African Peanut Quinoa Stew

I am extremely luck to work at a school with really nice co-workers.  Last week out of nowhere one of the volunteers at our school randomly brought me in tiny aprons for my students and a recipe for this WITH a sample!  I had to go home and try it again and add a few tweaks of my own to make it a little spicier and a little thicker. Bonus is it is an easy meal for Vegans or for Lent.

Recipe after the link

Ingredients:

1 T. coconut oil

1 onion chopped

2 T. minced garlic 

1 Jalapeno minced  with rib and seeds removed

2 celery stalks diced

1 red bell pepper diced

1 large yam diced 

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. tandoori seasoning

1 t. dried oregano

3 c. vegetable stock (2 for stew and 1 for quinoa)

1/5 c. quinoa ( I used rainbow but any will work)

2 cups chopped kale

3/4 c. no salt added natural creamy peanut butter 

1 T. tomato paste

hot sauce to taste ( I used scovilles garlic cayenne)

a touch of braggs to taste

Trader Joe's south african smoke seasoning blend (if you don't have this you can just use a little pepper)

1. In a large soup pot on medium heat add coconut oil, onion, garlic, jalapeno, celery, peppers, and smoke blend.  Saute until soft.  During this also parboil the yam.  

2. When yams are ready add them to the vegetables.  In a separate pot add quinoa and 1 c. of the vegetable stock.  

3. In vegetables add spices, peanut butter, tomato paste, kale, and remaining stock.  

4. Once quinoa is ready stir it in the stew.  Then add the hot sauce and braggs to taste.  

5. Serve over rice  or eat on its own.  I am thinking of adding more quinoa next time so I don't have to make additional rice!