Sweet potato and black bean enchiladas

•  1 tablespoon olive oil
•  2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  1 large red bell pepper
•  2 cloves garlic, minced
•  1/2 teaspoon onion powder
•  1 teaspoon cumin
•  1 teaspoon oregano
•  1 can of black beans, don't drain it
•  1/2 teaspoon pepper
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
•  2 cups spinach, chopped
•  1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
•  1 recipe for homemade red enchilada sauce*
•  10 flour tortillas
•  2-3 cups shredded mozzarella**
•  chopped cilantro, to garnish
•  chopped white onions, to garnish

1.  In a wide skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. 
2. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into 1/2 inch cubes. Try to make them somewhat uniform so that they cook evenly. 
3. When the oil shimmers, add the sweet potatoes to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with 1 teaspoon salt.
4.  Add the chopped bell pepper and garlic.
5. Add the onion powder, cumin, and oregano.
6. Saute for another 8-10 minutes, until the sweet potatoes and bell peppers are tender. 
7. Add 1 can of black beans, undrained.
8. Season with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
9. Add chopped spinach. You don't have to chop it if you don't want to, I just don't like big gloops of spinach in my enchiladas.
10. Add 1/4 cup cilantro. Of course the cilantro is optional for all you haters out there. 
11. Add about 3 tablespoons of the enchilada sauce. You don't have to measure it, just eyeball it. We want to keep the filling nice and moist and get some more flavor in there. 
12. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick spray.
13. Add a few tablespoons of filling down the center of 1 tortilla. Top with 1-2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Roll it up tightly and place it snugly on the edge of the pan. 
14. Continue with the rest of the tortillas. I misjudged and put 8 enchiladas in a 11x8 inch pan, so your arrangement might not look as tight as the photos. I used 10 tortillas total, (8 in 1 smaller pan). If you use a 9x13 they will fit just fine. 
15. Top the enchiladas with the enchilada sauce. Move the tortillas around a little bit so the sauce gets in between the enchiladas. I like to leave the edges of the enchiladas sauce-free so that they get a little crispy in the oven. I'm sure that's not authentic at all, but neither are sweet potatoes and black beans in enchiladas, so I'm rolling with it. 
16. Top the enchiladas with remaining cheese. How much you put on is really up to you! 
17. Bake the enchiladas at 375 for about 20-30 minutes. Take them out when the cheese is melted and the sauce looks a little bubbly. The edges of the tortillas will crisp up if you leave them in closer to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it and take it out when it looks good to you!
18. Let the enchiladas cool down for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle a copious amount of cilantro (copious! Copious I say!) and white onions down the middle. Don't skip this step unless you are a true cilantro hater! That fresh garnish really does make a huge difference. 
19. I would serve this with Tejano beans, or maybe this Spanish Cauliflower Rice if you are trying to low-carb it. 

Butter chicken

For chicken and marinade:

• 2.2 lbs (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in 1" - 2" cubes
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp kosher salt

For sauce:

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 ½ cups chopped onion about 2 medium-large
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
• 2 cups diced no-salt-added canned tomatoes
• ¾ cup heavy 35% or whipping cream
• 2 tbsp butter
• Chopped cilantro to garnish (optional)

Instructions

• For marinade:

  Combine all ingredients in a zip-top bag or shallow baking dish, massaging the marinade into the chicken. Let stand at room temperature while you prepare the sauce, or marinate in the fridge overnight.

For sauce:

• Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add onions and slowly cook until golden, about 20 minutes, reducing heat if they are getting crispy or browning quickly.
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in garam masala, paprika, cinnamon and salt; cook 1 minute more. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes, then add cream and carefully puree using an immersion blender (or standing blender, but do it in batches or the steam will blow the top off).
• Return sauce to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove chicken from marinade and it to the sauce (discarding remaining marinade). Cover, and simmer over medium-low heat until cooked through, about 12 minutes (remove a couple of pieces to make sure they are no longer pink inside). A gentle simmer is required to gently cook the breasts so they don't become tough, and you don't want to overcook them.
• Stir in butter, taste and add more salt to taste. Serve sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.

Antipasto pasta salad

• 1 pound seashell pasta
• ¼ pound Genoa salami, chopped
• ¼ pound pepperoni sausage, chopped
• ½ pound Asiago cheese, diced
• 1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, and cool under cold water.
• In a large bowl, combine the pasta, salami, pepperoni, Asiago cheese, black olives, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and tomatoes. Stir in the envelope of dressing mix. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
• To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad, and mix well.
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Chicken, Kale & Wild Rice Salad

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 shallot minced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or cracked black pepper

For the Salad:

• 1 bunch kale very thinly sliced (I prefer lacinato kale)
• 1/2 lemon
• 1- 1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken about 1 chicken breast
• 1 cup cooked sprouted rice, quinoa, brown rice, wild rice or other grain
• 1 apple diced
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds toasted
• 2-3 oz goat cheese crumbled

Instructions

• Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar with a lid. Screw on the lid then shake well to thoroughly mix.
• Place the sliced kale in a bowl. Squeeze over the lemon juice. Massage the kale until it starts to darken and soften. Add the remaining salad ingredients (except the goat cheese) and toss with about 1/2 the dressing. Toss to combine then sprinkle over the goat cheese. Enjoy! Salad will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.