Sunday, July 10, 2016

Spicy Sweet Potato Salad


I had this salad at a friend's house recently and I was instantly in love with it!
She used yams and sweet potatoes for a nice yellow and orange look, but I had a hard time locating yams at my grocery store, so I improvised.

This has the sweetness of the potatoes, tang from the lime, spice from the chili powder and cumin.  Add the flavor of cilantro and a drizzle of olive oil.  I can also see so many other variations like diced jalapenos, red onion, green onions, heck throw in some quinoa and serve it over some greens for a very healthy dinner or lunch.


Serves 5-6 
Ingredients
  
3 large Sweet potatoes, peeled cubed, roasted (or use a sweet potato & yam combo)
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Chili Powder
2/3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375

Peel sweet potatoes, cut into cubes, toss with 2-3 tbsp of olive oil, salt, cumin and chili powder and spread out on a large baking pan.  Roast for 17-20 minutes, until tender, but not too soft.


Toss with lime juice and let cool.  Add chopped cilantro and stir to combine.  Taste to adjust seasonings, as you may decide you want a bit more chili powder and cumin.

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Monday, July 4, 2016

Chorizo Baked Eggs



Some days you just wake up spicy!
Yesterday was one of those days.
Slept in late, enjoying the middle day of a three day weekend.  
Yay, I love that.

I loved these Italian Caprese Baked Eggs, but I wanted something spicier, plus I had a lb of chorizo sitting in the fridge.  So this dish happened.
There are many ways that you could change this up, so have some fun and create something delicious!

One note, even if you want your eggs fully cooked, I'd recommend not over cooking these.  They come out of the oven so hot, you need to let them sit and a cool a bit to you don't burn off your mouth.  Ask me how I know...
As they sit and cool, those eggs continue to cook.  Take them out when the white is still a bit giggly.


Makes 2 big breakfasts
Ingredients

1 cup onions, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 oz chorizo, bulk
1 canned chipotle pepper, minced
1 cup canned tomatoes, pureed
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half (optional)
Salt & Pepper
4 eggs
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Green onions, for garnish
Toast for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cut up the onion and fry up with the chorizo until the onion is soft and the meat is cooked through.  If you have a lot if fat in your chorizo, it would be best to drain it now.  My chorizo was not too much, so that was great.  

Here's the meat and onions.



I added one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.  The pepper is very easy to mince up very small.  Pick a small one as they can be spicy.  Or, you can omit this pepper altogether. 


Add the tomatoes and tomato puree.  Cook for 4-5 minutes until the cherry tomatoes start to soften.  Add salt and pepper to taste.



Add sauce to baking dishes, or you could cook this all in your cast iron pan.  Make a small "hole" and crack an eggs into each one.  Top with cheese and bake for about 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like you eggs cooked.  

One NOTE, let the baked eggs cool for about 4-5 minutes before serving, and remember the eggs will continue to cook during that time.  It's best to take them out when they are a bit undercooked.  Serve with toast.



Here they are when I took them out of the oven.  Sprinkle with green onions before serving.  Maybe a little sour cream on the side, if desired.


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