Raspberry Curd

Like much of the country it's been extra cold and dreary here the past few weeks. This part of winter is always the hardest - a long stretch of not much to look forward to before Spring arrives, besides more cold and more snow of course. 

Warm and hearty comfort cooking makes the long nights slightly more bearable, but I've been craving something bright and summery to lift my spirits. After baking a couple batches of macarons I had just enough leftover egg yolks to create a luscious and tangy fruit curd. Berries always mean summer to me, so armed with some frozen fruit I set off to make some raspberry curd.

If you don't have some of last years' berries stored away in your freezer, frozen berries are easy to find in your grocery store, inexpensive and flavorful. This curd isn't as thick as a traditional lemon curd, but it's still spoonable and perfect to spread on scones and muffins, stir into yogurt or oatmeal, flavor buttercream and, of course, just eat with a spoon!

Raspberry Curd

(makes about 2 cups)

12 oz frozen raspberries, fully thawed

1 stick (8 oz) butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

6 egg yolks

pinch of salt

1. Over medium heat melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the thawed berries and any accumulated juices, sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks and salt and whisk until well combined. Cook over medium heat, making sure to mash the berries and whisk frequently, until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible and collecting it in a small bowl. Discard the solids and mix the liquid mixture until uniform. Cover with plastic wrap placing the plastic wrap directly on the top of the liquid and refrigerate until cool. Store in fridge in an airtight container.

Pumpkin, charred kale & onion tacos

Back in November I went for a mini foodie tour of Philly. I indulged in much gelato from Capogiro, ice cream at The Franklin Fountain, and lots of cheese and other goodies from Reading Terminal Market. (Can you tell I like dairy?) But for me, the standout dish was the seasonal pickle special at Village Whiskey - pickled pumpkin and charred kale served with toasted sourdough and ricotta.

 It was so simple, but so magical! The sweet pumpkin paired with slightly bitter charred kale, the vinegar cutting through the richness of the ricotta, and the satisfying crunch of the toast. SO GOOD! I haven't stopped thinking about it!

Inspired by that dish I came up with these tacos to satisfy my craving. No need to pickle anything - the tang comes from a sweet balsamic drizzle. If you can't find a fresh pumpkin, use a more readily available squash - like butternut - or even a sweet potato.

Pumpkin, charred kale & onion tacos

with ricotta and balsamic drizzle

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

3 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1/2 tsp, divided

3/4 tsp smoked paprika

1 small bunch kale, stemmed, leaves coarsely chopped

1 yellow onion, sliced

1/4 cup roasted pepitas

salt & pepper

fresh whole milk ricotta

corn tortillas

1. To make the balsamic drizzle, pour the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until it has reduced by about 1/2 and has a slightly syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 425F. On a lightly oiled baking sheet toss the cubed pumpkin with 1 Tbsp olive oil, smoked paprika and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread pumpkin evenly over the baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until pumpkin is soft and brown in spots, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer pumpkin to a large bowl and set aside.

3. Set your oven to broil and set an oven rack about 3 inches below your broiler. Toss the kale leaves onto the same baking sheet you used for the pumpkin. Massage 1 Tbsp of oil into the kale leaves and season lightly with salt. Spread evening over the pan and then top the kale with slices of onion. Place kale and onion into the oven and broil for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is starting to brown and the kale is blackened in spots. Remove from oven and transfer to the bowl with the pumpkin. Gently mix the pumpkin, kale and onions together and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

4. To assemble, spread a dollop of fresh ricotta onto a corn tortilla, top with the pumpkin and kale mixture, a drizzle of the balsamic glaze and sprinkling of roasted pepitas. 

Raspberry, Pistachio and Cardamom Overnight Oats

More breakfast recipes! Except this one is a lazy man's breakfast recipe - throw everything in a jar, give it a stir, throw it in the fridge, and forget about it until the morning. Perfect for me since I am decidedly NOT a morning person.

I have to dissent from the majority though and say that I don't find oatmeal all that filling. I'm convinced this is just something people say to make you feel bad about your desire to throw back a plate of eggs and bacon. For this reason I tried to bolster the protein and fat content of these oats with the addition of greek yogurt and nuts to make the oats a little heartier. They make for a great breakfast that's on the lighter side, or a tasty and nutritious snack.

This recipe is also very customizable, so experiment with spices, sweeteners, fruits and liquids to suit your tastes. They will keep in the fridge for several days, so double or triple the recipe as needed.

