Meal Prep 3.14 with Chipotle Sweet Potato Chili

Happy Meal Prep Monday friends!

This week I only prepped 4 meals because I am commuting out of town for a day and a half. But there are still some interesting items and a great recipe for my favorite vegan chili below.

So let’s start with what I prepped. In the back row you will see my typical bagged veggies – broccoli, carrots and snap peas. Next to those is this week’s recipe, Chipotle Sweet Potato Chili. The balls following are baked falafel, I usually make fresh but the frozen ones at Trader Joes are pretty amazing so I have been using that lately. Next to those are a organic fruits.

The middle row begins as all rows in the photo do, with veggies. Next is a Primal Strips, vegan seitan jerky, my favorite vegan jerky and a quick source of protein (minimum 10 grams a strip). My top favorite flavors are Teriyaki, Texas BBQ and Mesquite Lime.

Following is homemade hummus that I made fresh yesterday and OMG, it’s to die for. I finally learned the secret to a smooth at home hummus – peeling the skins/membranes off the chickpeas prior to blending. It’s annoying as hell and you will want to quit half way through, but if you stick with it that will be smooth as silk. I used this recipe, Seriously Smooth Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Hummus from Sally’s Baking Addiction. I added an extra clove of garlic and doubled the pepper and cumin, because I love seasonings.

Right underneath are my portioned out nut mixes. I just mixed whatever is in my cabinet as the bags were all fairly low, so I have smoked almonds, raw almonds and pecans in 1/4 cup measurements. Next to them is another Primal Strips jerky and fruit.

The final row is my weekday supply of Shakeology, my favorite superfood meal replacement drink. Shakeology gives me a dense dose of protein, my daily vitamins and the nutrition of 7 salads and a bowl of exotic fruits. It’s organic, has no gluten and is low on the glycemic index for those who are diabetic. Since drinking Shakeology, I’ve noticed an increase in my digestion, my energy levels and my hair, skin and nails are even growing stronger and faster.

Moving onto our recipe of the week: Chipotle Sweet Potato Chili

This is a smokey, spicy chili that is perfect for vegans and meat-eaters alike. It gets it’s heartiness from the mix of beans and sweet potatoes. And it freezes really well, so make a double batch if you want!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 yellow onion (medium, chopped)
• 1 pepper – your choice of color  (medium, chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 tbsps chili powder
• 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks)
• 14 1/2 ozs crushed tomatoes
• 1 14 oz can  red kidney beans (dark, drained and rinsed)
• 1 14 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• salt
• 1.5 tbsp. adobo
• 1 tbsp chipotle chile
• Optional: I had a can of zucchini in tomato sauce that I needed to use up, so I added that in!

Directions

• Chop the onion, peppers, garlic and sweet potatoes. Keeping the sweet potatoes separate from the onions, peppers and garlic.

• Heat oil in a big skillet over medium heat; add in the onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cover and cook 5 minutes until softened.

• Stir in the chili powder; cook 30 seconds.

• Add in the sweet potatoes; stir to coat with the spices.

• Transfer mixture to a large slow cooker; add in the tomatoes, beans, broth; season with salt; cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

• When ready to serve, all ingredients should be softened. Taste and adjust seasonings. (I added a little more pepper and chipotle to mine.)

• Portion out for weekly meal preps and freeze the left overs. Enjoy!

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