African Peanut Stew/Soup, chicken recipes, and menu plan

I roasted these two ladies yesterday and have dinner planned for the rest of the week.  (Easy roasted chicken recipe.) This is a slightly more ambitious meal plan than usual.Chickens? Same time/same oven, the one on the left had crispier skin, and overcooked legs (I'm too lazy to truss properly.) I will use the chicken for the soup and enchilada casserole (making two, one for a friend.) I love the casseroles that have all the veggies in them (beans/onions for enchilada, and mushrooms/shallots/peas for tuna casserole.)Today (synchronized swimming night) African Peanut Soup (Using some of the meat, and both 'carcasses' for the broth.)

Edie's African Peanut Stew

Recipe Type: Soup/stew

Cuisine: African influence

Author: Katja Rowell, MD

Cook time: 90 mins

Total time: 1 hour 30 mins

Serves: 6

Edie's African Peanut Stew. Edie was a lovely dietitian and mentor before her passing. I love remembering her when I eat this stew. It is mild, but flavorful. If using left-over chicken, can prepare in 25 minutes with about 45 minutes cook time. Add an hour if starting with raw chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (use half for recipe, and save the other half for another dish)
• 1 Tbspn olive oil
• 1 medium red onion finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium green pepper (I omit this, none of us love green pepper...)
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed (I used the tubes called Eden's garden, about 3 inches)
• 2 Tbspn minced ginger (tube, about 2 inches)
• 1 Tbspn curry powder (I love Penzey's sweet curry powder)
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces
• 1 1/2 cups shelled edamame
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (I like 365 brand regular)
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 5 oz bag baby spinach (or chopped kale)
• 1/2 tspn salt
• 1 can drained chick peas (I added this)

Instructions

1. In large pot, cook chicken in water (just cover chicken) and 1/2 tspn salt until tender about 1 hour (or use chicken from roast chicken previously cooked) Remove bone and skin, put chicken back in broth. Can add bouillon cubes to make about 4 cups of broth, or I add a carton or two of chicken broth later on.
2. Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven, and sautee onions, celery, carrots about 5 minutes, until glassy.
3. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, stir about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and bay leaf and any additional broth, or add broth from above back in with chicken.
4. Add sweet potatoes and chick peas and simmer about 30 minutes. Stir in edamame and spinach (or kale). Then stir in peanut butter. Garnish with cilantro if desired, and serve. Add more broth for soupy meal, more

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 Tomorrow:  Tuna Noodle Casserole with grapesWed: Chicken enchilada casserole (with meat pulled off chicken that is frozen)Thursday: Skillet lasagna with green beansFriday: school Halloween party, "Taco in a bag"What do you like to double up on with recipes? Do you have weeks where you are more ambitious than others? Are you okay with that, or do you feel 'guilty'?