Quotes-Friendship

My mother always had quotes on our refrigerator when we were growing up. I still remember some of those quotes. They helped shape my beliefs and decisions. They gave me encouragement in hard times. My grandmother also placed quotes up in the house and my mother remembers growing up with these positive thoughts. I continue this family tradition with a large chalkboard near our kitchen (I know you'll ask so I'll just tell you! I bought the chalkboard from MintageDesigns on Etsy). 

I have a friends who always checks my quotes when she comes over. This makes me smile. It also gives me the idea that you may also enjoy a quote for your day. So every now and then I'll share a new one with you. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Burritos

heavily adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by Karena

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups chopped sweet potatoes 2 cooked and cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts olive oil 1/2 sweet onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons ground cumin 3 tablespoons chili powder 3 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos 4 teaspoons prepared coarse mustard 2 cups black beans, drained 1 cup corn 6 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed 8 ounces shredded cheese blend 1/2 c cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix chopped sweet potatoes with a little olive oil and a salt. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer on cookie sheet and cook in oven until potatoes are soft and speckled brown.
2.	While sweet potatoes are baking, heat a roughly 1 tsp of olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until soft with cumin and chili powder, water, soy sauce and mustard. Add beans and corn to the onion mixture. Add sweet potatoes and chicken. Stir and heat until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in cilantro.
3.	Place 1/3-1/2 cup of mixture in the middle of a tortilla. Add a small handful of cheese, if desired. Fold in two opposite sides of tortilla then roll. Heat in panini maker until tortilla is slightly browned.
	The list of ingredients didn't seem like a good idea! I wasn't sure how this was all going to come together, but I'm so glad we tried it. This is a healthy tasty meal. For a gluten free option, use gluten free tortillas or just make a bowl of this instead of a burrito. For dairy free, make a bowl without cheese.  Alternative recipe option: Sweet Potato Burritos 4 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes 2 cooked and cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts olive oil 1/2 sweet onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup (or more depending on preference) of favorite bbq sauce 6 (10 inch) flour tortillas finely shredded cheese blend, if desired 1/2 c cilantro, chopped 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix chopped sweet potatoes with a little olive oil and salt. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer on cookie sheet. Cook in oven until potatoes are soft and speckled brown. 2. While sweet potatoes are baking, heat a roughly 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add beans to the onion mixture. Add sweet potatoes and chicken. Add bbq sauce. Stir and heat until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in cilantro. 3. Place 1/3-1/2 cup of mixture in the middle of a tortilla. Add a small handful of cheese, if desired. Fold in two opposite sides of tortilla then roll. Heat in panini maker until tortilla is lightly browned.  Husband rating:  4.5 stars Boys say:  thumbs up

Crispy Roasted Green Beans

lightly adapted from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans, washed and ends trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 and line cookie sheet with aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, toss the beans, oil, and spices until the beans are evenly coated. Spread evenly over the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until crispy but not burned.

My rating: 4 stars 

Boys say: thumbs up

Carolina Gold

Previously on this blog I mentioned a favorite barbeque sauce from Trader Joe's. If you can believe it, they've come out with a sauce that's even better! I love this Carolina Gold Barbeque Sauce. Last night we grilled chicken breasts, lathered the meat with the sauce as it cooked, added a few easy side dishes and voila-dinner was served! 

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Dry Rub

When dinner plans a, b and c fell through one night I had to come up with something as quickly as possible! I had chicken in the fridge and a pantry full of spices. This dry rub turned out to be a new favorite for my husband. Sometimes it's a good thing when the plans fall through!

Ingredients:
almost 1/4 c paprika
3/4 tbsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme

In a bowl combine all ingredients. This mix can be stored for quite a while in a cool dry place. When you are ready to season your meat mix 3/4 tbsp minced garlic with 2 tbsp of the rub mixture to create a paste. I guess, technically, this isn't a dry rub anymore so call it whatever you want to! We call it delicious! Then rub that all over your meat or fish and cook according to your taste.

Husband rating: 5 stars
Boys say: thumbs up (some boys thought it was a little on the spicy side, but the adults thought it was just right)

Sweet Potato Hash

from mietusinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 1 lb)
1 T vegetable oil
1  (11 oz.) can Southwestern-style corn with black beans and peppers, rinsed and drained * (see note below)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 T chipotle salsa (or substitute regular salsa)
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced (or more)
fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped (optional)

chili powder (optional, but looks beautiful and adds a lot to the flavor of the dish)

Instructions:

Microwave or bake sweet potatoes until tender, cool enough to handle, cut into chunks and sprinkle lightly with salt (I use Kosher).

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add potatoes; cook until browned and crisp-tender about 3 minutes. Add corn to skillet. Cook 3 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender and corn is heated through.

Stir together sour cream and salsa.

To serve, divide sweet potato mixture among 4 plates and top each with sour cream, avocado, cilantro and chili powder. 

I don't divide it, I serve it in a shallow, oval, gratin dish. I slice the avocado and fan it on top of the hash. Then I spoon the sour cream in a big puddle to the side of the avocado, and then sprinkle with cilantro and chili powder. Beautiful.

*Note: I use Mexicorn or Del Monte corn and bell peppers mix and then add 1/2 can of drained black beans (per recipe), since my grocery store doesn't carry a combination corn and black bean.

Everyone in our family ate this side dish. Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins, beta-carotene and fiber. I love when I am able to get my guys to eat healthy food like this! I served this with Cilantro-Lime Grilled Chicken. Yum!

Husband rating: 4 stars
Boys say: thumbs up

Cilantro-Lime Grilled Chicken

from mietusinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves 
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, plus 12 sprigs for garnish
1 1/2 tsp. firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil for brushing grate
1 1/2 cups favorite fresh-style salsa or pico de gallo
1 cup sour cream

Instructions:

Flatten chicken to about 1/2 inch thick. Place chicken in a 1-gallon zip-loc baggie or in a shallow dish. 

Prepare marinade: Combine lime juice, olive oil, garlic, chopped cilantro, brown sugar, salt, cumin, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk until thoroughly blended. Pour the marinade over the chicken, coating all sides. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal it, or cover the dish. Refrigerate the chicken for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 3 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. 

Prepare a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill on medium.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and drain off the excess marinade. Brush the grill grate with vegetable oil. Place the chicken directly over the fire. Grill, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 minutes. Rotate the chicken 90 degrees to create attractive cross-hatching and cook for 1 1/2 minutes longer. Flip the chicken breasts over and continue grilling, uncovered, repeating the steps for cross-hatching, until tender and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife, 3 to 4 minutes longer. 

Remove the chicken from the grill and transfer to a warm serving platter or dinner plates. Spoon some salsa over each portion, followed by a dollop of sour cream. Garnish with the cilantro sprigs. Serve immediately. 

Husband rating: 4.5 stars

Boys say: thumbs up