Simple green chile and potato stew

Now that the majority of the country is fully in a deep freeze, I think we can all agree that gazpacho and a leafy salad sounds like a terrible idea for a meal.  It's time for some heavy, spicy soups, ammiriiiite?

Having grown up in the Midwest in the 80s, I did not know the magical perfection of Hatch green chiles until I moved to the Rocky Mountains in the early 00s. I don't think geography is a problem anymore, though; you can buy perfectly respectable roasted chiles in freezer sections of grocery stores all over the country now. And so that means you can also make this ridiculously simple, tasty stew, which jars well and also keeps in the freezer for a month of so if you make too much (but you won't).

It's a little spicy if you choose hot chiles, so this is best served with a cerveza, parked at a window while the snow comes down.

Green Chile Stew with Potatoes

Serves 4

1 1/2 cups green chiles or poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, and diced
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or other vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
4 medium Russet potatoes peeled and chopped into 1 1/2-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable stock or water
Sour cream (or Greek yogurt), chopped cilantro, and lime wedges for serving

Heat the oil in a wide pot; add the onion and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, garlic, and potatoes, followed by the chile, along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and give a stir. Cook together of a few minutes, then add the water or stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
Cook and cover until the potatoes are completely softened, about 25 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. At this point you can mash the potatoes, or at least a few of them to give the stew a thicker texture, if desired.

Pour into a bowl; add a dollop of sour cream and the chopped cilantro and squeeze lime over the top.

Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew with Kale

This recipe is an adaptation from The Awesome Green's creation, which I loved in theory, but I found to be lacking any kind of acid.  If you don't need that in your food, I encourage you to try Ana's original recipe, which is really solid, but just a little sweet for my taste. I also altered the flavoring a little with the garnishes I used, partly because it's what I had on hand, though it also suited my other variations.

Once again, this is a super fast, easy recipe that is filling, vegan, and cheap to make. Maybe it's time to create a favorite soups page for January??

Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew with Kale

(adapted from theawesomegreen.com)

Serves 4

2 tsp coconut oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch ginger piece, peeled and minced
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
¼ cup red lentils, rinsed well
2 tablespoons tomato paste

A pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup fresh kale leaves, finely chopped
2 cups water
1 ½ teaspoons creamy peanut butter
Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Toasted peanuts, to garnish
Chopped pickled jalapeno, to garnish 

Lime wedges for serving

Heat the coconut oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until translucent.
Add the garlic, ginger,cumin, and turmeric for a minute or two, until fragrant.

Add sweet potatoes and lentils, stir to combine, then add the water, cayenne, and tomato paste. Bring to boil and let simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the peanut butter and stir to incorporate. Transfer the stew into a blender and pulse enough to have a mostly smooth base with some visible sweet potato chunks. Add a little more water if it's too thick. 

Return stew to the pot. Add the kale leaves and cook for five more minutes.
Season with freshly ground black pepper, and garnish individual with cilantro, peanuts and jalapenos. Serve with lime wedges.