Recipe Thursday: Shelly's Sweet Potato & Pear Soup

Let's celebrate sweet potato month! Aside from the fact that this made it easy (well...easier) to pick of all the recipes I like or will be trying soon, sweet potatoes are undervalued outside of Thanksgiving season. Anytime you need a potato, sweet potato will work! Trust me! 


I love making soups...they're great comfort food and can often curb your appetite more than other foods with the same caloric content. So ... in celebration of both soup and sweet potatoes I bring you (thanks to SparkRecipes.com)...

Shelly's Sweet Potato & Pear Soup

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 132.5
• Fat: 3.6g
• Carbohydrates: 22.0g
• Protein: 3.8g

Ingredients

Sweet potato, 1 sweetpotato, 5" long
Pears, fresh, 1 pear, medium (approx 2-1/2 per lb)
Onions, raw, 1/2 small 
*Smart Balance Buttery Spread, 1 tbsp 
Cream Cheese, Fat Free, 2 oz
Vegetable Broth, 1 cup 

Directions

Sweat onions in Butter Spread. Peel and dice sweet Potato and pear, add to onion. Add broth. Cook 20 min or till tender. Working in batches puree in blender. Return to pot and add cream cheese. Stir till well blended. 

Garnish with fresh mint. 

Number of Servings: 3

Recipe Thursday: Eggplant Tomato Salad

I only recently discovered eggplant and I have to say, I'm hooked! My George Foreman grill makes it super easy to grill and caramelize a little and it's a great, easy main dish. I also love caprese salad (that yummy tomato mozzarella salad) so when I saw this recipe, I was sold instantly! I could definitely see this becoming a regular lunch for me ... or dinner for that matter!! Enjoy! (recipe and nutrition information from MyRecipes.com and SparkRecipes.com)

Grilled Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 177.9
• Fat: 11.6g
• Carbohydrates: 11.6g
• Protein: 8.6g

Ingredients

1 Eggplant
1 Tomato
4 oz. Part Skim Mozzarella
5 - 7 fresh Basil leaves
2 Tblsp Balsamic Vinegar (divided)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (divided)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Combine 1 Tblsp olive oil, 1 Tblsp vinegar, minced basil, garlic, salt and pepper, and whisk well. Brush both sides of each eggplant slice with this mixture. Grill the eggplant for 3-4 minutes per side, until softened and slightly charred. Let the eggplant cool, preferably to room temperature.

Cube the eggplant slices. Combine in a bowl with the tomato and mozzarella, 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tblsp vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently.

Serving Size: 4 servings

Number of Servings: 4

Workout during the Big Game

Wow I haven't posted in a while...I need to work on that! In the meantime, SparkPeople has created a great "in game" workout to help us all burn off some calories without missing the fun on Sunday. Check out this great list! Could you incorporate this into your game watching activities? Would your kids join in? Seems like a great way to bust some excuses to me!!