Chicken with Balsamic Fig Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 lb thin chicken
• 2 shallots
• 2 sprigs rosemary or 2 tsp (remove needles & bundle needles together and chop across)
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Shallots
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon Chicken stock concentrate
• 1 oz Fig Jam
• Drizzle Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

For side dishes:

• 1/2 lb potatoes
• 3 cups snap peas
• drizzle olive oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel ans season all over with salt and pepper. Cook in pan until no longer pink in center 5-7 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside to rest.
2. Lower heat under pan to medium. Add Shallot, chopped rosemary, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook, tossing, until softened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and fig jam. Simmer until syrupy, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup water and stock concentrate. Let reduce until saucy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 TBSP butter. Season with salt & pepper.
3. Thinly slice chicken. Drizzle chicken with sauce. 

I served mine with roasted potatoes & snap peas.

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Cut potatoes in 1/2 inch cubes, toss potatoes and snap peas in olive oil, and a dash of salt & pepper. Toss on baking sheet and cook in oven until tender and browned, 20-25 minutes.

*Leave butter out if you'd like the dish to be dairy free.

* You can sub sweet potatoes for regular potatoes & sub green beans for the snap peas.

Red-Leaf Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium red onion, quartered
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• course salt & ground black pepper
• 1 package (10 ounce) frozen cut green beans, thawed
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1 cup plain low fat yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 head (10 ounce) red-leaf lettuce, torn bite size

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. On large rimmed baking sheet, toss together sweet potatoes, onion, and oil, season with salt & pepper. Roast until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Add green beans and walnuts to sheet; toss. Roast until green beans are tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, and garlic; season dressing with salt & pepper. 
5. Top lettuce with roasted vegetable mixture; drizzle with dressing.

~Recipe from Real Food Magazine, 2008

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchilada

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes sweet potatoes, 25 minutes enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 can black beans or 2 cups cooked black beans
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 can red enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into bite sized chunks. Cook in boiling water until cooked through. Drain and put in large mixing bowl.
3. Add to the sweet potatoes the drained& rinsed can of black beans, and salsa. Gently combine.
4. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the corn tortillas, roll and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat for all the tortillas.
5. Pour the red enchilada sauce over the top and then add the shredded cheese over the sauce.
6. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, or until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbly.
7. Let cool slightly before serving
8. Enjoy!

~Original recipe from 5dollardinners.com

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

• sweet potatoes
• olive oil
• thyme
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Cut sweet potato into 1 inch steak fries.
3. Toss in olive oil, thyme, salt & pepper.
4. Place on baking sheet.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then flip and bake for another 6-8 minutes. 
6. Serve with honey mustard or plain.

*Place foil or silicon mat on baking sheet for easy cleanup.

Recipe via Stephanie M.

Fancy rice & beans

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 can black beans or kidney beans
• large handful spinach
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• salt & pepper
• garlic powder
• Salsa for serving

Directions:

1. Cook rice.
2. Either bake or boil sweet potato.
3. Once rice and potatoes are cooked mix them together.
4. Add black or kidney beans, finely chopped spinach (to mask it for the littles) and cheese to taste.
5. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
6. Serve with salsa on top.

~Recipe via Stephanie

Sweet Potato Hash

Ingredients:

• sweet potato
• olive oil
• dried dill
• dried basil
• garlic powder
• white pepper
• eggs

Directions:

1. Grate sweet potato
2. Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium heat. 
3. Put grated sweet potato in heated frying pan and mix in dried dill, dried basil, garlic powder and white pepper to taste.
4. Cover pan for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked (taste them and they should be soft and tasty). 
5. Once potatoes are cooked, add as many eggs as you'd like and mix all together for a different kind of hash. 

*I usually use about 4 eggs per half of a sweet potato.

~Recipe via Stephanie