Carmen Long
Simply Delicious
Some of my favorite memories involve food. From special meals shared with family and friends, to holidays, vacations, and time spent in the kitchen learning how to prepare family recipes or teaching our children, Kelsey and Carson, how to cook, the kitchen has always been a special place in our home.
Both kids began helping in the kitchen at a very young age, measuring, mixing, and pouring whenever they could. Those early moments created not just meals, but memories.
One of our favorite kitchen stories comes from a birthday many years ago, when Kelsey was helping Brent make me a cake from scratch. She was probably about three years old, standing on a stool pulled up to the counter near the sink. Out of the corner of his eye, and before he could stop her, Brent saw Kelsey pour a measuring cup of soapy dishwater she had scooped from the sink directly into the mixing bowl of cake batter.
They had already started over once due to a previous mishap. With limited time and perhaps limited patience, they stirred in the soapy water, poured the batter into the cake pans, and put it in the oven. I remember thinking it was strange how closely they watched as I took the first bite. They did not tell me what had happened until I assured them the cake was delicious and incredibly moist. Thankfully, there was no trace of dish soap in the flavor. The cake and the laughter were enjoyed by all, and Brent learned an important lesson about keeping Kelsey away from the sink while cooking.
Today, as adults, both kids still enjoy being creative in the kitchen. Carson takes after his dad and enjoys cooking on the grill, but the holidays just would not feel the same if he did not stir up a batch of peanut butter balls with his Mamaw Alice or make chicken and dumplings from his great grandmother Green’s recipe.
Kelsey’s recipes often reflect the many places she has traveled. She did not even know she liked tomatoes until spending time in Greece, where she discovered and loved Greek salads. Now tomatoes and oregano are staples in her kitchen. Living for a year in a home without a microwave encouraged her to prepare meals from scratch rather than rely on convenience or prepackaged foods. It would have been easy to buy a small microwave, but it became a personal challenge to see if she could manage without one. With a little extra planning, she did just fine.
During that same time, Kelsey lived in a home that was thirty minutes from the nearest town and grocery store. That experience taught her the value of keeping a well-stocked pantry.
Recently, Kelsey called and said, “Mom, I just made the best thing I have ever made. Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili. And I had all the ingredients without even going to the store.” We have made a mixed bean chili for many years, but adding fresh sweet potatoes made it even more delicious and nutritious.
February is Sweet Potato Month, and February twenty seventh is Chili Day, making it the perfect time to give this recipe a try.
Kelsey’s Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ninety percent lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced, or two teaspoons onion powder
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, or one half teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 half teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 quarter teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1 and one half to two cups diced sweet potatoes, approximately one large or two medium sweet potatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 fifteen ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 fifteen ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 fifteen ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks.
- Add the garlic, onion, salt, and spices to the beef and cook until the onion becomes tender.
- Stir in the diced sweet potatoes, beef broth, diced tomatoes, and beans until well combined.
- Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for twenty to thirty minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Serve with your favorite toppings such as sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, avocado, shredded cheddar, sliced jalapeno, or cilantro.
