Tag: healthy dinner

Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I have another quick, easy, and healthy dinner for y’all! This is really more of an idea than a recipe because it is so versatile and there are so many delicious filling ideas. I actually used to HATE sweet potatoes until about 7 years ago when I created the hash linked here. I love them now and am always looking for ways to add them to our dinners.

Y’all know that I always have Mexican food on my mind and tacos are my favorite food ever. How did it take me so long to start making Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes?!? They are so good and so simple! For the ones pictured here, I used ground beef cooked with bell pepper and my favorite Frontera taco sauce. Then I topped them with shredded cheddar, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and green onions. There are so many more options too! For the actual “recipe,” I listed what was used for the picture but check the notes for more yummy ideas. I love this family dinner because everyone can customize their sweet potato to their liking!

My favorite taco sauce!

Did you know that just one sweet potato contains 400% of your daily Vitamin A? They are such a great source of fiber, beta-carotene, antioxidants and potassium too. Skip the tortilla for this meal and fill a sweet potato with all the taco goodness that you love!

Sponsored post for Lee’s Marketplace. Items on sale the week of February 25-March 2: Ground beef (2 days only-Friday and Saturday), taco seasoning (several brands), bell pepper, sour cream, shredded cheese

Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pouch Frontera Taco Skillet Sauce
1 bell pepper, chopped
Pico de gallo
Shredded cheddar
Sour cream
Green onions, sliced
Guacamole

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with foil and prick (clean) sweet potatoes with a fork. Bake until tender, about 45-60 minutes depending on size.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef with bell pepper. Drain if needed. Add taco sauce and cook until warmed through.

Open up sweet potatoes and fill with taco meat, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and green onions.

Notes:
1. Ground turkey can be used instead.
2. Other topping ideas: black beans, salsa, sliced avocado, black olives, corn, jalapenos, lettuce, fresh tomatoes

Charlotte HanceyLeave a comment

Korean Beef & Veggie Bowls

Happy New Year! This is my first post of 2020 and I’m so excited to share it with y’all. I have so many delicious recipes and foodie projects planned this year and I feel it in my bones that this year is going to be amazing!

A few weeks ago I asked my awesome followers on Instagram what kind of recipes that they were looking for now that the holidays are over. 99% of the responses were “quick, easy, and healthy.” Surprise, surprise. Ha! I am definitely known for my cheesy, indulgent, Tex-Mex recipes but I also have quite a few healthy ones. I love to balance comfort food with healthy! My philosophy on healthy recipes is that they must still have big, bold flavors. Taste should never be sacrificed for a healthy meal because it doesn’t have to!

The first recipe that came to mind was this one. My Korean Beef & Veggie Bowls are so flavorful and so delicious that you’ll be putting it on your regular dinner rotation. Now, don’t @ me because of the sugar! Ha! “Healthy” is a relative term because everyone is on a different eating plan these days. Sugar to some is a huge “no no” but for me, if it’s full of veggies and has healthy, lean protein, then I’m sold! You could definitely experiment with sugar alternatives and use even leaner meats like ground turkey or chicken.

“Easy” was another big request and this one definitely checks that box. I had my veggies chopped and dinner served in 30 minutes! My kids loved it! You could also double the recipe and use it for meal prep for the week. I love how versatile this is!

This is a sponsored post for Lee’s Marketplace. Items on sale the week of January 14-20: ground beef, bell pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice

Korean Beef & Veggie Bowls

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil (or other light oil)
2 cups zucchini, sliced
1 cup carrot, sliced into matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced and divided
1 lb lean ground beef
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil
2-3 tablespoons Gochujang sauce
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked white or brown rice
Sriracha sauce (optional)

Directions

Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium-high. Add olive oil then add zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, and about ¾ of the green onions. Sauté until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.

Push vegetables to the side of the pan and add ground beef. Cook and crumble then stir into the vegetables. Drain grease if needed (use lean meat so you don’t have to).

To the pan, add brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, Gochujang, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, reduce heat to medium, and let cook for 5-10 more minutes.

Serve on top of rice and garnish with remaining green onions and sriracha sauce.

Note: Gochujang can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores. Don’t leave it out! It’s worth the buy and adds amazing flavor.

Charlotte HanceyLeave a comment

Zucchini Noodle Shrimp Stir Fry

Does anyone else have an abundance of zucchini right now? Here in Utah, it’s the beginning of harvest for my garden and I’m so happy about it! We have two large garden boxes that are full of zucchini, green beans, poblano peppers, banana peppers, acorn squash, herbs, and of course tomatoes. Let’s not forget about my raspberry bushes next to the boxes because they are going crazy this year. I love it!

My kids aren’t usually fans of zucchini unless it’s deep fried or baked in bread but I wanted them to like it in a healthier way. I came up with this version of shrimp stir fry and we all devoured it! Making the “zoodles” with a spiralizer is so much fun and a great way to get the kids in the kitchen helping. The sauce for this is so easy-just 4 ingredients! The veggies are versatile too because you can, for example, leave out the onions, add mushrooms, use a different pepper, etc. If you’re not a shrimp fan, you could even swap it for chicken breast.

Today, I made this dish for one of my cooking segments on ABC4’s Good Things Utah and it was a hit. The segment went so well and the crew gobbled it up right out of the pan when the show was over. Wish I had gotten a picture of that! Ha! You can watch me make it here.

Zucchini Noodle Shrimp Stir Fry

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

Ingredients

½ cup chicken broth
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
¾ cup shredded carrots
1 bunch green onions, sliced and divided
8 oz bag sugar snap peas
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 medium-sized zucchini, spiralized

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk broth, hoisin, soy, and cornstarch until combined. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once heated, add shrimp. Season shrimp with salt and pepper while in the pan.

Cook for about 1 minute per side, until pink on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining olive oil and sesame oil to pan then add bell pepper and carrots. Cook for 3 minutes or until slightly tender. Add green onions (set a few aside first for garnish), peas, garlic and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add sauce and increase heat to medium-high.

Cook, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes to allow sauce to thicken a little. Add zucchini noodles and stir to combine with the sauce and vegetables. Cook for 3 minutes or until noodles begin to soften.

Add shrimp back to pan and stir. Transfer to a serving plate to stop cooking process and serve immediately. Garnish with green onions.

*Note: Mushrooms would be a great addition. Cubed chicken breast can replace the shrimp if desired.

Ready for my cooking segment on the set of Good Things Utah!

Charlotte HanceyLeave a comment