Peanutty Spinach Stew
June 17, 2009
My dear friend Rachel recommended this vegan recipe from Joan Nathan’s The New American Cooking, and it sounded like something my mom and I would enjoy. I like all the individual ingredients, but even as it was cooking I had my doubts — I couldn’t see how the flavors would all come together in the proportions listed. Ultimately, served over some whole wheat couscous, it was an OK, healthy dinner. My mom liked it much more than I did, so I gave her the leftovers.
I would probably not make this specific dish again, but if I did I would cut the peanut butter in half (that flavor is overwhelming, in my opinion) and increase the tomatoes and onions.
One good thing came out of this recipe: I tried Smucker’s Natural chunky peanut butter for the first time and it was delicious. It has a strong roasted flavor, with just the right amount of salt and no added sugar.
Peanutty Spinach Stew
Adapted from Joan Nathan’s The New American Cooking
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 c. dry-roasted, shelled pumpkin seeds
3 plum tomatoes, cored and diced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 c. vegetable stock
2 10-oz. packages frozen, chopped spinach
1 c. chunky peanut butter
salt & pepper to taste
In a deep pot, heat oil and saute onions until they are softened and golden, 5-10 minutes. While the onions are cooking, pulse the pumpkin seeds in a small grinder or your food processor until they reach a cornmeal consistency. Set seeds aside.
Add tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot of onions, cooking over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add stock and frozen spinach, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or until spinach is thawed. Add peanut butter and pumpkin seeds, and stir thoroughly. Bring back to a boil then lower the heat, simmering uncovered, until the stew reaches your desired consistency — another 10 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper and serve over cousous or rice.
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Filed under: Cookbooks,Veggie Mains
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two school-aged boys and husband. Feeding my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more 
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2 Comments
1.
Dad | June 18, 2009 at 9:29 am
I thought it was quite flavorful and delicious. It’s also good cold!!
2.
Jodi | June 18, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Looks good to me!
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