Even though the BOY and I have very different eating styles, I don’t typically make two dinners per night.  There is a lot of compromise made on both sides, and it usually ends up working out.  However, every now and again, I have a recipe that I really want to try (that I know he’s not going to eat) or the BOY has a craving for red meat (which I don’t eat).  That’s when we end up with meat and meatless meals.  On the meatless side, I know I teased you guys with this recipe last month, so I was really excited to make the African Peanut Stew that I found in Clean Eating Magazine.

 

 

I pulled all of my ingredients together.  For some reason, I couldn’t find chard at my store, so I just subbed in everyone’s favorite green leafy, kale!

 

 

I let everything simmer a little longer than the recipes calls for because I didn’t think 12 minutes was long enough to let the flavors blend, and I was working on the BOY’s dinner as well.  The curry in this recipe is so fragrant that I couldn’t wait to sample the stew. 

 

 

My soup turned out a little more watery than I expected based on the picture in the magazine…story of my life!  Maybe that’s because I used a thinner homemade peanut butter.

 

 

I served my stew over brown rice which was so hearty and filling.

 

 

I almost didn’t have any room left to go searching in the freezer for the Mint Chocolate Puppy Chow….almost : )

 

Now onto the meat…

While my stew was simmering, I got to work on Sloppy Joe’s for the BOY.  I found a homemade recipe on Trkingmomoe’s Blog.

 

 

I loved that I had all of the ingredients to make her sauce already in the house.  It just took me a few minutes to collect everything.

 

 

This recipe is nice and simple.  I did cut it in half though although if you make extras you can always freeze them.  It smelled exactly like I remember Sloppy Joe’s tasting!

 

 

Although I’ve never been a big Sloppy Joe fan, this sauce had complex flavor, and the BOY was thrilled!

 

 

First…because I actually made him Sloppy Joe’s (not even Sloppy Jane’s with turkey meat), and secondly because this recipe is delicious!

 

 

He is so excited, he actually said that he’d eat leftovers later in the week!  When I have two healthy(ish) and comforting recipes like this, I certainly don’t mind making two dinners.  And I know that we’ll have plenty of leftovers for lunch during the week.

 

Here’s what else we’ll be eating…

 

Weekly Meal Plan

 

Monday Night

For Him: Sloppy Joe’s

For Her: African Peanut Stew (see recipe below)

 

Tuesday Night: Girl’s Night Out with some coworkers

 

Wednesday Night: Turkey Taco Meatloaf

 

Thursday Night: Crockpot Chicken Tacos

 

Friday Night: Work Event

 

Dessert: Mint Chocolate Puppy Chow

 

 

You can find the full Sloppy Joe recipe HERE!  You should definitely go check it out.  It is the perfect comfort recipe for this time of year!

 

African Peanut Stew

From Clean Eating Magazine

Makes 10 servings

 

Ingredients

1 tbsp high heat cooking oil (ie safflower)

2 yellow onions, cut into 1/2 inch dice

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger (I used powder)

4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

2 cups chopped tomatoes, with juices

1/3 cup smooth or chunky all natural peanut butter (I used homemade)

1 2/4 lb sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch dice

4 cups shredded green or red Swiss chard (I used kale)

Sea salt, to taste

 

Directions

In 5-6 qt stockpot, heat oil on medium.  Add onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add garlic, jalapenos, curry powder, and ginger and sauté for 1 minute more.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, and peanut butter.  Add potatoes and chard and increase heat to medium-high.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes and chard are tender, uncovered, 12 to 14 minutes.  Season with salt.

Serve over brown rice.

 

Note: I may have cut my potatoes too big, so I let my soup simmer for closer to 30 minutes.