Mexican Chicken With Sweet Potatoes

 Mexican Chicken flavored with herbs and spices to make this a very tasty dish. Add a sweet potato, corn, and black beans for color and flavor. This is an easy dish to prepare and serve for your family.

You can drain and rinse the black beans off, but I do not do that step.  It adds flavor to the dish. However, feel free to rinse and drain them if you wish. 

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, partially cooked
1/4 c. water
1 Tbs. olive oil
1.5 lbs. chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, diced
1 sweet pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1  tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1.4 tsp. coriander
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. tomatoes, chopped or cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 (15 oz. ) can black beans
1 1/2 c. frozen corn or 1 (15 oz.)can of corn, drained
1 (4 oz.) can green chilies, diced
1/3 c. salsa
1 Tbs. lime juice
1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise.  Place it cut side down in a shallow microwave safe bowl or a dish with sides.

Pour in the water and cover the dish with a sheet of plastic wrap. Poke some holes in the plastic to allow the steam to escape. 

Microwave for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender.  Do not fully cook the sweet potato.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.

In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, oregano, onion powder, coriander, and red pepper flakes. 

In a large cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Carefully add the chicken pieces.

Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.  Sauté the chicken for about 3 minutes.  

Add the onion, sweet pepper and jalapeno pepper. Cook and stir for another 3 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked, and the vegetables are tender.  Lower the heat to medium.  Taste a piece of chicken.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Stir in the other half of the spice blend.  Add the sweet potato, tomatoes, black beans, green chilies, and salsa.  Add salt and pepper and pepper to taste.

Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until everything is heated through and hot. 

Mix in the lime juice. 

Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook until the cheese is melted.

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

This is a very versatile salad dressing. You can use mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt or a combination of all three. If you don't have apple cider vinegar, you can substitute it with balsamic vinegar.

You can use this salad dressing on so many things. It is a delicious dip for vegetables, pour over greens, apples, carrots, broccoli. . . The list goes on.

Ingredients

1/2 c. mayonnaise, or sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. prepared mustard, Dijon is the best, but use what you have
3 to 4 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs. lemon juice (optional)
1 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, olive oil, prepared mustard, honey, vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic. I use an emulsion blender to combine the ingredients, but you can use a whisk, fork, spoon or a regular blender. 

Taste.  Add salt and pepper to taste. If it is too tart for your liking, add a bit more honey.

Pour into a jar that has a tight-fitting lid.

Refrigerate. This dressing keeps for about 10 days. 

Baba Au Alcohol Free Cake

This is a yeast cake, baked golden brown and then soaked in some vanilla and citrus flavors.  Tastes great when served with a dollop of whipped cream. You can also add some fresh or dried fruits on top as well.

Ingredients

1/4 c. hot tap water
1 pkg dry yeast, or 2 1/4 tsp.
1/4 c. sugar
3 eggs (room temperature)
1/2 c. milk, warmed
3/4 stick butter or margarine, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 to 2 1/4 c. flour
1 c. raisins

Syrup

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. orange juice
1 Tbs. vanilla or rum flavoring
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Directions

Set oven temperature to 350°.  Generously grease and flour a 2-quart ring mold or bundt pan.

In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar.  Let stand for 10 minutes in a warm location until the mixture blooms or becomes bubbly.

Add eggs, milk, butter, salt and 1-cup flour.  Beat well with a wooden spoon, or beat on high speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth. 

Stir in enough additional flour to make a thick batter. The mixture should be smooth and all the flour incorporated into the batter.

Stir in the raisins. 

Cover the bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap and place in a warm location until bubbly.  This takes about 1 hour. 

Stir down the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared bundt pan or ring mold. Smooth the top of the batter, so it is evenly distributed in the pan.  Cover the pan with a sheet of plastic wrap and place for about 30 minutes.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.  As the cake is baking, prepare the syrup.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and water.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat.

Stir in orange juice, vanilla extract and nutmeg.  

Remove the cake from the oven when the cake is done. Immediately prick the surface of the cake with a fork. 

Slowly pour the Syrup over the cake.  After the syrup's absorbed into the cake, remove the cake from the pan.

Notes

If you want a Baba Au Rum cake, change the vanilla to rum in the syrup.

Hamburger Bean Dish

This is an easy dish to put together. It makes a hearty meal that your family is sure to love. Serve it with coleslaw, creamy cucumbers and sourdough biscuits for a complete meal. 

