Tag Archives: Sweet potato

One-Pot Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

One-Pot Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

Lots going on around here! Let’s see… we had a great Valentine’s day! I made strawberry pancakes for my kiddos with my own baking mix.

20140221-181813.jpg 20140221-181836.jpgI’m still trying to perfect the ratios but I will posts as soon as I like the results. They love pancakes and request them most mornings (well the one that talks does!). Both gobble them up every time. I put bananas, berries (either blue or straw) and then after they are made, top them with cashew butter. They are delicious!

In other news, winter is slowly making its way out of Florida and spring should be here soon! Yay! I made this Chicken and Sweet Potato thing still in the heart of the cold but I think it could be good year round. Maybe I just love sweet potatoes a little too much!

One-Pot Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 tsp garlic and onion powder, each
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 TBL olive oil
  • 1 lb chicken tenders (or cut up larger breast pieces)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 1-1 1/2 lb sweet potato, diced 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 1/3 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped

One-Pot Chicken with Sweet potatoes and Spinach

Directions:

Start by stirring together the seasoning mix in a small bowl: garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper.

One-Pot Chicken with Sweet potatoes and Spinach

Lay out the chicken pieces and sprinkle with seasonings on both sides. Put oil in large, preheated pot and brown chicken on either side, about 3-4 min each. Remove and set aside.

One-Pot Chicken with Sweet potatoes and Spinach

Add onion, mushrooms and sweet potatoes to pan and cook for 8 min, stirring frequently.

One-Pot Chicken with Sweet potatoes and Spinach One-Pot Chicken with Sweet potatoes and Spinach

Add oil if it starts to stick too much. Add chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste.

One-Pot Chicken with Sweet potatoes and Spinach

Bring to boil and cover. Replace chicken in pot and reduce heat.

One-Pot Chicken with Sweet potatoes and Spinach

Cook covered for 4-6 minutes until sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Turn off heat and stir in chopped spinach.

One-Pot Chicken with Sweet potatoes and Spinach

We put this on a bed of quinoa cooked in chicken stock. It was really just so yummy! You could also use brown rice or something similar but it was pretty good just on its own! Just for those of you that are interested, its also gluten free, dairy free and very simple to make. What more can you ask?!

One-Pot Chicken with Sweet potatoes and Spinach

4.5 from 2 reviews
One-Pot Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8 servings
 
Ingredients
  • ½ tsp garlic and onion powder, each
  • ¼ tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 TBL olive oil
  • 1 lb chicken tenders (or cut up larger breast pieces)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 1-1½ lb sweet potato, diced ½ inch cubes
  • 1⅓ cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup baby spinach, chopped
Instructions
  1. Start by stirring together the seasoning mix in a small bowl: garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
  2. Lay out the chicken pieces and sprinkle with seasonings on both sides. Put oil in large, preheated pot and brown chicken on either side, about 3-4 min each. Remove and set aside.
  3. Add onion, mushrooms and sweet potatoes to pan and cook for 8 min, stirring frequently.
  4. Add oil if it starts to stick too much. Add chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Bring to boil and cover. Replace chicken in pot and reduce heat.
  6. Cook covered for 4-6 minutes until sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Turn off heat and stir in chopped spinach.
  7. Can be served over quinoa or brown rice if desired.
 

Please let me know what you thought of the One-Pot Chicken with Sweet potatoes and Spinach! I would love to hear from you!

Strip Steak with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

Strip Steak with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

In an effort to post more efficiently, I tried a new method: iPad photos only. I don’t think it is an “everytime” kind of method but I wanted to see if the process was streamlined at all. My dslr camera is still my preferred photo taker (imagine that!) but sometimes I would like to do something super fast and that way ain’t it! So bear with the less clear photos and know this is not the norm!

So this dinner is something that is slightly more difficult for a 3 and 1 year old to eat so the hubby and I ate this meal after the babies had already eaten. Although both of them did ask to try some bites so maybe I should have just made it for all of us!

