Sweet Potato Black Bean Chilli

I bought ingredients for our much-loved sweet potato and black bean enchiladas, but I just wasn't feeling it.  So I searched the internet a bit and came across this recipe for Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili.  That sounded much more like it, though I did make some changes to the recipe.  Perfect for a cold November evening. The smoky flavor from the chipotle in adobo ads just the right amount of flavor and heat, and a dollop of sour cream cools the palate enough for my kids to be happy eating it.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

1 onion
1/2 sweet pepper
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth

1/2 of one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/2 lb dry beans prepared/cooked (about three cups or 2 cans)
1 lb sweet potato
1 tsp salt

In a soup pot heat 2 tablespoons fat or oil.  Add onion and sweet pepper, saute until onions are translucent.  Add garlic and cumin, cook and stir until fragrant.  Add remaining ingredients, simmer until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese. 

Sweet Potato Stuffed Shells

I saw a recipe for butternut squash stuffed pasts shells.  I had sweet potatoes in the house and since the recipe referenced an original version with sweet potato instead, that's what I made.  But I'm sure I'll make it again with butternut squash, because it was very good. I also swapped out the frozen spinach for fresh chard from my garden. 


Sweet Potato Stuffed Shells
1 large sweet potato, (about 2 cups cubed)
6 oz (18-20) jumbo pasta shells
15 oz of ricotta cheese (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg
5 large leaves of Swiss chard, about 3-4 cups chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
5-10 sage leaves
olive oil

Peel sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch pieces.  Toss in olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Roast in 425F oven for 15-20 minutes--until easily pierced with a fork. 

Cook jumbo pasta shells according to directions.

Chop Swiss chard into 1/2 inch pieces. Saute in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, until wilted.

In a bowl add ricotta and egg, stir together until smooth.  Add grated cheeses, chard and roasted squash, stir to combine.

Stuff the shells with the mixture and place in a 9x13 baking dish.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a saucepan heat 1/2 cup butter.  Add sage leaves until crisp.  remove leaves and crumble over shells.  Stir butter gently until it begins to brown.  Remove from heat, pour over shells in baking dish.   

Place dish in a 400F oven around 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Cardamom Sweet Potato Puree

While visiting my parents I was reminded of my dad's love of cardamom.  (It reminds him of Finland--but that's a story for another day.)  So when I received a sample of the new Knorr Homestlye Stock, with a challenge to use it in a recipe of my own creation, I immediately wondered how I could also use my dad's favorite Cardamom.  This is the recipe I came up with.  My family and I have enjoyed it twice now--I hope you'll give it a try.

Cardamom Pureed Sweet Potatoes
Cook Time: 20 min  ---  Total Time: 35 min
Serves: 8 half cup servings

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes (1.5 lbs total)
2 cups apple juice
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Fresh ground pepper

Peel Sweet potatoes with a vegetable peeler, and cut into a half to one inch pieces.

In a three-quart pot bring apple juice and chicken broth to a boil. Add sweet potatoes, cardamom and cinnamon.  Cover and simmer at a low boil for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat.  Puree the sweet potatoes with a stick blender, or in batches in a food processor. 

Serve with a grind of fresh cracked pepper on top.

Variation: For a more rustic texture, omit 1/2 cup apple juice and mash with a potato masher instead of pureeing.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

I generally am not interested in "vegetarian" dishes. Large chunks of tofu or textured vegetable protein marinated in sauces and pretending to be meat. What I am interested in are delicious vegetable-based dishes with interesting and fresh ingredients and flavors that are so satisfying that meat isn't a necessary addition, nor is it missed at all.

These enchiladas fall under that category. We love sweet potatoes. If you trust the CDC's information it's among the most nutritious foods in the vegetable kingdom.  I just know that sweet potatoes are delicious real food that my kids enjoy as much as I do.  And being from Arizona I have a monthly recommended allowance of Southwestern Tex-Mex food, and if I don't meet that requirement I start to get cranky and mopey.  So this recipe is good in our home for many reasons. 

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

1 pound sweet potatoes peeled and diced, 1/2 inch cubes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ketchup or tomato sauce
1 can (1 3/4 cup) black beans, drained
1 4 oz can diced green chilies
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
12 corn tortillas
Large (28 oz) can green enchilada sauce
Monterrey Jack Cheese, as desired

 In a bowl, toss diced sweet potatoes, cumin, chili powder, salt, and ketchup.  Spread on an oiled baking sheet. Cook 25 min at 425° or until golden and tender.

