Gluten Free Vegetarian Chili Yam Boats

Those who have been reading this blog know my affinity for the mighty yam.  Of course that's completely due to my insatiable sweet-tooth. Yams are sweet, but also very good for you... Which is why I love them so much.  I can eat them all day long and not feel a pinch of guilt.

The following dish was made especially for a vegetarian friend of mine who came to dinner.  I sided it with partially boiled Fennel topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese that had been placed under a broiler to brown and crisp.  The meal was absolutely deeeliiiish!  I had a lot of the veggie-chili leftover.  It was perfect all by itself, so I ate that for days.  The spices and the flavors of the vegetables was amazing.  I'll probably end up making this dish, minus the yams, sometime soon.  It was good enough to truly miss it:)

Ingredients

• 3 small-medium yams
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 - 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup GF vegetable stock
• 1 large zucchini (cubed)
• 1 - 10 oz can sweet corn kernels (drained)
• 3 - 14 oz cans red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• sour cream (to top)
• grated sharp cheddar (to top)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees F.
2. Rinse the sweet potatoes and poke holes into them with a fork (so they don't explode)
3. Place the yams on a baking tray and bake for 1-1/2 hours, or until you can easily push a fork into them.  You want them soft and mushy.
4. While the yams are baking, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until soft and golden (stirring occasionally). Add the garlic and spices, cooking and stirring for another minute or so.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, GF vegetable stock, and beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Partially cover and cook for another 20 minutes.
6. Uncover, increase the heat to medium-low for another 15 minutes to thicken the liquid.
7. To serve, cut the yams in half lengthwise. Spoon the veggie chili mixture over the top of your yam-boats.  Add a dollop of sour cream and a few slices of sharp cheddar.
8. Chow down and love the healthy yumminess of it all!