I admit…I’m a sucker for interesting and different cookbooks. Really, I am. I just can’t help myself when I see them. Thankfully, for the most part, I don’t always purchase said cookbooks. I just simply borrow them from my library and page through them until something catches my eye.
Of course, being a gluten-free vegetarian, this sometimes means I am only hitting up the sides or vegetable sections of said cookbooks…but at least it’s fun to look at some recipes and imagine how I could redo them without the use of meat. I rarely actually put these re-imaginings into action…but it’s the thought that counts.
But then…sometimes I run across a cookbook that was just meant for me. That was the case on my last visit to the local library, where on the shelf of new books to the library, I spotted one called Wild About Greens: 125 Delectable Vegan Recipes for Kale, Collards, Arugula, Bok Choy. and Other Leafy Veggies Everyone Loves by Nava Atlas. I get a lot of fresh greens in my CSA bin and a cookbook dedicated specifically to utilizing them in a variety of vegan recipes just totally made my day. There were few pictures in this book…which makes it difficult to judge a recipe, but one of them that did have a picture was for Curried Sweet Potatoes with Chard and Chickpeas. And, wow, did it ever look fantastic?!
I just had to make it…and since I had fresh kale in my CSA bin, I changed out the chard for that…and we were golden. I had everything else on hand except the sweet potatoes, but as my roommate had been craving baked sweet potatoes, we picked up a bunch of them while out grocery shopping earlier that week.
Recipe: Curried Sweet Potatoes with Kale and Chickpeas
Servings: 4-6
Time: Prep 15 minutes; Cook 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large sweet potatoes or 4 medium garnet yams, peeled and cut into large dice
- One 16- to 20-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- One 16-ounce can diced tomatoes (try a flavorful variety such as fire-roasted)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons good-quality curry powder, or more, to taste
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger, more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, or more, to taste
- 8 to 12 ounces kale (or chard, or any other leafy green on hand)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley, or more or less to taste
- 1/4 cup raisins, optional (but highly recommended)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large skillet or a stir-fry pan. Add the garlic and sauté over low heat until golden.
Add the sweet potato dice and cup and a half or so of water; bring to a simmer and cook until just tender, adding just enough additional water if needed, as they cook, to keep the mixture moist.
Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes, scallions, curry powder, ginger, and cumin and bring the mixture to a simmer again; cook over low heat for 10 minutes or so, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, strip or cut the kale leaves away from the stems. Slice the stems thinly, and cut the leaves into strips.
Add the kale to the skillet, in batches if necessary, and cover. Cook briefly, just until the kale wilts, then stir in. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the kale is tender but not overdone. Stir in the cilantro and optional raisins. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.
~*~*~
Oh…yes!! This was really, really, really good. The flavors just worked well together. I loved how the sweet potatoes and the kale meshed with the variety of spices and seasonings that went into this dish. It was fantastic. And it made enough for a couple days between my roommate and I. I agree with the book…add the raisins. I did…and it just added a nice bit of texture and burst of sweetness. I would make this again in a heartbeat.
Delicious. Nutritious. Packed with flavor and all things good for you. Yep…can’t ask for a better supper than that. YUM!
The Celiathlete 