Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing tortillas

1 onion, chopped

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (about 2 ½ cups)

¼ cup water

1 can black beans, drained

½ cup corn kernels

1 can (4 oz) green chiles

¼ cup fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, minced (optional)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

12 corn tortillas

1 cup red enchilada sauce, divided

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potato and water; cover. Cook until sweet potato is tender, 10-15 minutes. Continue cooking, uncovered, until water has evaporated, 1 minute. Off heat, stir in beans, corn, chiles, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, cumin and salt.
2. Brush both sides of tortillas lightly with oil. Arrange on baking sheet, and bake until warm and pliable, about 2 minutes. Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce in bottom of 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Spoon about ¼ cup sweet potato mixture into each warm tortilla. Roll up; place seam-side down in baking dish. Top with remaining ¾ cup enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover with foil; bake until enchiladas are hot and bubbling , about 20 minutes.

Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Vegetables

4-8 apple chicken sausage, already precooked, sliced (by the hot dogs)

1 onion, chopped

6 red potatoes, diced with skin on (or sweet potatoes)

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

asparagus (or broccoli, zucchini, green beans)

salt and pepper

poultry seasoning

garlic salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

Place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Mix all together coating all vegetables in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Vegetables and sausage should be crisp.

Oven Baked BBQ Chicken

chicken pieces, legs, thighs, breasts

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup water

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp paprika

1 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp butter

Put a little oil in pan and cook onion until soft add garlic. Then add water, chili powder, paprika, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and butter.

Salt and Pepper both sides of chicken pieces in a baking pan skin side down first. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Half way through (at 20 minutes) turn chicken to other side and remove foil.

8 Can Taco Soup

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained

1 (12.5 oz) can chicken breast, drained

1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup

1 10 oz) can green enchilada sauce

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning mix

1. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray
2. Pour all the ingredients into slow cooker and stir together.
3. Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours.
4. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips (optional)

Note:

To make this a quick and easy freezer meal, pour all ingredients into a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Lay bag flat in the freezer. When ready to use remove bag from the freezer and place in the fridge and let it thaw for 24 hours. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Dump all the ingredients fron the bag into slow cooker and stir together. Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours. Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips. Makes 6 servings.

BBQ Chicken stuffed Sweet Potatoes

6 sweet potatoes

3 cups cooked chicken (or cut up Rotiserre chicken)

2 cups BBQ sauce (Stubbs brand)

1 cup mozzarella cheese

½ cup red onion, finely minced

Bake sweet potatoes in a 425 degrees oven for 45-55 minutes until fork soft. Cut open sweet potatoes to make a boat (so filling stays inside). Set aside. Mix together chicken and BBQ sauce. Fill sweet potatoes with chicken mixture. Top with cheese and onion. Broil on high for 2-3 minutes to melt cheese. Serve.

Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake

For the Cake:

1 pint fresh strawberries (this is for glaze below as well)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs, room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp strawberry extract, optional

½ tsp red food coloring. Optional

For the Glaze:

2 Tbsp strawberry puree, reserved from cake

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp pure lemon juice, or lime juice

For the Cake:

1. Remove the stems and wash strawberries thoroughly. Next add strawberries to food processor or heavy duty blender and puree until sooth. Remove 2 Tbsp of puree and set aside for glaze later on.
2. Then add strawberry puree to a small pot over medium heat and reduce the puree for 15-20 minutes or until you have ½ cup left. It should be pretty thick. Cool puree down to room temperature and set aside.
3. Next preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a 12 cup Bundt pan with nonstick method of your choosing
4. In your mixer bowl, add butter and beat for 2 minute on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and beat on high speed for an additional 4 minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy, might be a bit crumbly.
5. Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.
6. Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour in two increments, then add salt and baking soda. Be careful not to overbeat.
7. Lastly, add buttermilk, the cooled strawberry puree, vanilla and strawberry extracts (and red food coloring if desired) and mix until just combined then stop.
8. Pour cake batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 70 to 80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert cake on serving plate.

For the Glaze:

1. Once cake has cooled to room temperature, whisk together 2 Tbsp of the strawberry puree, powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon or lime juice until smooth and thick, but pourable.
2. Use your spoon to test this by seeing how it runs down the side of the spoon. If too thin, adjust with powdered sugar and if too thick, add a bit more juice until consistency is perfect. Glaze top of cooled cake and let set for 10 minutes then serve.

Notes:

Make sure to slow down your mixer when adding in your dry ingredients to not overactivate gluten in the cake.

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

½ cup pineapple juice

½ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup soy sauce

¼ tsp ground ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

1. In a small bowl, mix the first six ingredients.
2. Pour marinade in a large resealable plastic bag and add chicken. Seal bag and place in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.
3. Remove bag from fridge, drain and discard marinade from chicken.
4. Grill chicken over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees.
5. Serve with grilled pineapple on the side!