African Pineapple Peanut Stew
Several years ago, my husband and I were thumbing through Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home
when my husband stopped at this recipe and said, "Let's try this one." I looked at it. . . and then I looked at him like he was insane. Pineapple, onions, and kale? And peanut butter? What kind of crazy combination is that?
That was before I learned something that D. already knew: Unusual combinations often make the best dishes. We tried this mixture of peanut butter and pineapple, and it was terrific. And it was the first time I really loved kale.
Since then, this dish has become a favorite, but one we have very seldom. Its higher fat content puts it into the category of "special occasions" for me. I have adapted the recipe to remove the oil in the original, which is really unnecessary for sautéing. And I've increased the kale and replaced the cilantro with parsley (because I can't eat cilantro). But I haven't been able to reduce the amount of peanut butter and have it taste right. A full half-cup is needed to create enough sauce for the kale. (The original recipe is here, if you're interested.)
African Pineapple Peanut Stew
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1-2 bunches kale (4-8 cups sliced)
2 cups undrained canned crushed pineapple, in juice (20-ounce can)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce (I actually use about 3 tablespoons of a favorite Louisiana hot sauce that isn't as spicy as Tabasco)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt to taste
crushed skinless peanuts
chopped scallions
Prepare the kale by washing it and removing the large center stem from each leaf. Stack the leaves on a cutting board and slice them into one-inch thick slices.
In a large, covered wok or Dutch oven (non-stick preferred), sauté the onions for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic, and stir for another minute.
Add the pineapple and its juice to the onions and bring to a simmer. Stir in the kale, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until just tender. Mix in the peanut butter, Tabasco, and parsley and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste, and serve topped with crushed peanuts and scallions, over rice or other grain. (This makes about 4 servings.)
when my husband stopped at this recipe and said, "Let's try this one." I looked at it. . . and then I looked at him like he was insane. Pineapple, onions, and kale? And peanut butter? What kind of crazy combination is that?That was before I learned something that D. already knew: Unusual combinations often make the best dishes. We tried this mixture of peanut butter and pineapple, and it was terrific. And it was the first time I really loved kale.
Since then, this dish has become a favorite, but one we have very seldom. Its higher fat content puts it into the category of "special occasions" for me. I have adapted the recipe to remove the oil in the original, which is really unnecessary for sautéing. And I've increased the kale and replaced the cilantro with parsley (because I can't eat cilantro). But I haven't been able to reduce the amount of peanut butter and have it taste right. A full half-cup is needed to create enough sauce for the kale. (The original recipe is here, if you're interested.)
African Pineapple Peanut Stew
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1-2 bunches kale (4-8 cups sliced)
2 cups undrained canned crushed pineapple, in juice (20-ounce can)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce (I actually use about 3 tablespoons of a favorite Louisiana hot sauce that isn't as spicy as Tabasco)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt to taste
crushed skinless peanuts
chopped scallions
Prepare the kale by washing it and removing the large center stem from each leaf. Stack the leaves on a cutting board and slice them into one-inch thick slices.
In a large, covered wok or Dutch oven (non-stick preferred), sauté the onions for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic, and stir for another minute.
Add the pineapple and its juice to the onions and bring to a simmer. Stir in the kale, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until just tender. Mix in the peanut butter, Tabasco, and parsley and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste, and serve topped with crushed peanuts and scallions, over rice or other grain. (This makes about 4 servings.)
Each Tuesday, Sweetnicks hosts a round-up of recipes that feature antioxidant-rich foods. If you're looking for some new ways to fix fruits and vegetables, check it out. The round-up usually is posted late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food ARF/5-A-Day
Labels: gluten-free, higher-fat
posted by SusanV at 7:47 AM
23 Comments:
Sounds great! Peanut butter was also a wonderful surprise in this African Pepper, Tomato and Spinach almost a year ago. I STILL think about it!
A friend of mine asked me if there was a vegan alternative you can buy at stores for Cottage Cheese. Like Tofutti has the Cream Cheese. Do you know of one?
That looks great! I'm always looking for ideas on cooking greens. Might have to try this one...
oh wow, I've been meaning to make a peanut butter soup for a while now- though I'm leaning towards no pineapple (I'm not a fan of canned stuff, and too cheap for the fresh)
Susan, just a thought-- have you tried the new product, "Better'n'Peanut Butter"? I haven't, as it is not available in canada yet, but it's 85% less fat and 40% less calories than peanut butter. Website is here:
http://www.betternpeanutbutter.com
Ingredients:
Peanuts (as de-fatted peanut flour and natural peanut butter), tapioca syrup, pure water, dehydrated cane juice, rice syrup, vegetable glycerin, soy flour, salt, tapioca starch, natural flavors, paprika & annatto, calcium carbonate, lecithin, vitamins e & c (antioxidants).
