Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Sandra Sells — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 20:55:38 +0000

We Love Potatoes! One of our families favorite foods is potatoes. Growing up we consumed them in many different kinds of styles. For me I really enjoy a classic baked potato, which I think plays to my British heritage. My mother being from Colombia however prepares a similar dish called papas saladas (salted potato). My husband Kodi loves a good oven roasted potato with herbs and spices. Our children thoroughly enjoy french fries, potato wedges, and mashed potatoes. So, since we have a deep love for “spuds” in our family we figured creating another potato centered recipe that would keep you coming back for more. This is how the crispy smashed potato was born. In creating this crispy smashed potato recipe, we decided to keep it simple yet flavorful. This dish is great for entertaining and easy preparation. It’s deep and rich in flavor but light on the pocketbook. The recipe incorporates all the best styles of other potato recipes into one. We love making this for holiday meals, family gatherings, and weekly meals. Crispy smashed potatoes are a rustic and versatile dish that will go with almost anything. Crispy Smashed Potato Recipe To start preheat your oven to 400℉. Then, rinse and clean about 3 pounds of baby yellow or red potatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add in the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. The potatoes need to be fully cooked but not mushy or falling apart. Coat the bottom of a sheet pan with extra virgin olive oil. Strain your baby potatoes and place on the oiled sheet pan. Now using the bottom of a metal measuring cup or ceramic mug smash each one of the potatoes. Keep them about 1/4 inch thick making sure you press down gently, still keeping the potato in tact. On a cutting board de-stem and chop about 1/4 cup fresh rosemary and 6-8 cloves fresh garlic. Drizzle the top of the potatoes with extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, chopped rosemary, and garlic. You can also add red pepper flakes for extra spice if you desire. Place into the 400℉ oven for 25 minutes (rotating halfway). Depending on color place the broiler on high and roast the potatoes for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown. These crispy smashed potatoes are best served warm and crispy right out of the oven. They will make the best side dish or pair perfectly with any of your favorite party dipping sauces. Try making for your next Thanksgiving or Christmas meal, it’s sure to be a huge crowd pleaser!

The post Crispy Smashed Potatoes appeared first on Simply Sells Kitchen.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Sandra Sells — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 16:47:55 +0000

This delicious vegan chocolate pudding is so silky smooth, rich in flavor, and full of nutrition. You can’t even taste the avocado! As a mother tricking your kids may not be the nicest thing to do, but if it is for their own good it’s not so bad, right? Haha! Well, I am a firm believer in keeping things nutritious for my family. I also love to let them live and enjoy foods in moderation that are delicious. Currently i’m in a clean up the pantry phase in my home. Keeping the thought that nutritious eating can include desserts helps both myself and my kids keep a better overall attitude. Health and fitness are a priority to us but can sometimes be our greatest struggle in our very busy lives. I always try to limit processed foods and am constantly recreating our kids’ favorite food dishes, like french fries. This is especially true for my son who could out eat anyone in the french fry department. 😅 Just a few swaps and you have delicious fries that are a much healthier leaner version. Healthy vs Not Healthy There are such things as good fats and bad fats, good sugars and bad sugars. The kind of ingredients you include in your diet are like building blocks to your health. Usually, we tend to think fats make you fatter, but your body requires a certain amount of good fat. Olive oil and avocados are easily accessible and loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. This is great for heart health and brain function. Avocados are a monounsaturated fat and provide essential nutrients to your body so why not make a dessert out of them! We also love to make our delicious sweet corn guacamole during avocado season. It is also good to think about the natural and least processed sugars when being nutritionally minded; perhaps leaning towards fruit-based sugar or those that are lower on the glycemic index. I do believe sugar is sugar in all forms, but the impact to your body is on a spectrum. Some great choices that we love in our family are date syrup, coconut sugar, agave, pure maple syrup, monk fruit, and honey. Children’s bodies grow and develop quickly. It is so important to make sure they are getting all the nutrients they need. Even as adults we need to make sure we take care of our bodies for long term health. Making smart choices is extremely important! With that in mind, we want to share a favorite in our family. It has a few surprising ingredients that make an extraordinarily rich and luxurious dessert. The Recipe So without further delay, we share our fantastic avocado chocolate pudding! This recipe is vegan, gluten free, and is customizable to fit any lifestyle. The best thing about it is putting all the ingredients in the food processor and no cooking necessary! In my book, that is a big win! Add in your avocados, cocoa powder, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla, and then pulse the ingredients until everything is combined. Open the food processor and scrape down the sides. Place the lid back on and blend about 30 seconds, until completely smooth. Sometimes, instead of maple syrup we use alternative sweeteners such as honey, date syrup, or agave. All the ingredients provide great taste and flavor. Chill the pudding in the refrigerator for about an hour, and then enjoy! You can serve the avocado chocolate pudding in little ramekins with your favorite dairy or vegan whipped cream toppings and a few raspberries. This pudding can compete with any other pudding or chocolate mousse. Other toppings we really like to use are shredded coconut, chia seeds, and whole medjool dates. Delicious! ☺️

The post Chocolate Avocado Pudding appeared first on Simply Sells Kitchen.

vegan Archives - Simply Sells Kitchen

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Chocolate Avocado Pudding