Raspberry, Pistachio and Cardamom Overnight Oats
(makes two 1/2 pint servings)

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp chia seeds

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

2-4 Tbsp chopped shelled pistachios

1/3-1/2 cup fresh raspberries, or enough to fill your jars

1. In a small bowl, stir all ingredients until well incorporated, crushing some of the raspberries as you stir. Distribute equally between two 1/2 pint jars, or other 1 cup containers, cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled or dump into a bowl and microwave for 30-60 seconds. 

Soft Corn Tortillas

I feel like it's almost cheating passing this off as a blog post. These corn tortillas are soooo easy to make that it is barely even a recipe. But I feel like you really need to know just how easy it is to make your own delicious, fresh tortillas because it will change your life.

That right there is some of the best $20 I've spent in my kitchen. It has easily paid for itself by no longer buying the packaged tortillas in the grocery store, and I've been rewarded with way tastier tortillas. Seriously, you won't believe the difference between a fresh tortilla and the dried out junk that has been sitting in the fridge at the grocery store for who knows how long. They are lighter, softer and far more flavorful. They will take your tacos to the next level!

You should be able to find a bag of Masa Harina, a corn flour that has been treated with water and lime, in the aisle of your grocery store with other Mexican or Spanish foods. And while you can roll these out by hand or press them with a plate, I strongly recommend a tortilla press. They are inexpensive, make tortillas a breeze to put together, and I guarantee you will get a ton of use out of it once you give these tortillas a try!

Soft Corn Tortillas

(Makes about 8 small tortillas)

1 cup masa harina

about 3/4 cup warm water

1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat a cast iron pan or other heavy bottomed nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Line the inside of your tortilla press with plastic wrap for easy cleanup. Set a small pot with a cover nearby.

2. In a bowl mix the masa harina and salt together. Start by adding 1/2 cup of the warm water and mixing well. If it still looks dry, add more water and knead. The dough should have a consistency such that when you roll a ball of it in your hands and flatten it, the dough neither sticks to your hand or cracks around the edges. If it's sticky, add more masa. If it cracks, add more water. Once it has reached the proper consistency, roll the dough into balls about the size of a golf ball and cover with plastic wrap while you wait to press and cook them.

3. Use your tortilla press to press each ball of dough then carefully peel it off the plastic wrap and add to the preheated pan. Cook on each side for about 45 seconds. You should see it puff up in areas and get charred in places. This is what gives it good flavor. Remove from the pan and place in the covered pot you have nearby. Keep covered while you cook all the tortillas. Serve warm!

Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

It's been awhile. Not that I haven't been cooking, I just haven't done much in the way of photographing what I cook. I fell off the regular blog updating wagon after a major snowstorm in October that knocked out power to parts of my state for over a week and cancelled/postponed Halloween. Then stupid daylight savings time kicked in. Curses! It gets dark around 4:30 in the afternoon which doesn't give me much available light.

Guess it's time to break out the artificial lighting and beat the ol' seasonal affective disorder in the process. I hope to update with a few seasonal yummies soon, but in the meantime these are one of my favorite recipes for super flaky, cheesy, scrumptious biscuits. 

I love making biscuits because they're so easy to throw together, but satisfying like a warm loaf of bread. These are great as a holiday side or just to whip up beside a nice bowl of soup on a chilly evening. The key is to not overwork the dough. Fold/knead the dough only until it just holds together in a solid mass, and hold yourself back from adding extra liquid unless totally necessary.

 

Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes 6-8 biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup very cold butter, cubed

1/2 cup high quality sharp cheddar, shredded

3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 425. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers (alternatively, you can use a food processor if you have one) cut in the butter until a coarse meal forms. Add the cheese and toss to incorporate. Stir in the buttermilk slowly, just until all the flour is moistened and the crumbs hold together if you pinch a bit between your fingers. You may use less than the 3/4 cup of buttermilk to achieve this.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by folding the mixture over itself in half and flattening. Repeat 5-10 times, or until it holds together in a fairly solid mass. Pat into a 1 inch thick round and cut into biscuits using a 2 to 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Any excess dough can be folded back together and cut into additional biscuits. Place biscuits about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 14-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Best eaten fresh and warm with a good schmear of butter!

Sweet Corn Soup

 

Yeah, I know it's been a while! It's not that I haven't been cooking, I just haven't had time to write about it! 

