Sweet Potato Pie with Gingersnap Crust

I am so happy that I am getting better at making up baking recipes, because they are so much harder! So my pregnant sister requested Sweet Potato Pie for Thanksgiving and I, of course, will oblige her. So here is my recipe for Sweet Potato Pie....you will NOT be dissapointed!

Sweet Potato Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Crust:
30 gingersnap cookies ( I used keebler), crushed in food processor
7 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix gingersnap crumbs with melted butter and put in a 9 inch pie plate and press in and up the sides. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Filling:
3 med size (about 1 and 1/2 lbs) sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled
1/4 C butter, softened
1 (14 oz can) sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp mascarpone cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large mixer bowl, beat cooled peeled sweet potatoes with butter until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into cooled pie crust and bake 50-55 minutes until toothpick inserted into middle is dry. Cool and serve. I usually make this a day ahead

Pollo Boracho (Drunken Chicken) with a Mango Cucumber Salsa

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Marinade:

2T tequila blanco
Juice of 2 limes
zest of 1 lime
salt and pepper
3 T EVOO
1/2 C Cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all marinade ingredients and whisk. Place chicken and marinade into large ziploc bag and massage bag to assure that marinade covers the meat. Marinate for about 15 minutes, do not marinate too long, lime juice will start to cook (aka toughen) the chicken.

Mango Cucumber Salsa

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 mangos, peeled and diced
1/2 small red onion diced small
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 Jalepeno, very small dice (almost minced)
juice and zest of 1 lime
drizzle of EVOO
1/2 C Fresh Cilantro, chopped fine

Combine all ingredients and let sit in fridge while marinating and cooking chicken. Cook chicken in grill pan or saute pan until done, discard marinade. Top with Mango Cucumber Salsa.

Creamed Spinach

I love real creamed spinach from a steakhouse, but it's not exactly a health food. This recipe is a little better, because I make a roux with fat free milk and use a tiny bit of heavy cream....hope you like it!

Creamed Spinach

10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and all moisture squeezed out
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 Tbsp of flour
3/4 C fat free milk
1 oz (2 Tbsp) heavy cream
pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 C Parmesan Cheese
salt to taste

Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan, add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add flour and whisk. Cook about 2 minutes until golden. Add milk and heavy cream, and whisk constantly so no lumps form. Cook on medium high until thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Add nutmeg, parmesan and salt. Stir until cheese is melted. Add drained thawed spinach and stir. Cook until heated through.

Creamy Two Tomato, Mushroom, and Meatball Casserole

1 lb. whole wheat pasta of your choice (I used fusilli)
1 T Evoo
2 lg cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
8oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C dry sherry
2 T tomato paste
1/4 C marinara sauce of your choice
6 oz low fat cream cheese, sliced
2 Tbsp fat free half and half
10 pre-made turkey meatballs (I like Shady Brook Farms), cut in half
3/4 C fresh grated parmesan cheese
3/4 C shredded mozzerella, part skim
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions (whole wheat pasta takes a little longer...about 11-15 min), drain, toss with a little butter

While pasta is boiling, Saute garlic and red pepper flakes over med heat 1-2 min. Add mushrooms and stir. Add dry sherry, increase temp and bring to simmer and allow to cook down, about 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked. Add tomato paste and marinara sauce and stir. Add cream cheese and allow to melt. Add fat free half and half and add parmesan cheese. Stir until melted. Stir in pasta and meatballs. Place in baking dish, sprinkle with mozzerella cheese and grape tomatoes and cover. Bake 25-30 min until cheese is melted.