Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Soup

Slow-Cooker Curried Sweet Potato Soup With Coconut and Kale

This creamy Thai-inspired soup is all about balance: When the contrasting flavors are in harmony, it is outrageously delicious. (It is also vegan if there’s no fish or shrimp in your curry paste.) Supermarket curry pastes are a great shortcut to flavor for weeknights, but salt and spice levels can vary greatly among brands. So taste at the end, and adjust: You may need to add curry paste, sugar or lime juice to your liking. Chile-lime flavored peanuts, available at some grocery stores, are particularly good for topping — snap them up if you happen to see them. Otherwise, roasted salted peanuts will work beautifully.
Recipe by Sarah DiGregorio for the New York Times

Serves 6

2 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped
5 large garlic cloves
2 tbsp coconut oil, preferably unrefined virgin
2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 (4-oz) jar red curry paste (1/2 cup)
1 (13-oz) can full-fat coconut milk
1 cup smooth peanut butter
Juice of 1 lime, plus more to taste
5 oz/1 medium bunch baby kale or spinach, stemmed and chopped

Combine the sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, oil, sugar, turmeric and salt in a 5- to 8-qt slow cooker. Add more than half of the jar of curry paste (about 1/3 cup) and 1 cup of water or broth. Stir to combine all the ingredients and cook on low until the potatoes are quite tender, about 8 hours.
Add the coconut milk, peanut butter, remaining curry paste and 2 1/2 cups water to the slow cooker.
Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until it is uniformly creamy.
Add the lime juice and the kale, and stir to combine. Cook on low until the greens are wilted and tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in more warm water/broth if you would like a looser texture.
Taste and add more lime juice or salt if necessary.
Serve in bowls with peanuts on top.

Asian flavors · Curry · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · lentils · Vegan

Sweet potato and lentil curry

A vibrant, low-calorie and vegan dinner, made with sweet potatoes, red split lentils, coconut milk and plenty of spices.
Recipe from Olive Magazine

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger , finely grated
6 fresh or dried curry leaves (optional)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 medium (about 500g) sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
3oz (75 g) red split lentils
14 oz (400 ml) low-fat coconut milk
14 oz (400 ml) vegetable stock
a handful of cilantro leaves
1 lime, wedged

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook three-quarters of the onion with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and curry leaves, if using, and cook for 2 minutes.

Add in the spices and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the sweet potato and lentils, then add the coconut milk and stock. Stir well, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding a splash of water if it’s getting dry, until the potatoes and lentils are cooked through. Season.

Serve in bowls with coriander and the remaining onion on top, with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Dessert · Gluten Free

Slow-Roasted Sweet Potatoes (for Dessert!)

This is the most interesting and easy dessert.

Recipe by Josh Cohen:
Slow-roasting sweet potatoes brings out their natural sweetness and delicate soft texture—so why not serve them for dessert? A post-roast broiling adds a slight charred smokiness that pairs beautifully with rich maple syrup. Coconut-flavored yogurt and the addition of orange zest and freshly ground black pepper make the entire dish feel surprisingly light. —Josh Cohen

Screen Shot 2019-05-26 at 7.56.17 AM

Serves: 6-8 people

4 sweet potatoes (long, skinny sweet potatoes are best)
Olive oil
Maple syrup or honey
1 cup coconut yoghurt, or more
2 Navel oranges
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 300° F.
Rinse the sweet potatoes, pat them dry, and place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silpat (or parchment paper). Rub the outside of each sweet potato with just enough olive oil to coat.
Roast the sweet potatoes for approximately two and a half hours. Pierce them with a fork to test for doneness; the flesh should be very soft, the potatoes cooked all the way through.
Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven.
Set the oven to broil.
Use a sharp knife to slice a slit across the top of each sweet potato long-ways. Drizzle maple syrup over each sweet potato (about 2 teaspoons per sweet potato). Place the sweet potatoes under the broiler and cook them until the edges of the potato skin begin to char and crisp (approximately five minutes, and no longer than 10 minutes).
Keep a close eye on the sweet potatoes while they are broiling to make sure they don’t burn.
When the sweet potatoes look slightly charred around the edges, remove them from the oven.
Wait until the sweet potatoes are warm or room temperature before serving.
To serve an individual portion, place two large spoonfuls of coconut yogurt at the bottom of a plate or shallow bowl. Place half of one sweet potato on top of the yogurt.
Using a fine microplane, garnish the sweet potato with orange zest.
Add a crack or two of freshly ground black pepper over the top of your sweet potato.

*If you have a sweet tooth, add an extra drizzle of maple syrup.