Chili-Glazed Pork with Sweet Potato Hash

One thing I love about reading other foodie's blogs is that they give me tons of great (and often easy!) weekday meal ideas that I might not have tried on my own.  I recently discovered fellow St. Louis blogger, Natalie, who writes over at The Sweets Life.  Her recipes inspire me to branch out from the types of meals I tend to recreate over and over again.  She recently posted a recipe for Chili-Glazed Pork with Sweet Potato Hash and I was sold.  I've never tried hash before, let alone sweet potato hash and I was really happy with the results.  Thanks for sharing Natalie!

 Chili-Glazed Pork with Sweet Potato Hash

from The Sweets Life via Real Simple

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin (ours was a little over 1 pound)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled

2 large shallots, chopped
1 5-ounce package baby spinach, chopped

hot sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Heat broiler. (I went with Natalie's suggestion to roast at 350 for about 25 minutes until the meat reached an internal temperature of 160F rather than broil but feel free to choose whichever method you are comfortable with) Place the pork on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Rub with 1 teaspoon of the oil, the chili powder, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Broil, turning occasionally and basting with the maple syrup twice, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes (if you are roasting, allow 25-35 minutes). Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor fitted with the coarse grating disk, grate the sweet potatoes.
3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 7 to 9 minutes more. (I also added about 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and some hot sauce to the mix).  Add the spinach and cook, tossing, until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes more.
4. Serve the pork and potatoes with the hot sauce, if desired.

With the help of a food processor, this recipe came together quickly and was perfect for a week night meal.

 

Enjoy!

Easy Weekend Meal: Chicken Potpie Empanadas

Sometimes you just need a recipe that is quick and easy to throw together.  As much fun as it is to spend a couple hours in the kitchen working on a grand masterpiece, it can also be just as rewarding to mix together a few ingredients and get back to relaxing!  If you don't already subscribe to Real Simple's recipe of the day, you should!  I have discovered several super easy recipes this way and they are great to pull out when I want something tasty but quick to make.  Today, I am sharing with you a recipe for chicken potpie empanadas.  It uses a premade pie crust, shredded rotisserie chicken and a mix of frozen peas and carrots.  Ain't no shame in keepin' it simple!

  

Chicken Potpie Empanadas
from Real Simple

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 10-ounce box frozen peas and carrots
1 3- to 4-pound store-bought rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
kosher salt and black pepper
2 refrigerated 9-inch piecrusts (from a 15-ounce package, such as Pillsbury)

Heat oven to 400° F. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Slowly stir in the broth. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the peas and carrots, chicken, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Cut each piecrust in half. Spoon the chicken mixture over one side of each half-circle, leaving a ½-inch border.

Using your fingers, wet the border with water. Fold the crust over the chicken. Press to seal. Make three 1-inch slits in the top of each.

Transfer the empanadas to a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes.

 

Notes:
This recipe could easily be adapted to make it a bit fancier.  I would like to try it with rosemary roasted chicken and maple glazed sweet potatoes in place of the peas and carrots next time.
If making for children, you can cut each piecrust into thirds and to make smaller servings (they were quite filling!).

  

Enjoy!

Hope you all have a great weekend!  What's your favorite easy recipe?