Quick Roasted Potatoes

Even with the very best meal plan in place, real life often intervenes and and that gorgeous but time-consuming meal you had planned gets replaced by a conference call or trip to the pediatrician. That is why it pays to have a few tricks up your sleeve and a few bags of frozen steam-able veggies in your freezer.

My family loves roasted potatoes, but the traditional method takes 45 minutes to an hour. On school nights I need dinner on the table in the shortest amount of time possible and on our busiest nights 45 minutes for a side dish is out of the question. That's where this recipe comes in to play. You can still have the crispy, oven-roasted potatoes you love...in about 20 minutes.

Here is what you'll need:
Fingerling potatoes or new potatoes, about 4oz per person. 4 servings = 1lb of potatoes.
1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp dry parsley
1/4tsp garlic powder, or more to taste
1/4tsp salt
1/4tsp black pepper
non-stick spray
Press and Seal plastic wrap

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Clean and rough chop the potatoes into small pieces and place in a large microwave safe bowl. 

2. Toss with olive oil, then add seasonings and mix well until evenly coated with seasonings and oil. I find it easiest to do this with my hands instead of a spoon.

3. Cover bowl with Press and Seal wrap or cling wrap and microwave on high for 7 minutes for 1lb of potatoes. Reduce microwave time for smaller portions.

4. Carefully pour microwaved potatoes into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Arrange potatoes in one layer and bake for 15 minutes, stirring once half way through cooking to brown potatoes on all sides and prevent them from sticking.

5. After 15 minutes, stir once more, and set oven to broil. Continue cooking on broil for 4-5 minutes, keeping a close eye on your potatoes. You want them browned, not burned.

6. Remove from the oven and taste for "doneness" and season if needed. We had these delicious potatoes with steamed green beans and (bunless) Morning Star Farms Chipotle Black Bean Burgers topped with cheddar cheese.

There you have it. Quick roasted potatoes with slow roasted taste. Enjoy! Feel free to leave comments or suggestions.

Creamy Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

If you follow me via Instagram, you've probably witnessed firsthand my current obsession with Creamy Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats. I've been eating them for breakfast for so many days in a row now that I don't even post pictures of it anymore.

Breakfast is absolutely my favorite meal of the day. Sadly, so many of the things that come to mind when we think of amazing breakfast foods are not so good for you. These oats give me that "wow, these are delicious" feeling of eating something warm and satisfying without downing a giant-sized calorie-bomb of a cinnamon roll.

In fact, since I don't want to give these up, I've resorted to eating my other favorites as "breakfast" for lunch and "breakfast" for dinner. I remember as a kid thinking it was such a treat when my mom would come home from work and declare it a Breakfast For Dinner night. It's all just food, right? Eggs for dinner aren't really any different than a chicken breast for breakfast if that's really what sounds good, but those were some magic words in my seven-year-old mind. So that being said...feel free to have some overnight oats for dinner tonight!

Here's the recipe:
1/3c Old Fashioned Oats (not quick or instant oats)
1/2 scoop of Cinnamon or Vanilla Whey protein powder (optional, but recommended. I like About Time Cinnamon Swirl)
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
1tbsp Chia seeds
1/4c low fat cottage cheese
1/4c unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)
1/4tsp vanilla extract
1/4c pumpkin puree
1-2tbsp Maple sryup or sugar-free maple sryup
(Reserved) 1tbsp natural peanut butter or nut butter of choice (top warm oatmeal with peanut butter just before serving)

Mix all ingredients well in a air-tight container and store in refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove the lid and microwave for 1 minute. Stir thoroughly and microwave for an additional 30 seconds or until the cottage cheese is melted and oatmeal takes on a creamier texture. Top with peanut butter and chow down.

***Quick disclaimer: If cottage cheese is not your thing, you should still give these a try. Once the oatmeal is warm, you'd never know its in there! It makes these oats creamy and packs a good protein and calcium punch.

I make five servings at a time to last the week. It is just as good the first day as it is the last. Just make sure to choose air-tight containers to keep your oats fresh.

I hope you love this easy, healthy breakfast as much as I do. Its the perfect start to your Fall morning, plus with only 10 minutes of prep involved in making an entire week's worth of healthy breakfasts, you'll have plenty of time left to squeeze in a walk around the block or get a jump start on your meal plan for next week. Enjoy!