Recipe of the week

This recipe comes from my friend Sue Statz who got it from relishmag.com (I believe). It's a little high in fat, almost 50 percent fat, so I think I might either take out the peanut butter and use something with less fat if you can, or remove the olive oil. But she said it's delicious. I hardly think one cup will be enough for a hearty eater, so be sure to mix it with a big vegetable salad with a really lo-fat dressing.

African Peanut Stew

1 T olive oil
1 med. red onion finely chopped
1 m. green bell pepper finely chopped
2 carrots chopped
1 celery rib chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
2 T fresh ginger minced
1 T curry powder
1 14 1//2-ounce can of diced tomatoes drained
1 bay leaf
4 c. fat free chicken or vegetable broth
1 sweet potato, cut in 1/2-in. pieces
1 1/2 cups shelled edamame
1/4 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter or almond butter
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 5-ounce bag of baby spinach leaves, torn in bite-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot and celery, saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, ginger and curry powder and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not brown garlic. Add tomatoes and bay leaf; cook uncovered about 3 minutes.
Add broth and sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. REduce heat to low and simmer about 8 minutes. Stir in edamame and peanut butter until combined. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and spinach until spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper.

190 calories per 1 cup serving, 8 g. fat, 5 g. fiber. Serves 8.