21-Day Vegan Restart - Day 6

Today's lunch was our good-old standby, Southern Beans and Greens.  I usually make this once a week and since it makes 4 to 5 servings, we usually have leftovers one evening or have it for lunch.  

Dinner was a new recipe from PCRM's 21-Day Kickstart Program called Sweet Potato Lentil Chili.  It was very good, and reminded me of another recipe I've made that originally came from Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking magazine.  Here is that recipe:  Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili.  

Back to tonight's recipe:  the main difference between these two recipes is the addition of red lentils which greatly increases the protein content from 10.9g in the non-lentil recipe to 18.5g of protein in the lentil version.  

Unfortunately, my photo is not as professional as the Taste of Home picture!!  Below is the recipe for the lentil version with my notes in bold.

Sweet Potato Lentil Chili - 21Day Vegan - Made 1/12/14

Serves 6

Red lentils work nicely to thicken this chili, while the sweet potato gives a mellow, smooth contrast to the spices.

splash of water (I also used 1 tsp olive oil)

1 3/4 cups onions, diced

1 cup celery, diced (I left out)

2 - 2 1/2 cups orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch cubes (may want to cut smaller to help cook faster)

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sea salt (I used none, sprinkled a bit of Pink Himalayan salt at the table)

Ground black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

1 1/4 cups dry red lentils

2 1/2 cups water

1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I used Sam’s Choice Organic Crushed Tomatoes with Basil because that’s what I had on hand)

1 - 14 oz can black or kidney beans, rinsed

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (used 1 T. RealLime)

Lime wedges (for serving) (didn’t use)

In large pot on medium heat, add water, onions, celery, sweet potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and spices, and stir through. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally; reduce heat if onions are sticking to bottom of pot. Rinse lentils. Add to pot with water, tomatoes, beans, and bay leaf, and stir to combine. Increase heat to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low (maybe med-low would be better), cover, and simmer for 25 minutes (I had to add about 20 more minutes to get the sweet potatoes tender) or until sweet potatoes are softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in lime juice and serve portions with lime wedges. (Fred likes to add ketchup to his bowl.)

Cooking Note:  If you only have whole or diced tomatoes, use a hand blender to 'crush' them:  first pour off some liquid from can into pot, then use a hand blender to puree tomatoes directly in the can.

Per serving (original PCRM recipe):

• Calories: 306
• Fat: 1.4 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
• Calories from Fat: 3.9
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 18.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 58.6
• Sugar: 9.7 g
• Fiber: 15.1 g
• Sodium: 451 mg
• Calcium: 136 mg
• Iron: 7.4 mg
• Vitamin C: 31 mg
• Beta Carotene: 5386 mcg
• Vitamin E: 1.8 mg

Recipe from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan by Dreena Burton of www.plantpoweredkitchen.com.