You may have noticed that I typically post recipes from other people on What To Eat Wednesdays. Your suspicions are right! I’m not much of a cook. It’s not that I’m a bad cook, I just don’t have the patience for it. And I HATE cleaning up after myself. I have my handful of recipes I make over and over and over. My husband lovingly acts as if every meal is just as good the 371st time as the 1st time.
My few recipes I do rely on are really good ones – a handful of simple, clean ingredients that can make a meal in 5 or less steps, usually. The one I want to share today is perfect for this time of year – when you’re dying for Winter to be over and praying for Spring to arrive every morning, only to look out to more rain and wind (at least that’s the case in Seattle.)
Sara’s Yams & Beets:
2 medium sized garnet yams
4-5 medium sized beets, peeled (fresh, not canned!)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 pinches of salt
Ok, so I’m not so into measuring. Can you tell?
1. Peel beets (at least the spots where the dirt won’t wash off). I keep the skins on the yams. I like skins!
2. Slice beets and yams about 1/4 inch thick and put in a large Ziploc bag.
3. Add olive oil and salt to bag. Zip bag and shake until coated.
4. Pour yams & beets from bag into a glass Pyrex baking dish.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes uncovered. Test one beet and one yam for desired softness. Maybe cook another 10 minutes, depending on your softness preference.
Optional: the friend who gave me this recipe years ago uses cinnamon instead of salt. It’s great that way too.
I usually top off my beets & yams with some crumbled goat cheese and pistachios. Also, goes well with chicken breast. Yum Yum!!
Yams are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates. They are packed with fiber, potassium and Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and manganese. Yams can (and should) replace all white potatoes in your diet. They have many more nutrients and are a far superior source or carbohydrates (being low glycemic instead of high glycemic, like your regular potatoes.) Beets are a great source of folate, manganese and potassium. So this dish really packs a nutritional punch!
Do you have a favorite 3-5 ingredient recipe? I’d love for you to share it here!
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Naomi on March 16, 2011 at 8:55 pm.
My fave few ingredient recipe is veggie (or meat depending on your preference) fajitas. I think all of the veggies counts as ONE ingredient – hehe
Veggies (I use carrots, mushrooms, all color peppers, onion, zuccini, summer squash, and tomatoes)
Meat – chicken or flank steak is good (1 pound or so)
Taco or fajita seasoning – 1 pkg or 4 tbsp
evoo – 1-2 tbsp
water
1. Saute veggies in a bit of olive oil until crisp tender. Remove from pan
2. Cook meat in pan until no longer pink.
3. Add veggies back to pan and sprinkle with seasoning until lightly coated, add water (1/2 – 3/4c usually) and stir until combined. Bring to a boil then simmer until sauce is thickened. (I always add tomatoes now, or they just turn to mush).
4. Serve on warmed tortillas (I like the white corn ones) with desired toppings.
Avocado is fantastic on top! And, it’s a great way for me to get my kids (and hubby!) to eat their veggies!
Sara Dean on March 16, 2011 at 9:19 pm.
I LOVE fajitas Naomi – or anything with avocado for that matter! This is how I make them too. I recently found Organic Taco/Fajita seasoning too! Perfection!