Look what happens when 2 teenagers take over Sockmonkey’s Kitchen! The results are delicious! 

Lately Cody has been taking quite an interest in learning how to cook, and he’s really starting to get the hang of it. His flavor suggestions recently sparked a dinner menu, and he brought his friend Paige in to join the fun 😉 The two of them put together a wonderfully colorful and delicious meal. I watched over and gave instructions, but they did all of the work.
When I thought about all of these flavor combos, it reminded me of a “springtime” version of Thanksgiving. I mean, there’s poultry, celery, cranberries, pecans, butter, sage, sweet potatoes…. See what I mean?
I actually cannot wait to eat this meal again! Whether you tackle this full meal, or just make one of the dishes, I know you won’t be disappointed.

Apple-Raisin-Pecan Topping
3 TBSP butter
3 stalks celery, ½” dice
2 apples, ¾” dice
½ cup pecans, chopped
½ cup raisins
2 tsp. REAL maple syrup
juice from ½ half lemon
In a large wide pan, heat butter on low. When melted, add celery. Sauté until cooked halfway, stirring occasionally. Add apples, and sauté until they are cooked halfway through. Continue to stir now and then. Add raisins and maple syrup. Once they have hydrated with the butter and syrup, add lemon juice and pecans and stir occasionally for approximately for a few minutes. Use this as the topping for the grilled chicken (recipe to follow).

Grilled Chicken Two Ways 
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (Lucero Orange)
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. rubbed sage

Preheat gas grill to high and close the lid. Wait to heat for at least four minutes.
Meanwhile, place 2 pieces of chicken into a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Do the same for the remaining 2 pieces.
In each bag, add half olive oil, half of the salt, and one of the spices.
–> So one bag has only cinnamon (Cody’s choice), and one has sage (Paige’s choice) <–
Zip bag. With your hands, work the olive oil and seasonings over the chicken.
Let sit until the grill is hot. Open bag and place chicken on grill; close the lid.
Six minutes later, flip the chicken over. Continue to cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.
Remove chicken from grill and set on plate for at least three minutes before slicing.
Top with the Apple-Pecan-Raisin topping.

Roasted Thick Sliced Sweet Potatoes 
4 small to medium sweet potatoes
2 TBSP EVOO – (Lucero orange)
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp. high-quality ground coffee

Preheat oven to 400°. Peel sweet potatoes and then slice them thick.
Put them in a Ziploc bag and add approximately 2 tablespoons of Lucero olive oil.
Grind together coffee and sea salt with mortar and pestle. Add to Ziploc bags, and zip up well.
Gently shake bag until potatoes are coated, and place onto foil-lined cookie sheet making sure there is only one layer of potatoes.
Sprinkle seasonings over top and place into oven. A
fter 15 minutes, begin to check every few minutes to see if edges are getting browned.
Once they are, pull them out and enjoy 🙂

White Cheddar Cranberry Toast 
1 loaf uncut sourdough bread
Butter
Honey
White cheddar with dried cranberries (or any white cheese that has dried fruit in it)

Preheat oven to broil. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Slice the sourdough bread into thick slices.
Butter each slice and place it on the cookie sheet. Broil for about 1½-2½ minutes.
Remove cookie sheet and place on heatproof surface.
Quickly brush each slice with honey. (I use that same brush from this recipe).
Top each slice with small pieces of cheese.
Put the cookie sheet back into the broiler and let it stay another minute to two until the edges are golden brown.

Now for dessert… yep they made that too!

Chocolate Mousse with Blackberries
This dessert is from one of my earlier blogs. Click here for the full recipe.
Paige made the mousse, while Cody shaved the dark chocolate for the garnish. Then they added fresh berries. YUM!

I think the kids did an amazing job cooking, grilling, and plating all of the food.
PS: Not only did the food look beautiful…..it tasted even better!