Spiced Chipotle Chicken Breasts w/ Sweet Potatoes

Remember that yummy chocolate chip loaf cake from a few weeks ago?
Well this recipe comes from the same book: In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite by New York Times food writer Melissa Clark.

Ok, I am liking this book a lot.



Melissa is the one responsible for that blogging sensation "Roasted Shrimp w/ Broccoli" recipe from the NYT that every food blogger has made. She is also responsible for making my life easier on a busy day when there was no time to prepare dinner.

This is not only healthy, but takes less than one hour to put dinner on the table (you can marinate the chicken in the a.m.)

If you are not a spicy hot lover, then this dish may not be for you, but you can certainly cut down the amount of chilis to 2 instead of 4.
It really cleared my sinuses!



Spiced Chipotle Chicken Breasts w/ Sweet Potatoes:

4 sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (I left the skins on)
3 tbsp olive oil
4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced (use less if you don't like HEAT)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus additional to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
chopped cilantro for garnish

In a small bowl, stir together the 1 tbsp olive oil, chipotles, garlic, honey, vinegar, salt, cumin, and cinnamon to make a paste.

Place the chicken into a ziploc bag and pour the chipotle mixture into it. Squish the paste and the chicken so that the chicken is fully coated. Squeeze most of the air out of the bag and chill for a few hours and allow the flavors to develop and penetrate.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Toss the sweet potatoes in 2 tbsp olive oil & kosher salt and scatter on the bottom of a roasting pan. Roast for about 20 minutes.

Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and continue to roast until the chicken is just cooked through. About 25-30 minutes additionally. Serve garnished with cilantro.

This was sweet, spicy HOT and smoky delicious. It was even great for lunch the next day.



Enjoy!