Crockpot Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

It's 80 degrees in the middle of September, but soon enough Fall will be here for good and we will need as many Crockpot recipes as we can get our hands on. And I have a real keeper here!

This Crockpot Turkey Sweet Potato Chili is a deliciously lightened-up version of an old classic. It cooks low and slow all day long so that when you get home, you are greeted by a big pot of happiness and your home is guaranteed to smell of amazing fall flavors!

We will start by browning a diced onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil - and honestly, is there any better way to start a dish? Lean ground turkey joins the party next until it's cooked and crumbled, and that's all we need to do before throwing everything into our slow cookers. Dreamy, right?

Along with our turkey we need, not surprisingly, a peeled and diced sweet potato to join the Crockpot party. Diced tomatoes, tomato paste, black beans, white beans, and chopped bell peppers are very necessary. To keep the chili interesting, spice things up with the classics--a bunch of chili powder, paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes and oregano--plus a few dashes of something a little different--cinnamon! Trust!

What do I love about this chili? Well, it's easy. Super duper easy as any Crockpot meal should be. The turkey and sweet potatoes become incredibly tender and just melt in your mouth. The chili spices along with the cinnamon and tomato paste are warming and comforting. Extra bonus: this recipe freezes beautifully so you can make a batch ahead of time and store it in an airtight container for a day when you need a tasty meal in a hurry.

It may still be hot outside, but this chili is going to keep you warm and happy on the inside. So let's break out those slow cookers and get cookin'!

Baby Kale Salad with Sweet Potato, Dried Cranberries, Pecans and Goat Cheese

That title is long-winded, but I find it really hard to "name" salads. I just want you to know what is in it, that way you are still tempted to read the recipe even though the name "salad" is in the title.

In the vein, let me tell you about this salad. Let me tell you how delicious it is. I want you to know that I ate a big plate of this salad in about 5 minutes flat, maybe less. I just couldn't stop eating it! I'm not exaggerating. The flavors are big and compliment each other wonderfully.

Sweet and tangy. Crunchy and smooth. Flavors and textures are what make this salad interesting--and irresistible to boot!

This Baby Kale Salad with Sweet Potato, Dried Cranberries, Pecans and Goat Cheese is a wonderful winter salad.

Baby Kale is a great find that you can get in the grocery store -- it's actually a mix of different greens including baby kale and baby spinach. I find fully grown kale to be really rough for a salad unless treated correctly. On the other hand, baby kale packs a great punch of the same nutrients without any of the harsh stalks and chewy leaves of adult kale. With the other bold flavors of this salad, I think baby kale is the perfect green to use as the base.

I roast my sweet potatoes in a 400 degree oven tossed in a bit of olive oil sprinkled with salt and pepper until tender and golden. I also toast my pecans in a dry skillet until fragrant and nutty. You want to be careful not to burn the nuts!

So we have baby kale, roasted delicious sweet potatoes, and nutty pecans. Dried cranberries are just the sweetness we need--plus they are slightly tart and juicy. I just love them! Goat cheese is everything that is right in the world, and it's smoothness is just divine in this salad. The tang of goat cheese compliments the cranberries and pecans and coats everything in a blanket of rich, creamy deliciousness.

I almost forgot to mention the icing on the cake! A tangy Dijon vinaigrette that comes together in no time at all. All you have to do is shake up Dijon mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, lemon zest, and a bit of salt and pepper in a jar--yummy!

Alright -- enough blabbing! The handy dandy printable is below. This will serve 3 to 4. Treat yourself well and treat yourself to this salad!

Sweet Potato and Sausage Breakfast Hash

Life is really hectic these days.

The month of August has been an absolute whirlwind with traveling, visits home, crazy work days, and studying. I'm really sorry about my lack of posts. I haven't given up on this little blog thang, promise!

In light of how busy I've been, I made a bit of time this evening to whip up a week's worth of delicious breakfast. I had concocted this Sweet Potato and Sausage Breakfast Hash a few weeks ago by absolute chance.

It was one of those situations where you look in your pantry and refrigerator and try desperately to find some kind of potential meal because no way in hell are you putting yourself together and getting to the grocery store.

I find those situations usually end poorly.

This time, however, I was left with sweet and savory breakfast bliss!

Sweet potatoes are one of my all-time favorite foods. The slightest hint of licorice flavor and salty qualities of pork sausage made it the perfect pair. Reach salty/sweet euphoria with nearly caramelized onions, a touch of cinnamon and chili powder...all of this seasoned perfectly with salt and pepper? You can thank me later.

