Baked sweet potatoes with chili beans

Everybody likes a good ol' baked potato. Garnish it how you will; you love it. Warm, comforting, but let's face it - not the healthiest. Sprouted Kitchen just happens to have a spin-off version that just might be better than the original. You be the judge. I'm already hooked.

Baked sweet potatoes with chili beans

As adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

4-6 small sweet potatoes
1 15-oz. can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon chili powder
1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 28-oz. can San Marzano tomatoes (whole or crushed)

Toppings/garnishes:

Plain greek yogurt
Fresh cilantro
Sprouts
Red onion, diced
Avocado, diced
Freshly shredded Tillamook cheddar cheese
A few slices of freshly cooked bacon, broken up into little bits

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pierce holes in sweet potatoes with a fork, wrap each one lightly in foil, place on middle rack in oven, and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until tender. Warm olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic until softened. Add spices and San Marzano tomatoes. If tomatoes are crushed, great, if whole, crush them to puree. Bring to a simmer and reduce for about 20 minutes. Add beans and cook another 5-10 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and spices, if needed. Split open baked sweet potatoes, creating a cavern down the middle. Fill the cavern with chili beans and garnish with toppings, as desired. You've had chili before, I'm sure; you know the drill.

These baked potatoes are so good. The chili, in itself, is delicious. Then top it with so many wonderful colors, textures, and flavors, and it's just great. And the potatoes and chili save and reheat well also. This seems like it would be a wonderful meal for a loved one who is feeling low, or for an easy make-ahead, warm lunch. Okay, they're probably just good any time. Try them. Cheers!

Thyme-scented roast chicken + chopped salad

This last week, I found a recipe for this wonderful-looking, complex salad from The Sprouted Kitchen. This is another cooking blog that I have grown to love and also treat as a mentoring blog, similar to The First Mess. It has a few of my favorite things (a.k.a. quinoa, sweet potatoes, and apples), so I had to try it. Thus, I was trying to think of what I would make with it, so I perused through some of my cookbooks for ideas.

Lately, I have been all about making things that I could easily buy pre-made at the store. Or using ingredients that have an easy substitute, but instead pushing myself to not use the substitute, such as using actual cardamom pods not ground cardamom spice. So when I saw a recipe for roasted chicken from Nordstrom Flavors, it was just the ticket.

I had never roasted a whole chicken before. I don't know why. I guess I was afraid of what I might find inside. (Ha ha.) I think it's similar to my not really wanting to deal with a whole fish. Eyeballs, skin and scales...it just frightens me a little. It's just a little too close to the real (alive) thing. Well, now that I have kind of embarrassed myself (and am now sort of accountable to tackling a bigger challenge in the future), we should talk more about the chicken.

Are there meals or foods, or even specific scents that just remind you of someone or somewhere? I think a lot of people could list such examples. For me, roasted chicken reminds me of Nana, my grandma on my mom's side. When I was little, I can remember her roasting chicken. I don't know how she did it; I was too young to have any comprehension of the ways of cooking, but I remember it smelled so good. Furthermore, I remember my favorite part was the crispy chicken skin. The funny thing is I don't tend to gravitate towards fatty things or fatty parts of things. I trim the fat off everything. But chicken skin is one thing I can't stay away from. It's just so nostalgic. It's perfect. She would always give me the chicken legs to gnaw on; it was my favorite part. That and a cold can of 7-Up from the garage refrigerator with a straw. It was the greatest.

I guess this chicken, my first whole roasted chicken, is dedicated to Nana. I miss her and am sometimes caught off guard when I am reminded of her through random, little things. Like this.

Thyme-scented roasted chicken

As adapted from Nordstrom Flavors - An Artful Celebration of Food

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil for preparing the roasting rack

1 bunch fresh thyme, about 25 sprigs

10 garlic cloves

1 whole chicken (about 4 1/2 lbs.), preferably organic

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, quartered lengthwise

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil roasting rack and place in a roasting pan. Chop enough thyme leaves to measure 1 tablespoon; reserve stripped stems and remaining sprigs. Mince 3 garlic cloves; cut each of remaining 7 garlic cloves in half. Season cavity of chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stuff cavity with reserved thyme stems and sprigs, garlic halves, and lemon quarters. In a small bowl, stir together oil, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, chopped thyme, and minced garlic. Spread oil mixture evenly over the outside of the chicken. Place chicken, breast side down, on the prepared rack in the roasting pan. Roast chicken for 30 minutes. Turn chicken, breast side up, and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone reads 170-175 degrees F, about 1 hour and 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Chopped salad with quinoa, sweet potatoes, + apples

As adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods, who "barely" adapted their recipe from the November 2012 issue of Food & Wine

Serves 6.

