Rice with Sweet Potatoes, Black Beans and Chipotle

There are those weeknights when I want to make something fast and easy that I can have for dinner that night and lunch the next day or two. This is one of those meals. 

Burritos are a favorite fast food here at our house. To make them a little better for you than the typical meat and cheese variety I added sweet potato and chilies as well as onion, tomato and black beans. You could use brown rice to up the nutrition here considerably. Brown rice is not fast to make but it can be cooking away while you relax a bit before dinner. I try to often make this when I have a left over baked sweet potato and brown rice so I can just throw everything together in a matter of minutes. This rice is so flavorful and moist you could skip the cheese and sour cream if you are lactose intolerant or vegan.

There are actually two ways to prepare this dish. It is easiest for me is to throw some rice in a rice cooker and while it cooks, get a big pan to cook everything else and then add the cooked rice to it. However, some of you may not have rice cookers and not want to dirty another pot to cook rice in. If you prefer, you can add raw rice to the one pan right after you add spices. Sauté for couple minutes then add the amount of water or broth the package calls for and add in the tomatoes and chipotle. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook on low until rice is tender. Add in the lime juice, beans and sweet potatoes. This is a great way to make this a one pan meal.  I have done this both ways and it really depends on if you want to watch the stove while the rice cooks or let it steam to perfection in the rice cooker but have to wash another panJ

Another option here is level of spice. Chipotles in adobe sause are sold in grocery stores around here but they are quite spicy and not universally available. Feel free to substitute any chilies such as a can of mild green or a fresh jalapeno, or skip the chilies all together if you are serving this to those who are not fond of spicy foods. I would say that for the non- spicy folks this would have plenty enough flavor with out added heat. If you like it hot, add a bit more chilies or some hot sause like we tend to do.

Well, hope this quick dinner or lunch recipe helps you on your busy days, too!

Rice with Sweet Potato, Black beans and chipotle

1 ½ cups rice, brown or white, cooked according to package instructions or see note above

About two Tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. cumin, lime or lemon pepper, salt

½ tsp. each garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder or cayenne, sugar

1-2 chipotles in adobe sauce, canned, minced or pureed OR 1 can mild green chilies--optional

1 can tomato, diced, fire roasted

1 can Black beans, rinsed, low sodium preferred

2-3 tsp. lime juice

1-2 sweet potatoes, baked (or raw*), cut into bite sized pieces

Chopped cilantro, optional

Cheese, for sprinkling (sharp cheddar would be a good choice)

Flour Tortillas to make burritos or serve along side

*Note on Sweet potato: I like to bake an extra sweet potato or two and keep them on hand for some other dish. If you have an extra baked sweet potato or have time to bake one, use it in this recipe. If you don’t want to bake it, simply cook it right in the same pan before you add anything else. Place oil in pan and add chopped sweet potato, cooking on low for 7 minutes. Add a few Tablespoons warm water and cover, cooing another 7-10 minutes till soft. Remove to another dish until time to add it in and the end.

(I start this by cooking the rice in a rice cooker since I don’t have to watch it but if you prefer to cook it all in one pan, see notes above.)

While the rice is cooking, get out a very large shallow pan. Heat oil and cook onions on low for 5 minutes. Raise to medium and add garlic and spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes more then add chipotles, beans, lime juice and tomato. After a couple, minutes add rice to pan and mix quite thoroughly. Blend in sweet potato and heat well.

You may serve this topped with cheese and cilantro, if you like or use it as a filling for burritos, which is my favorite way to eat this nutritious rice dish.

Hummus with Roasted Red Pepper

        Ah the holidays- this time of year is for sweet potatoes, pumpkin and turkey but it is also a time of many social gatherings and there is a need for party food. Really--there is always a need for party food!  I love to make all kinds of appetizers, tapas or small plates, and snacks.

