Sweet Potato Bowls

Last week, Courtney ran in her last Cross Country of the season.  If you want my opinion (and why wouldn't you?) Cross Country should START in November instead of ending the season when it finally starts to get cool enough to run.  I have to admire their perseverance and determination though - I'm not sure that I could run a 5K in extreme heat after sitting in school all day.   I am so proud of the entire team for all of their hard work this season.  They certainly deserve a hand - or maybe even a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Now that Cross Country is nearly over, it does help alleviate some of the evening stress in the house.  No more having to immediately feed a starved runner as she stumbled through the door after practice, with barely enough strength to hold her fork.  Seriously - most days poor Courtney looked completely wiped out after practice and the thought of waiting even 5 minutes for dinner was more than she could bear.

Quick and easy meals were the name of the game during Cross Country season because it wasn't always easy or convenient to have dinner prepared and on the table by 5:00.  One of my very favorite meals on busy nights are sweet potato bowls.  They're easy, simple to clean up, can be made ahead of time AND they're delicious.  

Sweet Potato Bowls

• 1 pound (heaping 2 cups) sweet potatoes (I used a package of crinkle cut sweet potato fries.)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, separated
• 1 cup chopped sweet bell peppers
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15.25 ounces) black beans
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (vegetable for a vegetarian meal)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, optional

Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into small pieces.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, combine two tablespoons olive oil with all of the sweet potatoes.  Saute the sweet potatoes for 8-10 minutes or until pretty tender.

Add in remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the rice.

Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes at medium heat.

Add in the undrained diced tomatoes, drained & rinsed black beans, bell pepper, frozen corn, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and vegetable or chicken broth.

Give everything a really good stir, bring to a boil.  Cover the skillet with a lid and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until all the liquid is drained and the rice is cooked through.

Remove the lid and stir in the lime juice.

I like to eat my sweet potato bowl just like this.  You could of course add some cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro or fresh tomatoes to make it even more decadent but honestly, I love it just like this.

A perfect meal for a cool Fall evening.  Even if you aren't rushing to get dinner on the table by 5:00.

The girls and the boys cross country teams are both competing at state this Saturday so best of luck to all of the Social Circle runners. 

Ciao!

Turkey Sausage Skewers

The way I look at it - we are just now approaching prime grilling season in Atlanta.   Standing on my back deck at in the middle of July with the afternoon sun beating down is absolutely brutal.  I end up running in and out of the house over and over again, just to try and avoid the excessive heat. 

Now that I can actually stand on my deck without burning the bottom of my feet and touch the furniture without the risk of third degree burns, I am back to grilling most of our meals.  I love to cook food on the Big Green Egg - somehow it just makes everything taste better. 

For a girl from Northeast Ohio who is used to summer grilling and summer picnics, this is the weather I've been waiting for - even if it is the middle of September.

Turkey Sausage Skewers
1 package turkey smoked sausage
2 zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1 onion

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Zest of 1 large lemon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine oil, parsley, chives, soy sauce, garlic, lemon zest and pepper.

Cut sausage and vegetables into 1 inch pieces.

Thread sausage onto skewers, alternating with bell pepper, zucchini and onion.  Brush with marinade.

I even put together a few "vegetable-only" skewers for me with the extra veggies.









Put the skewers on the grill.

 Remove from grill and brush with extra marinade.

Serve the skewers with rice and voila - a beautiful and delicious grilled dinner!

My family really liked these skewers.  I liked the vegetarian option and Ben and Courtney liked the sausage skewers.   Totally worth waiting until September for optimum grilling weather.

Ciao!

Fish Taco Bowls

I LOVE fish tacos.   I love the fish, the fresh veggies, the avocado - I love it all.  When I saw this recipe for fish taco bowls on theliveinkitchen.com, I knew that I would just love these too.  Basically, they replaced the tortilla with brown rice and turned a taco into a bowl.  Genius.

I love that fact that you can really pile the fish and veggies into these bowls without worrying about having all of the filling land in your lap while you eat.  (We all know that I've done that I time or two with my tacos.) 

Besides the fact that these are neater to eat than their tortilla counterparts, they're also really yummy.  I am in love with these taco rice bowls. 

Fish Taco Bowls

Ingredients

2 teaspoons chili powder

Pinch of garlic powder 

salt and pepper

3-4 cod fillets (or other white fish such as tilapia)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup frozen corn, thawed, or fresh corn cut off the cob

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups cooked brown rice

Avocado, cilantro, and lime juice for garnish (optional)

In a small bowl combine chili powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of the fish.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the fish and cook, undisturbed, for several minutes per side. Check the middle of the fish for doneness. It should flake easily and be opaque throughout. Remove the fish from the pan and set aside. 

If necessary, add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan and add the onion, pepper, and corn. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp tender, about 7 minutes. 

Add the black beans and heat through. 

Layer rice in the bottom of your bowl.

Top with corn and bean mixture.

Break fish into pieces and arrange on top.

Top with garnishes of your choice.  Fresh tomatoes, avocado and lime were my favorites.  

You seriously need to add these to your summer dinner repertoire.  They are awesome.   Sometimes, simple meals are the best.

Ciao!