Week 160: West African Peanut Stew
Hello & Happy Thursday!
With my kids' spring break this week, we took the opportunity to head out west to spend some time together enjoying the sun and fresh air. With lots of time to talk during our hikes, we discussed past vacations and future ones we'd love to take. I'm sure you're not surprised to learn that one of my favorite parts of traveling is exploring the local food. And when I talk about food, I'm always thinking about how I can integrate it into my soups and breads to bring it into your homes each week. This brings me to my goal for the spring season, to help us travel the world through my menu offerings. Let's see if we can travel around the world together in the next eight weeks!!
On the menu for TUESDAY, MARCH 23rd is WEST AFRICAN PEANUT STEW and MULTI-SEED BREAD. This West African-inspired stew of chicken, sweet potatoes and peanuts is rich, creamy and packed with flavor! The secret ingredient here is chunky peanut butter, it adds great texture and the essential peanut taste to the stew. If the idea of peanut butter and tomatoes makes you question this soup, I urge you to get past your apprehension. The last time I offered this stew, a few weeks afterwards a customer made it a point to tell me that while he was hesitant about the stew initially, he absolutely loved the flavor and it became one of his favorites.
The stew begins with sauteing onion, garlic and fresh ginger in the pot. Next, diced chicken is added to brown. Once the chicken is cooked, homemade chicken stock, diced sweet potatoes and a little crushed red pepper are added. Once the sweet potatoes are soft, diced tomatoes, fresh kale and chunky peanut butter are dropped in. The stew is garnished with fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts.
The bread companion this week is one of my new breads, MULTI-SEED BREAD. This delicious bread is dark, slightly sweet and has a satisfying crunch from the multi-seed topping. The light sweetness from this bread will be a perfect compliment to this tasty stew.
On the menu for dessert are OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES. As a staple cookie in any baker's kitchen, my version will certainly not disappoint! These cookies are made with brown sugar, vanilla (a whole TBSP!), cinnamon, chewy oats, sweet raisins, and a secret ingredient that creates a soft and chewy cookie! They have moist and tender centers, with a slight crisp on the edges. I am excited to announce my Easter Dessert Box, available for porch pickup on Saturday, April 3. Included in the box are 4 Mini New York Style Cheesecakes (topped with chocolate ganache, toasted coconut and mini Cadbury eggs), 4 Creamy Cadbury Cookies and 4 Carrot Cake Blondies. Price is $25 and limited quantity available! Please email or call me to place your order. Cell - 513-403-6937; Email - jennysuedelights@gmail.com - Jenny from Jenny Sue Delights