Superfood Lunch!

Things I learned on Monday: Attempting to blog a recipe which requires some percentage of photography while cooking is purty darn difficult while also serving lunch to a highly emotional and volatile as of late 2 year old and a baby whose favorite impression while in his highchair is that of a cross between a screech owl and a howler monkey if there is even a momentary lapse in food being accessible on his tray.  Bottomline: next time feed them, clean up, then make your food in peace.  Wait, peace? What is this peace you speak of? That reminds me, I love the show Masterchef (I know shocker!) and my oldest really like watching Masterchef Junior with me and it has made her even more adventurous in trying foods so I say bring it on.  Anyways I was watching an episode of the adult version and they were having a "pressure test" and they had a set time limit to cook a meal and were scurrying around like wild people to get it done.  And while I was watching it I too was cooking dinner, I too had a deadline as Craig had a meeting, and as I was zooming around I was dodging a baby who often will crawl up to my feet and bite down hard, just to, you know get my attention! AND a toddler who, well, I mentioned how she is behaving lately! I started laughing quite literally LOL as I pictured Gordon Ramsey giving contestants the ultimate pressure test, when they lift the mystery box...a toddler and a baby who will be climbing all over them and getting into trouble chewing on cords, etc. while they cook.  They have to cook a meal, keep the babies safe, have it delicious enough and healthy enough for the adults and be kid approved and they have 60 minutes...go!!! I still laugh thinking of all those babies under the mystery box lids!!! Go ahead have a good chuckle with me. Of course if you have never watched the show then you are missing out. 

Anyways the POINT IS that sometimes to do all the mom things that we do and even try to excel at certain things we most definitely have to be part mom, part superhero! So what better way to fuel our superhero bodies than with Super Foods!!! I was able to snap a few pictures after all and had a delicious meal, that was vegetarian for those of you into that kind of thing! This recipe has three powerhouse super foods as the stars of the show; spinach, mushrooms and sweet potatoes. Yum, yum, yum.

 

Horseradish Cheddar Mashed Sweet Potatoes

with Sauteed spinach and mushrooms

 

 

Ingredients:

1 med sweet potato

1 portabello mushroom cap

1-2 handfuls of baby spinach

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp prepared horseradish

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Smidge of chicken stock, milk or half and half if needed

A couple of croutons for garnish

 

Preparation:

Peel and coarsely chop sweet potato and place in pot of boiling water until soft. Drain.  Add dash of milk, half/half or stock if needed. (Mine did not) Melt cheese into potatoes and mix in horseradish, salt and pepper, and paprika. (Sorry I didn't get any pics of this part!

 

Then in a separate skillet add oil and chopped mushrooms.

 

Saute on high heat until they begin to shrink down. 

 

 

Then in a few handfuls of spinach, you could also substitute kale (another super food!). Add the minced garlic, be sure to keep stirring as burnt garlic is bad bad bad!

 

 

Season with thyme and nutmeg

 

 

Plate veges over potatoes and garnish with a couple of crushed croutons which added a nice little crunch.

 

 

It was very yummy!!! And satisfying. The whole thing was only 348 calories but very filling, I could only eat about 2/3 of it! I shared with my Boo

 

 

Baby Approved!!!

 As I type this, the monster, er I mean toddler, is having another very VERY rough day.  It's hard being two! So I better go dust off my cape and find my super powers so we can make it through the day and keep the city safe from destruction!!! Good luck to all cooking with little ones underfoot, you are Super, you can do it!