Sweet potato chili on a chilly Monday night

It is November 2nd, and it is still pretty warm here in the deep South. Halloween was great with temps in the 70s and no need to bundle up under our costumes, what more could we ask for? Perhaps a pot of chili waiting at home for us to return from trick-o-treating? Hindsight is always 20/20. So being that I missed out on a chili after-party, for our family of three on Halloween night, I decided to make up for it the following day which was a bit cooler, with this vegetarian, super hearty chili. It's lack of meat will not be missed, and you will not walk away from this meal feeling hungry. The best part, this is a quick meal to prepare and can be made in under an hour.

I like serving my chili on rice, but M prefers his on spaghetti, so I served it on Farmo (our family's favorite) spaghetti. I also like it better with music in the background, so I set my iPod to Belle & Sebastian's new album Write About Love, and got to work.

I bet this would work amazingly in a crock pot too, just add the cilantro and lime juice before serving.

Sweet potato chili

3 T olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 t chili powder

2 cups broth (I use Celifibr bouillon cubes, which is vegan "chicken" and gluten-free)

2 sweet potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces

1 15-oz can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 10-oz can of Rotel, mild diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 28-oz can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (I use Muir Glen)

4 T chopped cilantro

1 lime

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot or dutch oven, stir in onions and sauté until translucent;

Add the chili powder and combine well;

Add the diced sweet potatoes and broth, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes;

Add the beans and tomatoes, continue to simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes, and the potatoes are tender;

Add the cilantro and juice of one lime.

Serve on its own, or on top of brown rice or spaghetti with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese if you desire (which I always do!). Buttermilk cornbread on the side is always a winner too!

Enjoy and keep warm!