Tag: sweet potato

Appetizers, Recipes

Conflicted…

Sarah

Oh goodness. This has been such a stressful night. I’m not, like, the biggest sports fan ever… but tonight, sports were the cause of my stress. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Yes, the Super Bowl is tomorrow. As you probably know, the big game is in Indianapolis; the game a mere hour’s drive away from me. [I’ve heard it’s super crowded there right now…. not my scene at all.]

But in Indiana, there was another big game this weekend. A game that some might argue is more important. Indiana versus Purdue basketball. Hence the stress.

See, I’m a grad student at IU. So daily I’m surrounded by Hoosiers. And of course everyone in Bloomington has gotten wrapped up in the drama of Hoosier basketball coming back and all. However… I grew up in West Lafayette, home of Purdue. My mom is a graduate of Purdue and professor there, my sister a student. My high school is a couple blocks away from campus. I took a class at Purdue my senior year of high school. My high school running routes wove through campus. We ducked into the basketball arena for water breaks on hot days. See my conundrum?

If you’re not from Indiana, you might not understand what a big deal this is. What the big conflict is. But let me tell you… it is big. Just trust me. However, I had some tasty treats to help ease my dilemma as the Hoosiers eventually went on to win against Purdue: Loaded Sweet Potato Fries. I hope to make them again and get some good photos in the daylight, but for now my Instagram shot will have to do.

These semi-healthy remake of the classic sports treat are fantastic, no matter what sport you enjoy. Football? Basketball? Cross country skiing? Reading? Good for you.

They’re a little spicy, but not over the top, and each crispy sweet potato fry [check the method below for the madness of my go-to crispy baked sweet potato fries] is enhanced with Mexi-spiced black beans, cool guac and sour cream, and jack cheese. Of course, cheese. Duh.

P.S. And if you must know… despite my conflictedness… I think I secretly am reallyreallyreally glad that IU won. Cause my favorite player had a career high and Purdue has just won more games recently in the series. So an IU victory is only fair. 🙂

Enjoy!

Loaded Sweet Potato Fries

  • Servings: 2 dinner servings; 3-4 appetizers
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, divided
  • 1 cup black beans
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • [homemade] guacamole –> 1 mashed avocado + lime juice + lemon juice + garlic powder + black pepper + salsa
  • sour cream
  • chopped green onions
  • chopped cilantro

Directions:

Peel and cut sweet potatoes to medium thickness, and be sure to keep them the same size for even cooking. Place in a bowl of ice water for at least 30 minutes to get rid of the starch. Then preheat the oven to 425 degrees, drain water, and pat dry. Put 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a plastic bag, add sweet potatoes, and top with another tablespoon. Close bag and shake, coating evenly. Place on a large baking sheet, top with olive oil, and 1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder. Use your hands to evenly coat the sweet potatoes, then spread in a single layer, using more than one baking sheet if necessary. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix black beans with 1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, oregano, and garlic.

Remove from oven and add sweet potato fries to individual baking dishes. Top with black beans and cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese melts. Top with guac, sour cream, green onions, and cilantro. Enjoy!

 

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

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Sarah

I have another recipe to share with the Healthy Holidays series, hosted by Carly at Createlive. I’ve been so inspired by her series to cook up delicious but healthful treats for the holiday season. I just can’t wait for Christmastime when I can do this apart from a school schedule!

whipped sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods of all time. While working at home during the day, it’s not uncommon for me to whip up a batch of baked sweet potato fries for a quick lunch [that was one of the first recipes I posted here on the blog! haha!] and I often incorporate them into random, thrown-together leftover dinners, to the chagrin of my husband. While family tradition often finds this root vegetable to be served in a delicious brown-sugar and nut topped casserole, last year we tried a new dish: Whipped Sweet Potatoes.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes are sweetened with apple, spiced with cinnamon and allspice, and made richer with butter. Don’t leave that out for health reasons–studies have shown that the addition of some fat to sweet potato dishes increase the amount of beta-carotene that our bodies can absorb. Pretty cool, huh? Regardless of the nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes over their white counterparts, I’m happy to munch away on them instead because to me, the taste is far superior. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

whipped sweet potatoes with pomegranate

They are also delicious sprinkled with pomegranate arils for a little crunch of sweetness!

Whipped Sweet Potatoes
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1″ cubes [about 7-8 cups]
  • 1 large Granny Smith apple, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • dash allspice

Directions:

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, combine sweet potatoes and apples. Cover mixture with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce for a simmer, cooking for 20-25 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat. Reserve about 1 cup of cooking liquid, then drain well. Return mixture to pan and add butter, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir and then blend with an immersion blender until smooth, adding reserved liquid by the tablespoon as necessary. [I added about 2 tablespoons.] Alternatively, you can mash with a potato masher or blend in a blender/food processor. Enjoy!

