September ushers in a tighter schedule and you may find yourself stressing over what’s for dinner. I love one-dish meals because they are easy to throw together, and minimize clean up. They also reheat well, so make great leftovers.
Growing up, my mom cooked a lot of Italian food, (pasta, salads, greens, roasts, potatoes and vegetables). We did enjoy chickpeas and beans in various pasta or vegetable dishes, however I never ate any type of dish with a Moroccan flavor profile. Moroccan cooking often uses spices like cumin, black pepper, ginger and turmeric. Other common spices include saffron, paprika, cayenne, harissa, cinnamon, and sometimes white pepper. I love the flavor the added cinnamon adds to this dish, and these spices seem to lend themselves to the fall season.
Have it Your Way
The beauty of dishes like this, is that you can tailor it to your own taste preferences. For instance if you like cumin, but not too much cumin, you can reduce the amount, or eliminate it. The final recipe may not be “authentic” but if it’s how you like, then cook it that way! However I encourage you to try adding more spices to your dishes. Sometimes people view “spice” as “hot” but that’s not the case. In this case, spice means flavor, and using more of them is a great way to reduce the salt in your cooking. You can also swap out the veggies in this dish based on food preferences or what you have on hand.
You can substitute white beans for the chickpeas, or regular potato for the sweetpotato. Use fresh tomatoes or use canned with juices, and reduce the broth by about 1/4 cup. This DASH-friendly dish calls for tomato paste – be sure to see my Note about freezing the extra. I like using the tomato paste tubes and usually keep one in my fridge.
Moroccan-Inspired Turkey Sweetpotato Chili with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound Ground Turkey 90% lean
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup chopped or shredded carrots
- 1 15-ounce can, diced tomatoes or 5 fresh plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and diced
- ¼ tsp garlic powder or 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable stock divided
- 1 15-ounce can, garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots, dates, or raisins
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a 3-quart Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the ground turkey and cook until lightly browned.
- Add the onion, carrots and peppers and cook until onions are translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, and combine. Mix spices (garlic powder, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, paprika) and stir them into the turkey-vegetable mixture. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Add the sweet potatoes, and ½ cup broth to the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Reduce heat and add the beans and chopped apricots (or raisins). Cover and simmer for about 5 to 10 more minutes, until broth slightly reduced, and potatoes are tender. The pot can be held on low (keep warm) heat until ready to serve.
- Divide evenly into bowls and top with a dollop of plain low=fat yogurt if desired.
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