Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins

Chipotle Chicken 

Sweet Potato Skins

My wonderful mother-in-law always posts delicious looking recipes on her refrigerator and every time I try one, it is on point. Spencer and I downed these so quickly and wished I had made more! Give them a try and you'll know what I mean.

Serves 6 as a side, or 3 as a main dish
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes
2 cups shredded chicken (about 2 chicken breasts or 5 tenderloins, grilled and shredded)
4-5 cups spinach, steamed or sauteed 
3 tablespoons olive oil
juice from 1 lime
2 garlic clove, minced
3 whole chipotle peppers, finely chopped (I used the kind canned in Adobo sauce)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 heaping teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
dash of salt
1/2 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
chopped cilantro, for garnish
plain greek yogurt, for garnish

Instructions:
1. Bake sweet potatoes (see below).
2. Preheat oven to Broil on High
3. Combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and salt.
4. Scrape the sweet potato flesh out of the peel (reserve for another recipe), leaving a medium layer so the peels stand up on their own. Brush skins with a little bit of the chipotle mixture and place side by side in baking dish. Broil 4-5 minutes (on middle rack) until beginning to crisp.
5. While skins are in oven, combine cooked spinach, chicken, and remaining chipotle mixture. Remove skins from oven and stuff them, top with cheddar cheese and place under broiler again for another 4-5 minutes. KEEP AN EYE ON THEM!
6. Serve with greek yogurt and chopped cilantro.

SWEET POTATOES {can be done up to 24 hours ahead of time}

Wash sweet potatoes and prick all over with a fork and cook in oven or microwave until fork tender >>Oven: preheat oven to 350 degrees, place on middle rack for 50-60 minutes. 

>>Microwave: wrap potatoes in clean dish towels, completely covered, and microwave on high 7-8 minutes. When sweet potatoes are fully cooked, either place in fridge (if this is done ahead of time) or cut in half and let cool before continuing because they will be HOT!

Quick and easy egg drop soup

EGG DROP SOUP

<<< PERFECT COLD REMEDY >>>

4 servings
Ingredients:

5 cups chicken broth (preferably low-sodium)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground curry powder
2-3 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1/2 tsp fish sauce
5-10 drops hot sauce to taste (sriracha or favorite)
4-5 cups fresh spinach
2 eggs + 2 egg whites, well beaten
2 cups fresh or frozen sweet peas
salt and pepper, to taste

Optional garnishes:
Scallions, chopped
Crispy wonton strips

1. Combine broth, ginger, curry, soy, fish, and hot sauce in sauce pan over medium-high heat. 
2. Bring to a boil, then stir in spinach and cook until spinach begins to wilt.
3. Stir soup fast with one had and slowly pour in eggs with the other hand. The eggs will cook on contact with hot broth.
3. Add peas and let them warm for a few minutes, add any salt or pepper if needed, then serve!

It is easy to adapt this soup to ingredients you have on hand. Soba or rice noodles, mushrooms, cabbage, and other veggies would be delicious additions!

Tummy warming goodness...

favorite kale salad

FAVORITE KALE SALAD

This salad is adapted from a Thanksgiving Day salad that my cousin brought to a family dinner one time. It is not the MOST requested salad at every dinner and event... and so easy and so good for you!

salad ingredients:

• baby kale or 1-2 bunches kale, cut off stems (pictured: baby kale from Costco)
• dried currants
• sunflower seeds or pine nuts (pine nuts can be very expensive)
• grated or shaved parmesan

dressing ingredients:

• juice from 1 lemon
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

instructions:

1. whisk together salad dressing ingredients with a fork
2. slowly pour over kale a little at a time, you may not need ALL the dressing, and toss to combine and massage into leaves (lemon will tenderize really tough kale leaves)
3. top with currants, sunflower seeds, and parmesan

clean taquitos

...taquitos...

the clean way

Who doesn't love the simplicity of a taquito? But seriously... the thought of the processed ground meat and preservative-filled chicken rolls that are frozen in large quantities and shipped to your nearest Costco is not that simple or appetizing... so I came up with this homemade version :)

MAKING THE FILLING:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8-10 oz bottle salsa (pick your favorite.. mild, med, or HOT)
1 tablespoon homemade taco seasoning mixture (you can use 1 package of store bought seasoning, but it usually contains MSG and other chemicals and preservatives)

Combine chicken, salsa, and taco seasoning in crock-pot. Cook on Low for 6 hours or High for 3 hours. Chicken will shred easily using two forks.