I did a whole lot of cooking when my dad came up from Florida to visit for a few weeks. Of course we were too busy stuffing it in our faces for me to have a chance to take any photos. It's one thing to let my own plate get cold because I'm too busy taking photos, but I can't do that to someone else!

Then you might have heard about a certain hurricane named Irene. No apocalyptic disasters around my neighborhood, but she did leave us without power for a few days. Thank goodness for grills, iPhones and 3G. 

And then... then I went to California! We spent a little over a week touring San Francisco, Big Sur, Yosemite and Wine Country. It was amazing and I'd say I want to live there, but I'm pretty sure I'd weigh about 600lbs if I did, especially if I was anywhere near San Francisco. Too many tasty treats...

Now after that week I'm home and suddenly it's fall. I feel a bit like I had more to do with summer, but autumn is my most favorite time of year. I can't wait to overdose on apples and pumpkins and cider, oh my! But before I do that I feel the need to say farewell to late summer with this amazing corn soup.

The recipe comes from Oui, Chef and is the best corn soup I've ever made or eaten, period. It screams of buttery corn on the cob with hints of aromatics and herbs which liven it up so that it's even better than buttery corn on the cob. Feel free to substitute various herbs as need with what you have on hand or available to you, that is what I did. You will dirty several pots, various utensils and a blender, but it's all worth it, trust me.

 

Sweet Corn Soup

(from Oui, Chef)

Serves 8

12 ears of sweet corn on the cob

1 small fennel bulb, fronds removed & reserved, bulb washed, cored and chopped

2 small leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced

4 large shallots, peeled and sliced

1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

8 sprigs fresh thyme, divided

8 sprigs fresh parsley, divided

8 sprigs fresh oregano, divided

6 sprigs fresh lemon thyme, divided

4 sprigs fresh tarragon, divided

2 bay leaves

1 tsp fennel seed

2 tsp coriander seed

2 sticks butter

1 bunch chives

salt and white pepper to taste

1. Cut the kernels from the cobs and reserve in a bowl. Using the back of your knife, scrape all the pulp and milk remaining on the cobs into the bowl with the kernels. Cut the cobs into 2-3 pieces and toss them into a large stock pot.

2. To the stock pot, add the onion, leeks, shallots, garlic, chopped fennel bulb, coriander, fennel seed, and half of each of the herb sprigs. Cover the stock pot ingredients with water, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer the stock for about 45 minutes. Strain the stock, keeping the liquid and discarding the solids.

3. Measure 8 cups of the corn stock and add it to a large saucepan with the reserved corn kernels, the remaining herb sprigs (tied in a bundle), and 1 stick of the butter (keep any extra stock on hand in case you want to thin your soup a bit later). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the herb bundle, then puree the soup in a blender in batches (careful!), adding the remaining stick of butter in pieces, a little with each batch. Puree on high for at least 2-3 minutes per batch to make sure the kernels are well pulverized and the butter is fully emulsified with the soup.

5. Return each batch to a clean saucepan, pouring through a fine mesh strainer in the process. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding back more of the reserved stock if the soup is too thick for your liking.  If your soup still doesn't look completely emulsified and smooth after its time in the blender, hit it with a stick blender to finish the job.  Serve sprinkled with chopped chives and a touch of reserved fennel frond.

Savory Bread Pudding

Move over croutons and breadcrumbs, I have a better way to use up that 3 day old stump of bread you have sitting on your counter.

Granted, I am a carboholic. It's not often that a loaf of bread stands a chance around me but...

I don't like to waste food. You might also call me a packrat. My freezer is mm... less than organized. Being that there is just one of me, I frequently freeze leftovers and excess vegetables/fruit to use on a later date. One of those things that I like to freeze is bread. Usually when I buy a loaf of bread I eat half and freeze the other half for a little later. Sometimes it doesn't always work out quite like that, so I have a special baggie that I use to gather small chunks of slightly stale bread for this very recipe.

Bread pudding is something I usually associate with sweets and desserts, but a savory version really deserves more love. It is very rich and satisfying thanks to the custard-like base, bright veggies and cheese. It makes for a great vegetarian main, or can be served as a side.

I like a complex, nutty cheese like Gruyere to complement the chevre so I used some Aged Bloomsday from Cato Corner here in CT, but feel free to experiment with what you like best. I love making this because it's so easy to use local ingredients, so use what you have available. This recipe lends itself to plenty of variety!

