Tag: carrots

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Turkey, Black Bean, and Sweet Potato Chili

Sarah

So, it’s winter. It isn’t calendar official yet, but there’s snow on the ground so that makes it winter in my book. While I can’t say that I am the biggest fan of that cold season, I do love warming up with some hearty chili.

bowl of black bean & sweet potato chili

I recently tried this hearty chili when we had company, and it was a huge hit. I’m not a fan of thin soups and this chili is anything but. Each bite is chock-full of spicy ground turkey, black beans, sweet potatoes, and lots of other flavorful veggies.

Don’t get me wrong–regular chili is good too, but this amped-up chili has tons of healthy additions that make it even better. The original recipe was vegetarian, but to satisfy a certain man in my life, I added ground turkey. I also added some extra vegetables, like zucchini, to use up the contents of my fridge. The zucchini wasn’t too noticeable so you could probably leave that out without missing it. I wasn’t sure initially how well potatoes, even my beloved sweet potatoes, would work in chili but I am happy to report that they are great, blending in naturally so even sweet potato haters [Benjamin] don’t object too loudly. 🙂 The leftovers are fantastic served out of the fridge for a few days and also freeze nicely for lunches during the work week. Hope you enjoy!

Turkey, Black Bean, and Sweet Potato Chili [adapted from goodLife(eats)]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped [I just washed it really well and didn’t bother peeling it.]
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 28 ounces petite diced tomatoes
  • 2 large carrots, diced [I just washed it really well and didn’t bother peeling it.]
  • 3 cups diced sweet potatoes
  • 15 ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups cooked black beans [Mine were dried + cooked, but you could sub 30 ounces canned.]
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth, divided
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • Jack cheese, for serving
  • Cilantro, for serving
  • Sour Cream, for serving

Directions:

In a skillet, brown ground turkey until fully cooked. Drain grease and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for a few minutes, until tender. Add the garlic, pepper, and zucchini and saute for a couple more minutes, until fragrant. Add cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and oregano and stir well, cooking for another minute or so.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Next, stir in ground turkey, tomatoes, carrot, sweet potatoes, beans, and salsa. Reserve 1/4 cup broth, but add the rest to the stock pot.

In a small measuring cup, whisk together reserved broth and cornstarch. Mix until smooth, then pour into pot. Stir until combined, then cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes then uncover and reduce heat to low, simmering for 60 minutes. Cover and simmer with lid for an additional 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with cheese, cilantro, and sour cream as desired.

Time: 2 hours [30 minutes active].

Yield: a lot of chili. At least 10-12 generous servings.

Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

KC’s Dilled Carrots

Sarah

I am so excited to be participating today in the Healthy Holidays series, hosted by Carly at Createlive. I love going to Carly’s blog for her great photography, creative ideas, and amazing recipes, so when I saw this series, I knew I wanted to join in.

Today, I’ll be sharing one of my favorite vegetable side dishes of all time: KC’s Dilled Carrots. Normally, I’m not a fan of cooked vegetables [at my house, we eat a. lot. of salads, cut up raw veggies, etc. instead], but I make an exception for this one. I think one of the reasons I’m not a fan of cooked vegetables is because they are either a) mushy [I like the CRUNCH!], b) slathered in a lot of other ingredients that change the flavor from fresh and light to heavy, or c) all of the above. My mom got this recipe from a family friend, whose initials happen to be KC, after eating at their house one year over spring break about four and a half years ago, and it has made an appearance on our table many times since then.

Dilled Carrots... an easy & healthy holiday dish sure to please!

Oftentimes, cooked carrots are served with buttery, sugary, bacon-y glaze that is, of course, delicious, but also high in fat and calories. For a vegetable dish, this is problematic. KC’s Dilled Carrots solves the problem by significantly cutting down on the butter and sugar, adding a ton of flavor with a generous amount of dill, and incorporating just a bit of creaminess via sour cream or yogurt for a rich taste with more of the good stuff and less of the bad. Note, this of course translates to more pie, stuffing, or whatever is your cup of tea. I mean, in the name of health you could just cook up some carrots and call it a day–but wouldn’t you rather add a bit of pizzazz in a healthier way? I know I do. Enjoy, and be sure to check out the rest of the series here. It will be continuing for the next three weeks so there’s still time to contribute if you want!

Dilled Carrots... an easy & healthy holiday dish sure to please!

KC's Dilled Carrots

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 pounds carrots, cut in coins or julienned
  • 2 teaspoons dill
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 3 tablespoons sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

Melt butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and stir to coat, sauteing and constantly stirring for about 3 minutes. Stir together dill, chicken stock, and honey in a measuring cup. Pour over carrots and stir to coat. Cover and cook for 4-7 minutes, until carrots are just barely tender. Remove from heat. Take carrots from the pan with a slotted spoon and place into a serving dish. Return skillet to the stove and cook over high heat for 1-2 minutes, reducing liquid until syrupy. Stir in sour cream or yogurt, pour over carrots, stir together, and serve.

[Click here for more Healthy Holiday recipes for a guilt-free holiday season!]

 

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Roasted Vegetable Soup

Sarah

Okay. So I’m going to forget for a few moments that it’s been in the 80s here in Indiana this week and last, and transport myself back to a time a couple weeks ago where the temperatures were barely in the low 60s and the rain was steadily pouring nearly every day. This requires a bit of willing suspension of disbelief, if you will.

Now that I’m back in those chilly early days of fall if only in my memories, I can recall a delicious soup that popped its way into my oven, onto my stove, and into my heart. A soup that requires little to no effort, sans some chopping, scooping, and measuring that yields a slightly spicy, thick, and comforting bowl of Roasted Vegetable Soup.

