Craving Chili?

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your sunshine"

-Anthony J. D'Angelo

Website: With the cold comes the cold season. Keep your immunity high with these foods http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/boost-immunity?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-2011_01_06-_-HTML-_-1

I am not a fan of being cold but I absolutely love everything associated with winter. Christmas, hot chocolate, sweaters, fires, and chili. There is something so comforting about these things and there is nothing better than a steaming bowl of chili when winter blows in. Days like today, with sunshine and 70 degrees, make me forget that it is still winter.

Last week though we had a cold front roll through. Highs were in the 40s, which was rough on this little Texas girl. My sister-in-law suggested this recipe and I am so glad she did! It is from EatingWell and was great to eat on all week long to stay warm.

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

• -1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• -1 large onion, diced
• -4 cloves garlic, minced
• -2 tablespoons chili powder
• -4 teaspoons ground cumin
• -1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile (I found this in the organic season section at HEB)
• -1/4 teaspoon salt
• -2 1/2 cups water
• -2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• -1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• -4 teaspoons lime juice
• -1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 
  

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Nutrition:

-307 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 51 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 12 g protein; 14 g fiber; 494 mg sodium; 947 mg potassium.

So well worth it! It was fantastic :)

Megan