Ingredients for salad:

2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 lb. sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large apples (granny smith, fuji, honey crisp, etc.), diced

8 cups packed baby greens (spinach, arugula, kale, red romaine, etc.)

1/8 cup flat leaf parsley

1/4 of a medium red onion, thinly sliced

Ingredients for dressing:

1/4 cup good-quality apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons whole-grain dijon mustard

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle olive oil in a pot and add quinoa to toast over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/3 cups water and bring to boil. Turn down to simmer, cover, and cook for about 15-18 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff quinoa and cool (be sure to place in a cool place - don't want your greens to wilt when you add the quinoa later). On a rimmed baking sheet, diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake in upper third of oven for about 30 minutes, until golden. Remove and allow to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and pinch of salt and pepper. Add cooled quinoa, potatoes, apples, greens, parsley, and onion. Toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Note: everything can be prepared in advance, kept in bags, and then tossed together when time for dinner, lunch the next day, etc.

I loved this salad. Again, as previously mentioned, it is complex with so many textures and flavors. If you're not a big fan of apple cider vinegar (it can be pungent), you may opt to use some other type of vinegar, such as red wine vinegar. Sara, from The Sprouted Kitchen, used this as a holiday salad; I definitely think it would be wonderful for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Or any other time of year for that matter. Give it a try. 

And the roasted chicken. There's nothing like a home-roasted chicken. The flavor is immense and wonderful. I'll be making it again. And you should too. Cheers.

Greek chicken with tzatziki

Cookbooks just might be one of my favorite presents to receive. Especially if they are wholesome and healthy with beautiful picture spreads throughout. I can read about recipes for days, but it's those pictures that spike my appetite and make me cook after a long day at work. So. Thank you, Mom, for The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook.

Today wasn't too long of a day (although, it was my first day back after a nice, long Christmas vacation). I've got some spiced quinoa cooking for tonight's dinner, so I thought I would do some blog catch-up. I still have recipes from last week to share!

I've grown to love tzatziki. Which is saying a lot. Because this girl used to not even like yogurt. Not to mention Greek yogurt. But I love it now, and that is all the matters. When you see this tzatziki, you will understand why I chose to make it. It's actually almost like a salad. Or a cucumber salsa (is there such thing...?). Whatever you prefer. Anyways, it is so cool (in a "taste" sense of the word), but so zippy as well. The combination of fresh mint and dill is fabulous. 

Furthermore, the chicken marinade, which has a lot of the same ingredients used in the tzatziki, is great. Awesome, fresh recipe that I think will be even better in the spring or summer (I want to try this chicken grilled as the recipe recommends).

Greek chicken with tzatziki

Adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods

Serves 4.

Ingredients for the marinade:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 lemon, juice and zest

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to even thickness of 1/2 inch)

Mix all the ingredients together in a shallow baking dish and toss chicken breasts. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes or for several hours in the fridge.

Ingredients for the tzatziki:

2 English cucumbers

¼ red onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

1 garlic clove, minced

⅓ cup Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make tzatziki, slice cucumbers in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop out seeds in the center. Slice each half lengthwise into four or five long sticks, then dice. You should have about 3 cups. In a mixing bowl, stir together the cucumbers, red onion, mint, dill, and garlic. Add the yogurt, lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. (Stir in yogurt and salt at last minute to prevent watery tzatziki (cucumbers release water a soon as they are mixed with salt).)

The recipe suggests grilling, but it's kind of chilly. So I simply sautéed the marinated chicken breasts in a pan and finished off in the oven until they reached an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees F. Let rest and serve with a large scoop of tzatziki and some warm brown jasmine rice.

Enjoy.

Week Eight: Green Quesadillas, Winter Greens and Mushroom Pasta, and Nut and Pretzel Mix

Week eight was the week before Christmas, so I wanted to do a couple lighter recipes, keeping all the wonderful holiday food and treats we would be indulging in in mind. These recipes were very green, fresh, and vegetarian. There is actually a sort of grassroots movement going on known as Meatless Monday. Apparently, going meatless just one day a week can decrease your risk for cancer and other major health issues. Not a bad thing to keep in mind when you are doing your meal planning.

