Moroccan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

For some odd reason the Fall season puts me in the mood for Moroccan food. I love the smell of those spices when it starts to get cool outside. Moroccan food is not so much spicy, but full of spices. Don't get me wrong, Moroccan food does have a kick to it but it's not that burn your mouth style that so many people are afraid to try....that's more Tunisian style food...which I love...but I love burn your mouth spicy!!! So because I've been thinking about ethnic comfort foods, here's one recipe that always comes up when I'm needing a little comfort....ethnic style!

Grilled Moroccan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Grilled Moroccan Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts (I used boneless this time but have used bone-in many times)

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon all spice or cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 olive oil

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, and all spices in a bowl. Place chicken in a shallow baking dish and rub the marinade all over the chicken (both sides). Cover and place in fridge for at least one hour but best if 6 or more hours. Grill chicken breasts over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes on each side or until done.
Moroccan Sweet Potatoes:

3-4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed small
Pinch of saffron (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the butter with the honey and brown sugar and toss with the sweet potato cubes in a bowl. Sprinkle with the rest of the seasonings, toss again and spread evenly in a baking dish. Roast in the oven at 375 degrees until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

This is such a great combo because the chicken is a little spicy and the sweet potatoes are sweet and buttery. I also served some grilled asparagus with my meal to add some color and I adore grilled asparagus with just about anything!

For my asparagus I just tossed the aspargus with 2 tablespoons olive oil that was mixed with 1 tablespoon chopped garlic. I sprinkled a little salt and pepper on top and grilled the spears for 3-4 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries With A Little Spice!

Sweet Potato Fries with a Little Kick! Served Kid Style!

Almost all kids love fries but we all know that we can only feed so many of those to our kids without feeling too guilty about it....right? Well, here's a solution. Sweet potato fries have become a huge hit these days and there's definitely a reason. They are delicious and.....sweet potatoes are soooo good for you! Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A and are a very good source of vitamin C and manganese. In addition, sweet potatoes are a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron.

And guess what, kids love them too because they are sweet! My son and I bought some sweet potatoes from a local farmer the other day and last night I fried up some of those babies and my son gobbled them up! Here's a little twist on the popular sweet potato fries:

Cajun Sweet Potato Fries:
2-3 sweet potatoes (we peeled ours because my son doesn't like the skin left on, though if they are organic, you can eat the peel!)
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar

You can slice the sweet potatoes however you like. The more orange your sweet potatoes are the more beta-carotene content. The beta-carotene in orange-fleshed sweet potatos is what our bodies use to produce vitamin A. And make sure your sweet potatoes are not bruised or have cracks in them when choosing them at the market or grocery store.

I have a deep fryer at home but if you don't have one , you can fry them up in a pan on the stove, just make sure you have enough oil in the pan to cover the fries. They will sink to the bottom when you first put them in.

In just about 3 minutes they rise to the top and are done. Drain the fries on a paper towel and sprinkle your seasoning mix on top before serving.

I love having a nice already blended Cajun seasoning in the house (hey..I can get pretty busy....I need some shortcuts here and there, too!) :)

You can make your own by mixing:
1 tablespoon granulated garlic or powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground hot red or cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons oregano

This will make more than you need for this recipe but you can store it in a jar with a tight lid.

I like mixing the Cajun seasoning with sugar so you get that sweet and spicy flavor that goes so well with the already sweet potatoes.

These really were a hit last night....you've got to try them. And if your kids don't like spicy, you can just mix a little salt and sugar together to toss on the fries. But because the potatoes are already sweet and you're adding sugar to the seasoning, they don't end up being spicy....just really flavorful!

I served my fries in these snow cone cups that we already had in the house. Come up with fun ways to serve healthier food to your kids so they notice that before they notice it's something they've never tried before. It works....and I'm all about tricking kids into eating healthier!

For more information and for more benefits of sweet potatoes, go to:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64

I love this site! It teaches you so much about eating healthier foods!