Southwest Sweet Potato Bowls

This is one of our family favorites since Florida. We like to watch The Biggest Loser and got on their website to make this recipe after seeing it on one of the episodes. It was originally made with baked sweet potatoes, which of course takes a good chunk of time. So when I realized a way to make it in less than 30 minutes tonight, I figured it was a blog-worthy share! These ingredients might make you wonder what the heck we were thinking, but I promise the combination of flavors is absolutely delicious. And now it's an easy, quick, filling, healthy dinner!

What you'll need:

3 medium sweet potatoes

1 lb ground turkey

1 jar of  salsa

1 jar of salsa verde 

Greek yogurt (you can sub sour cream)

Optional: any additional toppings. 

   (This time we used: 1 can of black beans, 1/4 red onion, and 1/2 of an avocado.)

***Serving: This recipe made enough for 3 large bowls.

Peel and cube three sweet potatoes and steam for about 20 minutes (until fork tender). Brown 1 lb of ground turkey. The only thing I added to the meat was cilantro. There is plenty of added seasonings in the salsas. Also, you should prep any additional ingredients you want to add at this time. (I heated the black beans, diced the onions, sliced the avocado.) Once the taters are tender and turkey is brown, layer up!

Scoop the sweet potatoes into a bowl. Spoon on some salsa.

Pile on the ground turkey, and smother in some salsa verde. 

Cover in black beans, greek yogurt, and red onion. Or just a dollop of the greek yogurt will do. Garnish with avocado and enjoy! Mix it up or mash it up and munch it up. Yummm.

Breakfast Burritos

I'm not a morning gal. To the few of you who read my blog, this isn't news. And because my people are the most important, I'm always looking for short cuts with everything else. So, when my anti-a.m. self was met by motherhood, I needed a quick fix. 

Having a Baby + Breastfeeding = Waking Up Exhausted + Starving 

Solution?? Breakfast Burritos!!

I had purchased all the ingredients, but was putting off making these bad boys because I assumed it was going to be a long messy process. But I finally bit the burrito bullet and was surprised by how quickly I had breakfast for both Hubs and me for a whole week!

You will need:

1 carton (12) eggs

1 package of Jimmy Dean sausage

1 green pepper

1 bottle of salsa

1 bag of shredded cheese

12 tortillas

Basically, you can change/add to/omit any of the ingredients above. Use bacon instead of sausage, perhaps. Or add spinach and feta instead of green pepper and salsa. You can almost make these burritos any way you want. 

(We like our food spicy hot. I buy the hot sausage, the hot salsa, and I added cilantro, crushed red pepper, and Tabasco to the eggs.) 

Brown the sausage and add diced peppers. Put aside in a spare bowl. 

Scramble all 12 eggs in same pan that you used for the sausage and peppers. When eggs are done, add sausage and peppers back to the pan and mix. Let cool completely.

Next step is to stuff the burritos. I cut 12 foils and tore 12 paper towels. Layer on a plate in this order: one foil, one paper towel, one tortilla, add egg and sausage mix, then top with cheese and a healthy dose of salsa. (We omitted the cheese because Hubs had eaten it all in the fews days between the grocery run and making these.) 

Tip: fold in the sides first, as pictured. This theoretically keeps the stuffing in the tortilla. Then roll the burrito. Roll it up in the paper towel, then roll that up in the foil. The foil helps the burritos keep longer, (or so I read). This recipe can make 12 burritos. I stuck all of them in two freezer bags before freezing. The freezer bags are also a good way to separate and label the burritos if you make more than one ingredient list at a time.  

In the morning, take a burrito out of the freezer and unwrap the foil. Leave the burrito in the paper towel. Microwave for one minute. Turn over and heat another minute. Let sit one more minute before eating. That's it! Meat and eggs in three minutes! These burritos are pretty delicious, and they are totally Husband-Approved. It's a super convenient breakfast that had me feeling full all morning. I can make and eat them half-asleep with one hand. Plus, zero dishes in the sink! Could a nursing mama ask for more? Of course she could! But at least she will be happily full of a healthy-ish, hot breakfast. 

Blueberry Muffin Egg Sandwiches

So, the other morning, I woke up starving. Between the caloric output of feeding a 3.5 month old (the physical production and riddance of baby milk calories plus those calories burned while wrangling a fifteen-pound squirmy baby shake weight), and newly-added workouts, I am hungry ALL OF THE TIME! Like, waking up in the middle of the night and eating oatmeal kind-of hungry. And those of you who know me / my fellow sleep-deprived mamas know that if I am getting my butt outta bed and taking the time to walk downstairs and make myself food, I am really, really hungry. Because sleep takes precedence over all other things. Including showering. But apparently not eating. So, now that your appetite is surely whetted... 

Another irony of this post is that I am in a currently-failing 30 day challenge of eating clean, drinking water, and working out. The 30 day challenge is almost a total bust. Except that it is showing me what healthy habits work and what doesn't in this new baby-dictated world of mine. Like for instance, a total overhaul of healthy habits in 30 days doesn't work. 

However, I am slowly making healthier choices. 

Like instead of just eating six blueberry muffins with butter to curve my carb craving, I added eggs. See? Healthy(ier).

I'm sharing this with you because not only was this weird breastfeeding craving absolutely delicious, but it was also ridiculously easy. And delicious. And easy. I'm not really down with gross and difficult recipes, so, if you're not either, I'd say this was a delicious, easy win that I thought you might wanna try. 

I was taking a mental assessment of my pantry and fridge during an early morning feeding. Ok fine. I was awoken by my sweet baby whining in his crib. And as I lie there in my soft, warm bed hoping he might drift back to dreamland, my empty tummy started talking. And I listened. So, I got up and fed little man, during which I devised a delicious plan to feed myself.

Tummy: "You know there's a pack of blueberry muffins back there." 

Me: "Mmmmmm, oh yeah! Eggs and turkey bacon would be healthier though."

Tummy: "But blueberry muffins. Just add water."

Me: "What about an egg sandwich? We get carbs, and I get to tell Hubs I ate eggs. Crap! We don't have bread."

Tummy: "HELLO…blueberry muffins. Just put it in them."

Me: "Gross! Wait. …. sweet gracious, you're a genius."

They were every bit as delightful as they appear. I bought more blueberry muffins mixes at the commissary the next day. 

But the whole wheat kind. See? Healthy(ier).

I stopped stuffing my face long enough to send a picture text to Hubs just to show off what I was eating. Then I sent one to a friend too. I simply could not sit alone and devour such a treat and not tell someone. Or two someones. So, when Hubs got home for lunch (he gets to come home for breakfast AND lunch and it's the greatest), I had muffins and eggs left to share. (I know, right?! Quick, someone fist bump me for not eating every crumb.) Instead of bacon, he topped his off with last night's left over beef roast. (I never really had super strange preggo cravings. Conversely, Hubs concocted a cold chicken breast, slathered with peanut butter, and topped with a pickle one time. Seriously, he is the most handsome weirdo.) At least maybe a couple of you might be comforted that you have substitution options here.

Anyways, this was delicious. And easy. Here's how:

Serves: Two 

Disclaimer: the "two" is representative of Hubs and me and might not equal "two" of you and yours. It might serve three of you. Or two adults and two littles. If you have the self-control of a tabitian monk and would only partake of a single one of these babies, gather a flock of five other monk-like friends to meditate on these flavors with you. Or, if you can put away some food, like Hubs and I can, you will be finished eating this six sandwich fare, and long for more. But if we're being honest, I could eat all six in one sitting. Serves: One.

What You Need

1 12-hole muffin tin

1 package of blueberry muffins (makes 6)

5 eggs

6 slices of bacon, cut in half (I used turkey bacon)

What You Do

Grease all 12 muffin tins. Mix muffin mix as directed and scoop into six of the tins. In a bowl, beat five eggs and then use a measuring cup to scoop equal(ish) amount of egg into the remaining six tins. (I realized this was the best technique after the fact, so I don't know…maybe a 1/4 C cup would do the trick?) I baked as directed for the longest suggested time on the muffin mix package. So, 22(ish) minutes at 375 degrees for a dark, non-stick pan. 

Once that is in the oven, fry up your bacon. Just sizzle in a pan on medium to medium-high heat, flipping as needed. I pre-cut the slices in half so that they would be sandwich-size when done. And it's sooo much easier to flip while cooking. So, six slices yielded 2 half-slices per sandwich. But, as I always say, when in doubt…MORE BACON. Ok, I don't think I've ever actually said that. But I believe it. Unless it's flimsy. Then, why bother? It's like it's half-done. Restaurants that serve flimsy bacon make me nervous because it's just poor attention to a very important detail. Like, hey restaurant, what other important details are you satisfied leaving flimsy, huh? C'mon, crisp it up a little. I digest digress.

When the timer went off for the muffins and eggs, I let them linger in there a little longer until the tops of the muffins really began turning a nice golden brown. Also, the eggs will bubble up. Like, each one will be one big bubble. When you take the tin out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes. The bubbles will flatten. You can peel the top bubble layer right off, if you so desire. Or leave it on. It's tasty either way.

Half your muffin. Layer egg and bacon in between. You know, like a sandwich. Enjoy! 

I MADE JIM NACHOS!

Ok, for those of you who aren't familiar with Cancun's in Bellevue (Nashville, TN), let me explain. It is rice, chicken, and queso. I first learned of this specialty dish in early high school. My brother once went thirty-something days in a row eating it at least once a day, building a beautiful friendship with his requested server, Jová. I'm pretty sure he had it shipped on dry ice down to FL when he lived there too. My husband was more of a Matzatlan kinda guy in our high school days but ordered the same thing. You can get a half or full order but always over rice, not chips. That's because your chip is your utensil- an edible spoon of sorts to scoop the appropriate bite after mixing to evenly distribute the ingredients proportionately to each other. Hubs likes to immediately pour the salsa before mixing. I prefer to dip the chip into salsa or more queso before scooping the bite.

