African Peanut and Sweet Potato Stew

Prep time10 mins,  Cook time45 mins,  Total time55 mins,  Serves: 4
 

This delicious vegan and gluten-free stew is made of pantry staples. It's hearty enough to hold-up on its own, or serve it with rice or quinoa and get more servings out of it.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, very finely minced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
• ½ tsp crushed red chili pepper
• 1 – 14.5 oz (400 g) can crushed or diced tomatoes
• ½ cup peanut butter (or almond or sunflower butter)
• 1 tsp dried coriander (optional)
• 2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
• 1 medium sweet potato (about 1 lb), peeled and diced
• 1 can kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ½ cups frozen peas (or frozen/canned corn)
• 2 cups hearty leafy greens (spinach, arugula, kale, collard)
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. If you're using a can of diced tomatoes, blend them along with their juice for a few seconds in the food processor or blender, just to break them up.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, ginger and chili and cook for about 5 minutes to soften.
4. Add the tomatoes, stir to combine then add the peanut butter (and coriander, if using), stirring it in until smooth.
5. Stir in the broth add sweet potatoes. Cover the pan and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes.
6. Add the black beans, peas/corn, greens and cook until the beans and peas/corn are heated through and the greens are wilted.
7. Season with salt and pepper, and add additional crushed chili flakes, as per your heat preference.

Notes

Adapted from http://www.sunbutter.com/recipes-African-Stew

Source:  Vegangela
 See also, Collective Evolution for other good vegan one pot cooking. 

Oatmeal Tabbouleh

Unlike traditional tabbouleh, which is a really a parsley salad with a little bit of fine Bulgar, this is more of a lemony grain salad with a generous amount of parsley and other herbs. For best results, toss the soaked oats with the dressing and refrigerate overnight.

 Yield  4 servings   Time1 hour

Ingredients

• ½ cup quick-cooking steel-cut oats
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup boiling water
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 2 to 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (omit if not in season)
• 1 cucumber, 2 Persian cucumbers, or 1/2 European cucumber, seeded if necessary and cut in small dice

Preparation

1. Combine the steel-cut oats and salt to taste in a bowl and pour on 1 cup of boiling water. Let sit for 25 to 30 minutes. Drain through a strainer and press the oats against the strainer with the back of your spoon to extract water. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Combine the lemon juice, salt to taste, cumin and olive oil and whisk together. Toss with the oats and let sit for at least 20 minutes or, preferably, cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, toss together and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes or longer (in the refrigerator if longer than 15 minutes) before serving.

Source:   NY Times Cooking

Shakshuka

 North African eggs with optional extras.  You can add anything to this including eggplant or minced meat.

Serves:  6.  Cooking time: 30mins

Ingredients:-

    1 tbsp olive oil
    1 medium brown or white onion, peeled and diced
    3-4 clove garlic, minced
    1 medium green and 1 red bell pepper, chopped
    4 cups ripe diced tomatoes, or 2 cans (400g each) diced tomatoes
    2 tbsp tomato paste
    1 tsp chill powder (mild)
    1 tsp cumin
    1/2 tsp coriander
    1 tsp paprika
    Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste spicy!)
    Pinch of sugar (options, to taste)
    300 - 500g raw chorizo sausages, cut in thirds and pricked.  (or browned minced meat of choice)
    3/4 Salt and 1/4 pepper to taste
    5-6 eggs
    150g  (1.25 cups) Fetta Cheese crumbled (Optional).
    1/2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or cilantro (optional, for garnish)

Method:-

1.  Heat oil on medium in a deep skillet or targine.

2.  Saute chopped onion until it softens and not browned.

3.  Add garlic and continue saute until fragrant.

4.  Add Capsicum and saute 5-7 minutes until softened.  The secret is in cooking the capsicum well.

5.  Add tomatoes and paste to pan and mix well.

6.  Add spices and sugar, mix.

7.  Add the chorizo and submerge them below the sauce and allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes or until mixture thickens.  Beware of drying out or sticking.  For runny yolks, simmer for an extra 2-5 minutes.

