Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

The Recipe's Story

 

I pondered how sweet potatoes would taste in chili when some of our closest friends announced we would be having Sweet Potato Chili for dinner.  I knew my husband was thinking that sweet potatoes belong in a pie or on a Thanksgiving table but not in a chili. Chili was for football, fall, and meat. After one bite we asked our hostess for the recipe. It was that good. This recipe is not my own. I did not tweak or adapt it but borrowed it from http://dashingdish.com and was thankful to be served it by our marathon running, darling friend Nicole.

 

This chili is filling and very low in calories. It has a spicy citrus base with hearty sweet potatoes that pack the dish full of  carotenes (precursor of vitamin A), vitamins C, B2, B6, E and biotin. Sweet potatoes are also a fantastic source of dietary fiber, folate, and potassium. Black beans are a high fiber protein with molybdenum, folate, tryptophan, manganese, and vitamin B1. Tomatoes provide vitamin A,C, and K as well as potassium, molybdenum, and manganese. Onions have some vitamin C and B6 as well as fiber and potassium. Adding the sour cream and green onion give the chili a bit more flavor but on its own this is one of the most flavorful vegan dishes I have found and it boasts just 143 calories per cup without the toppings.

 

 

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes in juice

1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tsp orange zest

Salt and Pepper

Topping Suggestions:

Chopped green onions

Chopped cilantro

Sour Cream

Shredded Cheese

1. Heat the oil in a 4-6 quart Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and cumin, then add the broth and sweet potatoes.  Stir  to combine.

2. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is heated through and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes more. Stir in the orange zest and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Serve the chili hot with desired toppings.

 

Servings: 8

Calories: 140 per serving

Mexican Lasagna

The Recipe's Story

I normally am not a big fan of a casserole dish. There is something more pleasant about a plate to me with vegetables on the side and not all jumbled in with my main dish. Thus, the casserole does not appear in my home often until I found this recipe. I hear the original idea is from Weight Watches but my husband and I added and adjust a few ingredients to make it our own. This dish freezes well, makes great leftovers, and is my go to meal when I bring a dish to a friend.

The original corn tortillas would be much healthier as would a whole wheat tortilla but we stick with flour. The protein from the chicken and the black beans give this meal a filling base. Black beans are a good source of molybdeum, folate, fiber, trypothan, manganese, matnesium, and vitamin B1. The cheese and sour cream bind the ingredients together. There is some calcium in these dairy products but they are mostly there for flavor. The olives add monounsaturated fat and a great salty flavor. Onions are low in calories, heart healthy, and have been show to raise HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). As far as comfort foods go, which are not normally healthy, this one provides some health benefits plus its quick and easy.

Mexican Lasagna

1 medium onion, diced

1 tsp. olive oil

6 8" tortillas cut in half

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast 

3/4 c light sour cream

3/4 c shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 15oz can black beans, rinsed

1 2.25oz can sliced black olives

salt and pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add diced onions to the pan and to stir to coat the onions with the oil. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes,  add 1 tablespoon of water, stir, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

2. In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Salt the water then add the chicken breast and reduce the heat to medium high. Allow the chicken to simmer for about 8 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, cool, then using two forks shred the meat.

2. In a large bowl combine the chicken, 1/2 cup cheese, sour cream, beans, cooled onions, and olives. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Grease an 8x8 inch casserole dish. Place a layer of tortillas (4 halves), then half the mixture, and repeat. Add a final layer of tortillas then, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

4. At this point you can freeze your casserole (I have used a food saver and had it keep three months), place it in the fridge (can be kept up to two days) or place into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Servings: 6
Calories: 461 per serving