Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chili Beans

Hi bloggies!  Hope you had a great Wednesday!  Mine's been busy.  I'd like to think if I can just get through all the stuff due this week, things will be better, but I can't really see a breather at the moment :/

I have a new recipe for you!  Todd and I thought this recipe was good, but we're going to tweak it for next time.  For instance, the original recipe doesn't call for red pepper, but I thought it'd taste good with it as we were eating, so I added it then.  Of course, next time I'll just season the whole pot ;)  Also, make sure to add some red onions and avocado - we didn't do that, and we thought it tasted like it was missing something.

BAKED SWEET POTATOES WITH CHILI BEANS // Serves 4

Slightly adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

4 Small Yams/Sweet Potatoes
1 drained can of pinto beans

1 drained can of black beans
1 Yellow Onion
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Salt
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
Bunches and bunches of shakes of crushed red pepper (optional)
Cilantro
Chopped Red Onion
Avocado
Sour Cream or Whole Milk Greek Yogurt

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Pierce holes in the sweet potatoes/yams, lightly wrap them in foil, and bake on the middle rack for about 45-55 minutes (or just cook potatoes in microwave.  We put out potatoes in the oven for 45 min, but since they still weren't done, we nuked them in the microwave to finish).
2. Thinly slice the onion. Over medium heat in a heavy bottomed pot, cook the onions and garlic until softened. Add the spices and the jar of tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and reduce for about 20 minutes while the beans finish cooking.
When the beans are cooked, drain and add them to the tomato mix, cook another 10 minutes for all the flavors to marry. Taste for salt and spices, add more if desired.
3. Split open the baked sweet potato/yams and create a little cavern down the middle. Fill the cavern with the chili beans and add toppings as desired.

Turkey Chili with Tomatoes and Beans

This is my go-to chili recipe.  It's healthy, not too heavy, and is prepared in the blink of an eye...perfect for evenings when, by the time you get home, you've already been hungry for hours.  I generally like to bring the heat, but this recipe is not dauntingly spicy.  If you have a delicate palette, go for plain diced tomatoes.  Might make the chili with these scones next time....mmmm mmmmm

Turkey Chili with Tomatoes and Beans (serves 4)

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons plus 1 teaspoon chili powder
2 10-ounce cans Rotel tomatoes (or two small cans diced tomatoes with hot peppers) or 1 28-ounce can of tomatoes with bunch of extra shakes of chili powder
4 cups cooked kidney beans
1 cup reduced sodium beef broth, chicken broth, or water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano

In a large pot, heat oil over moderately high heat and add turkey and onion. Seasoned with 2 teaspoons chili powder, salt and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until turkey becomes opaque. Add remaining ingredients, raise heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until flavors have had a chance to mingle. Serve then slurp from bowl.

Spicy Sausage and Bean Casserole

This recipe is a staple in our home, and, dare I say, it should be in yours too.  It's super cheap, makes a lot, and always comes out fantastic.  The casserole calls for ground pieces of bread, which are really just bread crumbs the last time I checked.  So, that's what I use.  I also use more red pepper than is called for...but more on my great love of spicy food later...

Also, our good friends are hosting a second Thanksgiving tomorrow!  Todd  cobbled together a mix of pretty sweet (and gigantic!!) beers for the party, so I'm pretty excited about that, too!

(Recipe adapted from Cooking Light).

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1  cup  chopped onion (about 1 medium)
• 1  (16-ounce) package spicy turkey sausage
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2  tablespoons  brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons  tomato paste
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 3  (16-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1  bay leaf
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper (optional) I like a lot!
• 1.5 cups breadcrumbs 
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and turkey sausage to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until browned. Add garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in 2 tablespoons brown sugar, tomato paste, dried thyme, freshly ground black pepper, cannellini beans, and bay leaf. Add ground red pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over bean mixture, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until browned. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley.

Gratuitous Nutritional Information Below!

Nutritional Information

Calories:

205 (14% from fat)

Fat:

3.3g (sat 1.1g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

12.1g

Carbohydrate:

30g

Fiber:

4.4g

Cholesterol:

25mg

Iron:

2.7mg

Sodium:

823mg

Calcium:

77mg