chipotle black bean chili with sweet potato and quinoa + whole30

For the sake of experimentation, and of being more intentional with what we put into our bodies, the hubby and I are trying a whole30. Basically this is a super-strict paleo diet for 30 days- no grains, legumes, dairy, sugar of any kind, or alcohol. The point is to reset your eating habits and cravings, and to eliminate inflammation that may be cropping up as a result of the food you eat. I'm actually really excited- I've been wanting to take action to get the rest of the baby weight off, and to just eat better in general. I already avoid gluten and most dairy anyway so this program fits me perfectly. We start tomorrow!

I don't plan to give you the play-by-play, because everyone and their mom is doing that on their blog, so if you want to know how to do a whole30 yourself, find one of them. I will pop in to tell you my favorite recipe of the week and how things are going, and a summary after the 30 days are up (did I starve? How did I manage without ice cream and wine? Oh, the suspense).

In the meantime, I've been meaning to share this recipe with you. It's totally not whole30 approved, but I made it a few days ago and it was delicious. If you like chili, you'll like this. Even my sweet-potato-averse husband admitted the sweet potatoes soaked up the flavor of the rest of the soup and they were tolerable. So if you like the orange stuff, just imagine!

        

Chipotle Black Bean Chili with sweet potatoes and quinoa
Serves 6-8

1 medium red onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and cubed
1 chipotle chile (that's one chile, not one can) in adobo, finely chopped (sold in cans in the Mexican section of most grocery stores)
Two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, or one 28-ounce can
Two 15-ounce cans black beans
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well
4 cups veggie or chicken broth

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, drizzle a bit of oil over medium heat. Add the onions, pepper, chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until veggies begin to soften. Add sweet potatoes and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 25-30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft and quinoa cooked. Serve garnished with cheese, sour cream and green onions.

nom nom, Katie