I'm back! It's been a while!

The thing is... we came back from our hometown Montreal with two sick kids and I haven't had a lot of free time lately! Canadian winters are hard on tiny bodies and I have to say that, even if we were happy to see all our family/friends, I really missed my beautiful and warm California! With all the papers we had to fill in for our lost luggages (twice!), the runny noses and the short nights, I was looking forward to get back in my kitchen and cook healthy food for my family. Our bodies were asking for a mega dose of vitamins!

So... here we are! Today's recipe is my sweet potato chili recipe served with an avocado cashew "sour cream".

This chili is LOADED with veggies and my son asks for a second plate each and every single time I serve that dish. If you want to start introducing beans in your diet, chilis are THE way to go! There's something irresistible about that warm, earthy, spicy and tasteful "comfort food".

That avocado "sour cream" is made of cashews and lime. You could totally go with a traditional guacamole, but the creamy version is so good I suggest you give it a try! And you know what? That velvety sauce works great on pasta too! That's one of my favourite 5-minutes "go-to" lunch when I come back home with two very hungry and tired kids!

We either eat it with rice, organic nachos or homemade cornbread.

And tabasco! We use spicy sauce like others use ketchup! We really do like spicy food... and by spicy I mean SPICY! Noah's use to it and he's the one asking for the spicy sauce each and every meal. But hey! Don't be afraid, I normally add more chili flakes/sauce on my own plate so this recipe is pretty mild. Feel free to add more if you're in the "tough" gang like us ;)

Sweet potato chili w/avocado "sour cream"

Yield : serves 8

Ingredients for the chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cups sweet potato, diced
1 pepper (red or yellow), diced
2 zucchinis, diced (or 2 cups minced greens like kale, chard, spinach) - see note
2 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
2 cups organic frozen or fresh corn
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon grounded cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cilantro
2 tablespoons cacao powder (optional)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 x 28 oz diced organic tomatoes (2 large cans)
1 can (13 oz) kidney beans
1 can (13 oz) black beans
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or agave or honey)
1 chipotle pepper (or Jalapeno), unseeded if you don't like spicy food! (or 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne powder) - to taste
Salt and pepper - to taste

Ingredients for the avocat "sour cream"

4 ripe avocados
1 cup raw cashews, soaked (if not soaked, add 1/4 cup water)
Juice 2 limes
Juice 1 lemon
1 garlic clove
Salt and pepper (to taste)

In large pot, cook the onions in olive oil over medium heat for about 7-10 minutes or until soft.
Add the garlic and the spices and cook for another 1-2 minutes stirring constantly.
Add the diced vegetables, the vegetable broth, the tomatoes and beans and stir well to combine.
Reduce heat, cover and cook for about 35-45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender (especially the potatoes and carrots). Stir occasionally. Adjust the spiciness to taste.
For the avocado sauce: add all the ingredients in a high speed (or quality) blender and blend until smooth.
Garnish the chili with the avocado sour cream and cilantro.
Serve on rice or with nachos or cornbread.

Note : if you use greens instead of diced zucchinis, you should add them in the pot 10 minutes before the chili's done so they don't overcook.