Superbowl Sunday: Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

It is Superbowl Sunday, and the first one in several years that we are not watching the commercials game at my sister’s house. After a weekend packed full of obligations and chores, we needed a few hours at home this evening to get our wits about us before beginning another long week. (Okay, I needed a few hours at home and my husband was kind enough to find contentment in watching the game from our own couch.)

My sister usually makes a chili and a fish stew to serve for her party guests during the Superbowl, followed by fondue or another fun dessert. My husband and I just finished off my second batch of Cioppino, so I opted to make some chili for us to eat tonight. A few weeks ago I found a recipe online for a vegetarian chili that calls for black beans and sweet potatoes – two of my favorite foods (that fortunately pair so well together, like in Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burritos).

I made this yesterday, and completed it today by stirring in the cilantro and garnishing with some cheese, sour cream, and diced avocado. The recipe is quite simple, and you can feel free to adjust the seasonings to your own taste buds (the chipotle powder will make it smoky and spicy!). The recipe states that it serves two, so I doubled it. I wound up with a good amount that will last us into the week. I hope that your Superbowl Sunday was filled with some good eats, regardless of where you happened to be!

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili
(From Eating Well)
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground chipotle chile (Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeno peppers. Ground chipotle can be found in the specialty spice section of most supermarkets.)
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 1/3 cups water
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and potato and cook, stirring often, until the onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water, bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro.

Fall Fare: Kate’s Pumpkin Chipotle Salmon & Spaghetti Squash

In the middle of the summer I was at a local food specialty store that carries the American Spoon products. I am a fan of a lot of their products (one in particular, which I’ll write about soon), and picked up a new jar that caught my eye. The Pumpkin Chipotle Roasting Sauce that I purchased has been burning a hole in my pantry since then. I kept prolonging opening it up as I waited for autumn to come. On Sunday, however, I was running errands and saw Christmas decorations and supplies at several stores. The vision of Christmas cards and wrapping paper triggered me into running home to open up my special fall sauce at an attempt to savor autumn as much as possible before is it actually time to purchase Christmas cards and wrapping paper.

I decided to try out my sauce with salmon and spaghetti squash. My husband and I both love spaghetti squash. If you haven’t tried it before, I encourage you to do so. It’s a versatile vegetable that is not typically utilized widely. It’s not common to see it on a restaurant menu, however last summer we were dining at Burke’s Chophouse in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and much to our surprise, spaghetti squash (not green beans, broccoli, or something else more typical) was the vegetable of the day! Spaghetti squash tastes delicious simply roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper, and nothing more. Seriously, that’s it. It also works well as a pasta substitute – top it with your favorite marinara sauce, toss it with some sautéed vegetables, or throw in some chopped fresh herbs. The squash, salmon, and Pumpkin Chipotle were the perfect trifecta. The Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale was a nice compliment!

Kate’s Pumpkin Chipotle Salmon & Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
* 1 whole spaghetti squash
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* American Spoon Pumpkin Chipotle Roasting Sauce (you will use about ½ jar)
* 4 skinless salmon fillets
* Kosher salt, to taste
* Freshly ground pepper, to taste
* 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450° F.

Split the squash in half and scrape out seeds. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Season the spaghetti squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place flesh side down and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and turn squash so flesh side is facing up. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. When squash are cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape against flesh to pull out the strands of the squash.

Meanwhile, place salmon fillets on a foil-lined broiling pan. Season with salt, pepper, and brush with Pumpkin Chipotle sauce (about 1 tablespoon per fillet). Bake in 450° F oven for approximately 6 minutes. Turn broiler on high, and move pan to top rack in oven. Broil for 2-4 minutes, until sauce on salmon has caramelized on top.

Toss squash in a large bowl with about ¼ cup Pumpkin Chipotle sauce, season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Place squash on plates, top with salmon fillet, and garnish with Italian parsley. (And serve with a chilled pumpkin beer!)

Still Summer - Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream

I’ve hardly been “live” for a week, I’ve only told about 3 people that this little blog exists, and I’ve already received my first request! My husband’s friend and colleague (we’ll call him “Triple T”), has requested that I make and post a dish that is near and dear to his heart and home (and one that I have yet to conquer). I am up for the challenge, Triple T, and your request is in the queue! While this is no Chuy's fish taco, I hope that it will tide you over...

The weather where I live has been unseasonably cool as of late. The air is brisk, the sky is grey, and the breeze is crisp. If the calendar didn’t say August, one might think it was October. I had to hold myself back from delving into my fall favorites (think root vegetables), and embrace the fact that it is still summer and I must capitalize on the opportunity to make the rounds through my summer recipe rotation while I still can. So instead of peeling and seeding a butternut squash, we fired up the outdoor grill and blended some margaritas.

My husband and I are both fans of fish tacos. They offer a lighter way to enjoy Mexican food than some other traditional dishes that consist of heavy sauces and lots of cheese. I have tried several different fish taco recipes without much satisfaction. We tried Ellie Krieger’s a few weeks ago, and it was a home run. The spiciness of the chipotle is balanced by the sweetness of the corn. The lime and olive oil are a simple, yet tasty marinade for the fish. We grilled mahi-mahi, and I used non-fat Greek yogurt (a new obsession of mine) for the chipotle sauce (with extra chipotle because I love spicy food). We also used flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas, as I typically have them on hand.

The different components of the recipe come together pretty quickly, but it does take a bit of time to assemble all of the tacos. If you’re serving to a crowd, you could make this an activity where everyone can assemble their own. Otherwise put out some chips and salsa to keep them happy and occupied!

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream
Ingredients
Fish:
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound white flaky fish fillet, like tilapia, mahi-mahi, or halibut

Chipotle cream:
* 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt or 1/3 cup Greek-style nonfat yogurt
* 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
* 2 teaspoons chipotle pepper, in adobo sauce

* 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
* 1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage or lettuce
* 1/2 cup corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
* Lime wedges

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour over the fish fillets and let marinate for 20 minutes. Put the yogurt into a strainer lined with apaper towel and place over a bowl to drain and thicken for 20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the marinade and grill on a preheated grill or nonstick grill pan over a medium-high heat until cooked thorough, about 3 minutes per side. Set the fish aside on a plate for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the thickened yogurt, mayonnaise, and chipotle pepper.

Heat the tortillas on the grill or grill pan for 30 seconds on each side.

Flake the fish with a fork. Top each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of the chipotle cream. Top with fish, cabbage, corn and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.