Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

Okay, so we all know how great sweet potatoes are for you...but do you really? These little root veggie suckers are amazingly good for you. So, I urge you to put them into anything you can! I use them in everything from pancakes to pasta. You can dice, puree, julienne, steam, bake, microwave...the list goes on and on! They are highly nutritious - in fact, a medium sized sweet potato contains more than your daily requirement of vitamin A, nearly a third the vitamin C you need, almost 15 percent of your daily dietary fiber intake and 10 percent of the necessary potassium. So, eat up!

Here is a recipe for my Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili. This is one of my husband’s FAVORITE meals. It is super easy, low fat, packed full of goodness, vegan and is great served over quinoa pasta, brown rice, in a large portobello mushroom or just alone in a bowl! If it’s one of my meat loving husband’s favorites, it has to be good!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

Add an itty bitty amount of olive oil into the bottom of a chili pot - add sweet potatoes, salt & garlic - let the potatoes brown up a bit & then add green pepper& onion. Once sautéed, add all above ingredients & stir.

3) Large sweet potatoes (cubed small)
(1) tablespoon minced garlic
(1) small sweet onion (diced) or (1) cup frozen diced onion
(1) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
(2) cans diced tomatoes (any kind)
(1) cup (or more) or veggie broth
(1) can diced green chilies

Then add seasonings (you can add more of less of any of these):

(2) tablespoon cinnamon
(2) tablespoon cumin
(1.5) tablespoon Coriander
(1.5) tablespoon chili powder
(1) tablespoons garlic powder

(4-5) bay leaves (remove before serving)
Salt & pepper

Stir everything together, cover and let simmer for about a 1 hour or until potatoes are soft. You can top with cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, crackers, etc...Or alone if you want it vegan!

Busy Day Chili...less than 5 minutes

(Insert Mental Image Here)

This is about as easy as it gets for a QUICK & delicious chili...it literally almost makes itself!

I like to serve over a brown rice or quinoa pasta (protein packed!), but it is just fine alone as well. If you have your "stocked" pantry this can be made in less than 5 minutes - no kidding.

1 Large Can organic diced tomatoes (you can add a small can as well)
2 Cans of beans drained & rinsed (your choice!) I like red kidneys & black myself
1-2 cups frozen corn
1 cup frozen sweet potatoes
1 cup frozen minced white onion
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 tbs. Cocoa Powder
1-2 tbs. Chili Powder
1 tbs. Coriander
1 tbs. Cumin
1 tbs. nutritional yeast (if you have it)
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. salt (or as much as you like)
1 tsp. pepper (or as much as you like)
1 tbs. olive oil

Okay, so I could get fancy and say sauté the garlic in the oil, add in this and that, bla bla bla...OR I will just say dump it all into a pot, put on a lid & come back in about 30 minutes...which is what I do after a busy day.

So, there you go - grab a can opener and your spices...super easy. You can let it cook as long as you would like, would give it about 30 minutes to simmer.

No photo for this one peeps, I was too busy to take one :-).

A quick easy dinner favorite in our house is the turkey burger. You can jazz this up a million ways - and trust me, I do. This "broccoli cheddar" variety is a great way to get in those green veggies without making quite a statement :-). My son thanks me for that.

What you will need for (4) burgers...
1 lb. all white turkey meat (99% fat free)
1/2 cup low fat cheddar cheese
1 cup finely diced broccoli (or more if you like!) - tops only!
1 small bundle of green onion (whites and some greens)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (you can omit if you hate mustard)
Salt & pepper for taste

Mix all into a bowl & make patties. I used an indoor grill for these, but you can easily cook them up in a skillet or on the outdoor grill. You could even do them in the oven (350 for approx 20 minutes).

You can serve with lettuce tomato on a gluten free bun - OR just serve over a green salad (my favorite way!). Enjoy!

Some other quick options are...

- Any mushroom & mozzarella
- asparagus & goat cheese
- zucchini & Parmesan
- Diced apple & cheddar (sounds crazy, I know!! But it is good!)

Breakfast is by far the biggest meal in our house. On Sundays I typically make a "fun" breakfast...a special treat, but always with a healthy twist. My kids help (mostly by tasting!) and my husband clips coupons while serving up the coffee & milk. We all gather in the kitchen & spend the morning together. There is no hurry to get breakfast made, and we sit at the table afterwards reading the paper & discuss the hilarious figurines they sell in the coupon section or how insanely out of proportion the cat/dog food adds are to human food or joke about how much hideous Velcro shoe cost these days. It is my favorite morning of the week!

