Hello, chefs.
I always giggle when influencers apologize about being gone for a few days, as though their followers weren’t too busy with their own lives to notice that person’s bubble was missing from the top of their Instagram feed during the 5 minutes they had to scroll.
But! This newsletter is advertised as an every Saturday morning kinda thing, so I do feel bad when I miss a week or two. Three weeks ago, Nashville got hit with what could be considered an apocalyptic amount of snow for this city. That snow was fun for a few days until people said, “no, really, I need to drive places,” all of the unplowed streets turned into ice, and abandoned cars piled up. Then our heat went out (it finally got fixed yesterday!) and turned our house into a really nicely decorated camping shelter. By the time the ice melted and the city was back, I was on a plane headed to New York for a whirlwind work trip.
So where have I been? Basically, being a prisoner in my own home desperate to leave, then being away from home and so acutely homesick that I never want to leave home again. Grass is always greener I suppose.
There’s something about having soup and salad in the fridge that makes home really feel like home, you know? They’re easy lunches (and you can choose between hot and cold on the fly, which is always my dilemma with food prep) and lazy girl dinners, plus (imo) the easiest way to get that protein in. So here are two recipes that keep all week, travel well, and (bonus!) are both delicious when scooped up with tortilla chips.
-Faith
p.s. For an easy way to save and store the recipes I share every week, save this Notion page. Use the magnifying glass to search.
Sweet potato turkey chili (biiiiiig pot version)
In a large pot, soften 1 chopped onion in a bit of olive oil. Add minced garlic; I used an entire head of fresh, or you could do a few spoonfuls of the refrigerated kind. Just don’t be stingy with it!
Add 2 lbs ground turkey and season generously with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Cook and break down until the meat is cooked through.
Add 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes and 1 box of chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
Add 4-6 peeled, diced sweet potatoes (eyeball this depending on your pot size and the size of the potatoes) and simmer until soft. If you need more liquid to cove the potatoes or get to your ideal chili consistency, add water and be sure to check your seasonings to taste.
Balsamic bean salad
This one is making the rounds on TikTok, thank you algorithm gods.
Chop and add to a bowl:
1/2 large red onion
2 english cucumbers
3 bell peppers (any color, I used red)
1 bunch parsley
Drain and add 2 cans of chickpeas
For the dressing, add 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic, and a generous amount of salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, and red pepper flakes.