Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Grub It Up: Spicy Twice-Baked Turkey Sweet Potatoes


Mom's favorite paleo recipe this week turned out to be not very kid-friendly. It was realllly spicy. So much so that she had to add a few things to cut the heat. She originally had plans to make a small not-so-spicy batch for the kiddos, but as she was making it, she realized that while there was a good chance we'd balk at eating anything (she was trying to feed us before heading out to Boo at the Zoo and we were pretty much only interested in getting our hands on some candy), she'd likely appreciate extra leftovers. So she made this just for the 'rents and we had pumpkin ravioli in honor of Halloween. Word is that this was delicious and maybe she'll think twice next time and make a kiddo-friendly version for us.

Before we dish up the spicy twice-baked turkey sweet potatoes recipe, here's what else was cooking at our house last week:

Tuesday -- Paleo Shrimp Tacos -- super easy, super yum. the kids were not amped about these, so we had fish sticks instead and some of the guac.

Wednesday -- Brinner Scramble -- aka "clean the refrigerator out and add eggs." lots of veggies and some bacon added for good measure. we mostly picked the veg out.

Thursday -- Trader Joe's Burgandy Pepper Lamb Tips (not Whole30 compliant -- some sugar in marinade) and Coconut Baked Carrots with Figs. everyone loved the carrots and mom and Cam loved the lamb.

Friday -- Paleo Bruschetta Chicken over Zoodles -- mom made this one for dad and, fortunately, he was a big fan. Kane and mom were not so much - something about the coating didn't taste right. also, having dragged Kane and I to Whole Foods for a second grocery store stop of the day to find arrowroot and finding none, mom subbed a gluten-free rice starch thickener (not really Paleo compliant, but GF). that might have been the problem.

Saturday -- Dinner out for the adults, mac & cheese and leftover Paleo Bruschetta Chicken.

Sunday -- Spicy Twice-Baked Turkey Sweet Potatoes.

Monday -- Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash -- this one rivaled the sweet potato for a feature post. it was DELISH. mom subbed uncooked cauliflower rice for the quinoa and used boneless, skinless chicken breast because dad cannot stand chicken thighs. super yum (although this one was more time intensive). the kids had the chicken out of the stew with brown rice and edamame. and because she is mom's culinary twin, Cam had kalamata olives, too.

Spicy Twice-Baked Turkey Sweet Potatoes 
(adapted by addition to Paleo OMG's recipe)

Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp ground red pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper, to taste

{topping suggestions: avocado, goat cheese, sliced tomatoes}

Instructions: 
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

- Cut sweet potatoes in half, lengthwise and put them face down on a cookie sheet. Put in the oven to cook for about 25-30 minutes depending on how thick they are. You will know when they are done if they are easy to push on, on the skin side. If you pull them out early and the inside doesn't come out easily with a spoon, you'll need to cook them a bit longer. 

- While your sweet potatoes cook, put out a pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to the pan and then add garlic and onions. Cook until onions are translucent and then add ground turkey, using a large spoon to break it up. 

- When the turkey is half-way done cooking, add the spices. {Here is where mom was going to separate out a small batch of turkey for us and cook it sans spices} Let the turkey cook until no longer pink or until completely cooked through. Remove from heat. 

- Remove sweet potatoes from oven and use a large spoon to scoop out the insides, taking care not to scrape down totally to skin. 

- Put scooped sweet potatoes into pan of turkey and mix thoroughly to combine. Spoon the new mixture back into your sweet potato skins and place back into oven (face up) for about 3-5 minutes more. 

- Add cool toppings to cut the heat to your liking. Mom added avocado slices, goat cheese (she eats some dairy), and sliced tomatoes. 

YUM!

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