsIngredients:

1 c. steel cut oats
3 c. water
1 c. fresh apple cider
2 medium apples, cored and diced
1½ T. honey, preferably local
1 t. ground cinnamon
½ t. ground nutmeg
½ t. ground allspice
½ t. salt, to taste

To serve:

1 medium apple, cored and diced
½ c. pecans, chopped
Real maple syrup

Directions:

  1. Add oats, water, cider, apples, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt to greased or lined slow cooker crock and stir to combine.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Actual cooking time will vary depending on your slow cooker, so check for doneness after 5 hours and adjust cooking time accordingly.
  3. To serve, allow to cool slightly before spooning into bowls and topping with fresh chopped apples, pecans, and some real maple syrup, if desired.

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Oven Roasted Tomato & Fennel Soup

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Italian Tomato SoupInspired by my Italian Nonna, this oven roasted tomato and fennel soup is like a big old hug!

This soup really hits the mark when you want something warm and delicious that won’t weigh you down. Like most tomato-based recipes, while this soup tastes great right away, the flavor is even better the next day.

When your garden is lush and overflowing with ripe juicy tomatoes, you might want to make a double or triple batch.  Since it stays fresh in the refrigerator for several days, make enough to enjoy some now, share some with a friend or neighbor, and stock some in your freezer for later. To make life easier, be sure to package your soup in portions that will be the perfect size for lunch or light dinners to enjoy on another day.

And…don’t forget to label your packages. You’ll thank yourself later!

Roasted Italian Tomato & Fennel SoupPrep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Quick Safety Tip:  An immersion or stick blender makes it quick and easy to blend this soup to the proper consistency.  If you don’t have one, you can also use your kitchen blender to process the cooked veggies and liquid. Just make sure the blender lid is properly vented and you process in small batches to prevent the hot liquid from overflowing.

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. Roma tomatoes, halved
2 medium red bell peppers, deseeded and quartered
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, cut in half lengthwise
2 medium shallots, outer skin removed and halved
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 T. fresh thyme leaves
4 c. organic chicken broth
½ c. full-fat coconut milk
½ c. fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat® baking mat. Set aside.
  2. Arrange the tomatoes, red peppers, fennel, carrots, shallots, and garlic in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Toss to combine and sprinkle veggies with fresh thyme leaves.
  3. Place baking sheet in preheated oven and roast until vegetables are tender and lightly charred, approximately 20-25 minutes.
  4. Transfer the roasted veggies and any juices from the baking sheet to a large soup pot and add chicken broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot and and bubbly. Remove from heat.
  5. Using an immersion blender, blend contents of the soup pot until completely smooth. Stir in the coconut milk and fresh basil, and serve immediately.

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Amazing Dark Cherry BBQ Sauce

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Dark Cherry BBQ SauceThis homemade sweet and smoky BBQ sauce will take your BBQ ribs to the next level.   It gets its rich amazing flavor from taking sweet dark cherries and rich maple syrup and combining them with the warmth of fresh ginger, cinnamon, and rosemary.  It is so simple and quick to make in your Instant Pot®.  You’ll never want to use store-bought BBQ sauce again!

The flavors with deepen as this sauce sits in your refrigerator so if you have time, you will want to make this a day or two in advance.   If you are in a pinch though, don’t worry.  It will still taste great.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes + time to come to pressure
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
2½ c. fresh or frozen dark cherries, pitted
1 10-oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies, with liquid
3 T. apple cider vinegar
2 t. fresh ginger, finely minced
1½ t. ground cinnamon
½ t. smoked paprika
3 T. maple syrup
1 T. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 t. liquid smoke (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Add olive oil to Instant Pot® and select the “Sauté” function on the high temperature setting. Add shallot and garlic and sauté until soft and slightly golden, approximately 3-4 minutes.

2. Turn Instant Pot® off and add remaining ingredients, including the liquid from the tomatoes and the liquid smoke, if using. Stir to combine and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

3. Add lid and lock into place. Make sure the valve is set to the “Sealing” position and set the “Manual” setting to high for 10 minutes. After a brief pause, the Instant Pot® will automatically start building pressure.

4. When finished cooking, do a quick release (QR) of the pressure according to the manufacturer’s suggestions before unlocking and removing the lid.

5. Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.

Note: For a thicker sauce, return to the Instant Pot® and bring to a low boil using the “Sauté” function set to high. Heat, stirring frequently, until the excess liquid is reduced and the sauce reaches the desired consistency.

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