This is recipe is for "Breakfast Dumplings" - a mix between a donut & muffin. They are baked and served with a sweet glaze. The outside is crispy, inside is chewy and the glaze just adds one more layer of yum :-).

dumplings:
2 cups of Pamela's Gluten Free Bread mix
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cups Almond milk
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 egg
a little splash of vanilla

glaze:
1 tablespoon almond milk
1 tablespoon agave
sprinkle of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl mix all ingredients together. The dough will be gooey, but hold form. Mist mini muffin tins (they are the perfect size) or cookie sheet with non-stick spray (I use olive oil). Fill each tin with a scoop of dough or spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes. The outside should be brown and crisp - check the inside to make sure they are cooked through.

In a small bowl whisk together agave & almond milk (add a few dashes of cinnamon). Using a basting brush cover each warm dumpling with glaze. Remove from the tin & serve!

This makes about 16 "mini" dumplings * You can use applesauce in lieu of olive oil, but be sure to spray the tins well (they will stick!).

I hope you enjoy your lazy Sunday mornings as much as we do...it's in those moments that your life is so special. And who knows, you just might finally find that dachshund figurine wearing a pearl necklace & a large brimmed hat hidden in the pages of the coupons :-).

Take a Trip to the Far East...or Mexico!

I can't express to you how much you are missing if you haven't ventured out to your local Asian market. It is a must, in fact you should make a point to visit any & all markets you can...you just never know what you will find! Hard to imagine there is more out there than Whole Foods...but yes my friends there are. LOTS of ethnic markets with little hidden gems & a plethora of foods that are amazing!

My local favorite here in Columbus is Cam International Market. I could spend hours in there & I have been known to do just that. The produce is amazing...the tofu & noodle section goes on and on...and I have been there on occasion when crabs have been crawling around the seafood cooler - talk about fresh! There is beef, pork and other meats as well with a butcher there to cut it as you like!

You can find everything from lucky bamboo to Asian melons,  whole red snapper to frozen strawberry moshi...ahhhhhh, it is an amazingly fun grocery trip. My kids love it as well!

 

So, waste no time...head to an ethnic market this week. I give you the task to buy THREE things that you have no clue what they are. Honestly, buy produce that you have never heard of & buy it. When you get home, Google a few recipes for it & go for it. You may decide you won't be buying that again :-), OR you just might find your new favorite food.

I also must say that not all markets are created equal. You may go into one & not be impressed, while another one may blow your socks off. Take the time to make a stop in & check them out. I have my favorites for sure & you will too!

A few Tips:

• Never be afraid to ask a question even if there seems to be a language barrier. It is part of the experience & for the most part the grocers LOVE to help you.
• If you buy fish make sure you ask them to clean AND fillet the fish if you don't want to do it yourself. Typically they will put it on ice as well.
• You can typically find the "english" name on the price label underneath - if it isn't on the actual product.
• Look closely on the backs of things - there is almost always an english ingredients label on there somewhere...just small sometimes.
• Ask questions! Don't be scared!
• Go to to frozen food & meats last. You will be wandering around for a while & you want to get these things last so they stay cold!
• Keep one of those "freeze bags" in your car. Sometimes you have to drive further than you normally would & that way things stay cold on your drive home.
• Buy 3 new things every time you go.
• Encourage your kids to pick out one fruit or vegetable - anything they want. It gets them involved & gets them to try new things!
• Random, but don't buy farm raised tilapia...yuck. I am just sayin'.
• Have fun & go to many markets...Indian, Asian, Mexican - Just do it!

I can't wait to hear what you find!

The "BDM" ...a.k.a "The Best Damn Marinade"

So, I am about to share with you the best marinade there ever was & I have officially named it that. It is simple, easy and can be used a million ways. It is best (in my opinion) on fish, shrimp & vegetables...I am sure it is just as good on chicken...but why even go there when you have a million other options :-). It can be used as a marinade, dressing, or sauce. The shrimp option below is a great one to take to holiday gatherings or parties, but make the marinade ahead & it can be used as a quick and easy weekday dinner option!

1/4 Rice Vinegar
1/4 Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon tarragon (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 shallot thinly sliced
Salt & pepper

* you can double or triple this easily! I typically like to marinade anything in this for 4-8 hours. It really allows the flavors to melt together.

Mix or whisk together the & voila, you are done!

Some ideas for this are...

• Marinade already cooked & cleaned shrimp in marinade for 6-8 hours - you can literally dump it on a plate & serve.
• Toss a pasta salad in this rather than dressing.
• Fresh Mahi Mahi steaks or any other white fish is FANTASTIC
• saute shrimp or calamari with marinate & serve over linguine
• Use as a salad dressing on any salad
• Marinade a mushroom mix, oven roast on high heat until tender - serve over rice or pasta.
• If you pan sear your fish I like to remove the shallots and cook those as well. Top your fish with a few of those tasty onions!

For the photo, I marinated Golden Pompano & grilled on a super hot grill. I removed the shallots and grilled those as well - using them as a topping.

A simple & quick side: snow peas, grape tomatoes & pistachios. Place them in a saute pan, mist with olive oil & a dash of sea salt & pepper...this combination is amazing & takes all of about 3 minutes!