Orange is the New Pink Easy Sweet Potato Mole Chile

It's October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and pink is everywhere. While you're wearing pink to help raise breast cancer awareness, protect yourself against breast cancer by eating lots of orange plant-based foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, butternut squash, persimmons, and mangoes. These orange foods are loaded carotenoids, powerful antioxidants that give these foods their color and protect against breast cancer as well as other cancers and degenerative diseases.

This delicious, savory, and satisfying chile is easy to make and gets its beautiful orange color from sweet potatoes and carrots. Enjoy with brown rice or quinoa over a bed of fresh spinach.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1-2 jalapeno or serrano peppers, minced (optional)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 tablespoon chile powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder or granules
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 2 large tomatoes, diced or 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes (or yams), washed and cut into ~½ inch cubes
• 3 15-ounce cans of assorted beans (e.g., pinto, black, kidney, navy, garbanzo, etc.), drained and rinsed
• 1 ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

 
Preparation:

1. Heat a 12” stainless steel or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat
2. Dry-sauté the onions by placing them into the hot skillet, stirring frequently until softened and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. If the onions begin to stick, add water, a tablespoon at a time, only as needed, and continue to stir (avoid adding too much water so the onions don’t steam or boil).
3. Add red bell peppers, jalapeno or serrano peppers (if using), and carrots, and continue to stir for another 2-3 minutes. Continuing adding water as needed to prevent sticking, a tablespoon at a time.
4. Stir in the chile powder, cumin, and onion powder or granules. Continue stirring for about 30 seconds.
5. Add garlic and continue to stir for another 30 seconds, or until the garlic releases its aroma.
6. Stir in the cocoa powder, oregano, bay leaf, maple syrup, diced tomatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, water, and salt, and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and flavors have blended.

 
Makes 6-8 servings.