One of my great joys is making a masterful meal out of nothing obvious. I love the challenge of staring into my fridge and freezer looking for an ingredient that will inspire a pairing that will end in a triumph. It doesn’t always work. But sometimes, it does.
A few nights ago I started with carrots, celery and onions at the bottom of a big pot. It seemed like it was headed toward a soup. I added water and ginger and more ginger and tomato paste and then it wasn’t a soup at all.
I pureed the mess and grabbed the peanut butter and started heaping spoonfuls in. A bit of soy sauce, a can of tomato paste, garlic, thyme and cayenne and it was dang good over rice.
I think I was needing protein. When Andy saw my wild eyes with the peanut butter all he said was
huh. that’s interesting babe.
Also, I left the cayenne out of some and Margot loved it.
It didn’t photograph very well. It disturbingly resembles Ruby’s poop. So I was funneling the leftovers into some mason jars and I am not quite sure what happened but in hind sight I am pretty sure the carrot peanut butter stew lept from the jar, all on its own, to decorate my neck, shirt and shoes.
It doesn’t look like I was that covered, but I promise I was. I think I am severely accident prone in the kitchen. Like when I sliced the tip of my finger clean off last month while making cauliflower curry. Oh it was dreadful and very bloody. The first thing Andy asked was um where’s the sliced off part? And so we looked and there it was, the tip of my finger, icy white, finger print in tact, just lying on the knife. Anyway.
Peanut Butter Carrot Stew
This recipe is guessed at because I was just madly hopping around the kitchen throwing ingredients in a pot, two-handed, over-the-shoulder while singing bippity boppity boo. SO I recommend tasting as you go and altering amounts as needed.
olive oil
1 onion
6 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 can tomato paste
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons dried ginger (fresh would be even better)
5 garlic cloves. minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried thyme
soy sauce to taste…perhaps a few tablespoons
crushed peanuts
basmati or jasmine rice
Saute the onion, carrot and celery in the olive oil in a large pot. Add about 1 cup of water and tomato paste. Cook over medium heat until veggies are soft. May need to add more water…going for a thick applesauce-like consistency. Puree mixture with immersion blender or food processor. Stir in peanut butter, garlic, cayenne, ginger, thyme, soy sauce. Serve over rice and top with crushed peanuts.
12 Comments
Yes! Finally able to open this post….not sure why.
Good for you for being inventive in your kitchen….and judging by this photo, you definitely made a meal that will “stick to your ribs”! 😉
xo, Mom
Yay that so many of your recipes are vegan! Hope the Artini auction was fun! Love Cat
Good god – finger tip on the knife.
Wow. Not sure I could ever make that recipe now, but that is incredible.
And scary.
And a little gross.
And totally like something I would do. Though I imagine I’d be swearing a good deal, too.
Glad you’re OK and covered in peanut butter.
it’s a satisfying feeling to make a good meal out of whatever you have on hand, isn’t it? i love that.
dude, please no more kitchen accidents.
and bc of your friend finny and one of her recipes i finally bought an immersion blender and i am so in love i just wanna puree everything . . . here goes! xo
I cut my thumb almost off last year with a dull knife and an onion. Had I not hit bone I would have 9 1/2 fingers today.
I had a culinary moment of greatness the other day with a completely bare cupboard as well! Sautéed garlic, onion, bell peppers a random can of diced tomatoes with cilantro and lime. I marinated some chicken in chunky salsa and grilled it, chopped it up, hucked it in the mix and served the whole thing over rice. It was surprisingly good and even Miss Thang ate it (with the help of a little ranch on the side).
Ummmm… How’s your finger????
Sounds delicious, Ole! Just as a point of clarification, do you save the fingertip to use as garnish or just whack it right in with the onions, carrots & celery?
My finger healed AMAZINGLY quick. It was the very tip so I didn’t hit bone and didn’t get stitched…not sure I could have because there was nothing to stitch together. Anyway, within a week it was pretty fine.
I’ve always wanted to cook like that…but I never know what goes with what. But that sounds amazing. And looks, yes…just like poop.
You make me laugh!…the covered in peanut butter part….not the chopping off the finger part. (I chopped off the tip of my thumb last summer whilst chopping kale!) I think I know just what you’re talking about when you say you need that protein fix. In the summer when we have lots of fresh milk we make peanut butter smoothies. It goes something like this: Milk, a nice big spoonful of peanut butter, a spoonful of honey, a banana or 2, and a spoonful of spirulina. It’s good and gets me through cooking breakfast when I wake up starving from my baby girl who nurses all night long!!!
love from,
sara
My nuggs! My nuggs! Where are my Hump Day Nuggs? Hope all is well. Miss you! xoxo
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