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Soul-soothing African peanut stew

Soul-soothing African Peanut Stew

Soul-soothing African Peanut Stew

In typical Labour Day weekend fashion, I headed up to Kelowna for the Wine Country Half-Marathon. However, unlike the previous two years where I’ve stayed with friends, my entire family was coming up to race as well: my dad and I in the half-marathon, and my mom and sister in the relay. My brother-in-law and nephew were the designated cheerers come race day. It was a perfect weekend away with ideal weather, great company and delicious food.

A little pre-race shopping trip was great to ease the nerves. Basically, it was an excuse for my sister and I to go to Costco and spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out what things we couldn’t live without. One of the best things about Costco is their book section. So many great reads for a wholesale price. What I wasn’t expecting was they would be selling the Oh She Glows cookbook. I snatched that up in a heartbeat and couldn’t wait to get home and try some of the recipes.

Overall, the race was a hit. My sister and mom had a fabulous time racing the relay, while my dad crushed his PB by 1:30, running 1:26:57 to win the men’s 50-54 age category. Not bad for an old guy!

As soon as I returned home from our weekend getaway, I scoured the cupboards for the ingredients I needed to make my first OSG cookbook meal. Soul-soothing African Peanut Stew was the chosen one. The name sells itself, so I had to see if it really would sooth myself.

Oh, did it ever. Quick to make, the best thing to return home from a long run to, and has the flavours of a comforting fall stew.

Soul-soothing African peanut stew

Recipe courtesy of Oh She Glows by Angela Liddon

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional) [I used one 4-oz can of green chili peppers]
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes, with their juices
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ⅓ cup natural peanut butter
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 ½ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 handfuls baby spinach or kale (destemmed)
  • Fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish
  • Roasted peanuts, for garnish

Directions:

  1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for five minutes, until onion is translucent.
  2. Add bell pepper, jalapeno, sweet potato and canned tomatoes. Raise heat to medium-high and simmer for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk peanut butter with one cup vegetable broth until no clumps remain. Stir into large saucepan with remaining three cups vegetable broth, chili powder, and cayenne.
  4. Cover pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10-20 mins until sweet potato is tender.
  5. Stir in chickpeas and spinach and cook until spinach is wilted.
  6. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro/parsley and peanuts. You can add some leftover rice for a heartier meal, too.

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