8.  Season to taste and adjust spices (Sugar, Cayenne etc) if required.

9.  Make wells for each egg and crack eggs evenly spaced, into mixture.  Sprinkle fetta cheese over top.  Cover pan and simmer 10-15 minutes.  For runny yolks, simmer for 2 -5 minutes less.  Can be baked if preferred at 180deg.


10.  Garnish with parsley or cilantro. 

Inspiration:-  BBC goodfood
                      From James to Jamie

Cous Cous with Char-grilled Mediterranean Vegetables

Israeli Cous Cous with Char-grilled Mediterranean Vegetables

02/03/2016 , 8:25 AM by Brad McCahon

Chef - Barney Burge

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

2 cups Israeli or Pearl Cous Cous
4 cups chicken stock
1 eggplant
1 red capsicum
2 tomatoes chopped into large chunks
1 small red onion finely diced
1 clove garlic finely diced
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp olive oil


Method

1. Prepare the eggplant by cutting into thick discs, brush with olive oil and place on BBQ or under grill until golden and softened.  Cut into large chunks and set aside.
2. Cut capsicum into 4 cheeks and place skin side down on BBQ or skin side up under grill.  Remove when skin is blackened and blistered.  Pop into a plastic bag and allow to steam for a few minutes then remove skin and slice into strips.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pan and saute onion and cumin seeds for 2-3 minutes until onion becomes opaque.
4. Add garlic and saute for a further minute.
5. Add Cous Cous and paprika to onion mix and stir for 2 minutes until well coated.
6. Add heated chicken stock and simmer for 8 minutes.
7. Add prepared eggplant, capsicum, tomatoes and chopped parsley.
8. Turn out onto a serving dish and garnish with a little more parsley.

Sri Lankan Dhal

Sri Lankan Dhal with Flatbread

27/05/2015 , 7:37 AM by Brad McCahon

Recipe supplied by Marg Johnson.

The defining feature of any dhal is the 'Taka' or finishing flavours which are added at the end and  gives a good dhal its character. Just use whatever you have on hand and it will still be wonderful! Serve with warm flatbread.

Serves 4

Ingredients
 
1 cup red lentils
2 cups water
1 cup coconut milk or cream
1 red chilli, spilt or half tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt

Taka or finishing oil

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tsp garlic, crushed
2 tsp ginger, grated
1 red chilli, chopped or to your taste - though we want it hot here
1 branch curry leaves, optional but good
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds, ground
1 small cinnamon bark section
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tomatoes, cut into slender wedges
1/2cup coriander leaves, very roughly chopped

Method

Simmer the lentils with the water, coconut milk, chilli and salt until tender and thick.
Then in a pan heat the oil and add the ingredients from the onion down to and including the mustard seeds.
When all is sizzling add the tomato sections and season well. Toss around for a minute and then add to the lentil mix along with the coriander leaves.

Moroccan lamb Tagine

Preparation Time: 30 mins      Cooking Time:  4 hours      Serves: 6-8

This recipe originally came from Breville Wok Recipes and I have adapted it for a slow cooker, mainly by adjusting the cooking time from 1 hour to 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, as the wok setting is quite high.

In the picture to the right, I doubled the recipe, as I had a hungry worker for dinner and found a cheap deal on a kilo of lamb cutlets!  Cooking time was increased again by 1 hour (high) to account for the cheaper cut of meat.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 brown onions, diced
500g lamb, diced (1.5cm)
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
1.5 teaspoons ground coriander
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 small can chickpeas
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 sticks celery, diced
1.5 cup red lentils
1.5 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
5 cups water

Method:

1. Heat a pan on high, add the oil and stir fry the onion until soft add the meat and seal.
2. Place all the ground spices and extra oil into
the pan and cook for 2 minutes to release the
flavours of the spices.
3. Add the pan and remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, place the lid on and cook for 4 hours on high.

Serve with steamed cous cous