I must admit something that you probably already knew. I tend to steer clear of vegan recipes as much as cat avoids the rain. But, with a boyfriend that tries to live healthy(And I mean: he TRIES) but fails because of my cooking, it is quite hard to avoid the occasional healthy meal. Yes, once in a while and fairly often since we are together, I make dishes that have less meat in them. Occasionally I go off the chain and load the train to the meat town but most of the times I will push my boundaries and create something that we both enjoy.

And there is nothing wrong with an all-veggie dish, I have nothing against these. I am just not built that way and I crave meat. I also put food as one of my life priorities as it is the one thing we need every day and can make us happy with each bite. I love food and for that reason, I could never be on a specific diet or not eat meat. And, if I die earlier because of it, I will die happy.

Okay, let's get off the life philosophy thoughts and on the food topic. Today I made something I have made a lot since meeting my boyfriend. A chowder. I like these because he(boyfriend) never makes them and they are different from any food he crates. I need me some variety. Plus, you can make a great chowder from almost anything if you mix the right ingredients. You have seen me do that before! I also like them on the thicker side of consistency, so they almost resemble a porridge. Most of the times. It depends on the main ingredient.

Here is the Steemit Iron Chef contest

Today I made a Sweet potato chowder. It took me an hour to prepare and I came up with around six to eight portions. Depending on if you are in a restaurant or at home your portions will last accordingly :D

Ingredients

800 g sweet potato
1 l of vegetable broth
170 g Chickpeas
1 green bell pepper
2 onions
3 tablespoons of olive oil
salt, pepper, greens, spices of your choosing
Any seeds of your liking for garnishing (I used pumpkin seeds)

For the toasted bread

A bit of white or rye bread
3 tablespoons of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic

This is a very simple recipe to make. You will need a pot and an oven if you are making the toasted bread.

First off, peel the sweet potatoes and the onions.

Dice the onions and put them in a big pot, add a spoon of olive oil and bring up to medium heat.

Let the onions cook for around 3 minutes.

Cut up the bell pepper in bigger pieces. I used it because I had to put it someplace. It had been in the fridge for a couple of days already.

Cut up your sweet potato and add it in the pot, add the rest of the olive oil.

Let the contents of the pot simmer for around five minutes and then add in the vegetable broth. I used water and vegetable mix.

Bring up the heat and wait until the water comes to a boil. Then bring the heat back down to a comfortable medium.

Add all of your spices depending on your preference. You will be able to add extra later on so do not go overboard with it.

Mix the ingredients, put on the lid on the pot and leave for around 15 minutes.

While the chowder is boiling, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and cut up your bread into small cubes.

Add the olive oil in a bowl that can go into the oven, then cut up the garlic into smaller pieces and squish it in the bowl.

Put the bowl into the oven for 10 minutes.

Take it out after, mix in the bread in so the oil soaks into it and put it back into the oven. Leave for ten to fifteen minutes.

While the bread is getting ready, return to your chowder. Take off the lid and add in the chickpeas, drained of any and all water.

Boil for five more minutes. All the ingredients should be soft at this point.

When the five minutes have passed, bring down the heat and blend the contents of the pot. Either with a hand blender or into a heat-resistant blender.

If you would like your chowder to be more liquid, you can add a little bit of extra water. If not, it is going to be medium-thick in consistency.

Make a taste test to check if no more spices are needed.

And now you can add all the extras. Put the chowder in a bowl, take the toasted bread pieces and put them on top of the dish, add some seeds and greens.

And that is it! All that is left to do is eat!
Have a good appetite!

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Have a great day! Today, tomorrow, and forever.
Linda