I tried to cook and time myself to give an approximate time frame but I had to delay things since we had a later arrival home than what I originally anticipated. That being said, I would guess you could do this whole meal in 60 minutes. I will post the recipes separately to make them easier to follow but none of them really have to be babysat individually for a long length of time.

Regardless, here they are. We really love this kind of meal, colorful, flavorful and not terribly difficult.

Strip Steak Ingredients

NY strip steak with red wine reduction

2-3 Steaks, about 1/2 in. in width, a little less than 2 pounds total
1 TBL olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TBL butter
1/2 cup red wine
2 TBL half and half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take steaks out to rest and start their marinade. Blot dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place in plastic zip top bag and drizzle olive oil and soy sauce. Set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes.

20140115-150258.jpg
When ready to cook, heat on high heat, a large skillet big enough to hold all the steaks without over crowding. Place in the hot pan the steaks for 2 minutes per side, only turning once.

20140115-150322.jpg
Remove from heat and place on a sheet pan and finish in oven for 5-10 minutes depending on how you like your steak’s done-ness. Remove from oven and let rest uncovered for 10 minutes.

20140115-150345.jpg

We like a medium steak so I believe I had them in a total of 7 minutes. Use a digital thermometer to make sure the inside temperature is exact. Mine read 130 degrees and rested up to about 137. Here is a good table for temperature and done ness: http://www.thestayathomechef.com/2013/02/new-york-strip-steak-topped-with-garlic.html
While steaks are in oven, pour red wine in pan with stuck on bits, scraping up to remove bits from bottom.

20140115-151309.jpg

Let wine reduce by half and add half and half. Stir to incorporate. Let warm through for another minute and add butter.

20140115-150340.jpg

Remove from pan and serve along side of steaks

NY strip steak with red wine reduction
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 2-3 Steaks, about ½ in. in width,a little less than 2 pounds total
  • 1 TBL olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 TBL butter
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 2 TBL half and half
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take steaks out to rest and start their marinade. Blot dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place in plastic zip top bag and drizzle olive oil and soy sauce. Set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes.
  2. When ready to cook, heat on high heat, a large skillet big enough to hold all the steaks without over crowding. Place in the hot pan the steaks for 2 minutes per side, only turning once.
  3. Remove from heat and place on a sheet pan and finish in oven for 5-10 minutes depending on how you like your steak's done-ness. Remove from oven and let rest uncovered for 10 minutes.
  4. While steaks are in oven, pour red wine in pan with stuck on bits, scraping up to remove bits from bottom.
  5. Let wine reduce by half and add half and half. Stir to incorporate. Let warm through for another minute and add butter.
  6. Remove from pan and serve along side of steaks.
 

Sweet Potato Mash with Rosemary

Sweet Potatoes (3 Large)
1/2 cup half and half
salt and pepper
3 TBL butter
1 TBL chopped fresh rosemary

Clean and peel the sweet potatoes.

20140115-151331.jpg20140115-151338.jpg

Cube into 1 inch pieces and steam for 15 minutes on stove, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

20140115-151353.jpg20140115-151401.jpg

Remove from heat and mash with half and half, butter, 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper, each and rosemary. (I usually put this in the oven to stay warm while I finish the rest of the meal.)

20140115-151414.jpg 20140115-151405.jpg

Sweet Potato Mash with Rosemary
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 servings
 
Ingredients
  • Sweet Potatoes (3 Large)
  • ½ cup half and half
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 TBL butter
  • 1 TBL chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
  1. Clean and peel the sweet potatoes.
  2. Cube into 1 inch pieces and steam for 15 minutes on stove, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
  3. Remove from heat and mash with half and half, butter, ½ tsp of salt and pepper, each and rosemary. (I usually put this in the oven to stay warm while I finish the rest of the meal.)
Sauteed Spinach with Mushrooms and Onions

(I actually adapted this recipe:
http://healthyfortwo.com/2012/01/10/quick-sauted-spinach/)

1 TBL olive oil
1 onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 pound baby spinach
salt and pepper

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute the onions and mushrooms until softened, about 6 minutes.

