Spicy sweet potato stew

Seeing as it's the dead of Winter, I thought I'd kick things off with a hearty slow cooker recipe. Pretty much the only thing I like about Winter is that I can use my slow cooker ALL the time. And I do. You can also make this in a large pot on your stove top if you don't have a slow cooker on hand.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed

1 orange bell pepper, seeded & cubed

1 (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes

2 cups water

1 tsp. each of salt, cumin, oregano, and cocoa powder

2 tbsp. chili powder (or less if you aren't a big fan)

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. water

1 cup frozen corn

1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans

(*If you are cooking on a stove top, instead of using a slow cooker, follow all of the directions using a large pot over medium heat and simmer for 10-20 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender. Once potatoes are tender stir in the corn and kidney beans and cook until thoroughly heated.)

In a small frying pan heat the olive oil over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the onion and garlic for about 2 minutes, remove from heat and set aside. In a large slow cooker add the sweet potato, pepper, tomatoes, and 2 cups of water. Season with salt, cumin, oregano, cocoa, chili powder, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. Add the onion and garlic from the frying pan. In a small bowl dissolve the flour in 2 tablespoons of water, and stir mixture into the stew. Add the corn and kidney beans. Cook on a low temperature setting for about 6-8 hours, or on high about 3-4 hours.

Yields about 4 to 6 servings.

Note: This recipe originally called for 1 lb. of cooked chicken breast, cubed. If you would like to include chicken breast add it to the stew when adding the sweet potatoes, pepper, and tomatoes. I found the chicken to be dry on my first time using this recipe so have opted to make the dish vegetarian since then, but it's worth experimenting with both versions and discovering your own preference.