 

Savory Bread Pudding

Makes about 6 main course servings

2 cups milk (low or reduced fat is fine)

4 eggs

1 tsp salt, divided

1 tsp of your favorite hot sauce 

freshly ground black pepper

4 cups stale crusty bread, torn or cut into 1 inch chunks

10 oz fresh or frozen spinach

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

4 oz goat cheese

1 cup Gruyere-like cheese, shredded

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, hot sauce and ground pepper. Add bread chunks and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30min-1hour. 

2. Meanwhile, prepare the spinach. If using fresh spinach, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Throw your spinach leaves in and blanch just until wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove from the pot, rinse under cold water and drain, squeezing out all excess water. Chop and set aside.

If using frozen spinach, just thaw according to package instructions, drain and squeeze all excess water out. Chop and set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8-cup baking dish and set aside. Bring a few cups of water to a boil for a water bath while you're at it.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and pepper and cook until they are slightly tender and golden, 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic, stir and cook for another minute. Add your spinach, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, some more pepper and cook for another minute then remove from the heat.

5. Add the veggies, goat cheese and 1/2 cup of Gruyere to the bread and egg mixture. Stir until well combined. Scrape into your prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly on top. Place the baking dish into a larger pan for the water bath. Put the whole thing in the middle rack of the preheated oven, then pour the boiling water into the larger pan until it comes about halfway up the side of your bread pudding baking dish. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Carefully remove the baking dish from the water bath and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Southwestern Potato Salad - Daring Cooks June 2011

Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana! 

 I love potatoes. I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned that. My Polish blood and all that. 

Strangely enough though, I'm pretty picky about potato salad. This is mostly because I'm not terribly fond of most mayonnaise and I hate it when potato salad is drowning in the stuff. I also don't love German potato salad because I do like it creamy rather than oily. 

The obvious way for me to deal with this is to replace some of the mayonnaise with greek yogurt as I normally do in many mayonnaise based recipes, but I wanted to try something a little different for this challenge. Instead of mayonnaise I chose to make a creamy sauce using one of my favorite healthy fats - avocado! And for the sake of reducing calories and adding some more veggies, I pureed the avocado with sweet peas which added a pleasant sweetness as well as keeping the salad creamy. 

I'll definitely make this little experiment again. It's like guacamole + potatoes! Who couldn't love that?

Southwestern Potato Salad

Makes about 6 servings

1 1/2 lbs baby red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

1 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed

1 avocado

juice of 1 lime

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, minced (veins and seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)

2 Tbsp cilantro, minced

3/4 cup frozen corn

1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Season liberally with salt, bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. 

2. Meanwhile, add the flesh of the avocado, peas, lime juice and garlic to a food processor and process until a fairly smooth puree forms. Transfer the puree to a large bowl and add the chopped onion, jalapeno, cilantro, corn, salt and pepper and stir until well mixed.

3. Drain the potatoes and let cool for about  10-15 minutes. Once they've cooled slightly, add to the avocado mixture and stir gently until everything is well incorporated. Taste for salt and pepper and add as needed to taste. Chill and garnish as desired!

Meatless Monday - Quinoa, Asparagus and Avocado Wraps

Before I bring on the inevitable onslaught of decadent strawberry dessert recipes, I thought I'd post something green and nutritious to balance it out! That's how it works, isn't it?

It is asparagus season too, after all. 

I've made these wraps a few times now and I'm pleasantly surprised by how satisfying they are. There's a ton of flavor in here, and you can switch it up however you like by changing the flavor of the hummus, cheese, or sauce in the quinoa. For instance, I usually use one of my favorite sauces from Dragon's Blood Elixir, Honey Lime Curry. 

These would be a great thing to pack for a picnic or hike as they are delicious warm, cold or room temperature. It's a perfect complete meal too with the quinoa for protein, avocado for essential fats, and asparagus for your veggies!

Quinoa, Asparagus and Avocado Wraps

Serves 2

1/3 cup quinoa, uncooked

10-15 stalks of asparagus, woody ends trimmed

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp of your favorite hot sauce, or to taste

1/4 cup garlic hummus

1/2 avocado, sliced

juice of half a lime
1/3 cup sharp cheddar, shredded

2 whole wheat tortillas

1. Rinse the quinoa and prepare according to package instructions. Mix in the hot sauce and set aside. 

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425F. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 5-8 minutes, or until tender crisp.

