‘Tis the season for pumpkin spiced lattes, fall roasted veggies, and warm bowls of soup. Fall is my favorite to explore new flavors and recipes. I’ve enjoyed putting twists on classic favorites such as butternut squash mac and cheese, roasted veggie pizza, and beer glazed sausage and apples. We haven’t even made it through October and i’ve consumed enough pumpkin to last some a whole year. Warm hearty dishes such as a pork poblano stew or spicy turkey chili seem to make it to our bellies at least once a week. Ah, it truly is the season for the world’s best comfort foods.
As much as I love to cook, there are just some days, we all have them, where I want nothing more than to come home from work, put on my sweat pants, and curl up on the couch with a big knitted blanket. If there’s nothing in the crock pot and left overs don’t exist, I love nothing more than to order delivery for one of my favorite ethnic foods. Whether it be a big bowl of Panang curry, Pad Thai, or spicy Drunken Noodles, Thai food usually always hits the spot on dark and chilly evenings.
I’m a bit skeptical when it comes to cooking ethnic foods. If the ingredient list isn’t enough to scare me off, the lack of things on hand usually does. This is unfortunate as many of my favorite dishes fall under this category. I’ve got the basics down, but you step beyond Pad Thai and I run scared. So, you can imagine how happy I was when I was given a recipe for a Moroccan Stew, and was only lacking a handful of ingredients. While Moroccan doesn’t fall under the same category as Thai, it still shares a lot of the same ingredients. This stew, packed full of flavor and protein, has quickly become one of my new fall favorites.
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 3 cup vegetable broth
- 3 cup peeled, cubed sweet potato
- 1 can tomatoes (16 oz)
- 1 can chick peas (16 oz)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tsp each: cumin, curry powder, coriander, chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Cook olive oil, onions, peppers, celery, and garlic in large stock pot until onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients, except raisins, peanut butter, and cilantro. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are cooked. Once your sweet potatoes are tender, stir in raisins and peanut butter. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes more.
Fill up your bowl and garnish with some fresh cilantro, and maybe a few shreds of coconut. I haven’t tried adding coconut yet, but it sounds delicious! Let me know if you do! I’m anxious to know how it tastes!
The Daily Doss 