Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

There's a Lean Cuisine I like called Ranchero Braised Beef with Chipotle Sweet Potatoes. Admittedly, lots of Lean Cuisines aren't very good. But this one doesn't totally suck. The meat isn't great... but I love the sauce mixed with the mashed chipotle sweet potatoes. So I decided to make the Sweet Spicy Mashies myself.



Alton Brown's Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can of peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put cubed potatoes into steamer basket and place steamer into a large pot of simmering water that is no closer than 2 inches from the bottom of basket. Allow to steam for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add butter to potatoes and mash with potato masher. Add peppers, sauce, and salt and continue mashing to combine. Serve immediately.

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I have 4 sweet potatoes, because mine were pretty small.


Peel 'em.


Cut them into cubes and steam them for 20 minutes or until they're fork tender.


While they're steaming, you can chop your chipotle pepper.

I like to buy the San Marcos brand, because it's a really small can and I usually only use one pepper at a time.


Mmmm... spicy & smokey!


Even with one chipotle, these potatoes have a nice spicy kick.


All steamed and tender, butter added...


Mash them up!


Add the pepper & sauce.


Mix until the pepper and sauce are well combined with the sweet potatoes.


Now they're ready to serve.

They were perfect with some grilled chicken, sugar snap peas and baked beans.


The color is bright and gorgeous! They were creamy, sweet and spicy! Totally delicious! And a gazillion times better than a Lean Cuisine!

Mexican Quinoa with Pintos

I have been dying to try quinoa, "grain of the gods" as they call it.

Out of the blue, I finally decided it was time.

I went to Giant Eagle. Even though it seems like this is a pretty mainstream kind of ingredient, my Giant Eagle isn't the best store to find anything that could be considered even slightly exotic.

After looking every place I thought it might be, with no luck. It struck me that I should check out their teeny tiny little organic section. I found it there. Almost five bucks for a little bag. I'll have to remember to look at Trader Joe's next time I'm there. I'm pretty sure it will be cheaper!



Mexican Quinoa with Pintos
3/4 C quinoa
1 1/2 C veggie stock
1 can Mexican Rotel (with lime juice & cilantro), drained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Salt

Pour quinoa and veggie stock into a sauce pan and heat until boiling.
Cover sauce pan and turn heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until stock is absorbed and quinoa is translucent.
Fluff with fork.
Stir in drained Mexican Rotel and drained & rinse pintos.
Enjoy!

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So first you need quinoa.


This smells so good! Kinda earthy and nutty.

And some veggie stock.


That's also very expensive at Giant Eagle. I really need to stock up next time I'm at Trader Joe's.

So quinoa and veggie stock into a sauce pan.


Heat until boiling, then cover pan and turn heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, until stock is absorbed and quinoa is translucent.



Stir in some drained Mexican Rotel.


And some pintos.


I could have drained my Rotal a little more. A couple minutes over the heat will dry this up a bit more.

Now you have a perfect side!


Bob was totally not interested in trying this and Tawny and Jon seemed to like it. I thought it was great! I love quinoa and can't wait to try more recipes with it!

Foolproof Mexican Rice

Let me start by saying I'm usually awful at making rice from scratch.

When I make Mexican/TexMex, I usually make rice from a box mix. Jon's not a huge fan of those, but I really do like them.

I'd made Mexican Rice once before from scratch and it was tasty, but since I've never made it again, I guess not so memorable.

I was watching Marcella Valladolid's Mexican Made Easy one day and she made Arroz Mexicano. It looked so easy! I found her recipe online and gave it a try.



Foolproof Mexican Rice
3 vine-ripened tomatoes (or one 15 oz can whole tomatoes)
2 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large chopped onion
1 large finely diced carrot
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 cups medium-grain rice
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
1 whole serrano chile
2 TBLS tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed

Cut the tomatoes in half, and remove the seeds. If using canned, just put them in the blender.
Add the tomatoes and 2 cups of broth to a blender and puree.
Strain into a bowl and reserve the liquid.
Add enough extra broth to make 4 cups of liquid.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and carrots and saute for 4 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Stir in the rice and cook until slightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomato broth mixture, stir and bring to boil.
Add the salt, bay leaf, tomato paste and the serrano chile.
Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat.
Scatter the peas over the top of the rice, cover, and let the rice stand 5 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork, transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

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I start by prepping the tomatoes.

When I don't have fresh tomatoes, I just use a 15 oz can of whole tomatoes and pour the whole thing into the blender.

But I had some this time.


Then blend with 2 cups of chicken broth, sometimes I use veggie broth.


And strain that into a 4 cup measuring cup.


Top it up to 4 cups with more broth.

Now... onions and carrots into the pot with oil.


After about 4 minutes, add the garlic and saute for about a minute.

Then add the rice and cook a few minutes, until a little toasted


Add the tomato broth mixture and stir and cook until boiling.

Then add salt, tomato paste, bay leaf and serrano pepper.


Cover and simmer until the rice is tender. Remove from heat.


Sprinkle the peas in and cover the pan and let rest 5 minutes.


Fluff with fork and it's ready to serve!


A perfect side dish!!


This rice is wicked easy and wicked good!!

It's mildly flavored and really goes well with everything. It's definitely Jon's favorite. Bobby loves it too. And even though I do still like my Rice-a-Roni... I really LOVE this rice!!! It takes no longer to make than the prepackaged stuff and is just so much better!!



And... it means I don't suck at making rice anymore!!!!

Whitney's Broccoli Salad with a Tangy Twist

I had this the first time at my friend Whitney's house. For my long time readers, you might remember her from my wine tasting parties last year.

I instantly LOVED it!

She often includes it if we're going to dinner at her house, because she knows we all love it. When we plan a weekend's worth of meals when our families play together at her lake cottages, I always suggest she make that.

It's so yummy!

Recently I attended at potluck meeting at Bob's school. His section of the alphabet had to bring either a side dish or salad. I instantly thought of Whitney's Broccoli Salad.

She'd told me what was in it, but I didn't have the actual recipe.

Being the procrastinator that I am, I waited until the very last minute. So I looked it up online. I've heard people mention how much they love Broccoli Salad, so I figured the recipe would be easy to find. And it was.

But, being Whitney, she always puts her own special twist on everything.

All the recipes I found for this salad called for raisins. But Whitney uses craisins! I don't have the slightest desire to even try it with raisins, because craisins are just perfect in it!



These quantities are approximate.

Whitney's Broccoli Salad
2 bunches of broccoli, florets
1/2 C craisins
1/2 C bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/4 C red onion, diced
1 C cheddar cheese, shredded
1 C cole slaw dressing

Toss all ingredients except dressing until well mixed. The toss with dressing until it's evenly coated.
This filled a 13 x 9 pan.

Chop the broccoli.


What to do with these?


Makes me kinda wish I had a bunny.

They're great for soup.

Or roasted... or sliced in stir fry... or grated in slaw or salad...

LOTS of stuff! Don't let all of those vitamins & fiber end up in your compost pile!

The Broccoli is ready!


Toss in Diced Onions.


Craisins (Whitney's tangy delicious twist!)


Bacon


Cheese


Toss until well mixed.


Add the Cole Slaw Dressing.


I used T. Marzetti Slaw Dressing. It's wicked good and I had to make this right after work, wicked fast, to bring to the pot luck. But you could totally make your own dressing. (and I'm sure it would be almost just as fast... but this was WAY easier for me!)



Toss to coat!


That's it! How easy is that?

Lots of you probably already know, since this is a popular salad.

But I urge you to try it with CRAISINS next time you make it!



You'll never go back to raisins!



Thanks Whitney! This is for you!!