Tuesday, October 12, 2010

In the Kitchen: Spicy Sweet Potato Chili



Do you know that sweet potatoes are a better choice nutritionally than white potatoes because they are lower in calories and higher in vitamins, nutrients and fiber? They leave you feeling fuller longer and are a good choice for diabetics as the high soluble fiber content helps lower blood sugar as opposed to white potatoes, a.k.a. blood sugar bombs.

If you've never been a fan of sweet potatoes, don't give up on them yet. Their expected taste is surprisingly transformed when cooked up with the other ingredients in this hearty autumn dish. Not a fan of the spice? You can leave out the jalapeno or substitute it with a mild poblano. You can also leave out the chicken and use vegetable stock to make this meal vegan friendly. You'll find a printable recipe card at the end of this post.



Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium red peppers, seeded and chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, chopped
15 oz cannellini beans*
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups cold water
3 large or 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
pinch red pepper flakes
1 jalapeno, minced or 6 oz can diced green chilies

Optional garnish
scallions
sour cream
crumbled bacon
cheddar cheese

*You can use dried or canned beans for this dish. If using canned, drain and rinse them. If using dried, soak, rinse and cook them until partially tender before adding.

In a large pot, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion, red pepper and garlic until slightly tender.

Add the chicken and saute until opaque. Add the beans, stock, water, potatoes, jalapeno and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Couldn't get much easier!


I enjoy this dish topped with sour cream, fresh scallions, a little cheddar cheese and when I have it on hand, some crumbled bacon — all of which alone or together work really well with the flavor of the chili. Serve it up with some maple pecan muffins or whole wheat cornbread and you have a hearty dish that'll warm you up through the winter months ahead!


And find more easy and delicious recipes here.

6 comments:

Melissa said...

Looks yummy :)

Verabelle said...

This sounds really yummy! Definitely going to have to try this soon - I'm thinking football Sunday... Thanks for sharing, as always!

BCraftie said...

Sounds crazy yummy!

Kristen said...

I'm not a big sweet potato fan but I will definitely be trying this! Thanks!

Sydney said...

Looks and sounds fantastic!

Nicole said...

I made this the other night for myself and my hubby, and we both absolutely loved it. And, it made enough that we could eat it for dinner a second night! Thanks for the great recipe!