To the distain of our informed fellow Jim Nachos connoisseurs probably, Hubs and I found a version in Fayetteville, NC at El Cazador on Skibo that is decidedly better. The chicken is plumper and the queso more generous. It is called ACP Nachos there, and we couldn't really taste the magic so much in Nashville after this unintentional find.

Anyways, the dish is one we have had no luck ordering elsewhere. My bro asked just a week or so ago if I had tried to imitate it and honestly, it hasn't really crossed my mind. Not because I haven't thought of the food, but simply because I thought it couldn't be done.

Now, I knew Pinterest was magnificent resource for all things DIY and/or inspirational. I just never thought it would behold such a specific personal request. Finding it was an utter accident- I literally stopped scrolling because the picture just looked so darn similar. However, it was termed chicken fundido, so I was skeptical to say the least. 

Anyways, when I mentioned my brother's nudge and the possible discovery to Hubs about trying to replicate one of his favorite treats, I figured he would shrug it off because any attempt would fall short of the real deal. Why set us up for disappointment? Instead, with raised eyebrows he inquired, "do you think you could make it like ACPs?"

Challenge accepted. Although, I continued to chat up the risks of possible failure to him as to not get his hopes up or his expectations high. I had a plan B for dinner if we had to admit defeat. 

But, alas, we did not.

Here's what I did.

I printed this recipe for chicken fundido that I retrieved from Pinterest as a loose guide.

Ingredients:

1 box Mexican Rice 

1/2 white onion

1 pack of unfrozen chicken breast tenders

Chili Salt (see directions below to make)

1 12 oz package of El Viajero Mexican Dipping Cheese

1 4 oz can of chopped or diced green chilies

Chips and salsa

Step One: Make the Rice Per Box Instructions

I was lazy on the rice. The recipe above didn't call for it, so I just found the easiest Mexican rice in a box. This is the brand we always use, so I knew it would be edible even if it had little similarity to the restaurant style. I was more concerned about the chicken and cheese anyways. If I could make queso anywhere close to what we knew and loved, I could tweak the rice situation to match. It was definitely more moist, but the flavor was muy comparable. Approved.

Step Two: Chicken and Chili Salt

I just bought a normal pack of unfrozen chicken breast tenders, rinsed and sliced. The first key component the recipe offered was the seasoning sprinkled over while sizzling. She called it chili salt. This is great to make beforehand or also a wonderful task for the Hubs while you are doing other prep work. I only used about half or less of what was made, and the reminder is now stored in our pantry in an airtight container.

Chili Salt (makes 1/2 cup): 

1/4 c sea salt

1/4 cup pure chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

pinch of ground oregano

The recipe called for onion, which is not in the original dish, but we went for it anyways.

Sautée half a white onion (thickly diced) in a lightly greased skillet. I used a small drizzle of olive oil (tsp?) over medium heat and cooked until onions turned brown on some edges.

Move the onion to a small bowl when done and set aside. I then added about a tsp of olive oil in the same pan. 

Next, put in your pollo and pour a generous amount of chili salt over the top. When the chicken cooks down, the juices and oil allow the chili salt to coat the chicken as you turn each piece to cook on both sides.

Step Three: Queso

I found the brand of Mexican dipping cheese pictured below, as the blog recipe foretold, at our local Walmart. This was a major score because I oftentimes find specialty items don't ship to our lower arctic stores. The only variation is in that she suggested the jalapeño flavor, while we found only original. I cubed it, melted with milk per package directions (we used about 6-8 ounces), stirring almost constantly. Once melted, we added one 4oz can chopped green chiles, drained-- the perfect subtle kick and solution to the little something missing. Spot on. One vital element to this step is a sweet, stirring husband so you can supervise the rice and give attention to the chicken. You want the queso to finish at the end of all other cook times because it cools quickly and creates a firm film on top as it does. There's nothing wrong with that- totally still edible- I just like it best smooth and steaming.

The blog also referenced two other brands that may be worth a try if you cannot find the exact one: Ole Original Queso Dip and El Viajero White Mexican Dip.

Step Four: Make your plate and Enjoy!

Layer rice, chicken, cheese. 

Serve with chips and salsa. We tried to get as close as we could to restaurant style. These proved to be quite the adequate at-home options.

There you have it! Leftovers? No mas.

At first I thought Hubs was trying not to express his disappointment because he made neither eye contact nor sound (other than chewing), but when I asked what I could do differently next time to make it more authentic he mumbled with his mouth full, "nothing. This is it!" I'll probably just slice the chicken a little thinner next time. Hubs said he loved me more than he did before. Success! I had made the most legit representation of this mouth-watering Mexican meal possible. I was one proud señorita.