Easy Thai Lettuce Wraps

We hosted a few friends for a games and appetizers night this past weekend.  They're not vegetarian and I wanted to make something they would find familiar - and something they could eat without missing the meat.  I came up with this easy recipe for lettuce wraps.  Enjoy!

You will need:

1 head of butter lettuce
3 cups of assorted veggies (onions, carrots, red peppers, snow peas, etc...), chopped fine or julienned
1/2 cup chow mein noodles (cooked vermicelli noodles work well here, too!)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

For sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp peanut oil 
1 Tbsp tamari/soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
juice of one lime
juice of one orange
1/4 cup cilantro leaves


Put all of the sauce ingredients into your blender, and blend until cilantro is chopped finely.

Saute all veggies in a pan with a little peanut oil.  When veggies are warmed through, and have a little color, mix in the noodles and the sauce.  As soon as all ingredients are mixed, remove the mixture from the pan so the sauce doesn't stick and burn.

Serve individual lettuce leaves beside the bowl of veggie filling.  Garnish with chopped peanuts. 

Delish!

Sweet Potato Peanut Curry Stew

I'm in the mood for some good comfort food today.   Outside looks gray and cold, and inside I can't get the house warm enough, so I need some hot food to warm up my insides. 

Here's my take on a sweet potato peanut curry stew, full of veggies and hints of ginger and coconut.

You'll need:

2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion
the equivalent of 1 whole bell pepper, diced (use any combination of green, yellow, orange or red peppers)

Heat the oil in a large soup pot.  Saute the onion and bell peppers until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the following spices to the pot:

1 Tbsp curry powder (at least - or more to your taste!)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Stir together and let cook another 5 minutes.  Then add:

1 large sweet potato, cut in small cubes

Cook another 5 minutes, then add:

1 can coconut milk
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas
1/4 c peanut butter
1-2 c veggie stock (depending on how thick you want the stew)

Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.

Garnish with cilantro, lime, and whole unsalted peanuts.

Enjoy over rice, quinoa, or just by itself!