Senegalese Peanut Stew with Sweet Potatoes

This is one of my favorite recipes that has found a place in my regular weekly rotation of go-to meals.  Believe it or not, I actually got it from Weight Watchers.  It is compliant with a clean eating lifestyle, and is also vegetarian.  It keeps well in the refrigerator and makes a great lunch all week long.  This African stew also is a great meal if you are battling a cold, because it contains both fresh garlic and ginger, which are immune boosters.  I could go on about the merits of this meal all day, but instead I will go ahead and share the recipe.

Ingredients

1 spray olive oil cooking spray

2 medium onions, roughly chopped

1 medium green bell pepper cored and roughly chopped

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

2 medium carrots peeled and thinly sliced

1 or 2 parsnips

2 cloves garlic, minced (I prefer 6 or 7)

2 Tbsp ginger root, fresh minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it, I prefer a whole teaspoon)

4 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth

6 Tbsp peanut butter (natural variety)

8 cups pre-washed baby spinach leaves

Optional: cooked brown or jasmine rice, crushed peanuts

Instructions

Peel and chop all veggies and prep ingredients, set aside.

Coat a large saucepan (I prefer a large wok) with cooking spray and set over medium heat.  Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the sweet potato, carrots, and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring often.  Add the ginger, salt, and cayenne; stir and cook for 30 seconds.

Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer slowly, add in peanut butter, stirring once in a while, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the spinach; cook stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Serve hot as is, or over a bed of rice, garnished with crushed peanuts. (I added the second option, my husband really likes it served this way.)  Enjoy.