You can use any beans that you like best, even baked beans. Fresh tomatoes, onions, and peppers from the garden gives this dish a great flavor.

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs. hamburger, ground sausage, or half hamburger and half ground sausage
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion sliced
1 sweet pepper, diced
1 can kidney beans
1 (24 oz.) can tomatoes
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked

Directions

Heat oven to 350°.   

Brown the ground beef in a cast iron skillet until it is no longer pink. Drain off excess fat. The beef does not have to be fully cooked. You just want most of the grease out of the dish.

Place hamburger in a casserole dish or leave it in the skillet if it is oven safe. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.

Next, layer the sliced onions over the top of the ground beef. Then add a layer of sweet peppers, kidney beans, tomatoes, and finally, the cooked bacon. Cover with a sheet of foil, or a lid.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Notes:

You can also make this on the grill by cooking it over medium low coals. You can also use the slow cooker as well.

Moist Yellow Cake

Forget about buying a boxed cake mix at the store.  This cake is so easy and so good, you will never want to buy a mix again.  

You can save a lot of money and is just as easy to make!

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
4 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
3 tsp. vegetable oil

Frosting

2 sticks butter, softened
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
2 to 4 Tbs. milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans or  one 13 x 9-inch cake pan. You can also just grease the pans and then line them with parchment paper for easy removal from the pans. If you want to make cupcakes, this recipe is perfect for those as well. Just line with paper baking cups.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.  Mix for 30 seconds.  Be careful to start on low speed, otherwise you will have flour all over the kitchen. 

Add milk, eggs, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute.

Pour batter into prepared pan or pans.

For 8-inch pans, bake 20 to 25 minutes. A 9 x 13-inch baking pan, bake 30 to 38 minutes.  If you are making cupcakes, check them after 15 minutes.  Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  

Remove from oven and cool.  If you are using the round cake pans, allow them to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then carefully turn them out and cool on wire racks.  Frost when cool.

Prepare frosting by beating butter for 1 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. 

Gradually add powdered sugar. Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.   

Mix in the vanilla.  

Beat in the milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you have the consistency that you want.  Frost the cake, cut, serve and enjoy.

Easy Barbecued Spareribs

Ingredients

3 lbs. spareribs, cut in serving size pieces
3/4 c.  ketchup
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
1/4 c. honey
2 1/2 Tbs. soy sauce
3/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper

Directions

 Preheat oven to 350°.  You can also grill the ribs as well.

Put the spareribs on a rack and place it in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan or roasting pan with the meaty side up. Season both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper.

Cover with a lid or a sheet of foil.  

Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until the meat is tender.

Remove the racks and drain the grease out of the pan.

In a bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, salt, mustard, garlic powder.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Pour the barbecue sauce over the ribs.   

Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes. Baste the ribs with the sauce occasionally. If grilling, grill over medium-hot heat. The spareribs are done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat away from the bone registers 145°.

Roasted Garlic Potatoes and Green Beans

Roasted Herb Potatoes and Garlic Green Beans

 

Potatoes and fresh from the garden green beans go very well together. Season them with garlic, and herbs for a great tasting side dish.

Ingredients

2 1/4 lbs. potatoes
1 1/4 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 to 3/4  Tbs. garlic powder or granulated
3/4 Tbs. Italian seasoning
3/4 Tbs. paprika
3/4 tsp. salt 
1/3 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 lbs. green beans, yellow beans, purple beans, trimmed
3/4 Tbs. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Wash the potatoes. You can peel the potatoes, but it is not necessary. Cut them into bite size cubes and place them in a large mixing bowl. 

Add olive oil.  Stir so that each potato cubes haves a coating of olive oil. 

Sprinkle oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Mix thoroughly, so each potato has some spices on it. 

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Spread them out evenly.

Bake for 15 minutes, stirring them occasionally, so they do not burn.

Snap or cut the tips  off from the green beans. Cut or snap them in half or in pieces about 2 inches (ca. 5 cm) long.  Place them in the same bowl you mixed the potatoes in.

Add olive oil. Stir so the beans have a coating of olive oil. 

Stir in garlic, salt, and pepper. 

Add the beans on top of the potatoes. Mix the two together carefully because the baking sheet will be hot. 

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the beans and potatoes are tender.  It is a good idea to stir them at least once or twice during the baking, so they do not stick to the baking sheet.  Season  with more salt and pepper if desired.