SWEET POTATO AND SPINACH MAC & CHEESE

Happy Friday everyone! This will not be my usual Friday Treats post, but I wanted to share this recipe that I recently found on Naturally Ella. Since E's a big fan of mac and cheese and I've been a big fan of one dish meals (especially as we're anxiously awaiting baby #2 to make his appearance soon), I was super excited when I came across this meal.  

I did simplify her recipe a little though and added panko for that extra crunch that our family loves on our mac & cheese. Hope you all will enjoy this dish as much as we did!

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 5 C farfalle pasta
• 4 T unsalted butter
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1½ C 2% milk
• salt (depending on the type of cheese you use (ie. parmesan), you may leave out the salt)
• 1½ C white cheddar + colby jack, shredded
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 C panko crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boil the sweet potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender. I used a Japanese sweet potato which was white on the inside. Drain and then puree them in a food processor with 1/4 C of milk until smooth.  Set aside. 

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente (do not overcook!) Rinse under cool water and set aside. 

In a medium-sized sauce pan, melt 2 T of butter over medium heat. Add the grated garlic and quickly move it around the pan until it's lightly browned. Slowly whisk in the flour to make the roux. Pour in the rest of the milk and whisk until the mixture starts to thicken. Add in the sweet potato puree and mix well until hot.  Remove the pan from the stove and stir in 1½ C of cheese. Salt to desired taste. 

In a large casserole dish, combine the pasta, sweet potato/cheese mixture and spinach. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the top.  

Melt the remaining 2 T of butter in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat and pour in the panko crumbs. Mix well until the crumbs are well-coated and crispy.  Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the dish.  

Bake on the medium rack for 25 minutes until the crumb topping's golden brown. Enjoy!

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God wants someone to love Him,

Not just someone to serve Him;

He wants someone to love Him

As His bride.

God wants someone to match Him,

Not just to imitate Him;

He wants a counterpart,

One from His side.

For this He came down to us,

He came to court, to woo us,

Away from everything, and unto Him.

Now we’re espoused unto Him,

Pledged and betrothed unto Him;

Yes, we are bound unto Him by His love.

God wants someone to love Him,

Not just someone to fear Him;

He wants a sweetheart who will

Be His bride.

God wants someone to know Him,

Not just to know about Him,

He wants someone who’ll look Him

In the eye.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/ns/48#ixzz2SuKNaavz

COCONUT MOCHI CAKE

Although I love the flavor of coconut, I am not especially fond of biting into flakes of it. However, this yummy snack is the only dessert that I would make an exception for. I've been wanting to make this mochi cake for awhile now and finally found the motivation to the other night. 



*If you've never heard of or tried mochi before, be prepared for a very chewy and dense texture. 

Ingredients

1 box (16 oz.) of mochiko (sweet rice flour)

2 C sugar

1 tsp baking powder

5 large eggs, beaten

1 - 13.5 oz. can of unsweetened coconut milk

1 C of 2% milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 C coconut oil, melted

1 C flaked coconut, sweetened

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper.

Combine the dry ingredients (mochiko, sugar and baking powder) together in a large mixing bowl and stir well.   

Combine and whisk the wet ingredients (eggs, coconut milk, 2% milk and coconut oil) together in another bowl and slowly add this mixture into the dry ingredients. 

Pour in the vanilla and coconut flakes and whisk everything together until there are no lumps.  

Pour it into your lined pan and bake for 1 hour.  Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Delicious when served warm!

Another family favorite of ours is mochi ice cream... especially ones filled with mango and green tea ice cream!

via

Do any of you share our love for mochi?  :)

BLOGGERS, IT'S TIME TO CHANGE YOUR OIL!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pompeian for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you've been following my blog for awhile you'll know that I often use grapeseed oil in my cooking. It has a light odorless taste, is high in antioxidants. provides the same health benefits as olive oil and has a high smoke point (the maximum usable temperature of the oil).   

Pompeian and Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien are challenging bloggers to change their oil for a chance to be featured at BlogHer Food '13 in Austin, TX on June 7-8. All you have to do is:

• Create a recipe using Pompeian Grapeseed Oil or OlivExtra Premium Mediterranean Blend.
• Post the recipe on your blog with an accompanying picture.
• Submit the recipe to Pompeian’s Time to Change Your Oil App on Facebook.
• Enter your recipe link into the Pompeian and Hungry Girl Sweepstakes for the chance to win an all-expense paid trip to BlogHer Food '13. Your winning recipe will be featured with Pompeian throughout the event.
• Share your post via Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest and send all Social Shares to rhia@izea.com.

Also, just for entering, Pompeian will send you a voucher for one free bottle of Pompeian oil! You'll be able to try out recipes like this delicious smoky fried chickpeas:

Smoky Fried Chickpeas

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So don't wait! Go ahead and submit your favorite recipe to enter this awesome contest! Please comment below to let me know why YOU would love to win this contest. Good luck everyone!