Monthly Archives: September 2012

Roasted Chipotle-Lime Sweet Potatoes

It’s surprising to me how sometimes I get cravings for food that I didn’t eat as a kid and still don’t eat often.  The other day I was sitting at work when the overwhelming craving for sweet potatoes came over me.  And not just sweet potatoes – roasted sweet potatoes.  It was such a specific and odd craving, far more deep than my normal cravings for chocolate or Chinese food.  Maybe it was my body’s way of telling me I need Vitamin C?  I came home that night and searched through my recipes but could only find recipes for mashed sweet potatoes, nothing roasted.  So, I decided to wing it.  The result were these perfectly sweet and spicy Roasted Chipotle-Lime Sweet Potatoes.

Fresh sweet potatoes are tossed with a little olive oil and chipotle chile pepper before being roasted in the oven until browned and soft.  A light sprinkle of salt and squeeze of fresh lime juice finish off these potatoes which could be eaten as a side to any dish or simply as a light meal in itself.  The combination of natural sweetness in the potatoes with the spicy chipotle makes for a perfect marriage of flavors and the addition of citrus at the end really brightens up the whole dish.  If you take a quick scan online for roasted sweet potatoes recipes, most include brown sugar or honey but I didn’t want any added sugar and preferred to keep this savory.  If you don’t like the spicy kick of chipotle chile pepper and prefer a more subtle flavor, cinnamon or smoked paprika would be good substitutions.

Roasted Chipotle-Lime Sweet Potatoes (makes 4 servings)

  • 2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper
  • 1/2 a lime
  • salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Chop sweet potatoes into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.  Add olive oil; toss to coat.  Sprinkle chipotle chile pepper over the potatoes; toss to coat.  Place potatoes on a baking sheet, spreading into a single layer.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until potatoes are soft and browned.  Squeeze lime juice over warm potatoes.  Sprinkle with salt, to taste.

The ingredients:

Chop sweet potatoes into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.  Add olive oil; toss to coat.

Sprinkle chipotle chili pepper over the potatoes; toss to coat.  Place potatoes on a baking sheet, spreading into a single layer.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until potatoes are soft and browned.

Squeeze lime juice over warm potatoes.

Sprinkle with salt, to taste.

Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

After a wicked storm rolled through Saturday night (as I was driving on a highway, unable to see two feet in front of me), I woke up Sunday morning to a gorgeous blue sky and perfect temperatures.  My favorite moment of the day was listening to the sliding sound from opening my windows, a sound I haven’t heard in months.  And you know how I spent my time enjoying the perfect weather?  Sitting inside watching football.  All day.  It’s what I do.  Don’t judge.  And before I was lulled to sleep by the subtle melody of chirping crickets, I also made chicken.  It’s also what I do.  This time I made Chicken with Mushroom Sauce.

Mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine, and broth are thickened with a little bit of flour to create a creamy, earthy sauce which is served over perfectly cooked chicken breasts.  Butter is added at the end of the sauce giving a rich silkiness to the sauce and a touch of fresh thyme brightens up the whole dish.  If you’re a big mushroom fan, you’ll like this sauce which has layers of flavor.  I’d maybe use less butter at the end because it’s not really needed or leave it out and add a splash of light cream or fat-free half & half instead.  This filling dish is great for those of you watching your carbs but it’s not really football fare so I’d save it for another day.  It’s also best when it’s eaten right away since leftover sauce gets really thick in the refrigerator and it isn’t as good.

The ingredients:

Pound chicken breasts to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer chicken to a dish and keep warm.

Add shallots and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates.

Sprinkle mushroom mixture with salt and flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick.

Remove pan from heat; add butter and thyme, stirring until butter melts.

Serve with chicken.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Chocolate Margarita

One Saturday morning a couple weekends ago I was in my kitchen whipping up some food enjoying the background noise of the Food Network when I heard Marcela Valladolid say these two words on her show Mexican Made Easy: Chocolate Margarita.  I spun around, ignored everything that I was cooking, and stopped to watch as she made this bizarre yet intriguing cocktail.  My first thought was that I had to make it and the second thought was that I probably already had the ingredients to make it.  After a quick scan of my fridge, it was confirmed:  I could make this anytime I wanted.

Tequila, chocolate liqueur, and orange liqueur are mixed with chocolate syrup, cream, almond extract and a pinch of cinnamon to make a rich, creamy, chocolatey and strong dessert cocktail.  I used fat-free half-and-half in place of the cream and rimmed the glass with nonpareils instead of bittersweet chocolate (just because it was prettier).  This cocktail has tons of flavor so it’s hard to have more than one.  But it’s a margarita, right?  You really don’t need more than one.

The ingredients:

Rim glasses with chocolate syrup and shaved chocolate or nonpareils.  Combine all of the ingredients, except ice, in a pitcher.

Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a shaker full of ice.

Shake and pour into the prepared glasses. Serve cold.

Additions:  None

  • Omissions:

Bittersweet chocolate

Substitutions:

  • Fat-free half-and-half

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Mexican Made Easy, Food Network

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