Glazed Beets n' Sweets

Good morning,

Beets have quickly become one of my favorite tubers to cook and play with. They are tangy, sweet, starchy, and have such a gorgeous ruby-red color. They look like jewels once you peel them and start chopping.

Their juices are fuchsia pink, and can be used for a variety of things. You can use it to dye tablecloths or other fabric, temporarily color your hair, or make it into cheek stain or lip balm.

It's a very pretty hue for summer. I think I might make some lip balm soon.

My favorite way to use beets is to roast them with other vegetables, usually another kind of starch. Sweet potatoes and beets go especially well together.

Let me introduce you to my glazed beets and sweets recipe.

Ingredients:

- 1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 4 beets, peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- thyme
- 2-3 tbsp sweet vinegar - I used a delicious blackberry ginger vinegar from Olive the Above, but a raspberry or other berry vinegar would work great as well

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. While it's heating up, peel and chop your sweet potatoes and beets. 

Look how pretty the beets are. Toss it all in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper, and a few sprigs of thyme. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes, and then add your berry vinegar over the top. Put back in oven for another 10 minutes or so, or until the beets are fork tender. The vinegar will have turned into a nice glaze.

All done! Serve with protein of your choice. I think this will be especially good in the fall with pork chops. 

Have a wonderful week! 

Madi

Sweet Potato Chipotle Chili

Tonight we were craving something with a bit of burn to it. Something smoky and spicy. We didn't have much in the fridge, so I had to get creative with the goods in our pantry. I found a few different recipes online for sweet potato chili and just mixed and matched ingredients based on what we had available at home.

The finished product turned out pretty darn good. The flavor was amazing. If anything, it might have been a teensy bit too hot. Hubby and I have an extremely high heat tolerance (thank you, Indian dining!), so I've adjusted the below ingredients to make it a bit more palatable. You can always add coconut milk or cream to tone it down, as well. 

Sweet Potato Chipotle Chili

[Serves 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45-60 minutes]

Ingredients:

- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1-2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce (These come in a can. Definitely start with just one, and then add the second later if you need to.)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes, drained
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 cups cubed sweet potatoes 
- 2 cans beans (whatever you have - I used black and cannellini) 
- 2 cups shredded or chopped kale
- 1/2 cup corn
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)

Directions:

- Heat oil in large pot. Add chopped onion and garlic. Sizzle until the onions turn translucent. 
- Add cayenne pepper and one chopped chipotle pepper with a little bit of the adobo sauce. Add to pot and let it cook until fragrant (30 seconds to a minute). 
- Add vinegar and tomatoes. Stir, then add the broth, cubed sweet potatoes, and beans. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. 
- Add the kale and the corn. Simmer another 10 minutes. 
- Taste your chili. Add salt and pepper if needed. If it's too spicy for your taste, add coconut milk or heavy cream. This gives it great taste either way. 
- Serve topped with avocado, sour cream, cheddar cheese, or tortilla chips. Give it a good squeeze of lime! 

You better finish this off with tequila and lime. Or at least a cold brew. Yum!

Enjoy dinner,

Madi