Time: 45 minutes [20 minutes active].

Yield: 6 servings [can be doubled].

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

Breakfast, Recipes, Waffles

Sweet Potato Waffles

Sarah

Making waffles at home always makes me feel fancy. There’s something special about food that can only be shaped in a mold. They remind me of going out to breakfast when I was growing up since my mom used to always order waffles when we’d eat out. Sometimes I would order a big Belgian waffle too, which is something I haven’t had from a restaurant in years. Nowadays when I go out for breakfast I usually order a fancy omelette or pancakes. And that’s because I now make my waffles at home!

These Sweet Potato Waffles are the newest waffle recipe I’ve tried and I am so glad to say that it’s a keeper! I loved the subtly-sweet flavor of the sweet potato complemented by orange zest, cinnamon, and vanilla. It reminded me of a ligher version of everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole. My husband, like Lindsay’s was initially skeptical of the sweet potato inclusion in a classic breakfast dish, but he turned his frown upside down after a bite of these delicious waffles. We enjoyed them as a quick dinner after a workout last week alongside some orange slices and bacon but I see no reason why they wouldn’t be equally delicious for a lazy Saturday morning. You could also prepare a batch in advance, freeze them, and then defrost as needed during the week. I used to do that all the time and love it… the toaster oven works best for re-heating, though if your toaster is big enough [or the waffles small enough] then that works too. I haven’t done that in awhile, I should definitely jump back on the frozen waffle bandwagon. Move over, Eggos! The Pajama Chef is here. 🙂 Enjoy!

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Sweet Potato Waffles [adapted from The Lean Green Bean]

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • zest of 1 large orange
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Peel and dice sweet potato. Place in a large measuring cup and add a little water then microwave on high for about 4-5 minutes to cook. Add butter and mash [or pre-cook in the oven, I just was pressed for time]. Let cool for a minute or two while you turn on your waffle iron to preheat. Then, add milk, sugar, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla and stir to combine. Fold in flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Scoop by 1/3-1/2 cup increments onto hot waffle iron [I used about 1/3 of a cup while Lindsay used about 1/2 of a cup]. Batter will puff up a lot but don’t worry, these will be well worth the mess! Cook until golden brown and serve with butter and syrup/brown sugar.

Click here for the printable version: Sweet Potato Waffles

Recipes, Soups

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup

Sarah

I know spring is here… but that doesn’t mean it is the end of soup season! Rainy spring days are just as a much a call for a hot bowl of soup to warm you up [perhaps while watching some March Madness, as we have been doing a lot lately] as cold winter nights are, especially when said soup is light, flavorful, and filling. This Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup fits the bill perfectly. It’s full of sneaky nutrition as it packs in fresh vegetables peanut souplike peppers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, and sweet potatoes under the guise of rich peanut butter, spicy cayenne pepper, and a hint of ginger. We enjoyed munching on a grilled provolone cheese sandwich alongside this spicy soup, but I could also see it pairing well with a big green salad, a light pasta dish, or even served chilled gazpacho-style, if cold soup is your thing.

I prepped everything the night before and threw it in the crock pot in the morning to cook all day long, but the original recipe calls for making it on the stove-top in less than an hour. If you do the latter, saute the onions, peppers, and carrots with garlic to soften everything up and release some of the flavors a little before throwing everything in a big stockpot, bringing to a boil, and then simmering away until soft and blend-able. And be aware if you have an aversion to spicy food like me that this soup is HOT! Ben loved it, but next time I make it I am going to tone down the cayenne pepper initially for more control. Definitely didn’t think that one through too well… Regardless though, this is one flavorful soup that has earned itself a place in my soup repertoire, and I hope you love it as much as we do!

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup [adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger]

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 cup sweet or white onion, diced
  • 15 ounce jar roasted poblano peppers [could substitute 2 cups fresh red bell peppers or roasted red peppers]
  • 1 cup carrots, diced [about 3 medium or 2 large carrots]
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced [about 2 cups]
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 – 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with their juices [I prefer no-salt-added]
  • 2/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons honey

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large crock pot and stir to mix well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, then puree with an immersion blender [or carefully blend in batches in a food processor or blender]. Serve garnished with sour cream and/or cilantro.

*Note:

This soup is spicy… so I would recommend decreasing or eliminating the cayenne pepper altogether so you don’t spice yourself out like I did. I can’t wait to make a less spicy version of this again.

Click here for the printable version: Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup