Chili-Lime Grilled Sweet Potatoes

It was a welcome change to use up the last of the sweet potatoes I got at the last winter farmers market with a dish cooked on the grill! These were a big hit with the whole family.

1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (1/2-3/4-inch cubes)
Canola oil
2 tsp lime juice
1-1 1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt to taste

Parboil the sweet potatoes in a pot of salted boiling water for 5-7 minutes, until you can pierce them with a fork without too much resistance but before they are totally tender. Drain well. If desired, you can then set aside or refrigerate for later (bring back to room temp before grilling).

Place the parboiled sweet potatoes in a medium bowl. Drizzle with canola oil and toss until coated. Sprinkle with lime juice, chili powder, and salt and toss until well distributed.

Grill the sweet potatoes in a grill basket over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely tender and pleasantly charred in places.

Serve hot.

Chipotle Turkey Chili

We had a big bird this year, and after finally stripping all the meat off the bones, I've got several meals worth of diced and shredded turkey meat in the freezer - perfect for soup, chili, casseroles, or pizza. Tonight we had this chili, where turkey plays a starring role but in a totally different context than the typical Thanksgiving fare.

Olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cups chopped tomatoes (canned or frozen is fine)
3-4 cups diced or shredded cooked turkey
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 -1 tsp chili powder
3 bell peppers, diced (any color(s))
1-2 cups cooked black beans
1-2 cups cooked kidney beans
Salt and pepper to taste
1 or more chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
Shredded cheddar or jack cheese for topping (optional)

Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and turkey, then stir in the cumin, chili powder, peppers, and beans. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, or longer if desired. Stir in minced chipotle to taste, plus salt and pepper.

Serve hot. Top with cheese at the table if desired.

Serves about 6.

Eggplant Chicken Chili

Yes indeed, more eggplant.  Not your standard chili vegetable perhaps, but its texture works well and it soaks up the flavors quite nicely.  If you like, substitute some minced chipotles in adobo sauce in place of the fresh hot peppers for a delicious shot of smoky heat.  Skip the chicken for a vegetarian version.

Olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large eggplants, peeled and diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 hot peppers (e.g. jalapenos), seeded and minced (or to taste)
4-6 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 cups cooked kidney beans
1 Tbsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Sour cream and or shredded cheddar for topping (optional)

Heat the oil in a soup pot.  Add the garlic and onions and saute over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add the eggplant, peppers, hot peppers, and tomatoes.  You may want to add a little additional oil as well, as the eggplant will tend to soak it up.  Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are somewhat softened.  Add the beans, cumin, salt and pepper, and chicken.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the veggies are soft.

Serves 4-6.

Smoky Turkey and Lentil Chili

Turkey goes really well with smoky, spicy flavors, making it a natural for chili. I tossed in lentils instead of the usual beans for a change of pace, and it worked well. This makes a nice big batch to feed a crowd, but feel free to halve it.

Olive oil
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, diced
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
4-6 cups chopped tomatoes (canned or frozen - thawed first)
1 1/2 cups lentils
About 3 cups water
4 cups shredded cooked turkey
3 bell peppers, diced (red or green)
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (or to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream and/or shredded cheddar for topping (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and onion and saute over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the cumin and chili powder and saute for another minute or so to toast the spices. Add the tomatoes and their liquid, then the lentils and enough water to comfortably cover them. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are nearly tender, 20-25 minutes.

When the lentils are nearly tender, add the peppers and minced chipotles. Simmer until the peppers are tender, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot, topped with cheese or sour cream if desired. Serves 6-8.

My Standard Chili

I thought I had posted this recipe at some point, but I can't find it so I guess I hadn't! I make this pretty often; it's an easy recipe and always seems to find a welcome reception. It also freezes well. This is excellent with cornbread.

Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
1 tsp chili powder, or to taste
2 bell peppers, diced (red, green, or one of each; frozen is fine)
2-3 chili peppers, seeded and minced (optional; frozen is fine)
1 cup corn kernels (frozen is fine)
3 cups cooked black beans or kidney beans (drained and rinsed if canned)
3 cups chopped or ground tomatoes with their liquid (canned or frozen is fine)
1 lb ground beef (thawed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional; frozen cubes are fine)

Heat a little olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and saute 2-3 minutes. Add the cumin and chili powder and mix well, then add the peppers, chili peppers (if using), corn, beans, and tomatoes with their liquid. Add a little extra water if needed. Mix well, then cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Extra simmering time is fine.

While the vegetables simmer, cook the beef in a separate pan. When it is cooked through, drain off the fat and add the beef to the vegetables. Simmer another few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust other seasonings as needed. Stir in the cilantro if using.

Serves 4-6.

Ideas for Leftover Turkey

Most people, myself included, don't cook much turkey except at the holidays and thus don't have an army of recipes for the leftovers. Here are some ideas, when you get tired of pot pie and soup.

1. add turkey to a classic Waldorf salad
2. substitute turkey for beef in chili (use shredded turkey); turkey marries surprisingly well with Mexican and Southwestern flavors
3. pasta with cream sauce, turkey, and bacon or mushrooms
4. turkey quesadillas - turkey goes well with sharp cheddar and spice
5. turkey salad (a la chicken salad) with blue cheese and pears

Got some other good ideas? Share them in the comments!

Chipotle Eggplant Chili

We came back from a week in Nova Scotia (where I ate my fill of local seafood!) to find that our eggplants had had a growth spurt in our absence. The result of the heatwave two weeks ago, I guess. Not only had a friend harvested several while we were gone, but there were (and still are) many more hanging on the plants.

Chipotle and eggplant work remarkably well together, and the spicy peppers give this a good kick.

olive oil
2-3 medium onions, chopped
2-3 medium eggplants, peeled and cubed
2 red bell peppers, diced
3 cups chopped paste tomatoes (fresh, frozen, or canned)
1-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (per your taste for heat)
2-3 cups cooked black or pinto beans (optional)
2-3 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb ground beef

Heat some olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggplant, stir well, and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender. Add the peppers, tomatoes, chipotles, and beans (if using), then stir in cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer until all vegetables are tender.

While the veggies simmer, cook the beef in a skillet until well browned. Drain off the fat and add the beef to the chili. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serves 4-6.

Zucchini Chili

This uses lots of zucchini, AND it's delicious. Need I say more?

This is a totally flexible recipe, so feel free to use more or less of anything, substitute other ingredients, etc. If you have fresh corn on hand, by all means add some. Peppers would work well, too. You could use chicken instead of beef...etc.

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 lb stew beef, cut in small cubes
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 lbs zucchini, cubed
3 cups tomatoes (canned or frozen; if fresh, be sure to use paste tomatoes)
2-3 chili peppers, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a soup pot, then add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Pour off most of the fat, then add the garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini and continue to saute, stirring periodically, for another 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chili peppers, cumin, and salt and pepper. Stir well, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the meat is tender, 30 minutes or so (longer if you like).

Serves 4-6.

Farmhouse Sausage Chili

I adapted this from a recipe in the Joy of Cooking. I used chorizo from Not Your Ordinary Farm and tomatoes and peppers from the freezer.

1 lb chorizo or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried sage
1-2 bell peppers (red or green), diced
1-2 hot peppers, seeded and minced (option)
3-4 cups chopped tomatoes (seeded)
3-4 cups cooked red beans (2 15-oz. cans)
Salt and pepper to taste

Start cooking the sausage in a dutch oven or soup pot (I like to use a cast iron dutch oven for this sort of thing), breaking it into chunks as it cooks. As the fat starts to render, add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion starts to turn translucent. Add the cumin and sage and cook for another minute or so. Add the bell peppers, hot peppers (if using), tomatoes, and beans. Simmer for 15 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serves 4-6.

Leftover Turkey

Wondering what to do with leftover turkey?  Soup is one obvious answer, of course, but there's no need to limit yourself to the standard turkey/carrots/celery/onions/rice formula (at least, that's the standard formula I grew up with!), tasty as it is.  Why not try a curried version?  My mother-in-law made a fantastic chicken and rice soup a month or so ago with apples, fennel, basmati rice, and curry powder.  Or try shredded turkey in chili, maybe with lentils and white beans for something a little different.  Pot pie is always a good option.  Or how about pizza with tomato sauce, turkey, gorgonzola, and sliced onion?