Inner Warmth Peanut Stew

Goons With Spoons poster EVG posted this recipe last week, and as soon as I saw it I wanted to try it.  It is a dish served at the Great Dan Pub in Madison, WI.  They posted the recipe here which is where EVG got it prior to sharing it with us.  This is an excellent fall stew, and because it has peanut butter you may find that kids will give it a shot out of curiosity.  The stew is delicious!

The squash doesn't have an overbearing flavor here, which is good if you aren't a big fan of squash or are sharing a meal with someone that doesn't normally eat it.  You can use ground ginger in place of ginger root, but the flavor won't be as potent.  Be sure not to use 1/2 a cup though!  The original calls for white rice, but brown rice has a really nice flavor that goes well with this stew.  I would also recommend trying wild rice or forbidden (black) rice.  I've mostly kept the recipe intact aside from my usual subbing green onion for onion (Mr. Monkey isn't a fan of onion) and using less diced tomato (Mr. Monkey likes the flavor, hates the texture).

You will need either an immersion blender (which I did not have) or a food processor.  If you have an immersion blender, then you will be able to get the stew to a much smoother consistency than pictures above.  Otherwise, use the food processor to get the squash cut up as finely as possible without pureeing it.

Inner Warmth Peanut Stew

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 to 4 green onions - chopped
• 1/2 cup garlic - minced
• 1/2 cup ginger - peeled and minced OR 2 Tbsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tbsp black pepper
• 2 to 3 pounds winter squash (butternut or acorn) - peeled and cubed
• 1 quart tomato juice
• 1 15 oz can diced tomato
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1 medium bunch fresh cilantro - stems removed, chopped
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (I recommend using natural for the taste and less sugar)
• Cooked brown rice

1. If you do not have an immersion blender, then use a food processor to cut the squash up as finely as possible.
2. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, pepper, and squash.  Cook until the ingredients start to soften, about 10 minutes.
3. Add tomato juice, tomatoes, and salt.
4. Simmer until squash is tender (a knife easily slips out when you stab one of the cubes).  If you used the food processor in step 1, then this won't take very long.  The recipe says 5 minutes, but I recommend about 15.
5. Add cilantro and peanut butter.  Stir well and allow to simmer longer to thicken.
6. If you have the immersion blender, then use it to get the consistency smoother, otherwise you are done.
7. Serve over the cooked brown rice.

Serves 5 to 6