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Thursday, March 25, 2021

March Monthly Color Challenge and a Sweet Potato Recipe

The Monthly Color Challenge, hosted by Jen at Patterns by Jen, draws inspiration from fruits and vegetables. This month the color challenge block is the red-orange of yams. I've never had an opportunity to eat a yam, but I love sweet potatoes. Alton Brown has a hilarious segment on the difference (click here)  - it's less than four minutes long and I highly suggest it!


I love this pattern from Jen. I think it's genius. It's like a ghost pinwheel. I love her patterns so much this year that I'm making 2 or 3 at a time in the 6-inch and the 12-inch sizes. The above is a 12-inch.


12 inch block

Growing up in Oklahoma every Thanksgiving involved a sweet potato casserole, always with marshmallows on top. I still love it, and I have a wonderful non-marshmallow sweet potato casserole involving a brown sugar streusel that I would be happy to share with you. But during the past few years I have found a new love in savory sweet potatoes. My dear Mom lived with us from 2002 to 2010, and she would often ask for a baked sweet potato for dinner. She had me bake it until it was caramelizing then she would eat it with a bit of butter and a little sprinkle of salt. Only during the past few years have I started enjoying sweet potatoes in the same way as well as in savory dishes - Mom would be so pleased! I developed this recipe to incorporate sweet potatoes, and it is my very favorite soup. It is low-fat, filling, good for you, and delicious. The touch of sweetness imparted by the sweet potatoes is perfect with the spiciness. Try it with tortilla chips - yum!

Turkey Taco Soup

1 pkg ground turkey

1/2 onion, chopped, or 1 tablespoon minced dried onions

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 can hominy, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, undrained

1 7 oz can diced green chilis undrained

3 tablespoons La Costena chipotle sauce*

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Brown turkey with onion. Add sweet potatoes and stir. Cook until turkey no longer shows pink. Sprinkle mixture with garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin and stir to coat everything. Add broth and bring to boil. Add hominy, beans, chilis, sauce, and salt; stir and cover. Simmer 30 minutes with lid on and 30 more minutes with lid off. Stir occasionally and cook until soup is slightly thickened and sweet potatoes are tender.

* You can add more or less to taste. Use the actual chipotle peppers in sauce if you prefer.

6 inch block

If you are interested in joining this fun challenge, click the corresponding button in my sidebar, and check out the "yam" interpretations by other quilters at Jen's link party right here.

9 comments :

  1. What a cool block. My eye goes back and forth between the “square” and the star. I used to eat sweet potato with marshmallows, too. Now my favorite way is microwaved and then doused in cinnamon butter. I am the only sweet potato eater in the house, so I’ll have to pass on the recipe, but I bet it’s delicious.

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  2. I like that pattern too, and those colors are wonderfully reminiscent of fall. Your soup sounds interesting with the turkey and sweet potato. Unlike a lot of people, I just can’t warm up to sweet potatoes.

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  3. All three blocks worked out beautifully, but the navy with a bit of sweet potato is my favorite. Your soup sounds really yummy. I'd never had sweet potato casserole with marshmallows till my BIL made it one year for Thanksgiving. I like sweet, but that was just over the top sweet!

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  4. This was a fun block, and I like yours very much. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I haven't ever used hominy, so that would be new to me. I love savory sweet potatoes!

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  5. Your sweet potato (or are they yams?:) blocks are so pretty! Love the fabric you chose for them. I enjoyed the video, too - it sounds like a yam and a sweet potato are about the same thing. Thanks for sharing the recipe - it sounds yummy!

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  6. Oh what pretty fabrics in those blocks and such perfect points, Linda. I love sweet potatoes and I'm bookmarking your recipe as soups are a thing for me that I love to make. I think I'll try this with the last of the turkey as I bought a small one for us to have for Easter. I wouldn't have thought of the taco chips but a great idea-Tony loves them.

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  7. I like the pattern also! Your fabric selections are very nice! Looks like fun with Jen is coming along.

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  8. Oh, I love your rich color of fabrics, and the pattern is pretty. Beautiful blocks!

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  9. I really like those ghost pinwheels! they are cool looking - the one with the light background is so unique!

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