Roasted Parmesan Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are really not my thing. Real potatoes used to not be my thing either. I used to only enjoy instant mashed potatoes made from the box... yikes, right? Good thing taste buds can adapt and change for the better! I'm still not a huge fan of sweet potatoes but I can eat them. And if made well, I can actually enjoy them! This is one of those recipes I ENJOY! The flavors meld so well together that I hardly notice I'm eating sweet potatoes, which is saying something because their flavor is quite distinct.
If you think you could enjoy roasted/carmelized vegetables with herbs and garlic and savory cheese, this is for you! My pickiest vegetable eater finally caved (after a lot of threatening) and ate 1 piece. She then at FIVE more because they were that good.

2 sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs olive oil

4 Tbs grated Parmesan Cheese
½ tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freeze dried Italian Seasoning (or 1/2 tsp dried italian seasoning)
dried parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Place all ingredients except potatoes in a ziploc bag and mix well. Throw in sweet potatoes and shake until well coated. Spread evenly on Silpat on a perforated sheet (or greased cookie sheet). Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm and sprinkle with dried parsley if desired.


Inspiration from http://lilluna.com/baked-parmesan-sweet-potatoes/

Simple Crab Cakes

When trying to make room in my freezer I often pull out random items to thaw and use them in dinners over the next few days. This go-around I pulled out a 1.25 lb bag of lump crab meat that we saved from our Seafood Feast at Easter time. Knowing I love crab and wanting to avoid hiding that flavor, I found a really simple crab cake recipe that highlights the crab flavor perfectly without hiding it under a lot of strong herbs and spices. Seriously, if you like crab, you will LOVE these!

Not the best picture but you get the idea!

Ingredients

24 oz crab meat
2 egg
4 tsp lemon juice
6 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp Sriracha sauce
4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Cooking spray

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and gently mix it all together.
2. Using a 1/4 cup scoop, form the crab mixture into patties. 
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Give a light coating of cooking spray. Place the patties in the skillet, a few at a time, and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 min per side. Gently flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes until golden brown. Repeat with remaining patties.
4. Serve with your favorite side dish.

For a light dinner, these would be great served with a garden salad. I wasn't sure if everyone would like these so I also made some clam chowder.

I doubled the recipe using the 21.5 oz of crab meat.

Makes about 20 crab cakes.

Inspired by http://www.jocooks.com/main-courses/easy-crab-cakes/

Healthy Chicken Gyros

One of my favorite healthy dinners is homemade chicken gyros. It's something about the blend of bright vegetables, tangy tzatziki, herbed chicken, and the bite of red onion and feta. A perfectly balanced entree filled with flavor and yet diet friendly. I created this recipe a few years ago after looking to make homemade gyros. I took 3 different recipes and blended them together to come up with something simple and flavorful. The whole family loves it. Plus, they make a great lunch the next day!

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
8 Pita bread/pockets

Marinade
¼ cup olive oil
2 T lemon juice
2 T garlic, chopped

1 tsp oregano
½ tsp cumin
 ½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt

Tzatziki Sauce 

1 cucumber, peeled
1 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp white wine vinegar
Salt/pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice
Dash olive oil

Optional Topping: feta cheese, chopped/sliced tomato, slivered red onion, sliced cucumber

In a quart sized storage bag, place the chicken and marinade ingredients. Massage together and let rest for 1-2 hours in refrigerator.

Using a cheese grater, shred cucumber and squeeze out excess liquid. In a small bowl, add drained cucumber, yogurt, garlic, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Stir together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Once marinated, cook chicken on stovetop, grill pan, or outside on the grill.

When ready to eat, assemble gyro by spreading tzatziki sauce on pita, add chicken and top with optional toppings and more sauce if desired.

Serve with vegetables and hummus, fries, or salad.