easy dinner

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File this recipe under “make this weekend”. The name of the recipe is quite the mouthful isn’t it? The recipe itself is full of flavor, comfort, and nutrition. With the ridiculously cold weather we’ve been having lately, comfort is all I have been craving. Can’t I just eat grilled cheese every day?

In addition to coming up with something cozy and healthy for dinner on a chilly gray day, I also needed to utilize the delicious  tortillas sent to me earlier this summer by the great people at Tortilla Land. Tortilla Land makes fresh tortillas that are great in all sorts of recipes. I’ll admit, I may enjoy them the most heated up in a pan with a glob of Nutella in the middle, but these tortillas are definitely for more than just dessert.

cumin and paprika

I don’t know where the idea came from, but I dreamed it up when I wasn’t sleeping the other night. Insomnia usually leads to some sort of recipe for me!

It’s an easy one.

Start by chopping and boiling two large sweet potatoes. Toss those, along with a cup of crumbled goat cheese, a teaspoon of cumin, and a teaspoon of paprika into a blender and puree until smooth.

crumbled goat cheese

I absolutely love my Ninja blender. It’s not a Vitamix, but it makes purees very smooth in a very short time. You could really stop right here and eat the goat cheese and sweet potato puree. As you can see, I definitely dipped a spoon in just for quality control.

sweet potato puree

Once the sweet potato is done, add about two cups of soaked lentils to olive oil, garlic, and tomato paste, all to taste. I used a small can of tomato paste because I love the flavor and the lycopene it adds to recipes.

Tortilla Land

Heat a stack of Tortilla Land tortillas in a hot pan until puffy and lightly browned, and then layer ingredients: tortilla, sweet potato mixture, lentils, repeat. Top with enchilada sauce, bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees and serve with shredded sharp cheddar and salsa.

enchilada pie

As I said earlier, this recipe is pure comfort. The creaminess of the sweet potato really makes it so. I love making enchilada pies because the construction is so quick and easy. Fresh tortillas like the ones that Tortilla Land makes add something a little extra special.

Tags: dinner, easy dinner, enchiladas, Food, goat cheese, healthy, recipe, sweet potatoes, Vegetarian

A few weeks ago I received an email from a representative of Ocean Spray to see if I was interested in receiving a Craisin vs. raisin taste testing kit. Always a fan of taste tests, I said yes, and shortly after I received a box pitting classic raisins against our tart, Massachusetts native, the Craisin.

After doing the taste test, I decided that while I like both, Craisins are more versatile to me. Raisins belong strictly in oatmeal or a cookie made of the breakfast treat while Craisins are great in cookies but also fare well in salads and savory dishes.

The kit came with some recipes, and after finding one for chicken salad, I decided to put my own spicy twist on it.

craisins

First I marinated a few chicken breasts in sriracha and grilled them on the indoor grill pan. It was kind of like how I imagine being pepper sprayed might feel. Holy spicy smoke! Once that died down, however, I had chicken with nice grill marks and a sriracha crust.

sriracha

While the chicken was cooling, I chopped a bunch of celery and a white onion.

image

I combined those with a little over a cup of craising.

image

And then added the chicken chunks. To finish the dish, I mixed in 1/2 cup of Fage Greek yogurt (0%).

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This simple summer salad really offered an array of flavors and textures, from the tart and sweet Craisins to the spicy chicken and crunchy cool celery. We made wraps with it using my new favorite whole wheat tortillas from Target. It’s definitely going to be a summer staple as it’s easy to transport. The yogurt can also be mixed in at the last minute or brought along separately for a picnic.

Thanks to the people at Craisins for including me in the taste test.

Happy Friday, everyone! This weekend we have the Blessing of the Fleet, and I desperately need to catch up on cleaning and laundry after being away last weekend. I may also try to kick off my NYC Marathon training. Eek!

What are you up to?

Tags: chicken, chicken salad, chicken salad recipe, Craisins, easy dinner, Food, sriracha

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