recipe from Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook - Sweet Potato No-Skins

Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook

I saw a note that one of the local Y's (I think Page Mill) is having a Nutrition Night, with a bring-your-own healthy appetizer which got me thinking about holiday foods.  Then presto!  The PR person from Rodale Books emailed that on November 8, 2011 there's a new Biggest Loser Quick and Easy Cookbook. 

With their permission, I'm sharing some of the recipes(see multiple posts on the blog) from this new Cookbook. The Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook. (Rodale Books, $21.99) ($14.50 at Amazon.com or $9.99 as a Nook Book at bn.com)

Sweet Potato No-Skins

These “No-Skins” incorporate a very strategic use of salt. You season the top of the potato rounds so that when they’re flipped, the seasoning will be on the bottom—ensuring that your tongue hits the salt on the potato first! That way, you need less salt overall, and your tastebuds will still be satisfied.

You’ll likely fool your children and spouse into thinking these are regular white potatoes if you purchase light-skinned sweet potatoes. Both versions taste delicious, but if you use the darker sweet potatoes, you might need to increase the cooking time a minute or two.

16 ounces 1⁄2"-thick rounds light-skinned sweet potatoes*

1 teaspoon olive oil

1⁄8 teaspoon sea salt

1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder

1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

2 ounces finely shredded all-natural, low-fat Cheddar cheese (I used Cabot’s 75% Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese)

4 teaspoons all-natural bacon bits (I used Wellshire All-Natural Fully Cooked Salt-Cured Bacon Bits)

4 teaspoons finely chopped scallions

2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil.

In a large glass or plastic mixing bowl, toss the potatoes and oil together until the potatoes are well coated.

Place the potato rounds in a single layer on the prepared pan so they do not touch. Sprinkle the salt, garlic powder, and cayenne evenly over the top of the potatoes. Bake them for 10 minutes. Flip them and bake for 7 to 9 minutes longer, or until they are tender inside and starting to brown lightly on the outside.

Push the potato rounds together so that they touch and you can easily top them in a single, even layer. First place the Cheddar, then the bacon bits, and then the scallions over the rounds. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately with 1⁄2 teaspoon of the yogurt on top of each, if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 141 calories, 7 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates (6 g sugar), 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 283 mg sodium

* You’ll need to start with about 11⁄2 pounds of potatoes in order to get 16 ounces of rounds. Try to choose potatoes that are roughly uniform in size. To create the rounds, peel your potatoes and cut both ends off. Then cut them into 1⁄2" thick rounds and measure out 16 ounces.