Tasty Tuesday!

Sweet Potato Chili

     This week's recipe is insanely easy. How easy you ask? So easy that I didn't even bother taking step by step photos. Instead, I just included a picture of me drinking beer in my kitchen which is what I was doing during the majority of the cooking process (not to mention eating process).

     I have a love of different chili recipes. I think it may be a guy thing, I don't know. But, I tend to collect chili recipes like most people collect stamps, coins, or sea shells. I started attending annual chili cookoffs many years ago and I've even hosted a few myself. I guess I just like the simplicity and the ability to take a few ingredients and feed a lot of people. This week, I give you sweet potato chili! This recipe is super easy because you just chop all the vegetables, add the spices, and set your slow cooker on low. It takes about 8 hours to cook however (I said it was easy, not fast!). But, I promise you that you will enjoy it. Oh, and by the way, this chili is.....dare I say it....gasp....vegan. Well, it's vegan unless you add a little sour cream, which is what I did. Start the slow cooker in the morning before you go to work and you'll have a nice dinner waiting for you. Or, do what I did and start the slow cooker before you go to sleep and you'll have the intoxicating aroma of chili to wake up to, not to mention an extremely nice meal to eat during your lunch break. So, enjoy this recipe. Let me know what you think.

• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, or however many you think is necessary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 2  14 ounce cans of fire roasted tomatoes (including the liquid)
• 1 can of black beans, drained
• 1 can of kidney beans, drained
• 1 sweet potato, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 cup of water
• green onions to garnish

1. In a slow cooker, combine all the ingredients along with salt and pepper.
2. Cover and cook until sweet potatoes are tender and liquid has thickened. Typically this will be 8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
3. Serve with green onions, radishes, sour cream, whatever you like.

This is my favorite part of cooking!

Take care of yourself and each other...