Sweet Potato Salad

3 large sweet potatoes

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (red wine of golden balsamic work)

2 Tbsp orange juice

2 Tbsp real maple syrup

1 tsp dijon mustard

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed

1/2 c dried cranberries (make sure they are the no sugar kind)

1/4 c pecans, soaked and dried, then toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions:

Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil.  Bake them at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Peel potatoes, and cut into cubes. 

Whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, maple syrup, mustard, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well-blended.  Set aside.

Add the apple, dried cranberries and pecans to the sweet potatoes.  Toss gently with the dressing.  Serve warm or chilled.

Herb Roasted Potatoes

Recipe Source: http://myeclectickitchen.com/2009/08/herb-roasted-potatoes/

I made these Herb Roasted potatoes to go with our Easter dinner and we all loved them! I believe the original recipe intends for fresh herbs to be used, but I used dried because that is what I had on hand and they still turned out wonderful. I also forgot the garlic, so I tossed in some garlic powder when I put them in the serving bowl. I used red potatoes but this recipe would be great with any variety. I am excited to try it with sweet potatoes!

I ate mine plain, but the kids dipped theirs in a little bit of ranch dip.  They would also be good with ketchup.

This will definitely be a go to potatoes recipe from now on!

Ingredients:

9 small baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 - 6 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp rosemary, minced
3/4 tsp parsley, minced
3/4 tsp thyme, minced
2 - 3 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt
cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Heat an unlined half sheet pan in a 400 F degree oven.

2. Scrub the potatoes and cut into approximately 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, mix together garlic, herbs, and olive oil. Add the potatoes to the bowl and coat the potatoes with the garlic herb mixture. Season with sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste. 

3. Once the pan in the oven is hot, open the oven, and carefully pull out the oven rack where the hot pan is set, quickly spray the pan with cooking spray and pour the potatoes onto the pan. You should hear a sizzle. The hot pan should give the potatoes a nice browning. Spread the potatoes into an even layer so that each piece is touching the pan.

4. Make sure to flip the potatoes a few times in the oven to prevent burning and to brown each side.

5. After 30-40 minutes, once the potatoes are browned and tender, remove the pan from the oven. Serve.

Slow Cooker Latin Chicken

Recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Latin-Chicken/Detail.aspx

Sheri recommended this recipe and we all enjoyed it. I made a couple of changes based on comments in the recipe reviews. It made a lot for our little family. I will probably halve the recipe unless we are having guests in the the future. For those with more kids (and older kids who eat more) the recipe would probably make a good amount without changes. We served over a brown and wild rice blend with a side salad. One commenter recommended serving in corn tortillas or hard taco shells with lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream which would also be tasty.

Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 4 Hours 10 Minutes Ready In: 4 Hours 35 Minutes Servings: 6

"Spicy cumin, chicken, salsa, black beans, and sweet potatoes combine into a flavorful stew. The thigh meat has unbelievable flavor and tenderness."

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil 3 pounds skinless chicken thighs salt and ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into chunks 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips 2 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1 can corn, drained (optional --not part of original recipe. I added based on comments)

1/2 cup chicken broth (increased to 3/4 cup) 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves 1 cup medium or hot salsa (increased to 1 1/2 cups based on comments) 2 teaspoons ground cumin (increase to 1 Tbsp) 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (increase to 3/4 tsp) 3 large cloves garlic, chopped (I used 4) lime wedges, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat the olive oil in a large skillet; season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cilantro over the chicken thighs; brown the chicken in the frying pan, 3 to 5 minutes each side.
2.	Arrange the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, and black beans on top of the chicken. Mix together the chicken broth, 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, salsa, cumin, allspice, and garlic together in a bowl; pour into the slow cooker. Set slow cooker to LOW and cook for 4 hours. Garnish with lime wedges to serve.

Roasted Garlic Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Recipe and picture source:
http://ourbestbites.com/2013/11/roasted-garlic-chipotle-sweet-potatoes/

Here is the recipe for the savory mashed sweet potatoes I made at Thanksgiving. The recipe makes a lot, so unless it is for a gathering I recommend halving the recipe.

