Tag Archives: sides

Garlicky Kale

I was in Illinois this past weekend for a family event and got to spend every single minute with my sister and niece who I just don’t see enough of. I love a weekend get away as much as the next person but it can take a lot out of you. After flying home yesterday afternoon, I was ready to put on my jammies and climb under the covers before the sun had even set. I was exhausted and hungry and since I’ve been on a routine of doing all of my cooking on the weekends, I had nothing to eat. I turned to my good ol’ stand by, a fried egg sandwich. Looking for a quick side, I whipped up some Garlicky Kale (adapted from Garlicky Swiss Chard).

Fresh kale is cooked and steamed with nothing more than olive oil, garlic, red pepper flake and salt. What a better way to eat your green leafy vegetables, especially when you can probably benefit from some of it’s vitamins? Light, garlicky and slightly spicy, this is a simple and healthy side dish that comes together fast. Whether you eat this with eggs or something more substantial like meat or pasta, this is a good, quick go-to that can easily be switched up with any leafy green like spinach, swiss chard or collard greens.

The ingredients:

Wash kale pieces and place in a bowl (or use prewashed bagged kale to save some time). In a large lidded pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes to pan. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to burn garlic.

Stir in greens and increase heat to medium-high; place lid on pot and cook 2 minutes. Remove lid and stir with tongs. Replace lid for 2 more minutes. Remove lid, stir and cook for 2 more minutes, uncovered. Greens should be bright green.

Stir in salt.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Kale
Jarred minced garlic

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Family Circle Magazine

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.

Lemon and Chive Potatoes

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a big potato eater but if I’m making brunch, it only seems natural to have some kind of potato on the side. I admit I’m a big fan of a certain hashbrown from a certain golden arched restaurant chain but I just don’t allow myself to eat those buttery, greasy, delicious patties. And since I don’t have the first clue as to how to make said hashbrowns or love potatoes enough to really make attempt to make them, I’m settling for simple cubed, fresh potatoes – Lemon and Chive Potatoes.

Quartered potatoes are tossed with olive oil and roasted in the oven until perfectly browned before being tossed with fresh lemon zest and chopped chives. So simple. These potatoes don’t feel heavy and are a cinch to make. If you look at the recipe for these potatoes, you’ll see that I didn’t omit an ingredient but an entire process. I didn’t feel like spending a lot of time on potatoes (sorry, spuds, but you’re just not my favorite vegetable) so instead of grilling them, I roasted them in the oven. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time over the grill or the stove, waiting for the potatoes to get brown and crisp, toss them in the oven instead and take a seat. Enjoy your coffee because you can.