Category Archives: veggies

Sweet Potato Chili

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My daughter has decided to eat less/no meat for the time being, and I’m now realizing that a lot of our autumn/winter comfort foods are very meat-forward. Fortunately, my mom has been a vegetarian (pescatarian if you’re being picky) for longer than I’ve been alive, and she has some really great recipes. This is based on her sweet potato chili, but I kind of went off on a tangent, because I just really love these cumin roasted sweet potatoes, okay?

Serves 4-6

4 TB peanut oil (divided)
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 – 1 tsp berbere spice blend
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 28 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes, depending on your texture preference
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup apple cider
2 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
1/2 tsp fresh grated orange peel
Salt to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Toss the sweet potatoes with 2 TB of the oil, the cumin seeds, and some salt. Spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer, and roast for 40 minutes, turning them over halfway through. They should get pretty dark, but not charred. Remove from the oven and let sit while you make the rest of the chili (or roast them ahead of time, if you want).

2. Heat up the other 2 TB oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers, and sauté until golden and soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, berbere, and paprika, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes, or until the paste thickens up and gets a little darker.

3. Add the tomatoes, broth, cider, beans, and salt to taste, and stir and scrape the bottom of the pan if you need to. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for ten minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and cumin seeds, and simmer for another 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the cilantro and orange zest, and cook for another minute or two. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve hot, with sour cream, cheese, cornbread, or whatever toppings you like on chili.

Notes: Berbere spice blends are going to vary, so taste yours first and add more or less depending on how spicy you like things. I did one heaping teaspoon, and it was on the edge of too spicy for me, but I’m like a medium spice white person, so, adjust accordingly. Also, this was very thick, so feel free to add more broth or water if you like it saucier.

Corn Chowder

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This is just a souped-up (sorry/not sorry) version of Corn and Potato Soup, which my mom used to make us for lunch sometimes. It’s hearty, and can be made completely vegetarian, if that’s your thing. It’s fantastic with fresh corn, but it’s still delicious made with frozen corn.

Serves 4-6 for dinner

4 TB butter, olive oil, or a combination of the two
1 onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp each dried sage and thyme
6 red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-ish cubes
4 cups broth (veggie or chicken)
3 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped flat parsley leaves

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook until soft and golden. Add the garlic and herbs, and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

2. Add the potatoes, stir everything, then add the broth, and crank the heat up to high. The broth should just barely cover the potatoes. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

3. Add the corn and the cream, and cook for five more minutes, or until cooked/heated through. Taste, and add salt and pepper, and more sage and thyme, if needed. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Notes: If you want to, you can start with about 4 oz. diced bacon instead of the butter. You can also use fresh herbs instead of, or in addition to, the dried ones. I don’t peel the potatoes, but you can, if you like. This time, I also threw in some diced sweet potato (that I did peel), about five minutes after the potato came to a boil.

Creamed Spinach and Swiss Chard

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I made this the other day, and then baked some eggs in it. There are a few different methods for making creamed spinach, so I thought I’d just quickly share mine. You can use any of the softer greens, but it’s probably better if they’re not too bitter.

1. Start out by prepping your greens: wash and dry them, remove any stems and decide if you want to use them (I thinly slice the Swiss chard stems, for example), chop to your preferred fineness. Use more greens than you think you’ll need; I did five oz. of baby spinach, plus a bunch of chard, and it was only barely enough.

2. Sauté some sliced or chopped onion or leeks in a decent amount of butter, or you can start with some diced bacon, ham, or pancetta. If you’re using any stems, you can add them now. If you want spicier greens, toss in some finely chopped fresh chilies, or some dried ones. Cook your base until it’s browned a little or a lot, depending on your preference.

3. Throw in the greens, maybe in a couple of batches if your pan isn’t initially big enough. Season with salt, but less than you think, because they’re going to cook down. Cook them until they’re just wilty. If they’re really liquidy, you can boil some of it off if it bothers you. Add a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream, taste, and season with more salt if needed, pepper, and a little nutmeg. I like only a little cream, but you can always add more if you want.

4. Finish with some chopped fresh tomato, or some lemon or lime juice if it needs balancing.

Green Chile and Cherry Tomato Pickle

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I brought several appetizers from Indian(-ish) by Priya Krishna to a family get-together last night. They were all delicious, and well-loved (and well-eaten), but these tomatoes received the most recipe requests, so here you go! I did not have fenugreek seeds, so I left them out, and I only had two serranos (well, I had three, but I needed one for the peanut chutney), which I quartered, so if you want to make exactly what I made, those are the only differences.

Serves 4

2 TB olive oil
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp nigella seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp asafetida
4 long Indian green chiles, or serrano chiles, halved lengthwise
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 TB fresh lime juice (from about half a lime)

1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil. When it begins to shimmer, add all of the seeds, and cook until they look slightly browned and start to sputter, about 1 minute. Stir in the asafetida and then the chiles. Cook for 2 minutes, until the chiles brown and crisp on the sides.

2. Turn off the heat, mix in the tomatoes, and immediately transfer to a serving bowl so that the tomatoes stop cooking. Gently mix in the salt and lime juice. Serve warm or at room temperature. These will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, but are best the same day.

Young Spring Cabbage with Dill and Bacon

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Another recipe from Polska! The first time I made this recipe I made half, because it sounded like a lot of cabbage, and I totally regretted it. This is so good you guys!

Serves 6

7 oz. bacon, cut into thin strips
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 leafy young cabbages or Napa cabbages, shredded
2 TB water
juice of 1 lemon
2 bunches of dill, finely chopped
3-4 TB tomato paste
1 tsp caster sugar
salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry the bacon over medium heat until crispy (make sure you use a big enough pan for all the cabbage!). Add the onions and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes.

2. Add the shredded cabbage and water, and mix together. Season and cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the lemon juice, 3/4 of the chopped dill, tomato paste, and sugar. Continue to cook, uncovered, stirring every couple of minutes, for another ten minutes (or more, depending on your cabbage). Taste and season again as needed.

4. Just before serving add the reserved dill.

The original recipe cooks the bacon in 4 TB canola oil, but I don’t think that’s really necessary.