Roasted Beets and Sweet Potatoes

Whenever summer begins to end, I always crave the flavors of fall. So when I found this recipe for beets and sweet potatoes, it seemed like a perfect side for dinner. The colors of the beets and potatoes are vibrant! And the seasonings only enhance the natural flavors of the vegetables, so it isn't too overwhelming. This is definitely a recipe that I will make again!

6 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks

3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 large onion, chopped

2 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t garlic powder
1 t kosher salt
1 t black pepper
1 t sugar

Preheat oven to 400*.

In a bowl, toss the beets with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and seasonings in a large resealable plastic bag. Place the sweet potatoes and onion in the bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat vegetables with the oil and seasoning mixture.

Bake the beets 15 minutes. Mix sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet. Continue baking 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.

Banana Spice Muffins

I always have extra bananas in the house -- mostly because I buy bananas almost every week, but we never manage to eat them fast enough! So, I end up freezing them -- but now I have a freezer FULL of bananas! And the perfect use for extra bananas is to make a batch of muffins. This recipe has a great banana taste, with a little bit of spice. They are great "on the go" breakfasts, or a mid-morning snack.

2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/3 C brown sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t ground allspice
1 t ground ginger
1 C mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
2/3 C low-fat milk
1/3 C low-fat buttermilk
1/3 C ligt ricotta cheese
2 T vegetable oil
1 T vanilla extract
1 egg white
1 egg
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400*.

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, and make a well in the center of the mix. Combine banana and next 7 ingredients (banana through egg) in a bowl, and add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist. Spoon batter into muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on a wire rack.

Asian Marinated Flank Steak with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

This was a really interesting twist on a typical "meat and potatoes" dinner. The marinade in particular was really good-- a little spicy, a little savory, with a hint of ginger! Especially after broiling the steak, it almost had a Korean BBQ taste. The mashed potatoes had a nice hint of wasabi, but I think next time I will add even more to make sure it really stands out!

1 1/4 pounds flank steak
1/4 C soy sauce
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 T Sriracha
1 T honey
1 t sliced fresh ginger
3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 C skim milk
1/2 C nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 t ground ginger
1 t wasabi paste
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the steak, soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha, honey, and fresh ginger in a ziplock freezer bag. Close the bag and turn it to coat the steak with the marinade. Marinate at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.

Add the potatoes to the boiling water. Cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain fully and return to pot. Pour in the milk and mash until smooth. Gently fold in the yogurt and add the ground ginger, wasabi paste, and salt.

Meanwhile boil the steak on high for 3-5 minutes on each side. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Slice steak into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Serve with mashed potatoes.