African Pineapple Peanut Stew

What do you get when you combine crunchy natural peanut butter, crushed pineapple, and fresh kale?

You guessed it: more Moosewood genius.

I'll admit, I was skeptical at first. I like my pineapple in fruit salad. I like my kale cooked down with garlic, onions, and tomatoes. And nut butter? Okay, I do like nut butter in just about anything.

But combining these three diverse foods? I never would have guessed the result would be a mind-blowing stew that takes vegetarian yummy-ness to a new level. The sweetness of the pineapple complements the crunchy and slightly salty peanut butter beautifully, making a surprisingly splendid sauce for the kale. Serve this stew over your favorite grain--we used Basmati rice, but couscous (or even quinoa?) would work well, too.

This recipe hails from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home--a cookbook which lends itself to simple and relatively quick healthy meals (Being known for moving at a tortoise's pace in the kitchen, "simple" is undoubtedly what I need.). Added bonus: This cookbook highlights a variety of cuisines from all around the world. From Asian to African, Caribbean to Spanish, it seems no region of the world is left unnoticed.

Did I forget to mention the best part of this dinner?

White Chocolate Lemon Cheesecake for dessert. But I'll save that recipe for this

weekend :)

What's the strangest, yet delicious, food combination you've eaten?

African Pineapple Peanut Stew

(from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home)

This recipe is both inexpensive and super simple. And come on: who can resist natural peanut butter in their stew?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• One bunch of kale (4 cups chopped)
• 2 cups of undrained (and unsweetened) canned, crushed pineapple (one 20 oz. can)
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste
• Toppings: coarsely chopped peanuts and chopped scallions

Directions:

1) In a saucepan, saute the onions and garlic in the oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions are lightly browned.

2) While the onion cooks, wash the kale, remove the stems, and stack the leaves on a cutting board. Chop the kale well (ours came to about 1 inch slices)

3) Add the pineapple and its juices to the onions and bring to a simmer. Stir in the kale, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the kale is just tender. Mix in the peanut butter and cilantro and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4) Holy Moly, that's a tasty dinner :)