Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

 

For as long as I can remember, my mom has been making homemade chili.  She would start by soaking the kidney beans the night before and then she would slow cook the beans with spices and tomatoes in a crock pot ALL day!  As dinner time approached, we'd all crack open the pot of chili whenever we passed the kitchen to steal a quick bite!  Now, if you've ever made homemade beans, then you know the smell is intoxicating.  The aroma of garlic, spices, and cooking beans would fill the house and everyone would have to breathe in the goodness for hours before it was ready to eat.  Cooking beans on the stovetop is my definition of home goodness and comfort food.  Canned beans just do not compare.  However, if you are in a pinch then adding canned beans to a stew or chili will work fine.  If you're going to take the plunge and cook your own beans at home, the extra effort will be more than worth it.  A basic rule of thumb: soak your beans overnight on the counter in a bowl filled with water.  The beans will swell so make sure there is extra water at the top.  In the morning, drain the water (save soaking water to water your plants because it is full of nutrients) and add the beans to a stock pot.  Cover with water so that it comes to about 1-2" over the top of the beans.  Add lots and lots of spice.  A safe option if you are new to home cooking beans is to cook them in vegetable broth.  Or use water and add garlic salt, garlic powder, a bit of fresh black pepper, then you can add some dried red chili's, some herbs liked dried cilantro and a pinch of cayenne pepper, if you like.  Bring the beans to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer.  On average, beans need to cook for 1 -2 hours after having been soaked overnight.  Pinto and kidney beans cook more quickly than black beans so set the timer for an hour then test them.  If they are still firm, keep on cooking.  Once you make your first batch of homemade beans and experience the joy and flavor they bring, you'll never go back to canned beans again!

Now that we've got all these home cooked beans lying around, let's make some chili!!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled, cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed and minced
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
•  1 1/2 cups cooked blacked beans or 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained
• 2 Tbsp. Chili powder
• 3 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• water as needed
• 4 tsp. lime juice (optional when served)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (optional when served)

Method:

Heat oil in the bottom of a large stock pot over medium-high heat.  Add the sweet potato and onion once the pan is warm and stir to coat with oil.  Stir often until the onion begins to soften which is about 4 minutes of cooking time.  Add garlic and spices and cook for about 30 seconds stirring constantly.  Add the canned tomatoes with liquid, bell pepper, and beans.  Cover, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Add more water if needed.  To serve, scoop chili into a bowl, squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice on top and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.  The cayenne pepper gives this chili a warming kick so extra hot sauce should not be needed.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Curry with Sweet Potato and Sprouted Chickpea

 

Curry is one of the most simple and delicious foods on the planet.  Thai food rocks my world but a lot of it is fried and fatty.  Curry can easily be healthy without compromising on flavor or satisfaction in the least.  It's also a wonderful opportunity to add in new herbs and spices to your culinary life.  Turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander, chili, lemongrass, and basil are some of the building blocks for traditional Thai curry dishes.  Today, I am sharing a red curry dish made using store bought red curry paste.  Red curry paste is easy to make from scratch but buying a premade jar is perfect for this recipe since preparing a pumpkin can take some time.  Since we are right in the middle of October, one of my favorite months of the year, we are making everything pumpkin!  You will love this pumpkin curry and feel free to swap in or out ingredients.  Curry is very forgiving when it comes to what vegetables are put in.  However, this is a quite a lovely combo and I do suggest you give sprouting a try because it is so easy and the sprouted mung beans and chickpeas really make this dish special.  Here we go, one pumpkin curry coming up!

Pumpkin Curry Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 sweet potato, cubed
2 cups pumpkin, cubed (cut in half, remove seeds, cut away outer skin then cut into cubes)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced (I used 1/4 red and 1/4 yellow but use what you have)
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 to 1 1/2 cups tofu, pressed, cubed
1 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 to 1 cup sprouted garbanzo beans
3-4 Tbsp. red curry paste
1 can coconut milk or coconut cream
3 cups vegetable broth
1-3 Tbsp. sriracha (depending on how hot you want it)
1/4 cup mung beans (for garnish)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (garnish)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. In a medium/large sauce pan, add the coconut oil and bring to medium heat.  Once the oil is melted, add the onions, sweet potato and ginger.  Give a stir and let cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the onions just start to soften and brown.  Stir every minute or so.
2.  Add the broth and bring to boil.  Reduce to simmer and add pumpkin, bell pepper, tofu and sprouted garbanzo. Cover and allow to simmer to 15 minutes. 
3.  In the meantime, add the coconut milk and curry paste to blender.  Blend until well incorporated.
4.  Add red curry coconut milk to soup and stir.  Add in the sriracha and stir well.  Test your sweet potato and pumpkin with a fork to make sure they are soft.  Reduce heat to low for serving.

To Serve:  Take a small bowl/dish and add cooked quinoa to the bowl.  Pack it in well.  Take your plate and put it over the bowl.  Then flip.  Lift the bowl to leave a perfectly molded quinoa on the plate.  Add chopped cilantro and mung beans to garnish the quinoa and add curry to the plate.  Enjoy!