20140115-151446.jpg

Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

20140115-151507.jpg

Add spinach and stir until all leaves are starting to wilt and soften.

20140115-151521.jpg

This should only take a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

20140115-151526.jpg20140115-151531.jpg

Sauteed Spinach with Mushrooms and Onions
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 1 TBL olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced thin
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 pound baby spinach
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute the onions and mushrooms until softened, about 6 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add spinach and stir until all leaves are starting to wilt and soften.
  4. This should only take a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
The finished plate:

Steak with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

I hope if you make even one for these recipes, please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to know what you think!

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie

We started making this easy recipe when our whole family went on a gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, no-preservative diet. We were trying to eat this paleo diet (like the paleolithic times!) to see if it eased my daughter’s eczema. Unfortunately, it didn’t really help her symptoms much and she still had a lot of itching and dryness. On the plus side, we felt great, it made us eat a ton of vegetables and healthy foods and cut out a lot of unnecessary junk in our lives.

Nowadays, we still eat pretty healthfully and I make shephards or cottage pie (or turkey) every few weeks or so. Its such an easy way to get a lot of veggies in a dish and its easy to prep in advance, most likely during a nap time. It also has such a homey, filling quality to it. I hope you enjoy it as well!

There is a lot of chopping involved here, but it really makes the dish super hearty and delicious. It’s something I feel really happy about feeding to my family 🙂 You can always do that step in advance and store until you are ready to cook.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have my special helper this time.

Harper chose to work on "her job" instead of cooking with me this time
Harper chose to work on “her job” instead of cooking with me this time

But this guy came to keep me company:

Waiting for any dropped food!
Waiting for any dropped food!

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie

2 lbs. ground beef (I used 93/7 this time.)
1 tsp each: thyme, basil, oregano
1 medium onion
1 red pepper
4 oz mushrooms
4 celery stalks
4 carrots (or big handful of baby carrots)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 TBL worcestershire
1 1/3 cup chicken broth, divided (Or beef broth)
2 tomatoes
2-3 large sweet potatoes*
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup milk
parmesan cheese

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- Ingredients

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cube sweet potatoes and place in boiling water to steam 10-15 minutes, until fork-tender.

(*FYI I roasted my sweet potatoes the day before for 1 hr in 375 degree oven wrapped in foil and then cooled and refrigerated overnight).

Start filling by browning meat in large skillet and seasoning with salt and pepper and all herbs. Remove to another dish, leaving any fat in pan and set aside.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- Browned meat

Chop veggies: onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, red pepper and garlic. Add to skillet on medium low heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- Chopped veggies Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- Veggies

While veggies cook, remove sweet potatoes and mash. (I use my immersion blender, it’s awesome!) Add garlic and onion powder, milk and 1/3 cup of chicken broth, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- Mashed sweet potatoes

Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth to veggies and scrape up any bits on bottom of pan.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- broth added

Chop tomatoes and add to veggies. Add tomato paste and worcestershire, continuing to stir.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- Tomato, worcestershire added

Add another 3/4 cup of chicken stock and bring to simmer, 1-2 minutes.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- skillet

Return beef to pan and stir to incorporate.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- Filling complete

Add beef and veggie mix to 9 by 11 in pan. I find it helpful to press everything down with my spatula to even-out the filling.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- in the dish

Mound sweet potatoes by the spoonful atop the beef filling.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- Sweet potato dollops

Grate parmesan cheese all over top. The dish can be covered and put in refrigerator if need be or placed directly in oven, uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- grated cheese

I like to broil the top for the last 2-3 minutes to get cheese really melted. Let stand for 5 minutes, then dig in!

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- in the oven Sweet Potato Cottage Pie- broiled

Please let me know what you thought of the Sweet Potato Cottage Pie! I would love to hear from you!

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie