My sister-in-law has recently becoming infatuated with her slow cooker. I certainly can’t blame her, there is something so nice about tossing ingredients into the pot in the morning and going to rest of the day without having to worry about dinner. She’s been going through a lot of the recipes that Deb had recommended, but also finding some of her own. One of them sounded so good that I had to try it: African sweet potato stew with red beans.
The recipe was simple enough, as most slow cooker recipes tend to be. The only wrinkle is the sauteing of the onions and garlic that you have to do before throwing them into the pot. Yes, you’ll have to clean another pan, but you’ll have enough additional chopping that you won’t be waiting for the onions to saute. Other than that this is really just a simple toss-it-into-the-pot meal until the end. Then you take out some of the cooking fluid and mix in some peanut butter to add the distinct peanuty richness.
I followed the recipe pretty much verbatim. The only thing that I changed up was the peanut butter. Instead of using creamy peanut butter and chopped peanuts, I just used 4 tablespoons of super chunky peanut butter. That way I didn’t have to worry about buying peanuts and I got to use up some of the super chunky peanut butter that I accidentally bought (I’m a creamy guy, myself).
The stew turned out really well. The sweet potatoes turn to a delightful mush, but there is enough texture from the beans and peanuts that it isn’t unpleasant. The flavors are strong and rich, with a nice blend of peanut, tomato, chile, and the cumin. The sweet potatoes add a great base for all of those flavors to blend with. I would definitely recommend this recipe.
Clacked by Bob Degon
on May 04, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
