Yes, I make New Year’s Resolutions, but they’re not of the traditional
“ I resolve to lose weight” or “ I want to read more” variety.
My resolutions have to do with enhancing my life and the lives of those around me.
This year I’ve made two resolutions:
1). To be the “Captain of Fun” ( But that’s another post for another time)
2). To try new recipes from my beloved collection of cookbooks.
Like many fitness enthusiast, I frequently find myself in a “food rut.” I mean, exactly how many ways can you make chicken and broccoli? Typically I choose NOT to eat a variety of foods because
A). It’s easier and I don’t have to think
and B). I typically “bulk cook” for the week on Sundays and sometime mid-week, so simplicity is essential.
On Sundays however, especially in the Winter here in Colorado when it’s really frickin’ COLD, I like to experiment with new recipes. Thus, “Experimental Cooking Night” was born.
And what better way to hold myself accountable to my resolution than by sharing my experiments with you all?
After all, who says eating healthy can’t be FUN?
Experimental Cooking Night: Loaded Turkey-Stuffed Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
For this week’s installment of Experimental Cooking Night I made Juli Bauer’s turkey stuffed twice baked sweet potatoes. This recipe is available on her blog at www.paleomg.com and in her awesome cookbook OMG That’s Paleo? which is available on Amazon here.
For the record, I am in no way shape or form “Paleo”. BUT, I love Juli’s blog. Great recipes and she’s got a great sense of humor. Check it out, you won’t be disapointed!
I received this cookbook for Christmas and I was anxious to check it out. And, I had most of the ingredients already at the house, including turkey thawed in the fridge, so this was the winner!
The original recipe can be found here
Substitutions and Modifications
- The sweet potatoes I had on hand were pretty tiny, so I used 4 small sweet potatoes instead of a couple of large ones
- I substituted coconut oil for duck fat
- I subbed red pepper flakes for ground red pepper
- I used Tapatio hot sauce
Here’s what they looked like before I put them in the oven the second time
The verdict
These were absolutely freakin’ DELICIOUS, but they were very very SPICY! That being said, the hotness didn’t take away from the flavor, but we’re talking mouth watering, nose running spicy here. Great flavor followed by a significant “ after kick”.
Several very large glasses of water were consumed.
Be warned. If you don’t like spicy, then you may consider only using a few tablespoons of hot sauce, or eliminating it completely ( next time I’ll definitely use less). Same goes with the chili powder and red pepper. Use sparingly!
As a side note, I think the turkey itself would be an ideal mixture for tacos, lettuce wraps, etc.
Recipe Rating
Flavor: 4 out of 5 stars : The spiciness overwhelmed a bit, but other than that, these kick butt.
Family Friendliness: 2 (only because they were so spicy. If the flavor was more mild I think they’d be a hit with everyone)
Ease of Preparation: 4.5 out of 5: My sweet potatoes were trying to stick to the cookie sheet, so keep an eye on them. Overall, very easy to prepare
Healthy-Ness: 5 out of 5: This is a pretty damn clean food all things considered. Pair with a side of steamed vegetables and you’re golden.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Great job Juli. Can’t wait to see what else you have in store for us this year.
Leave A Response