African Sweet Potato Stew

[Haudlady]

Hello All,
Brandi asked for this elsewhere, so here it is!

African Sweet Potato Stew

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced (I like garlic, so I used extra!)
2 tbsp light brown sugar or natural sweetener
1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 14.5 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
Salt
1 1/2 cups cooked or one 15 ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
1/2 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

1) heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion - cover and cook until softened (about 5 min). Add the bell pepper and garlic - cover and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in the brown sugar, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat. Stir in the tomatoes, stock, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are soft (about 30 minutes).

2) About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in the kidney beans and simmer until heated through.

3) Place the peanut butter in a small bowl and blend in about 1/4 cup of the broth, stirring until smooth, then stir into the stew. If a thicker consistency is desired, puree 1 cup of the stew in a blender or food processor and stir back into the pot.

4) Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and serve over rice or couscous.

When I made this, I used extra garlic (about 4 cloves - I like garlic)... we didn't have kidney beans, so I used lentils instead... and I used extra peanut butter (a total of about 4 tablespoons). It was very good - but the cayenne is a little strong with the combination of cumin and cinnamon... the next time I make it, I think I will cut the cayenne down to 1/8 teaspoon!

I'm sure it would also taste good over quinoa (I love quinoa).

This made more than I expected (serves 4-6), so I took half of it, added extra tomato and some vegetable stock and turned the rest into a milder soup. So, we have some in the freezer, too, for the next time we don't feel like cooking!

YUM YUM YUM!!!

[emily_in_nc]

Thank you for taking the time to post this, Haudlady. Sounds just like the kind of thing my DH likes to cook this time of year. We'll be trying it for sure!

Emily

[Wahine]

Oh my. This sounds spectacular. I think I'll make it this weekend. Thank you HL.

[Denise223]

Hi Haudlady!

Thank you for posting this recipe. Sounds delicious .

I think I'd probably have to cut the cayenne too -- We don't like things that are too spicy-hot.

Have a peaceful evening.

Denise

[MomOnBike]

Actually, I was considering increasing the cayenne.

[crazycanuck]

That sounds yummmmy..Definitely not going to make in the summer though !!!

C

[Denise223]

Hi Haudlady....

As I was reading your recipe the other day, how you use 4 cloves - because you like extra garlic. Well, I do too, and will use extra as well.

But....it brought back a funny memory to me.

When I was about 17, I wanted to make a yummy dinner for my family - esp. for my dad, (who is now in a nursing home ).

I was making arroz con pollo - and, it called for 2 cloves of garlic. Well, I honestly didn't know what "two cloves" were.
So, at the grocery store, I saw garlic in the produce section, and picked up two of them. I was so busy running through the store picking out ingredients for this recipe.

Let me tell you, it took forever to peel those things ! My fingers were killing me!
As dinner was cooking, the smell of gaaaahhhhllliiccc (which I LOVE), REEKED through our house.

Dinner was delicious, everyone loved it.

You probably figured out what I did..... YEP.... I used TWO BULBS of garlic, for the arroz con pollo recipe .

Needless to say, I've never made that mistake again . (it still was yummy!)

BTW, if anyone has a recipe for arroz con pollo, I sure would love it.

Thanks!

Peace & Love to you all,

Denise

[doc]

Ooooh I'm going to try that stew.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Thanks for the wonderful recipe. I made it tonight, but as is normal for me and recipes, I did make a couple of changes.

The first was an accident, but I'll probably repeat it next time too. I read the amount wrong for the ginger, so instead of using a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger I used a tablespoon. Good flavor though, so...

I added a pound of extra firm tofu cut into cubes, and I used a can of black beans plus a can of chick peas instead of the kidney beans.

And you're right, it is good with quinoa. I think couscous would work nicely too.

Thanks again!

--- Denise

[Denise223]

Hi Everyone:

Originally posted by DeniseGoldberg:

I added a pound of extra firm tofu cut into cubes, and I used a can of black beans plus a can of chick peas instead of the kidney beans

Denise - At what time during the cooking process did you add the tofu, black beans & chick peas? I'm looking forward to making this recipe tomorrow - thank you for letting us know about your changes !

Have a peaceful evening,

Denise

[DeniseGoldberg]

Denise - At what time during the cooking process did you add the tofu, black beans & chick peas? I'm looking forward to making this recipe tomorrow - thank you for letting us know about your changes !

Denise -
I'm a lazy cook, so I just threw them in at the same time that I put the tomatoes in the pot. I always put tofu in that early because I want it to pick up the flavor of the dish, and I've never felt a need to hold the beans out until the end, so they went in at the same time.

--- Denise

[Denise223]

Denise:

Thanks for answering my question.

Originally posted by DeniseGoldberg:

I'm a lazy cook

.....Me too !

Have a beautiful night.

Denise

[doc]

I made this recipe tonight. Oh So Gooooood. I increased the peanut butter, and cut out the cayenne completely because my kids don't like spicy. What a delicious meal.

Had it over couscous. Perfect

[DeniseGoldberg]

The great flavors in this recipe tempted me to try it again, but with different vegetables this time. Instead of sweet potatoes, I used cauliflower and carrots. And it was still an awesome dish. Hmm... I wonder what I'll try next!

And yes, I do have a problem sticking to a recipe. I have a tendency to use whichever veggies sound good to me.

--- Denise

[lauraelmore1033]

I told myself I was going to stop saying "oh my God!", but...Oh My God this is good!! I just made it and I can't wait for hubby to get home so we can eat it. I put in More pepper, garlic and ginger than the recipie called for because you can just never have too much of those three items. My kids think it's funny that when we go out for Thai or Chinese food I always tell the server that I'll take it as hot as they'll let me have it, and the food never seems to be all that spicy...
Thanks for sharing the recipie!