       I like to have thanksgiving dinner a bit later in the day and put out some appetizers earlier on to tide people over. I often make appetizers from various cultures because I think it highlights our cultural diversity in America, for which I am thankful. It is nice to serve something that might stretch someone’s idea of regular Thanksgiving Day fare and give a little pizazz to a sometimes predictable meal. A note on Thanksgiving day menus—you may want to talk with your family before you change too much about the main players on your menu since family members may be very attached to particular dishes. I try to find out what special dish each one is expecting to find and try to make at least some of their wishes come true.  But for appetizers, I think anything goes!

            We have hosted several gatherings just this week so I made a large batch of hummus to help sustain our guests.   Hummus is so easy to make and  when you make it yourself you can decide on what you would like to add in—lemon juice and garlic are favorites, but I love to add roasted red peppers! It really gives hummus a nice, sweet flavor. I know some purists may cringe but I like roasted red pepper hummus better than any other. The recipe I use is easy since I use canned chickpeas, but if you have time, try cooking up dried chickpeas and using them.

I am not sure where I learned to make  hummus since I have been doing it for quite a while and tweaking it as I go. However, I got the idea of the red peppers from a hummus I buy that is made in Boulder; I think it is called Blue Moose. This is my go to if I don’t have time to make any hummus.

I usually have all the ingredients for hummus in my kitchen except for tahini. But making tahini is easier than making hummus! I usually do have some sesame seeds on hand and that is all you really need with just a bit of oil. Tahini that is made at home is different than store bought. It has much more texture. I think this texture actually improves the hummus but if you have store-bought tahini feel free to use that.

So here is my little recipe for red pepper hummus, adapt as you please :-) I sometimes add other things too such as artichoke hearts or green olives--see note.

I am off to prepare the first of 4 thanksgiving type dinners. My mom and my son and his girlfriend will all be traveling this Thanksgiving so we are having a vegetarian thanksgiving together tonight.

Hummus with Roasted Red Peppers

25 oz can of organic garbanzo beans *

¼ cup tahini (may use more, home made or store bought)

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed, ( or about2- 3 tsp)

1/3 to ½ cup or so fresh lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup roasted red peppers, jarred or homemade

5 drops hot sauce, sriracha or tabasco

Pinch of cayenne pepper and sprinkle of lemon pepper, optional

1 tsp salt. Kosher or sea salt

Rinse canned chickpeas well. Put them together with tahini into food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes. Add everything else and process for at least 2 minutes, stopping a few times to stir

Garnish with paprika, olive oil, parsley. Serve with vegetables, cucumbers esp., pita chips, tabouleh salad, tomatoes, lettuce and pitas.

*If you can only find 15 oz cans, use two and just up the other ingredients a bit

Note: You can also add other flavors such as 1/3 cup artichoke hearts, 6 green olives, 2 tsp capers or roasted garlic

Tahini recipe

1 cup sesame seeds

  1/3 cup olive oil

Heat oven to 350 and toast seeds for 5-7 minutes till just starting to turn golden. Cool slightly and  add to blender or food processor and blend for about 2 minutes until it is paste like. Refrigerate left overs for 2 months or so.



Here are some pictures from some of our recent gatherings. We all enjoyed the hummus and other appetizers and the wonderful company!

Roasted Tomato and Kalamata Olive with Pasta

                  I like to have things on hand that I can throw together for a quick dinner. Last night, I was busy baking for my friend’s art show and I needed to have something ready for the family to eat before I took off. Roasted tomatoes to the rescue! Sometimes when Roma tomatoes are looking good and on sale, I like to buy a bag and roast them up for sauces and soups. You could also roast cherry tomatoes for this, or a meatier variety. The seeds and gel like pulp are not desired here so I usually use Roma because it has less of those. The flavors of roasted tomatoes are concentrated and intensified by the caramelization of roasting. It is very easy to eat more tomatoes in this form, which is a very good thing.

           Maybe a word here on Caramelization. Caramelizing things like vegetables involves a browning of sugars which creates a sweeter, more intense flavor. When onions are caramelized they are cooked at a low heat to soften and then a slightly higher heat to brown, resulting in a nice golden color and incredible sweet onion flavor. Similarly, the tomatoes here are roasted then allowed to brown a bit around the edges to increase the natural sweetness and mellow the acidic bite. Some of the liquid is roasted away, giving tomatoes a slightly chewier texture and deeper flavor. You are not looking for all over brown or black as this would not look appealing or taste as good. The roasted tomatoes here are only lightly caramelized.

