Roasted Sweet Potatoes

My sisters and I have always made fun of my mom's cooking.  Don't get me wrong- it's not the taste/flavor that we ridicule.  She's an amazing cook.  It's the volume.  She makes ridiculous amounts of food - especially at Holiday meals.  And, they aren't typically very healthy.  They start with vegetables, but usually end in a smothered, fried or marshmallow crusted [barely recognizable] version of the original.  So, this past Thanksgiving, I did two things I had never even considered before: 1)I brought a date to dinner, AND 2)I brought my own side dishes.  With an  upcoming trip to South Florida planned, Kirk and I were trying to eat healthy and avoid the extra holiday pounds.  Of course, I brought plenty for everyone, and surprisingly, most everyone prefered the healthier side dishes.  This is an alternative to the sweet potatoes with melted marshmallows that Mom makes.  Bon apetite!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender.
Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.

Ninfa’s Green Sauce

Austin has some amazing Tex-Mex restaurants. Guero's, Maudie's, Angie's and, of course, Chuy's. Most have their own unique salsa often touted to be 'The Best.'  But, the green sauce at Ninfa's was something special.  And addictive.  Oh, how I miss Ninfa's.  This recipe was borrowed from the Houston Chronicle.  I tried it a couple of times and it was a HUGE hit. Ingredients:
3 medium-sized green tomatoes, coarsely chopped (you can substitute yellow if you can’t find green ones, but never use red)
4 tomatillos, cleaned and chopped
1 to 2 jalapenos, stemmed and coarsely chopped
3 small garlic cloves
3 medium-sized ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
4 sprigs cilantro
1 tsp. of salt
1 1/2 cups of sour cream

Method:
Combine chopped tomatoes, tomatillos, jalapenos and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a boil (tomatoes provide the liquid), reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Place tomato mixture with the avocados, cilantro and salt in food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a bowl and stir in sour cream.


Makes 4 to 5 cups

off and running!

I'm not sure what possessed me to start writing a blog, or why I thought that anyone else might be interested in my random musings, but here I am.  Actually, over the past couple of weeks, since that terrible earthquake struck the small country of Haiti, I have followed the blogs of a few local folks who have been in the process of adopting children in Haiti.  I have prayed for these people with whom I share one degree of separation and I have cried the ugly cry as I read their words of desperation as they tried to bring their children home.  I thank God that, in comparison, I live a very boring life.  I am even more thankful now for those boring, uneventful weekends with my Boys. 

In between the routine of work & school and the chaos of attempting to co-parent with the ex, the angst of a teenager, the precociousness of a first grader and the terror of opening my heart again, I'm just trying to live each day with gratitude and humor.  Thanks for coming along and enjoy the ride!