Category: Health

The summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college, my mom tried to teach me how to cook as I was moving off campus and would no longer have a meal plan. This was the first and only recipe she guided me through. My impatient 19 year old self was frustrated by having to take instructions from my mom again (sorry mom!) and my inability to chop vegetables efficiently.

When I went back to school, I promptly ate a month or two of PB&J and PB&Banana sandwiches, but eventually came back to this easy and delicious recipe. Now cooking is one of my favorite things to do, and this dish is one I have made for many dinner guests. As what seems to be a recurring theme in life, I should’ve listened to my mom earlier.

The mellow vibes of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and the heartiness of russet and sweet potatoes come together to make this Moroccan Stew a perfect cold weather dish. It is also great for family and friends who might not be the biggest fans of spiciness (@ my fam).

Ingredients

Spices:

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Feel free to increase amounts of any spices you are particularly fond of. I typically go heavy on the cinnamon, nutmeg and curry powder.

Everything else:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 thing of kale (I just grab a fresh bunch at the grocery store) chopped
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained
• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 2 (or 3) cups dried lentils, rinsed
• Enough water to cover everything (or vegetable broth)

Directions

1. Combine all spices in a bowl. Take a sniff of the mixture, it’s an awesome combo.
2. Warm up coconut or olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Cook the onion in the oil until soft/golden brown (5 to 10 minutes). Stir in kale and spice mixture, cook until kale begins to wilt and spices are fragrant (maybe 1 or 2 minutes).
3. Pour all the other shit into the pot (chickpeas, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, lentils) and pour enough water/broth in to just barely cover everything. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until vegetables are cooked, stirring occasionally for roughly 30 minutes (I usually grab a chunk of potato and try it, if it’s too hard keep cooking).
4. Serve over brown rice (I typically make 3 cups dry. See Sweet Potato Chili recipe for rice cooking instructions.)

Moroccan Stew will last for about a week in the fridge, and longer if you freeze it so it’s great for meal prepping for the week. If you would like any further guidance I’m happy to answer any questions!

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Other Recipes:

• Sweet Potato Chili
• The Mix

As I’ve said before, all recipes I make on a regular basis must be inexpensive, healthy and easy to make. Today’s recipe checks all those boxes, and is one of my all-time favorites.

Sweet Potato Chili

Ingredients:

3-4 medium sized sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 yellow onion, diced
4-5 jalapeños, diced (more or less depending on how spicy you like your chili)
Some minced garlic (however much you’d like)
One 28-ounce can of Rotel Original Tomatoes & Green Chilis (this is what to look for)
One 10-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3-4 teaspoons ground chili powder (more or less depending on how spicy you like your chili)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Two 15-ounce cans of black beans, rinsed (can definitely add an extra can if you’d like)
3 cups dry brown rice, cooked

Directions:

1. Start rice cooking in pot. Add 3 cups dry brown rice and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 30-40 minutes (until rice has absorbed all water).
2. Peel and dice sweet potatoes into large chunks (see pic). Put diced sweet potatoes into a large bowl, sprinkle a small amount of water on them, and throw em in the microwave for 6-8 minutes. Take them out and try eating a chunk, if it’s too hard/does not taste sweet, then microwave for another 2 minutes and test again, repeating until they are cooked.
3. Dice onion and jalapeños. Place onion, jalapeños, garlic and oil into a large pot, and turn on medium heat. Stir occasionally until onions/jalapeños start looking nice and golden brown.
4. Throw the cumin/chili powder/oregano in the pot with the onions/jalapeños. Stir for about 30 seconds until you can really start smelling those spices.
5. Throw your tomatoes in the pot, and stir around until they are mixed well with onions/jalapeños and spices.
6. Add your sweet potato chunks to the pot once they are fully cooked, mix in with tomatoes.
7. Once your rice is done and ready to serve, throw your rinsed black beans into the pot with the tomatoes/sweet potatoes and mix around. I’ve made the mistake of putting the black beans in too early, and they tend to fall apart if cooked/stirred for too long.
8. If you are serving immediately, make a lil bed of rice and throw the chili mixture on top of it. This is far more aesthetically pleasing than what I do when I make a large batch of this for the week, which is mix it all together (as in the picture).

This sweet potato chili easily lasts for a week in the fridge, and I’m guessing you could freeze it for longer but I have never tried ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If you are trying to make food for a large group of people, or meal prep for the week, you can always up the amount of the rice, sweet potatoes and black beans. I would recommend adding more cumin/chili powder/oregano if you are going with a bigger batch as well.

Optional additions:

Spinach/kale/other greens – I’ve added spinach to this one many times, and you hardly notice it in the flavor/texture, but it adds some extra color and nutrition

Curry powder/turmeric/other spices – If there are any spices you enjoy, feel free to throw it in and see how it works!

Chicken/ground beef – I’ve never put meet into this recipe, but it would certainly go well with it, although it may cause the overall price of the recipe to increase substantially. If you’re looking for more protein and more bang for your buck, I’d recommend another can of black beans or two.

Let me know how it goes if you make it!

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