Back in my vegetarian days, one of my favorite recipes was the Three Sisters Burrito. The three sisters are three crops traditionally grown together by the Iroquois and Cherokee because of their beautifully symbiotic nature: corn, squash, and beans. The corn provided the stalks for the beans to climb, and the big leaves from the squash provided the ground coverage between the stalks of corn, helping to prevent the ground from drying out and weeds from taking over. The beans absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it to nitrates in the soil, creating fertile soil for squash and corn. It is a beautiful example of three plants supporting the growth of each other. And the combination happens to be mighty yummy.
Now, I’m no longer a vegetarian and there are many things in the original recipe I used that I don’t tolerate any longer. But I do love that Three Sisters concept and the combination of the smokey chipotles in adobo sauce with lime that the recipe had used. So, I whipped up a version that’s a little closer to my current diet, and to my delight, it was a total hit! Even the kids gobbled it up (twice in two days!) and declared it absolutely delicious. And let me tell you – they’d let me know loud and clear if this recipe didn’t work!
This recipe makes use of the homemade Chipotle Adobo Purée – the recipe for which you can find here.
Three Sisters Turkey Hash
Makes 4 servings
- 1 10oz bag frozen organic cubed butternut squash (yes, I cut a corner here and it was worth it – if you feel like peeling/chopping the butternut squash yourself, be my guest but this step cuts down on prep time remarkably)
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ghee
- 2 teaspoons Pluck Spicy
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- Juice from 1 lime (plus additional lime wedges for serving)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
- 1 medium onion
- 1lb ground turkey, preferably dark meat
- 1 10oz bag frozen organic corn
- 2-4 Tablespoons Chipotle Adobo Purée
- 1 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- Chopped cilantro as garnish
- ½ cup queso fresco, crumbled as garnish (if dairy is tolerated; use non-dairy or omit if not)
- Preheat the oven to 385 degrees.
- Toss squash, 1 tablespoon ghee, 1 teaspoon Pluck Spicy, sea salt, juice of ½ lime, and maple syrup on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 mins.
- While squash is roasting, chop onions. In a large skillet, sauté onions in 1 teaspoon ghee until translucent. Add ground turkey and the remainder of Pluck Spicy.
- At the 20-minute mark, when the squash has softened, add the corn, another pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Put back in the oven to continue roasting for another 10-15 minutes – until corn has softened and roasted.
- While the corn is roasting, add chipotle purée and black beans to the turkey and onion mixture on the stove. Stir to mix well to combine flavors.
- When the corn and squash have roasted, add them to the turkey mixture on your stovetop with juice from the second half of the lime. Stir well. Let flavors mix and then serve.
- Sprinkle individual servings with cilantro, optional queso fresco, and a wedge of lime. Enjoy!
Please share in the comments below if you give this recipe a try and what you thought!
