Roasted Sweet Potato Chicken Quinoa Salad

On Sunday we tried this recipe from Our Best Bites and it was delicious. I must share.

Click here to read the whole article and see lots more photos.

Ingredients:                       

Fresh spinach or thinly sliced kale

roasted sweet potato chunks (see instructions in note)

cooked and cooled quinoa*

diced cooked chicken breast

thinly sliced onion

chopped cilantro

sliced or diced avocado

dressing (we made lime-cilantro) [recipe follows]

Instructions

Add all ingredients in desired quantity (It's a salad. Just go with the flow, here.)

Fill large salad bowl or individual serving with spinach or kale. Layer remaining ingredients on top and dress with salad dressing.

Notes

*Add more flavor to your quinoa by cooking it in broth instead of water.

Roasted Sweet Potato Chunks

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch or smaller chunks (about 3 cups diced)

1.5 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cumin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potato chunks in oil and then toss with spices. Spread on a baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes or until browning on edges.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2-3 juicy limes)

1/4 c. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar

4-5 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt

2 tsp. sugar

1 c. canola oil

1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed

In the jar of your blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Blend until ingredients are completely combined. With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture. Serve with greens, on any type of Mexican salad, or use as a marinade.

Lemonade Chiffon Pie

I told Cord I would share this recipe. It's definitely worth sharing.

Ingredients:
1 envelope (1 tbsp) unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
2/3 cup sugar
1 can (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 baked pie shell
additional whipped cream for top of pie

Directions:
Mix gelatin and cold water together.
Add boiling water and sugar; stir until dissolved.
Add lemonade concentrate; stir until dissolved.
Chill until very thick.
Fold unsweetened whipped cream into chilled mixture.
Pour into baked pie shell and chill.
Cover with additional (sweetened) whipped cream before serving.

Corn-fed Pork

Corn on the Cob!
Fill pot with water then add a stick of salted butter and 1 cup of milk. Bring to a rapid boil. Put ears of corn in turn heat to low simmer for 5-8 minutes 

So - - - I forgot I started this last summer and just saw the draft.  In the past, I have just boiled my corn in plain water, but this was luscious! So LOW FAT too, because I then still roll the ear in butter again. HA HA.

Corn & Quinoa Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

This is DELICIOUS! Really, make it as soon as soon as you can.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced (or half a large one)

2 ears sweet corn, kernels cut off the cob (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 green onions

salt & pepper

1 vine-ripened tomato, chopped

1/2 cup feta

2 Tablespoons chopped basil

For the Honey Lemon Vinaigrette:

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 Tablespoons honey

1 garlic clove, microplaned or finely minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. Add rinsed quinoa and place a lid on top, turn the heat down to medium-low, then cook until the broth is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 25 minutes. Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork and let cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the Honey Lemon Vinaigrette in a jar or bowl, then shake or whisk to combine and set aside.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini, sweet corn, and green onions, season with salt and pepper, then saute until barely tender, about 4 minutes. Add cooked quinoa and half the Honey Lemon Vinaigrette, then stir and cook for 1 more minute.*

4. Add remaining vinaigrette, tomatoes, feta cheese, and basil to the skillet. Stir well, taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

*If you want to make this a cold salad, cool cooked quinoa and veggies separately, then mix with the remaining vinaigrette, tomatoes, feta cheese, and basil, and chill completely.


Source: iowagirleats.com "Farmers' Market Skillet"

Spinach and Feta Pasta

If you have extra fresh spinach, this is such a simple recipe that is tasty and pretty healthy. We had an abundance of spinach from our garden so I was thrilled to find this.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/05/spinach-and-feta-pasta/

Key Lime Cupcakes

A lady from our ward made these for a party and they were voted best dessert of the night.

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then next 3 ingredients (batter may look curdled). Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Spoon scant 1/3 cup batter in each liner.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.

FROSTING

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.

Garnish as desired.

Yields 12 cupcakes.

Gingery Greens

If Satchel had his way, we would eat this every day. He LOVES these greens. The recipe is from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Directions

1 pound kale, collards, or other greens

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Wash the greens in several changes of water, if needed. Remove any stem thicker than ¼ inch diameter.

Steam or boil in medium saucepan over one inch of water for 10 minutes or more, till soft. Drain and rinse, and chop if you like.

Heat oil in large non-stick sauté pan, add garlic and cook for one minute—do not brown.

Add greens and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes.

Add ginger and cook another minute.

Add soy sauce and sesame oil and remove from heat.

Neua Nam Tok (Vietnamese Grilled Beef Salad)

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman’s The Best Recipes in the World. It is so delicious. It will be an excellent recipe for summer. I think I'll grow a pot of mint just for this salad!

Ingredients

1 to 1 ½ pounds strip steak, about 1 inch thick

salt to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste

¼ cup nam pla (fish sauce)

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

2 shallots, sliced

2 small fresh chiles, preferably Thai, stemmed, seeded and minced, or 2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

2 teaspoons sugar

roughly 4 cups red or green leaf lettuce, chopped

1 cucumber, peeled if necessary, cut in half lengthwise, seeded and sliced

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Preheat a grill or broiler. Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper, then grill for about 4 minutes per side (or until it’s as cooked as you want it). Remove from the heat and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, shallots, chiles and sugar. Cut the steak into ¼-inch slices and immediately toss the steak with the dressing.

Place the lettuce, cucumber, mint and cilantro on a plate and top with the steak and dressing. Serve immediately.

Chicken Tacos

This is a good recipe for chicken tacos that are a little different than what we usually make. It comes from Cook's Country.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

salt and pepper

Directions

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chipotle and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in orange juice, Worcestershire, and ½ cup cilantro. Bring mixture to a boil and then add chicken. Cover the skillet and simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue to simmer until the chicken is done (160 degrees), about 5 to 10 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it with foil to keep it warm and let it rest.

Increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquid is reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and whisk in mustard.

Using two forks, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to skillet. Add remaining cilantro and stir everything until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with tortillas and all your favorite taco toppings.

Granola

We like this with yogurt and a little milk. It makes a lot, so I cut the recipe in half if I'm not going to give any away.

10 c old fashioned rolled oats


2c whole wheat flour


2c wheat germ


2c coconut


1.5- 2c chopped pecans and sliced almonds


Mix above ingredients in large bowl.

4T vanilla


1/2c water


2c honey


1c (or less) oil


Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl, add to dry ingredients and combine well. Spread in shallow pans. Stir gently every 20 minutes or so while baking. Bake at 250 until deep golden and almost dry, approximately 2 hours. Remove, let cool. Store tightly covered (in the refrigerator if you have room).