Roasted Garlic Chipotle Sweet Potatoes
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

5 pounds fresh sweet potatoes
2 heads garlic
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
Buttermilk (about 1/4-1/2 cup)
Adobo sauce from chipotle chilies (and some chilies if you want some extra heat)
kosher salt, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 425. Cut the tops off the bulbs of garlic. Tear a sheet of aluminum foil big enough to tightly wrap both the bulbs of garlic and place them, cut side up, on top of the foil and drizzle each of them with about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Wrap tightly with foil and place them, cut side up, into the heated oven. Roast the garlic for about 45 minutes. If you happen to have the oven going for other Thanksgiving-y things, just pop these in with them; if the temperature is lower, you’ll just have to extend the roasting time to about an hour. Just keep an eye (and a nose) on things; when it smells amazing and the garlic is soft, it’s ready.

As the garlic is finishing up, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into pieces that are roughly the same size. Boil the sweet potatoes until they are easily pierced with a fork. Drain, then transfer to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

When the garlic is done roasting, unwrap it and allow it to cool for a few minutes and then carefully squeeze it into the sweet potatoes, picking out any of the skins. Add 4 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and about 2-3 tablespoons of adobo sauce. With the wire whip attachment (or with a handheld electric mixer), mix until the potatoes break down and the butter melts. Test and add salt and adobo sauce to taste; I’d give specific measurements here, but this is going to be largely personal–some of you may end up adding all the adobo sauce or even a chili or two whereas for others, 2-3 tablespoons will be plenty (it will add a nice, smokey flavor and a tiny, tiny bit of spice).

When the seasonings are about right, add enough buttermilk to reach the desired consistency. Again, this will be super personal; some people like their whipped potatoes smooth as silk and other others like them lumpy. When you have the consistency you want, taste them again for salt and spiciness and add more adobo sauce and/or salt taste.

Serve immediately or transfer  to a baking dish and cover with foil for up to 2-3 days. When you’re ready to serve them, pop them (covered) into an oven heated to 425 degrees for about 1/2 hour. Or you could zap them in the microwave, but I’m not sure how long.

Serve with holiday meals or as a side dish for sandwiches, steaks, or roasts. Makes 12-14 servings.

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Mexican Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Recipe and Picture Source:
 http://pinchofyum.com/healthy-mexican-sweet-potato-skins

We had these stuffed sweet potatoes the other night and really enjoyed them! Great by itself or with a salad on the side.

Prep time:  1 hour

Total time:  1 hour

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 can corn, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 2-4 INDIVIDUAL chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced or pureed (not the whole can!)*
• 1 ounce light cream cheese
• ¼ cup light sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt (+ more to taste)
• ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 6 tablespoons shredded cheese (Pepperjack, Cheddar, Colby Jack... anything will work)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes.
2. While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with no butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and other Mexican seasoning (as much as you want). Do not stir! Let corn roast for several minutes before stirring. Let it roast for a few more minutes before stirring again. Continue this for about 10 minutes, until corn is browned and roasted on the outside. Set aside in a small bowl with the black beans.
3. Saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. Set aside.
4. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven when fork-tender. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Scrape the flesh of the sweet potatoes out, leaving the skins intact. Sometimes leaving a thin layer of potato inside of the skins helps them hold together better.
5. Mix the flesh of the sweet potatoes with the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle peppers, and salt. You can use a mixer or just a spoon, depending on how soft the potatoes are. When well-mixed, gently stir in the black beans, roasted corn, sauteed onions, and cilantro.
6. Scoop the filling into the skins and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*I would recommend starting with 2 chipotle peppers. I convinced Josh to use 3 instead of the 4 he wanted and it was just right for us, but I know many in the family don't like things too spicy.

Sweet Potatoes

3 c. cooked mashed yams
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together

Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter (softened)
1 c. chopped pecans

Mix together, and put on top of sweet potato mixture
Bake @ 375 degrees for 30 minutes