        Roasted tomatoes can be blended into a marinara sauce or pureed into a soup. If I am planning on this I often pre skin tomatoes by dipping in boiling water for a minute then shocking in ice water. Skinning is not necessary but it gives smooth sauces and soups a creamier, more consistent texture.  Roasted tomatoes are great chopped up for bruschetta. Pieces of tomato can top pizza or be mixed into pasta. They can be served  over fish or chicken or mixed into other vegetable dishes.  These tomatoes are so good you could just eat them as a side dish!  No premade, store bought mixes needed with these babies around! Once a bit more of the snow melts from last’s nights storm I am off to get more Roma tomatoes.

                For last night’s meal, I looked in the pantry and found a jar of Kalamata olives. I wanted to keep this simple without too many ingredients. The tomatoes had been roasted with onions and garlic so that added some extra layers of flavor. I also had some goat cheese and parmesan in the fridge so that went into the mix, too. Olives add a nice dimension of flavor and the goat cheese and parm adds a tart and salty creaminess.  We all really loved the outcome. My husband said, “Make sure you write this one down.” Posting here takes care of that and I can share it with all of you!

All in all, a very tasty dish which can be ready in flash if you keep some roasted tomatoes on hand in the fridge or freezer and some olives and pasta in the pantry. In a pinch, if you are ever snowed in  and want to have good staples to use in your panty,  you could use quality, fire roasted canned tomatoes.   

Okay, here is the recipe.

Roasted Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives with Pasta

10 -12 Roma tomatoes

1 onion

2 garlic cloves, crushed,

3-4  TBSP  Olive oil

1 + TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Italian herbs

Pinch of red pepper flakes,  garlic powder

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

Pasta, mini shells, elbow, bow tie or penne to serve 4-6 (about a half pound or half box)

6-8 oz. Kalamata olives, pitted

1-2 TBSP olive oil

3-4 TBSP goat cheese  *see substitutes

¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Extra goat cheese and parmesan for garnish

First roast  the tomatoes If you would like, put foil over large rectangular baking sheet with a rim.  Then place 1 TBSP olive oil on pan. Wash and cut tomatoes in fourths lengthwise then cut each fourth in half. (If you prefer, you could just cut the tomatoes in half.)  Try to remove as many seeds as possible using water and fingers.

Preheat oven to 350.  Place in rectangular baking pan and drizzle with 2-3 TBSP olive oil and about a TBSP balsamic vinegar. Place in oven and roast for 25 minutes at 350.

 Remove from oven and turn pieces over, add sliced onion and crushed garlic. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs, garlic powder and sugar. (You could add everything all at once, but onions will brown faster than tomatoes.)

Roast another 20 minutes or so minutes till tomatoes are soft. Times for this vary! Raise temperature to 400 and roast until there is some light caramelization  (browning), without over browning, about 10 minutes ( see my notes above.) Turn pieces often and cook until  browned on some edges. You are not looking for blackened tomatoes or over all brown, just a bit here and there to add flavor.

These may be made ahead of time and refrigerated. I like to double this part of the recipe and put half away in the freezer for future use.





Boil a big pot of salted water for pasta. You can use any shaped pasta, looking for something around the same size as the tomato pieces- shells, elbow, bowtie, penne  or rotini may be good.  Cook pasta al dente, drain and reserve. Into same pot, add another TBSP or two of olive oil and heat tomatoes and olives for a couple minutes.

Add pasta back along with 3-4 TBSP goat cheese and ¼ cup parmesan. (*No Goat cheese? No problem! You may substitute feta or just use parmesan.Or perhaps add a bit of cream cheese) Stir and heat through. Season if needed.  Plate and garnish with a bit of extra parmesan  and goat cheese.

Recipe By Dinner with Denise

Happy Autumn ???