A big serving of this hash can serve as breakfast on its own, but it can also be a wonderful accoutrement to a frittata and fresh croissants for Sunday brunch. I'm just spit balling here, but I think a mimosa would wash this down just wonderfully.

Added bonus: this recipe is 100% Paleo friendly! (without the croissant of course)

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

I have this problem where I hate being hot in the summer and I hate being cold in the winter. If it weren't for spring and fall, I'd be miserable year-round. Thank you, spring and fall. Keep being you.

Boston is a cold and windy city during the winter months. This is no secret, and I knew the challenges that were before me when I decided to move here.

I bought heavy duty snow boots, big fluffy ear muffs, a down coat, wool socks, and lots of scarves. Consider it my cold city survival kit. It helps on the surface. I can actually bear to go outside for more than a few seconds.

When I come inside, however, it is this soup that warms me to my core and restores order in my universe.

So, let me first tell you guys about my mom. She's a great lady. Really supportive and all that jazz. But when she asked me what I was cooking, and I told her "Sweet Potato Lentil Soup!" She responded, without missing a beat:

 "Ewwwww what! Lol...Can't even imagine lentils with sweet potatoes." That's verbatim. 5 w's in her "ew."

Please don't be like my mother. Try this soup, it's SO good. (And good for you!)

A bit of chili powder and generous amounts of cracked black pepper give a little extra spice in the back of your throat, while sweet potatoes and toasted coconut adds sweetness and depth. A dollop of Greek yogurt and fresh ginger root give this soup tang and body. Sweet and spicy: yet another match made in heaven.

It's all quite simple really. We start by preparing our vegetables. Diced onion and celery, peeled and diced sweet potatoes.

The veggies go into a pot with melted butter to soften. Season with salt and pepper.

Add in a clove of garlic and a generous amount of grated ginger. Chili powder is stirred into the vegetables along with a whole bag lentils.

Then the liquids go in--chicken or vegetable stock and water. Let the soup simmer away until the potatoes are soft and the lentils are tender.

In the meantime, coconut flakes get toasted in a 350 degree oven until slightly browned and crispy on the edges. Amazing!

To serve, ladle the soup into big bowls and add a dollop of plain non-fat Greek yogurt. Swirl the yogurt into the soup and sprinkle coconut flakes on top! This meal is so filling and comforting, and the flavors are out of this world.

Crispy Sweet Potato Ravioli

Thanksgiving is pretty much here.

Let that sink in for a second.

This past weekend, we decided to host a “Friendsgiving” at our place. The holidays can be really crazy, so it was great to have everyone together!

Either because I am crazy or because I just love food that much, I thought it would be seriously adorable to do Thanksgiving dinner-themed appetizers. So, this wasn’t your typical dinner party. But it paid homage to turkey day. That’s all that matters.

What was on the menu you ask!? Well, obviously there was the bird. AKA, Turkey sliders topped with brie cheese and my Cranberry Apple Chutney. I added whole wheat breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, an egg, and chopped rosemary along with salt and pepper to the ground turkey and formed them into small burgers. So tart and savory and bite-sized cuteness!

Then there was the starch. And on Thanksgiving, that starch had better be sweet potatoes (in my humble opinion). I made crispy sweet potato ravioli. These were a HIT. The recipe is a secret below for your holiday appetizer pleasures!

We also had a veggie. And it was green beans. In particular, it was the traditional Cambell’s soup/French’s crunchy onion green bean casserole. Everyone knows it. Everyone loves it.

Our friends were also generous enough to provide other apps and desserts and they are all amazing! We love them!

Oh, and how could I forget. The holiday cocktail! Spiked hot apple cider. That is, one gallon of apple cider, 2 cups of dark rum, 1 orange (sliced in half) and 3 cinnamon sticks simmering away all day in the crock pot. A total winner! You can simmer it on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 or so, then leave it on the “warm” setting while serving! Cinnamon and sugar rims are a totally necessary addition that everyone will be bubbling about.

I think I’m finally getting into the holiday spirit. Christmas shopping, and eating sweet potatoes until I can’t get off the couch, and drinking hot cider or peppermint mocha lattes. We can’t fight it, let’s just accept it! If the holiday spirit still eludes you, try a batch of these Crispy Sweet Potato Raviolis—Fall has never tasted so good!