Southwest Ground Turkey & Sweet Potato Skillet with Cashew Crema

Place 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 15 minutes to soften for the emulsion, then drain completely.

While cashews soak, prepare the vegetables: peel and dice 2 medium sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes; finely dice 1 medium red onion and 1 medium red bell pepper; mince 4 garlic cloves; chop 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro; and cut 2 fresh limes into wedges (reserve 2 tbsp of lime juice for the crema).

Heat 3 tsp olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the diced sweet potatoes, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cook undisturbed for 4 minutes to develop a golden-brown sear, then stir and cook for another 8 minutes until tender. Transfer potatoes to a plate.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tsp olive oil and 1.25 lbs raw lean ground turkey. Cook for 5 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it starts to brown.

Add the diced red onion, diced red bell pepper, and 3 minced garlic cloves (reserve 1 minced clove for the crema) to the skillet with the turkey. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Stir in 1.5 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper into the turkey mixture. Cook for 1 minute until highly fragrant.

Meanwhile, prepare the chipotle cashew crema: in a high-speed blender, combine the drained soaked cashews, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 whole chipotle pepper in adobo, 1 tsp adobo sauce, 1 reserved minced garlic clove, and a pinch of salt. Blend on high for 2 minutes until completely smooth, creamy, and emulsified.

To the skillet with the turkey, add 15 oz canned black beans (drained and rinsed), 1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels, and the cooked sweet potatoes. Toss to combine and cook for 3 minutes until everything is heated through.

Remove the skillet from heat. Drizzle half of the chipotle cashew crema over the skillet. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve warm with the remaining crema and lime wedges on the side.