Everything Bagel Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Oh, February. You are such a tease.

I feel like this is the month when Spring starts to creep into my mind. I listen for birds, search for a reason to go without socks, and squint to see if I can find any buds sprouting from the trees. I’m always too early with all of these things, but I try anyway. As ‘blah’ as things can get this time of year, I find that if I focus on putting nutrient rich foods in my body and sticking to a solid workout routine, everything rolls along a little more smoothly.

What do I mean by “nutrient rich foods”? I look for produce that is brightly colored and, ideally, filling. Color often equals flavor in food, but it can also mean nutrients. Sweet potatoes, for example, are filled with beta-carotene, which may help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. It also comes packed with vitamins A, C, B16. Helloooooo goodness!

I often buy a bag of sweet potatoes at the beginning of the week and ‘bake’ them in my Instant Pot. That way, I have an easy and healthy grab-and-go food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a hearty snack. My current favorite way to eat these right now? Smashed, roasted, and sprinkled with Everything But the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s.

Served next to a hefty handful of greens, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice, and a tall ice water, this is a perfect meal to get you through the doldrums of winter.

Everything Bagel Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Makes 3-4 servings

Recipe inspired by this one from The Kitchen

• 2-3 medium sweet potatoes*

• olive oil

• 2-3 tablespoons Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning (or another similar seasoning mix)

• Salt

• Hot Sauce (options but not really)

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

2. Wash and slice your sweet potatoes in 1 1/2 inch slices. Drop the slices in your boiling water and cook until very tender. Carefully drain the potatoes and lay them in a single layer on your parchment lined baking sheet.

3. Grease the bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass with a bit of olive oil, then use it to smash each potato slice, being careful not to press all the way through to the parchment. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and roast for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are golden and crispy around the edges.

4. Sprinkle with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning and drizzle with hot sauce. Enjoy immediately!

Rosemary Apple Butter Waffle Bites

This fall, on one of our last camping trips of the season, I brought the most recent Food & Wine that had appeared in my mailbox before we left for the weekend. I paged through the recipes and photos as we drove into the mountains, not entirely paying attention to what I saw. I tend to do that the first time I look through a magazine. But then I saw a page with these beautiful and adorable canapés made with waffles! Each little square of the waffle was filled with something different, creating this beautiful piece of art on a platter. I haven’t been able to get those out of my head, so I knew they had to make an appearance sometime this holiday season. I also knew I needed to make something much simpler than what was in the magazine, because #momlife. So, I took my rosemary apple butter and put a tiny spoonful in the tiny square of a brown butter waffle (the exact same recipe I posted the other day, minus the vanilla) and all was well with the world.

Honestly, these are so simple to make and they would be the perfect bit sized treat to pass out with a glass of champagne at the start of your Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving) gathering. The finishing touches of orange zest and black pepper give this appetizer a sweet and savory flavor that works perfectly with the rosemary in the apple butter. To make your platter look extra fancy, garnish it with fresh rosemary sprigs!

Rosemary Apple Butter Waffle Bites

Makes about 30-40 bite sized appetizers

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional but a nice addition!)

• 2 eggs, beaten well

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 1 3/4 cups milk

• zest of 1 orange

• rosemary apple butter (click for the recipe) *you can also use store-bought apple butter to make this even easier!

1. Begin by browning the butter. Add it to a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will melt, then start to sputter and foam, then it will all settle down and the milk particles will start to turn golden brown and a nutty aroma will fill your kitchen. Keep an eye on the butter through this process so it doesn’t burn! Stir occasionally, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. Transfer to a heatproof liquid measuring cup and set aside.

2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Pour in the browned butter and stir until incorporated.

4. Preheat a waffle iron. They’re all different. I set mine to a medium temperature, but you do you Boo Boo!

5. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter in the center of the waffle iron. When the waffles are done cooking, cut each one into little Tetris-looking shapes. I like to do them in 2 square sections (see photos above) but you can do them in 3 if you’d like to add something like a crumble of gorgonzola cheese or bacon or BOTH. Be creative!

6. Take a 1/2 teaspoon scoop of apple butter and drop it into one of the squares. Arrange each little bite on a platter before sprinkling with the orange zest and extra black pepper. Enjoy!