Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sweet Potato

I tried to re-create a yummy dish from a restaurant that I liked, and this is what I came up with. It was good to the adults. The young 'uns weren't fans, but they don't like sweet potatoes (yet), which was a fatal flaw for them with this dish.

6 sweet potatoes
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
Jamaican Jerk or Carribbean Jerk marinade
1-2 tomatoes
bunch of cilantro
onion (green would probably be best, but I used white)
papaya (I didn't use this, but I believe the restaurant did. Mango might make a good replacemet for it too.)
lime juice
honey

Put the chicken in your slow cooker, top with some of the marinade, and cook for about 5 hours, until done. Shred it and keep it warm.

In the last 1-2 hours, place the sweet potatoes in a glass baking dish, poke with fork, cover with foil, and cook at 375 until nice and soft.

Chop tomatoes, onion and cilantro into bits. Combine. Add a splash of lime juice. It should look like a fresh salsa.

To assemble, take a sweet potato, peel it and mash it onto your plate. Top with chicken, then salsa, then a little drizzled honey.

Yum!

Chocolate Cake in a Mug/Afternoon Lifesaver

This is my favorite new discovery. When you've got to take care of that afternoon craving, but you don't want to make a whole cake or leave evidence behind, this is the perfect solution.


1 coffee mug


1/4 C. flour (plain, not self-rising)
1/3 C. sugar
2 TBS. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
3 TBS. milk
3 TBS. oil
small splash of vanilla
3 TBS. chocolate chips (optional)

Mix the dry ingredients in the mug. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. I know it looks like there's no way they'll fit, but just trust me on this one.

Microwave for 2 min. 45 seconds. You can eat it straight out of the mug or dump it onto a plate. Really, it makes about two servings, which is just right for one mama on a Thursday afternoon

Ratatouille-ish

Still looking for a way to use that eggplant and/or zucchini? Here's a great dish. I'm not sure it's the real ratatouille, but it's close enough.

1 eggplant
1 zucchini
1 onion
1 bell pepper (red was super yummy)
mushrooms
olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2-1 C. white wine
1 lb. sausage (whatever you have--italian, breakfast, etc.)
1 lb. fun pasta. Bowties worked for me.

Pour a tablespoon or two of oil on a cookie sheet. Chop up the vegetables into bite-size cubes, rub in the oil and roast. You can roast with them larger too and then chop them up when they're done, it'll just take them longer to cook.

In the meantime, prepare your pasta. Also, cook up the sausage. When the sausage is cooking, add garlic. Pour wine into sausage and de-glaze the pan, letting the alcohol cook off.

When everything's done, just throw it all together in a large pot and serve, topped with parmesan or mozzarella cheese.

Easiest ever Pie Crust (for a two crust pie)

2 C. flour
1 C. shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2-3 Tbsp. cold water

Mix flour, salt and cut in the shortening until well mixed. Combine the egg, lemon juice and water. Add to the flour mixture slowly, while stirring with a fork. Press into ball. It's easiest to roll out between two sheets of waxed paper.

Lazy Italian Chicken

balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast. Slice to about 1/2-1 inch thickness.
2 Tbstp. oil
2 med. potatoes, sliced thin
1 med.onion, halved and sliced thin
Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 C. chicken broth
1 sm. zucchini
basil
oregano
cheese (mozzarella, provolone, parmesan)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

Rub a splash of vinegar into each side of each chicken piece. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken for 2 min. on each side. Remove chicken to a plate.

Add other Tbsp. oil to pan and layer the potatoes an onions in the pan. Sprinkle with steak seasoning and let cook, turning occasionally until they begin to brown all over.

Add a little broth to the pan. Layer the zucchini over the top of thep potatoes and onion and sprinkle with more steak seasoning. Top with chicken breast. Dump the crushed tomatoes evenly over the top, sprinkle with herbs and cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender (10-12 min.)

Sprinkle the pan with shredded cheese and cover when it's almost done to melt the cheese.

This goes great with garlic bread.

Navajo Tacos

2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 C. milk
1 Tblsp. oil

Pan of oil
chili
cheese
other toppings

Mix dry ingredients in stand mixer or with a fork in a bowl. Add the milk and 1 T. oil to the dry ingredients and mix with paddle attachment or with a fork until well combined. Knead the dough until a smooth ball forms. The dough should be somewhat firm,b ut not dry or sticky. Let the dough rest a few minutes (5ish). Pull off roll-sized balls of dough and roll out to about 1/4-1/8 inch thickness. Fry in oil at about 375 or on med high. Top with chili, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, green onions, olives, etc.

Chicken Pot Pie

The gist of this comes from Betty Crocker.


1 pkg (10oz) frozen peas and carrots or mixed veggies
1/3 C. butter or stick margarine
1/3 C. flour
1 small onion chopped
2-3 stalks celery chopped (optional)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1-2 tsp. rosemary
1 3/4 C. chicken broth
2/3 C. milk
1 1/2-3 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey (canned turkey works great)
Crust for a two inch pie (I actually prefer it better with just a top crust, and it's easier to make that way, but some people like a bottom one too.)

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Melt butter in 2-qt saucepan over med heat. Stir in flour, onion, rosemary, celery, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixtrue is bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in broth and milk. Heat to boling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 min. Stir in chicken and veggies; remove from heat.

Heat oven to 425.

Roll one pastry out and place into 9" baking dish (I really like the corningware casserole dishes for this, or you can use individual dishes, which is really fun.) Pour chicken mixture into pastry lined pan. Roll out remaining crust and make cut-outs in the center. Place crust over chicken filling; arrange cut-outs on top. Turn edges of pastry under and flute...(pinch edges together)

Bake about 35 min or until golden brown.