I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried it!
that should be .com after the website address, not .cc!! Sorry
Hi Alanna--That looks like another one for my "To Try" list!
Harmonia, I've never seen a vegan cottage cheese. But then, I've never looked for one, so it's possible I've missed it.
Hey Chris--Hope you do give it a shot. Let me know how it turns out.
Hi Jess--I love soups with peanut butter and sweet potatoes. I never really thought of using pineapple until this recipe, though. With the other ingredients, it's hard to tell the pineapple is canned.
Hi Bryanna! Actually, I have tried the Better 'n Peanut Butter and didn't care for it. It seems they basically water down the peanut butter and add sugar. Now, I've been known to water down my own peanut butter, but I never add sugar--just not a big fan of sugary peanut butter.
By the way, thanks for visiting my blog! I appreciate all the comments and suggestions. :-)
Oh, darn-- I was hoping it would be good! Well, we probably wouldn't be able to get it here for years anyway! I'm not a big peanut butter eater, so I just have some of the regular kind once in a while when I feel like it.
Great blog, BTW, and great website, Susan-- I recommend them to my subsribers!
Bryanna--Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much coming from you. Your books are always the first ones I mention whenever anyone asks me for cookbook recommendations. Yours is the original fatfree vegan kitchen!
Oh, I forgot...Harmonia, I used to like cottage cheese alot before I became vegan. Here's the recipe I devised for myself:
BRYANNA’S TOFU "COTTAGE CHEESE"
makes about 2 and 1/2 c.
This is delicious with chives and/or chopped vegetables, or with pineapple tidbits. You can use reduced-fat tofu and silken tofu, if you like.
1 lb. medium-firm tofu, mashed coarsely and drained
2/3 c. firm or extra-firm SILKEN tofu
1 T. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar or alternate
Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of the salt on the mashed tofu in a medium bowl. In the food processor mix the silken tofu, remaining salt, sugar and lemon juice until VERY smooth. Scoop into the bowl with the mashed tofu and mix gently. Refrigerate.
This sounds really interesting, yet really good. I'll have to bookmark this for later.
This sounds YUM! It's obvious your husband has very good taste [he picked you, didn't he?].
;-)
One year after the fact, I wish to add that the book "Raising Vegetarian Children" by Joanne Stepaniak and Vesanto Melina has a lovely African Stew recipe which uses "only" 1/4 cup of peanut butter. Makes 6 cups in total and includes sweet potatoes, chickpeas, brown rice, and kale as ingredients. It's become a favorite in our house and there are seldom leftovers for the next day.
If you like the above recipe then you should definitely check out this one.
Hi Anonymous! I make a pretty mean African Peanut Stew myself, which includes the ingredients you mention, and though it's delicious in its own right, it's nothing like this pineapple-peanut stew. This one's in a whole 'nother realm of deliciousness!
Hi All,
Just tried this recipe. As for using less PB, I actually ran out (only had ~2/3 cup). So, I filled the (1/2c)measuring cup the rest of the way with fat free milk and then turn it into a bowl so that I could mix the milk and PB until creamy. Granted, I was at the end of the jar, so my PB might have been a little dry to begin with, but this worked out really well. Also, I used a fresh pineapple, which I mashed slightly with a potato masher to make it juicier. I also added a little orange juice to make up for not having any juice from a can of fruit.
Anyways, I found the recipe delicious, even with the variations. Next time, I might try it served over sauteed tofu and brown rice.
Thanks for sharing!
Er, sorry. I meant I had about 1/3c of PB (not 2/3).
Thanks, Anonymous! I'm happy to see that the PB can be reduced. I'll have to give your way a try next time.
WOW! This is an amazing combination of flavours. Love it!
I paired mine up with some black rice and I'll probably add a little more hot sauce. (I went easy and added a tablespoon of Mexican hot sauce) Amazing stuff.
This is the first recipe I made out of that Moosewood cookbook when it was gifted to me, and I really loved it - first time I ever tried kale, and I've been trying other new greens all the time since.
Bryanna,
I just made the African Pineapple Peanut Stew using Better 'n Peanut Butter and it was delicious! To further reduce fat, I substituted water chestnuts instead of peanuts. I served it over brown rice, but couscous would be great also. This dish seems to get more flavorful as it cools--I bet the leftovers will be really good tomorrow!
---Wanda
Actually, I have made this recipe with a combination of peanut butter and lite coconut milk several times. It further reduces the fat (though not as much as fat free milk) but had the added advantage of one more complimentary flavor. . . This is a favorite recipe in my house. Thank you so much for posting it!
I tried this stew, it was very different and the ingredients don't sound like they work together, but they actually do. It was quite tasty and filling. My husband, a non-vegan loved it. Thanks for sharing!
OH my GOSH! Susan, this was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for a wonderful twist on the typical African Peanut Stew. It was sooo comforting on this rainy Maine day.
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