3. Toss the avocado with the lime juice and set aside. 

4. Divide the hummus between the two tortillas and spread evenly down the center. Spoon half the prepared quinoa over the hummus on each tortilla. Arrange the cooked asparagus on top of the quinoa (trim and overlap the stalks of asparagus if they're too long and sticking out from the end of your tortillas.) Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the asparagus. Finally, divide the sliced avocado evenly over the asparagus. Roll up the tortillas like a burrito, slice, and serve!

Pasta with Fiddleheads, Ramp Pesto and Avocado Cream Sauce

It's spring and everything is turning green! It seems all the leaves popped out overnight around here. It's almost startling to go from barren twigs to big, shady canopies and flowers everywhere. It has certainly pissed off my sinuses, but that's besides the point. 

All this greenery is inspiring me to cook and eat many a green thing. More and more vegetables will be arriving around here soon, but they're not quite there yet. I do, however, have ramps and fiddleheads!

This ramp pesto is a great way to use a bulk of ramps to store for later. It has a beautiful bright green color and a nice garlicky bite. 

Fiddleheads are baby ostrich ferns that have not yet unraveled. I love their beautiful spiral shape and nutty flavor. You can cook and freeze them, so you can enjoy this meal later in the year as well. If you don't have fiddleheads you can use asparagus for delicious results as well! 

Ramp Pesto

1 bunch ramps, trimmed (about 10-15)

1/4 cup toasted walnuts (or any nut of your preference, I had walnuts on hand)

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan

1/3 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine the ramps, walnuts, parmesan, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the ramps and walnuts are broken up into small pieces.

2. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the food processor while it is running and continue to process in pulses until it is finely ground, but not pureed. Season with salt and pepper.

Avocado Cream Sauce Pasta

Serves 4-6

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp butter

2 ripe hass avocados, chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for topping

1/3 cup ramp pesto (or sauté some garlic in the butter if you are not making the ramp pesto)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb fresh fettuccine pasta

3/4 cup fresh or frozen sweet peas

3/4 cup fiddleheads (already cooked)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in your milk, then add the chopped avocado. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the avocado has broken up and the sauce is creamy. Add the ramp pesto and parmesan cheese, stir until melted and season with salt and pepper. 

3. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, reserving a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Add the fiddleheads and peas to the sauce to heat through. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat with the and distribute vegetables, adding pasta water to thin the sauce as needed. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired!

Meatless Monday! - Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili

I've been slacking, I admit it. Oh I've been cooking and baking and cooking some more, but I've been avoiding my computer. See, my desktop happens to be down in our partly finished basement that has the annoying habit of flooding several times a year, and it flooded last weekend. It's all cleaned up but the wet mildewy smell is lingering and makes my nose itchy. I hate itchy noses. Also, I'm worried about inhaling toxic mold spores. What can I say? I'm paranoid.

Anyway, no excuses! Time to make a post.

I like the ring of Meatless Monday. I don't go meatless every Monday, but I do tend to eat vegetarian about twice a week. It's good for me and good for the environment. It also saves me some dough that I can then use to buy local grass-fed beef, eh hehe!

This chili is a super satisfying vegetarian dish with great flavor. The beans absorb all the big flavors of the chili and the bulgur creates a nice meaty texture. Then you get the creamy sweetness of the sweet potato every few bites for a nice twist! I love a spicy chili and made this at a moderate heat level for my tastes, so adjust the chili powders and chipotle to suit your own preferences.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

(adapted from Bon Appetit)

Makes 5 Servings

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ancho chili powder

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 14.5oz can fire roasted tomatoes

1/2 lb dried black beans, rinsed

2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced

5 cups water

1 tsp dried oregano

1 large sweet potato (about 1lb), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/3 cup quick cooking bulgur

Salt to taste

Toppings such as:

Sour cream/greek yogurt, cheese, jalapenos, chopped onion, cilantro

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, stirring occasionally, and cook until soft and beginning to brown, 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for a minute, then add the chili powders and coriander and stir for 1 more minute.

2. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the rinsed beans, chipotle, oregano and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered with the lid slightly ajar, stirring occasionally, until the beans become tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on your beans. Season with salt to taste. 

3. Once the beans are tender, stir in the sweet potato and bulgur. Simmer uncovered until the sweet potato and bulgur are tender, 20-30 minutes. Taste again for salt. Serve with toppings of your choice!