Now, despite my love of vegetables, I am by no means a Vegetable Soup kind of girl. Brothy soups are not for me. So when I saw this recipe pop up on my Google Reader, I was a bit skeptical. A soup just made out of vegetables? How much flavor can that really have? Sure, there are some herbs but what can they really do?

Oh, silly me. Clearly I forgot the lessons I learned with Roasted Tomato Sauce or any of the other roasted vegetable dishes I’ve shared on this ‘lil blog. Roasting vegetables makes all the difference. While cooking vegetable stovetop leaves them mushy and a little blah, roasting them brings out tons of flavor and that smooth, creamy texture that I love. This soup’s perfect for cozying up to on a cold, rainy evening, and is the best vehicle for endless bites of warm, crusty bread. Mmm, good!

I’m so glad I decided to give vegetable soup a try. What’s one food that you’re glad that you decided to try?

Roasted Vegetable Soup [from Good Cheap Eats]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 7 baby eggplants, halved lengthwise [about 3 1/2 cups; original used 1 large eggplant]
  • 2 medium yellow squashes, halved lengthwise
  • 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
  • 4 small sweet peppers [or 2 bell peppers], seeded and halved
  • 2 large carrots, chunked
  • 3 medium tomatoes, halved
  • 4 large cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 small hot pepper [optional]
  • olive oil
  • freshly ground pepper and salt
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4-6 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the vegetables–eggplant, squash, zucchini, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, and hot pepper–on a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet [or two, in my case]. Brush with a thin layer of oil and season with a generous amount of pepper and a little salt. Roast for 35-45 minutes, until tender and spotted with brown.

Add vegetables to a large stockpot, scooping pulp from eggplant, squash, and zucchini first. Add oregano, basil, and bay leaf, then pour in 4 cups chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.

Remove the bay leaf and discard. Use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth. Alternatively, use a blender or food processor with caution since the liquid is hot. Add up to 2 more cups of broth if desired to thin. [I didn’t do this.] Serve warm with crusty bread.
Time: 1 hour 40 minutes [10 minutes active].
Yield: 5-6 servings.
Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Pacific Natural Foods.
Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Sarah

It’s been a chilly, rainy start to fall so far–and what better way to warm up than with a cozy bowl of Butternut Squash Apple Soup?

I haven’t had butternut squash in over a year thanks to the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese overdose of winter 2009, but a large butternut squash at the Farmer’s Market looked so yummy that I just had to bring it home. I loved the sweet-tart flavor of this soup, intensified by roasting the squash and slowly cooking a plethora of other produce including pieces of onions, carrots, celery, and apples. Some spices top off the delightfulness of this creamy soup. For a little extra treat, try stirring in some sour cream for a cool twist on this hot dish!

Reader Question ~ What’s your favorite fall soup?

Butternut Squash Apple Soup [from Simply Recipes]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1 large butternut squash [should yield ~4.5 cups]
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped [should yield ~1.5 cups]
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out seeds and membranes. Place flesh side up on a large baking sheet, then roast for 25 minutes or until tender. Let cool for a few minutes and then scoop out squash and place in a bowl.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Then add onion, celery, and carrot to the pot and saute for 5 minutes. Vegetables should begin to soften but not brown.
Next, add squash, apple, chicken broth, and water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until softened. Puree with an immersion blender and return to the pot. Add spices to taste and serve with warm bread.
Yield: 4-6 servings.
Time: 70 minutes [15 minutes active].
Recipes, Rice, Sides

Healthy “Fried” Rice

Sarah

Wednesday night pop quiz. What makes fried rice the color of… fried rice? Any guesses?

Soy sauce!

Seriously. Soy sauce. What?

For years, I always ordered fried rice at Asian restaurants because I just love the flavors, the crisp texture, and the itty bitty pieces of egg scattered throughout the rice. But what I don’t love is the lack of vegetables. Usually, the pieces are miniscule, and I’ve all but given up on ordering chicken or shrimp fried rice because most places are pretty skimpy on the good stuff.

However, I always thought that there was some secret “special ingredient” that restaurants added to fried rice that was so complicated and mysterious that I could never recreate it at home. Boy, was I wrong. Soy sauce is all that’s needed to create delicious, restaurant-style fried rice at home. My world was rocked the day I learned I could make a healthier, lighter version of fried rice, full of the good stuff, whenever I pleased. It’s so easy, and I typically have many of the ingredients already so it’s just a snap to make for a quick weeknight dinner. I’m excited to play around with this recipe more and find some new variations. But for now… here’s the classic!

What are your favorite additions to fried rice?

Healthy “Fried” Rice [from About.com and Daily Garnish]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cold cooked brown rice [prepared the day before from 1 cup dry brown rice]
  • 2-4 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2-4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 medium carrots, diced small
  • 1/2 cup shelled edamame [I used frozen]
  • 1/2 cup peas [I used frozen]
  • 1 egg, beaten

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add rice to skillet and stir frequently to coat, approximately 4-6 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a small bowl.

After rice is warm and has incorporated the sesame oil, mix in the vegetables. Cook thoroughly, until carrots are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Then, add sesame-soy mixture and stir quickly to mix in. The sauce should steam.

Push rice to sides of the pan, leaving a hole in the center of the pan. Pour egg into the hole and quickly scramble it, breaking the egg apart. Then mix egg with rice and vegetables, taste, and season with additional soy sauce and sesame oil to taste.