Sweet potato and black bean chili... because winter will not end

Well since winter just will NOT GO AWAY, we have been having more chili... and fires... and cuddling up more in our blankets. 

poor betsi.  Look at her express another emotion...

(yawn)

(yawn) (winter is soooo boring!! can't we do something else?!).  They are too cute. 

Anyways, back to chili.  This vegetarian (and vegan) chili has sweet potatoes, black beans, chipotle chilies in adobo and is so delicious.  I love the sweetness of the sweet potato and honey against the heat of the chipotle chili.  It rocks my socks off. (not sure why I just said that...) but uh, yeah, it's pretty tasty.  And simple and fast too -- I have made it after work in time for dinner, no problemo.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. grapeseed oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo from a can, plus some of the sauce
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 carrots
1 very large sweet potato, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 cans black beans
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
stock or water
maple syrup to taste
salt to taste

Directions:

Heat grapeseed oil in large heavy pot (dutch oven is perfect) over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until transparent and soft, about 5 minutes.   Add garlic, saute 1 minute.  Add next 4 ingredients (chipotles, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon) and cook, stirring, until fragrant (1 or 2 minutes).  Add carrots, sweet potatoes and stir to combine, and then add balck beans, tomatoes, and stock or water to cover.  Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 20-25 minutes.  Add maple syrup and salt to taste.

Serve with your favorite toppings.  We had it with sour cream, jalepeno slices, green onion, and sliced avacado.   Yummy!

Enjoy!!

Lebonese Chicken and Chickpea Stew

I am not a huge fan of winter.  I tolerate winter.  I don't ski or snowboard or go sledding and the days of snow men and snowball fights and whatever allure they once had are long gone.  I mostly just, um, stay inside.  But there are a few things I love about winter.  One of them is the foods you get to enjoy and feel entitled to eat.  Some of my favorite foods are clearly winter foods -- stews, soups, rich pasta sauces --  foods I would never want to eat if I lived somewhere where it was always warm.  And that would be sad. 

This Lebonese-inspired chickpea stew with chicken thighs is one of these foods.  It is hearty and warm and wonderful.  It is from Bon Appetit, February 2012.  I changed the original recipe by adding more chicken -- 4 thighs instead of 2 -- and by subbing chicken stock for the water.  The cubes of country style bread I toasted after tossing in a little olive oil, salt and pepper to make them crusty before adding them at the end.  Here is the recipe.

Chickpea Stew
adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2012 
serves 4
 
Ingredients:
4 T olive oil, divided
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
kosher salt
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. ground cumin
2 Tbs. tomato paste
3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
2 15-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped drained roasted red peppers from a jar
2 Tbs. (or more) fresh lemon juice
2 cups 1" cubes country-style bread
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in medium heavy pot over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt; add to pot and cook, turning once, until browned, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.

2.  Reduce heat to low and let oil cool for 1 minute; add garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.   Add cumin, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes; stir until a smooth paste forms, about 1 minute. 

3.  Add reserved chicken, along with any accumulated juices, bay leaves and  cups water (or chicken stock).  Scrape up any browned bits.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, occasionally stirring, until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.

4.  Transfer chicken to a plate.  Add chickpeas to pot; bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, shred chicken.  Add shredded chicken to stew.  Add red peppers.  Stir in remaining 2 Tbs. oil and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice; simmer for 1 minute.

5.  Season with salt and more lemon juice, if desired.

6.  Divide stew among bowls, garnish with parsley.  Top with toasted bread cubes (or put bread cubes in bowl and top with stew).  

Enjoy!

Moroccan Lamb Stew

 Hi there! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! I have so much food blogging back log it is making me anxious! I was of course on pie duty this year and have a number of Thanksigiving pie recipes to post - pecan, chocolate pecan, sweet potato, pear almond cranberry tart - yum - they all turned out wonderfully!  And all too soon I embark on the weekend Christmas cookie crusade, piling up reserves and filling my ice box with cookie tins in preparation for Christmas binging.  I love this time of year and Christmas cookies are my favorite.  I have been doing them for 4 years now I think and no,  I never sneak a warm cookie or spoonful of dough while baking... and even if I did, that is 100% calorie free. 

Anyways, before the baking frenzy hits, I have some recipes I have been meaning to post.  This Moroccan Lamb Stew is soooooo freaking delicious.  I can't describe.  The way the flavors combine -- cinnamon, apricot, chickpea, tomato -- is some sort of magic.  It is not sweet but not spicy.  It is perfectly a little sweet and spicy.  The meat is sooo tender and wonderful.  My step dad passed this one a long, with his changes, from epicurious.  Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds trimmed boned lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces (I used half bone-in - this added great flavor and kept the lamb very tender)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 15 1/2-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 1 cup dried apricots (about 5 ounces)
• 4 tomatoes with juices from a 28 oz can of large plum tomatoes, chopped up
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons (packed) grated lemon peel

Instructions:

1.  Combine first 6 ingredients (cumin, coriander, salt, fennel seeds, cayenne, and black pepper) in medium bowl.

2.  Add lamb and toss to coat.

3.  Chop onion.

4.  Cut up your tomatoes.

5. Mince the ginger.

6.  Grate the lemon peel.

7. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in heavy dutch oven or other pot over medium high heat.  Working in batches, add lamb and cook, browning on all sides.  Add more oil between batches.  About 8 minutes per batch.  Set browned lamb aside.

8.  Add onion and tomato paste to drippings in skillet. Reduce heat to medium; sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

9.  Add broth, garbanzo beans, apricots, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and lemon peel and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.

10.  Return lamb to skillet, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until lamb is tender, about an hour and a half.

11.  Uncover and simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.)

Transfer lamb and sauce to bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with Jasmine rice, or cous cous.  Enjoy!