Combine the black beans, green chilis, and chopped cilantro with the potatoes.

I started doing a simplified layered enchilada to save time (and curses at cracking tortillas).  Spread some green enchilada sauce on bottom of a 9X13 pan. Lay out 6 corn tortillas on the bottom overlapping a bit and curling up the edges of the pan a bit.  Add the bean mixture, spreading it out over the tortillas. Sprinkle with some cheese.  Pour some enchilada sauce over the bean mixture.  Top with the remaining 6 tortillas.  Top with more cheese and sauce. Bake about 20 min at 350° until hot and bubbly . (Adapted from recipe here.)

When they come out they look like regular mushy enchiladas--but this is an appetizing picture of the pre-baked enchiladas before I put the top layer of tortillas on.  I love the orange sweet potatoes--great natural color always makes food more appetizing.

Sweet Potato Fries

Over the summer in SLC we were introduced to Rumbi "Island Grill." Maybe we were just shell-shocked from having more than the three choices for fast food joints we have here, but we loved it.

We loved the feel of eating healthier fast food. A huge bowl of brown rice with sauteed vegetables (broccoli, carrot, zucchini, and celery) tossed on, with a delicious serving of Luau Pulled Pork with Hawaiian Teriyaki sauce on top.

(I don't really know how it compares nutritionally to other fast food, but I do know that when I can recognize my whole grains and vegetables just by looking at them it's a good thing.)

The best part by far,however, was the sweet-potato french fries. The first time we went we ordered the Rumbi Fries which is a mix of traditional and sweet potato fries, but from then on it was sweet potato only!


I saw one of those french fries cutter-gadgets at the store the other day, and thought "Cool, I need that!" But then thought it through, realised I didn't, and had a sweet potato epiphany along the way. . .

Just peel the sweet potato.

Chop it in to "fries" with a regular ol' knife and cutting board. Pile on a roasting pan, drizzle with your oil of choice, toss to coat (this keeps the skins from drying out). Spread them out on the pan so they don't touch very much (or else they will steam instead of roasting). Then roast them in the oven at 350° for 20-30 minutes or until they are nice and soft.

Sprinkle with salt if you want--we usually don't--and serve them with Rumbi Fry Sauce. (Ketchup and mayo mixed together.) Delicious, and of course the boys love them too!

Steamed Sweet Potato Baby Food

 Making your own baby food is something that I heartily endorse. It's really not very hard, and it can save you a ton of money. For the sake of example I will now demonstrate: How to Make Homemade Veggie-Puree!


I have begun with a humble sweet potato. I love them, and babies love them. My husband loves them too, although he never knew it before marrying me. (His dad hated them so his mom never served them. Our eating habits rub off on our children--let that be a lesson to you!)




I peeled it, sliced it in half, and cubed it. It's a good idea to make the cubes similar in size so that they cook evenly.
I prefer to steam my vegetables. This leaves more nutrients in the veggies than boiling would. I also think steaming increases the water content a little bit helping to make a nice soft puree.



If you've never steamed anything before here's a primer: Open your drawer of random kitchen doodads. Find that weird holey metal thing that opens up like a lotus blossom--you know the one--it's called a steamer basket. It's made to expand to fit almost any sized pot, so pick one of yours and put about 3/4 of an inch of water in the bottom and put the steamer basket inside. Put the lid on the pot and get the water boiling. Then put your vegetables in, replace the lid, and steam the veggies until they offer little resistance to a fork or knife. (If it is taking a while for your vegetables to steam you may need to add more boiling water, or turn the heat down to a lower boil. I have boiled all my water away before and it's no good for your pots, and it leaves your house smelling terrible!!!)

Transfer the vegetables to a food processor and puree! If you don't wait for them to cool then you should leave the rammer/stomper/whatever thing out of the lid so that steam can escape. If the puree is not thin enough for your baby's needs you can add some of the water left over from steaming (Otherwise you can use it in a soup).
Spoon the puree into an ice cube tray. Cover with plastic wrap and put in your freezer.

When the cubes are frozen pop them out of the tray and place them in a freezer bag or container. The little one-ounce portions are perfect. I would put one in a little Tupperware bowl and throw it in the diaper bag. Just as easy as a jar! This is one of the little things I like to do to help "offset the cost" of being a stay-at-home mom:-)