Sweet potato and red beans chili

If you are on my side of the world, it is getting colder out there and the days are getting shorter. It is actually raining right now and I am writing this from my couch, all cozy with fluffy socks on and a large cup of herbal tea. Bliss!

Today's recipe is a savoury one, vegan and gluten free. A dish that is quite quick to make from whole foods (less than half an hour) and so delicious and comforting. Perfect for this season. So let's dig in!

INGREDIENTS:

For 2 people

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 small onion

1 small garlic clove

2 large tomatoes (diced)

1 avocado 

1 tin red beans (rinsed) 

3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Muscovado or Demerara sugar

1/2 tin tomato paste (or 2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

A pinch of ground cinnamon 

A pinch of Cayenne chili powder (or more if you like it hot)

Olive or coconut oil

Pink Himalayan salt

Black pepper

Brown Basmati rice

A few coriander leaves (optional)

METHOD:

Pre heat your oven at 180°C (350°F)

Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray with a little olive or coconut oil and bake for 20 minutes until nice and soft.

While they are in the oven, start cooking your rice.

Dice your onion finely as well as your garlic. Spray a frying pan with oil and sauté the onions and garlic with the sugar to caramelise them. Add all of the spices (cumin, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, turmeric and chili powder). Cook and stir for a couple of minutes (this will roast the spices a little). 

Deglaze with the vinegar then add the tomato paste. Stir. Add the diced tomatoes and rinsed red beans, simmer for about 10 minutes then mash everything up with a potato masher. Season to taste.

At this point, your sweet potatoes should be done (or almost).

Mash up an avocado with half the juice of a lime, a pinch of ground garlic and some salt and pepper.

Serve over rice, add  the sweet potatoes and the mashed avocado. Top with a few coriander leaves.

Green Olive Tapenade without capers or anchovies

I love olives. Raw or cooked, I love them. Specially green ones. When I first tasted Tapenade which is basically olive paste, I thought I would love it. Wrong!!! I found it way too salty and sickening. Looking at the ingredients, I noticed that there were capers in it which I don't like. You can even find anchovies in it sometimes but having been a vegetarian for years (before being a vegan) I obviously never tried that one.
Olives are great for us Endogirls. They are full of healthy fats which we need in order to improve hormonal balance overall.
Before the holidays, my better half came home with a giaaant jar of olives from the market. As much as I love them, I wasn't really sure what to do with them all. He suggested we make Tapenade :)
We came up with a recipe right there and then. Below is our own version of Green Tapenade, all Endo approved. Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days... If it lasts that long :)

INGREDIENTS:

(For a small jar)

220 g green olives
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
3 large basil leaves or 6 small ones
1/2 lemon juice
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD:

Put your olives, nutritional yeast and lemon juice in a food processor and mix until finely chopped. Add the garlic, basil leaves and olive oil and mix again until you get a paste. Pulse as much as desired depending on the consistency you like. I think the smoother the better. Add black pepper to taste.
Transfer to a jar and keep in the fridge.
Spread on toasted baguette.