Winter greens and mushroom pasta.

Now. Do take note. If you are cooking for a man (or for people who just like meat in general), pick your meatless Monday recipes wisely. Make sure your dish has something hearty like mushrooms, lentils, sweet potatoes, tofu, etc. to substitute your meat lover's appetite. You'll find these dishes are more satisfying than, let's say, an entree salad.

This week also includes a wonderful nut and pretzel mix that I wanted to try out for the holidays. Chex mixes are such a great kid- and adult-friendly appetizer or snack, and I had never made one homemade, so I took this Christmas as an opportunity.

Sweet and spicy nut and pretzel mix.

Green Quesadillas

I love quesadillas. And I like making unusual quesadillas. So when I stumbled upon this recipe from Whole Living, I had to try it. Plus, it was perfect for my healthy eating plans for the week before Christmas.

Essentially, this recipe has you make an avocado mixture or guacamole. You then sauté leeks and red onion, stir in green lentils - and you have your lentil mixture. To assemble your quesadillas, lay one tortilla in a warm pan, top with some of the lentil mixture and havarti cheese. Then, spread another tortilla with the avocado mixture and lay on top to create your quesadilla. Carefully, flip and heat through until cheese melts and tortillas brown slightly.

Avocado mixture.

These quesadillas were really good. Zack and I are calling them "French" quesadillas. After all, you are using French green lentils, European-derived cheese, and leeks. But then the recipe has you throw in guacamole, red onion, cilantro, etc. - flavors that make me think Mexican. It really is interesting. I mean, who would have thought, right?

Find this delicious and unique recipe here: Green Quesadillas.

Winter Greens and Mushroom Pasta

with Toasted Croutons

This recipe was a tear-out from the January 2011 issue of Sunset Magazine. Find the recipe here: Winter Greens and Mushroom Pasta. Again, like the green quesadillas, this recipe was a little unusual, but so delicious.

First of all, I made the croutons with some cracked wheat sourdough bread I had on hand that was drying out a bit...perfect. I wasn't really sure how one makes a proper crouton, so I turned to Ina Garten (who I usually turn to when I want to make something in particular that I want to be sure will be particularly good). Find her instructions at the following link (scroll down a bit as these croutons are included in a recipe for lemon chicken with croutons): Ina Garten's Croutons.

Homemade croutons.

Next, the mushrooms. I was a little nervous about this because I am kind of a mushroom amateur. I'll be honest...the last time I sautéed mushrooms, they turned out rubbery and gross. However, with some good mushrooms and the instructions from this recipe, I ended up with some perfectly browned mushrooms. I mean, it was like heaven was shining down into my kitchen straight onto these mushrooms. So relieved. 

Next, leeks (I know, I know...I can't seem to get enough of leeks and lentils lately).

As far as the greens, the recipe calls for a bunch of dandelion greens and radicchio. I couldn't get my hands on some dandelion greens, so I used an organic mixture of various leaves that also included radicchio. Lastly, I used whole-wheat angel hair pasta.

I really loved this recipe. The mushrooms added the heartiness I was looking for and the multitude of textures was so great. You have the tenderness of the mushrooms and greens, the crunch of the croutons, the bite of the whole-wheat angel hair pasta, and the ricotta. The ricotta. Is ricotta not the most incredible, velvety item there ever was? I've fallen in love with it because it happens to come on the Hudson pizza from Brooklyn Bros. Pizzeria in Everett (a.k.a. the best pizza you will ever have). I have a feeling that ricotta will continue to appear in my cooking; that is, if I can figure out when and how to properly use it.

Sweet and Spicy Nut and Pretzel Mix

It's sweet. It's spicy. And it has fresh herbs. But it's also kid-friendly?

This nut and pretzel mix may be one that can satisfy both kids and adults, make a great "bar snack" to enjoy with friends while having beer, and it makes your kitchen smell cozy and warm like the holidays. If it's possible for something to smell cozy and warm, that is. I think it might be.

Find the recipe for this great mix at the following link: Sweet and Spicy Nut and Pretzel Mix.

New cookbooks for Christmas means new recipes to try. Tune in soon for my next weekly post! Cheers.

Week Three: Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples, Tomato Basil Soup, and Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas

We're still cookin'. It was a great week.