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
20-30 small corn tortillas
Olive oil spray (I use a Mister)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Warm tortillas, wrapped in damp paper towel, in microwave until pliable enough to roll without tearing. They will be HOT so be careful.
3. Roll about 2 tablespoons of shredded chicken mixture into each tortilla and line them all up close together onto baking sheet. 
4. Spray tops of taquitos with olive oil spray (this will help them get crispy) and bake for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them, because the time will vary depending on your oven.
5. Let them cool, wrap individually in aluminum foil, and freeze!

REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS:
-Defrost overnight in fridge than reheat in oven (this will help them stay crispiest)
-Microwave straight from freezer (about 5-10 seconds per taquito)

Serve with melted cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, or greek yogurt!

creamy {creamless} tomato basil soup

creamy tomato basil soup

<<creamless>>

I have had a nasty little cold this weekend and I don't know about you, but my taste buds get a bit shy (can't taste hardly anything) and picky when the sickness comes. Only a few things sounded good to me and one of them was a good creamy tomato basil soup. Now I can't actually have cream (upsets my tummy) so I improvised with some canned coconut milk. I doubt anyone would be able to tell a difference in the taste! Go ahead and try to enjoy the rest of winter with a good bowl of homemade soup... and a perfectly Grilled Avocado-Cheese...

Makes about 8 cups of soup
Ingredients:
1-2 teaspoons Olive Oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, with juices {I used a quart of my mother's home-bottled tomatoes}
1 can (14.5 oz) roasted tomatoes, with juices {my fave: Muir Glen's Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes}
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried basil (or 1/3 cup fresh chopped)
1 can (13.5 oz) lite coconut milk {my fave: A Taste of Thai Lite Coconut Milk}
1 teaspoon sugar or 1 packet Stevia in the Raw
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil in large pot or dutch oven (I used my 5-quart Le Creuset dutch oven) over medium heat and saute until translucent, then add garlic and saute for a few more seconds.
2. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, and basil. Let simmer over low heat for 30-45 minutes.
3. When done simmering remove bay leaf, then stir in coconut milk, sugar (or stevia), 1 teaspoon salt, and a few turns from fresh pepper grinder.
4.. Blend in blender (I used my Vitamix) or use hand immersion blender to blend until smooth. *CAREFUL: IT IS HOT!
5. Add more salt and pepper if needed and serve with cheese or homemade croutons!

FYI- If you would like to go out and buy a the best bowl of tomato soup, the Roasted Tomato Basil Soup from Corner Bakery Cafe is my absolute FAVORITE and although I have attempted making a copycat recipe of this soup at home, I didn't have all the fresh tomatoes for it. Or the motivation to get in the car and drive to draper (the closest location to my house).

how-to: roast eggplant & pick a good one

roasted eggplant 

&

goat cheese - basil - balsamic

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant
olive oil spray (I use Misto) or for drizzling
salt and pepper
2 ounces crumbled goat cheese
4-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
balsamic vinegar

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray baking sheet with non-stick spray
2. Slice eggplant into rounds 1/4 inch thick
3. Arrange slices on baking sheet, spray or drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, place in oven (middle rack) for 18-20 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, arrange onto place, serve with basil, goat cheese, and drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

How to pick a good eggplant:

The skin should be glossy, not dull, and the eggplant should be fairly firm. If you press it lightly with your thumb, if it gives a little and then springs right back, it's ripe. If the indentation stays, it is overripe. If there's no give at all, the eggplant was picked too early, but even that is better than overripe. Soft spots & brown spots are bad.