Saturday, December 28, 2013
Top 10 Dating No's & Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
In 2013 I have had quite an adventure as I have explored the waters of the dating world. Let me start by saying I am well aware of the fact that I am not perfect and I recognize completely that in 2013 I have been a self-proclaimed commitment phoebe who has excelled as the One Date Wonder aka. Enigma, but since this is my blog, this is my opinion. And I thought I would share with you all my David Letterman-eque Top 10 List of Dating No's:
- Wearing a shirt with half naked chicks, animals, cheap beer or food will not get you laid. Boys, really?
- Wearing black socks in the bedroom is a No! Especially if they are black tube socks. Just sayin'.
- Getting a girls name wrong is always a NO! This can be in the bedroom, in conversation, in an introduction when she is wearing her name around around her neck. No!
- Sending naked pics to a chick you haven't slept with. No! Ick!
- Telling a woman you told your kids about her or inviting her to holiday dinners after date #1. Frightening!
- Buying expensive gifts before you have ever seen my clothes on the floor....makes me want to run...away...fast!
- Being married, with a girlfriend, living with someone or otherwise "in a relationship," means you should not be hitting on me. Douche move!
- Asking me out, but telling me you are busy until next month...um, really? You want me to make time for you, but you can't fit me into your schedule for the next 30 days...hmmm yeah...I am going to be washing my hair...FOREVER!!
- Pouting...I hate pouting!! Put on your big boy boxers!
- Sending crude jokes via text, like the kind you send your guy friends, is not a good way to appear more attractive to a female...especially if they are about females. No!
Ok now that I am done with my Taylor Swift type tirade let's talk about food. After the holidays I was craving some healthy vegetarian fare, especially after the braciola and prime rib, that I ate on Christmas and Christmas Eve respectively. So I decided to make Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili and let me just say this is truly one of the most flavorful dishes I have made in a long time. This is not for individuals who do not like spice because this recipe has a kick to it! But I love the spice and the combination of flavors is impeccable between the 2 chili powders, cumin and coriander...love it...sure I did pepper spray myself by trying to take pictures of it cooking, but that is the price of writing a food blog...yup took one for the team.
Not only is this dish flavorful, it is also beautiful. The combination of colors between the black beans, the red pepper and the orange sweet potatoes, just makes the dish explode on the plate. It was perfect for a quiet night at home watching reality tv, but it also would be a fun dish to use for entertaining.
And wait it gets better...yup you guessed it...it is easy to make!
So first of all saute the onion, garlic, red bell pepper and sweet potatoes in olive oil. Just a quick tip, make sure to cut the sweet potato in uniform sizes to allow for uniform cooking...nothing worse than biting into a half done sweet potato. Just sayin'
Next add the spice mix-New Mexico chile powder, ancho chile powder, cumin and coriander. I couldn't find New Mexico chile powder so I used 3/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. If it is at all possible, use the chipotle chile powder as it adds a nice smokey flavor to the dish.
Add a can of black beans and the vegetable broth. Cook for 15 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender. In my experience, my potatoes were perfect at the end of the 15 minutes.
Garnish the chili with whatever your hearts desire. I used avocado and lime, but it would also be great with the orange zest that is recommended or sour cream or tortilla chips.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 small), cut into 1/2-in. dice
1 tablespoon New Mexico chile powder, or 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne or ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 can (14 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
Kosher salt and pepper
For toppings: 1 orange, 1 lime, chopped cilantro leaves, diced avocado, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and sweet potatoes and cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add New Mexico and chipotle chile powders, cumin, and coriander and cook until spices are fragrant, about 10 seconds. Stir in beans and broth and partially cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are soft and chili is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, zest orange and lime into a small bowl (you should have about 1 tbsp. orange zest and 2 tsp. lime zest). Add cilantro. Quarter lime. Reserve orange for another use.
3. Ladle chili into 4 bowls. Top with cilantro-zest mixture, avocado, sour cream, crushed chips, and lime wedges.
On a side note, this dish is great leftover. And if you are looking for an alcohol pairing, I would recommend a nice ice cold cerveza or a crisp cold white wine like a pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. Cheers!
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Usually I have black eyed peas on New Year's day, but this year I'm thinking about shaking it up and trying to make this chili. It sounds really good. Thanks for the dating tips, too. Hopefully, they'll come in handy in 2014! :)
ReplyDeleteThe chili was great...definitely recommend it! And glad I can help with the dating tips...let me know if you want more. haha
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