Spiced Pork Tenderloin

with Sautéed Apples

As you may recall, we've been rolling in apples over here...from our Iced Oatmeal-Applesauce Cookies from Week One of my new meal planning adventure, to our actual homemade applesauce from Week Two. And believe it or not, we still had apples left to spare. I was lucky to find a perfect fall dinner recipe (with apples) pretty quick into my recipe research for this week.

This awesome recipe came from the November 2012 issue of Cooking Light, so very current, evidently.  Find the recipe here: Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples. They recommend using Braeburn or Gala apples (whose red peels are very pretty in Cooking Light's picture of the recipe), but I just went ahead and used what I had on hand. The combination of apples with the thinly sliced shallots is really good. Furthermore, the flavors in this dish are really delightful and cozy for a cold, fall evening. Coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple cider...okay, so this is pretty much dessert for dinner. But good for you...? Ha. No, but really, this is true. I also served this dish with sautéed green beans.

So. Since we're talking pork. How done is done? As in, how pink or not pink should your pork be? It's funny, because people usually error on the side of overcooking something versus undercooking. But for some reason, I tend to do the opposite. I am so terrified of overcooking things! I don't know what it is! I just hate when my chicken is dry because I sautéed it for too long. Or my cookies have a gritty crunch to them because they continued to brown/cook after I took them out of the oven. Do you hear me, or do you hear me? So what do you do? You look it up on the internet. And apparently the USDA standard for pork is 145-degrees, which was lowered from 160-degrees not too long ago (much to the happiness of many professional chefs (I mean, I think so, but I probably shouldn't say since it's not like I'm best friends with Michael Ruhlman or Anthony Bourdain)). But there's a good idea for you none the less: 145-degrees for pork.

Tomato Basil Soup

with Grilled Cheese and Ham Sandwiches

Since Nordstrom's Split Pea Soup was so tasty, I thought I would give another one of their soups a try. Seriously, when did Nordstrom become known for something more than clothes and whatnot? I've been pretty impressed with their recipes after I was gifted one of their cookbooks last year for Christmas.

Well, I thought this recipe that I found was actually one of Nordstrom's recipes...from one of their cookbooks. But after perusing the internet, I realized that this is someone's interpretation or imitation of some amazing tomato soup made at the Nordstrom Cafe. Long story short, I found this recipe from someone's blog through Pinterest. Find it here: Tomato Basil Soup. 

The flavor is really good. Make sure you use real good quality canned tomatoes, such as San Marzano tomatoes; can't go wrong. You know what they say, always use good quality ingredients, especially if there are very few ingredients being used.

So, I'll just be honest and say that I sort of felt like I was eating really good marinara sauce while eating this soup. The writer and creator of the recipe said to leave a little texture to the soup when pureeing it with an immersion blender, and let's just say I think I left plenty. I would recommend not as much next time around. However, that being said, the flavor was fantastic and this soup was great with grilled cheese and ham sandwiches.

This is the greatest bread for grilled sandwiches and French toast.

It sort of feels like cheating using canned tomatoes, but hey, that way you can make a good tomato soup all year round. Plus, you don't have to wait or try to find perfectly ripe tomatoes, which is hard sometimes. And goodness, don't make tomato soup with tomatoes that are not truly juicy and red, and pretty much falling apart. I've done that before. You'll end up with orange tomato soup. Not so great. Nice and ripe canned tomatoes. Great.

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas

Yes, I realize it's not actually summer right now...

I happened to find and tear out this recipe at the same time as the pork tenderloin recipe above. So, this one is also from Cooking Light. Find the recipe here: Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas. Using frozen corn makes this a year-round option, but there's nothing like fresh corn on the cob. So I bought frozen corn on the cob, but it was a little strange. Kind of soft and not the same as fresh corn on the cob. Probably won't do that again. Luckily, the flavor was good and the lack of crisp-tenderness that I was wanting wasn't all to evident once stirred into the rest of the dish. Who knows, maybe I overcooked it and that was the problem. But I'm the one who never overcooks anything, remember? He he.

I've made tostadas like these before with the corn, zucchini, and red onion. It really is a great flavor combination. Plus, some good salsa verde just tops it off. Yum. The flavors and textures are just so wonderful.

A great, spicy salsa for dishes like this.

We made it easy and just made tacos (warmed our tortillas instead of toasting), but either way is delicious. Goodness, you could make burritos with this too. You could make a kind of fresh Mexican pizza. Ha ha. Okay, maybe that would be weird, but what I'm getting at is the is a great chicken and vegetable mixture.

That's it for now. Have a good weekend!