Heart healthy juices for LOVE week: Sweet & Spicy

Day 4 of the heart healthy juice party with Omega Juicers is here!

With this juice I wanted to capture the essence of carrot cake in a juice. Since cinnamon is so good for cardiovascular health, I knew I wanted to include it. And, since sweet potatoes have been named one of the 40 most powerful foods for heart health, I had to get them in there too. And of course the beets, lemon and carrots are amazing for heart health.  And y'all already know that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, so this juice is CLEARLY a super duper healthy one.

While this juice may not have ended up tasting *exactly* like carrot cake, you won't mind, because it's still so refreshingly yummy, and the cinnamon really does give it a nice kick. If you don't like how sweet it is, you can always either add more lemon, or leave out a carrot or the apple.  Play around with the combo until it's just right for your tastebuds! 

Sweet & Spicy

4 large carrots, washed, but it's not necessary to peel

1 gala apple, quartered and cored

½ red beet

½ inch slice of sweet potato

1 head romaine lettuce

1 lemon, peeled

Dash cinnamon, to taste

Use organic produce, if possible. Juice all but the cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and stir well.  

Makes 16 ounces

Tomorrow's juice: Raspberry Surprise!

Recipe is my original creation.  Feel free to share, but please link back to this original post.  Thank you! 

Sweet Potato Hashbrowns

I love hashbrowns. I love sweet potatoes. So, why not combine the two into one big happy recipe.

It's a pretty simple recipe, but there are a few key steps that I think help make them nice and crispy.

Ingredients:
Sweet potato (a little goes a long way, I usually only do about half for myself)
Butter
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Peel the sweet potato and shred the amount you plan to use.  A half of a nice sized sweet potato seems plenty for one person, so just adjust if you're making for more than yourself.

After the potato is shredded, I rinse it in cold water to remove the starch. Rinse in a mesh strainer until water runs clear. Then, dry the potato either on a paper towel or other clean towel, being sure to remove as much moisture as you can.  Then, sprinkle generously with pepper.

I like to use both butter and olive oil for these, but you can certainly just use olive oil, or any other oil of your preference. For me, I like the taste of the butter, but butter alone can burn easily, so by adding the olive oil it seems to eliminate the burning, and also adds another layer of flavor.

I melt these until bubbly and then put the shredded potato in the pan, being sure to get just a thin layer. You don't want too much potato in the pan, or you will end up with mushy hashbrowns.  Use the biggest pan you have, or do smaller batches.  Once the bottom is starting to get brown and crispy, I flip them over, adding a bit more oil or butter as you go to ensure even browning.  After these are nice and crispy, sprinkle with salt and place on paper towel again to remove excess oils.  Serve with a side of sauteed veggies and eggs, or for a sweet treat, sprinkle with cinnamon and a few chopped nuts.  Enjoy!