Dry Rubbed Chicken w/ Spiced Sweet Taters & String Beans

Hey everyone, after months of planning and debating rather or not to go through with this blog here is my first recipe / tutorial. I absolutely love grilling, but it has been so cold this winter, that I have not been able to brave the cold like I have in years past. I still had to satiate the need for some grilled up goodness, so out came the indoor grill. This recipe really epitomizes the Big Taste Small Space philosophy. It’s huge on flavor, it is fairly inexpensive and you do not even need a full kitchen to achieve the result. Most of all people it’s actually good for you too, that’s right Ladies and Gents, the Kid (that’s me) was on fire when he made this one!


The spiced sweet potatoes have a great smoky flavor that pairs excellently with the chicken and the string beans. This recipe calls for several dried spices; you can find these for a steal at Drugstores like CVS and Walgreens I even found some at Wally World for .50 cent. This recipe makes 2 portions with maybe a little leftover (depends on who you feed I put food down like a rabid Wolverine). The total for everything was only $6.83

Ingredients :

For the Chicken

6 boneless skinless breast tenders appx. 2oz each
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Mesquite seasoning
Pinch of salt

For the Sweet Taters

1 Large Sweet Potato
1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp sweet paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp seasoned salt

For the String Beans w/ Bbq Vinaigrette

12 oz package microwavable whole Green Beans
2 Tbs Bbq Sauce
1 tsp Apple Cider vinegar

Preparation:

Preheat toaster oven or oven to 350 degrees and preheat grill (I’m using the George Foreman Champ grill)

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Combine spices for chicken and rub each tender with a generous amount of the spice mixture. Let the chicken marinate for at least 10 mins. Lightly spray grill with nonstick spray. Grill chicken until juices run clear and flesh is completely white.

Peel Sweet Potato and dice into chunks about ½ inch wide. Add oil and spices to diced potatoes, toss to evenly distribute oil and spices. Pour Sweet Potatoes onto a baking sheet / pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Arrange potatoes so that they are in an even layer, place in oven and bake until fork tender (approximately 10-12 minutes depending on oven watts).

Microwave green beans according to package instructions

Place chicken, potatoes, and green beans on plate. Wisk together Barbeque sauce and vinegar. Spoon mixture over Green beans and around the plates.

Notes: Typically I find that a lot of commercial BBQ sauces are a little too sweet for my taste(For this recipe I used Sweet Baby Ray original, isn't it ironic). Adding a little cider vinegar really gives the sauce a little kick. You can add honey, molasses, mustard or even a little orange juice to kick up your BBQ Vinaigrette. As far as beverages are concerned, you can’t go wrong with a nice cold beer or a tall glass of Sweet Tea. For my Red Wine lovers, it’s a bit challenging during warmer months I wouldn’t suggest a Red because the heat can cause it to lose some of its aroma and fall flat on the palate. Since we’re doing this in the winter try a young Zinfandel or a Syrah with lots of fruit notes. If Whites tickle your fancy, I would probably go with either Pinot Gris or Riesling. So, How did yours turn out?