Spicy Peanut Stew with Rice by Running On Real Food

Hey Guys! I have a special treat for you today- a guest post from one of my favourite blogging friends- Deryn from Running On Real Food! I love reading Deryn's blog and seeing + making her healthy vegan recipes. Her health and wellness tips are well written, positive and always inspire me. This is her first time here on Edible Sound Bites and I’m very honoured to have her post on the blog.

So please give it up for my ultra-talented friend Deryn from Running On Real Food. Take it away...

Hey, guys! I am so happy to be here today on one of my favourite blogs, Edible Sound Bites! Jennifer and I have been blogger buddies for a while now and I just love her site, her delicious recipes and the amazing photography that goes along with them!  

To introduce myself, my name is Deryn and I blog over at Running on Real Food. I post about health, wellness and fitness, as well as share simple, vegan recipes. I was lucky enough to have Jenn guest post for me back in November and she totally spoiled us with these incredible Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Tarts. They were a huge hit with my readers, super easy to make, packed with nutrition and absolutely delicious. Like I said, spoiled.

Today I’m sharing a recipe for a satisfying and comforting Spicy Peanut Stew with Rice. This recipe is an adaption from the Soul-Soothing African Peanut Stew recipe in the Oh She Glows cookbook. I’m sure most of you have at least heard of Oh She Glows, if not already own her cookbook. Her book is a well-used favourite in my kitchen and at least one of her wonderful, wholesome recipes makes its way in to my meal plan each week. You can find the original stew recipe here and plenty of other great recipes on her blog at OhSheGlows.com.

Her recipe had to be adjusted at my house since my husband doesn’t like sweet potato. Ya, the nerve, right? So sweet potato is out but rice and carrots are in, and peanut butter is of course, sticking around. The thing I love about this recipe is I almost always have everything on had to make it, plus it’s a perfect recipe to make ahead as it’s even better the next day! It freezes well too, so try making a batch on the weekend and portioning it out for grab-n-go lunches.

It’s easy to stay on track with healthy eating when you keep your pantry stocked with staples like some of the ingredients in this recipe. A well-stocked pantry plus a weekly meal plan will set you up for success week-to-week, as well as save you time and money. Plus, if you eat a plant-based diet like I do, it really helps to be prepared with healthy snacks and the ingredients needed to make nutritious meals. Whole food, healthy eating really doesn’t have to be complicated and even the simplest vegan meals can be packed with flavour, just like this amazing stew!

Thanks so much for having me here today, Jenn! And a big thanks to Angela Liddon of Oh She Glows for the recipe inspiration. Enjoy!

Spicy Peanut Stew with Rice

by Jennifer Trennum

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Keywords: saute entree main dish lunch soup/stew gluten-free grain-free vegan vegetarian protein soy-free bell peppers carrots chickpeas tomatoes

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Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (add another ¼ tsp to go extra spicy!)
• ½ tsp black pepper, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp sea salt, or more to taste
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 x 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, with their juices
• ½ cup natural peanut butter
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• ¾ cup jasmine rice
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 6 cups lightly packed, fresh baby spinach
• 1 x 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the garlic, ginger and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring.

Add the spices and tomato paste and sauté a few more minutes.

Add everything else except for the lime, spinach and chickpeas. Stir well to combine.

Simmer for about 20 minutes until the rice and vegetables are cooked.

Stir in the lime, spinach and chickpeas and simmer for a few more minutes until the spinach is completely mixed in.

Serve with fresh cilantro.

To learn more about Deryn, visit her blog runningonrealfood.com. She lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs, is and avid CrossFitter, believes balance is the key to achieving a long-lasting, healthy lifestyle and loves to share her knowledge of health and fitness with her readers. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Kung Pao Chicken and Vegetables

Do you remember that Szechuan Chicken Stir-Fry recipe I posted not too long ago? Well, I have a follow up recipe to share with you today that's so good, you must promise me you'll make it.

This one takes a little more prep work because of the extra vegetables but it's just as fast if not quicker to cook.

Perfect for when you're in a dinner rut. This will add some tasty zest to your palate.

I recieved such wonderful feedback from you all on my Szechuan Chicken recipe. I had people asking me for more similar recipes! Excellent! I love hearing from you guys so don't hesitate to ask me if there's something you'd like to see on the blog. Keep the great comments coming :)

Now back this dish.

This Kung Pao Chicken packs flavour in spades. I think it's safe to say it could rival any bought from your favourite restaurant. I've made this recipe a few times now and we all loved it. It's like going out for dinner and taking a vacation from typical healthy eating, but really, it's super healthy and clean.

When I set out to make this dish, I made sure to add loads of fresh veggies to the ingredient list. The fresh veggies really help bump-up the vitmain count.

I mean just check out those wild vibrant colours! It is enough to make your mouth water!

This Chinese dish will rival the best kung pao chicken you've ever had from a take-out restaurant. It could become a fast and easy weeknight favorite. Especially when it only takes 20 minutes to cook.

Kung Pao Chicken & Vegetables

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tbsp olive oil or sunflower oil, divided
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup kale, stems removed, and chopped roughly 
• 1 cup red Swiss chard (large stems removed), leaves cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 yellow or green zucchini, sliced 
• 1/2 cup carrots, sliced on an angle
• 1/2 cup snow peas
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1 1/2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
• 2 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 cups cooked brown jasmine rice, or quinoa

Instructions

Heat oil in a large non stick skillet on medium-high. Add bell pepper, kale, red chard, broccoli, zucchini, carrots and snow peas, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften and everything is almost cooked, about 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a plate and place in the oven on low to keep warm.

Heat remaining tablespoon of oil on medium-high. Add red pepper flakes, chicken and peanuts and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup water, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, onions and rice vinegar. Stir the mixture into chicken and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Return cooked vegetables to the skillet and give everything a good stir. Serve over top of rice, dividing evenly among 4 bowls.