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Soothing stew antidote to post-holiday blahs

By Joe Yonan, The Washington Post
Published: January 17, 2017, 5:59am

If there’s a walking, talking advertisement for the power of food to provide energy, it’s got to be Tess Masters. Anyone who has met her, seen her or read her work knows that the actor, cook and author behind the popular Blender Girl blog (and cookbook of the same name) is a whirlwind of positivity, words and ideas.

Her second book, “The Perfect Blend: 100 Blender Recipes to Energize and Revitalize” (Ten Speed Press), came across my desk just as I needed a post-holidays jolt. And the recipe I tried from it, for something Masters calls Sustenance Stew, provided it.

It’s a soothing bowl packed with some of my go-to ingredients: sweet potatoes, broccoli, Swiss chard, tomatoes and almond butter. The latter gives the broth a creamy touch without weighing it down.

Sustenance Stew

6 to 8 servings (makes 9 cups)

Adapted from “The Perfect Blend,” by Tess Masters (Ten Speed Press, 2016).

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

¾ teaspoon sea salt, plus more as needed

3 cups homemade or no-salt-added vegetable broth (see related recipe)

Two 14.5-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, plus their juices

1½ tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger root (from a 3-inch piece)

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1¼ pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks (4 cups)

8 ounces broccoli florets, chopped (3 cups)

4 ounces (1 large bunch) Swiss chard, stalks removed, leaves cut into ribbons (4 cups)

⅓ cup almond butter

½ cup loosely packed chopped cilantro, plus small sprigs for optional garnish

Flesh of 1 medium avocado, cut into thin slices, for garnish

½ cup sliced raw almonds, for garnish

Pour the oil into a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, garlic and ¼ teaspoon of the salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, 5 minutes.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes and their juices, the ginger, crushed red pepper flakes and sweet potatoes. Increase the heat to high; once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, so the liquid is bubbling gently. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and cook the stew, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are just fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the broccoli; cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the chard and almond butter. Cook just until the chard is wilted, 5 minutes. The stew should be creamy. Stir in the chopped cilantro, then taste and add more salt, as needed.

To serve, divide among bowls. Top with avocado slices, almonds and cilantro sprigs, if desired.

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