Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 21: Efo and Lentil Stew

The very last Vegan Mofo stew is packed with feel good vibes.

Niger is named after the Niger River and is the western part of Africa bordered by Nigeria, Benin, Libya, Mali, Burkino Faso, Chad, and Algeria. The subtropical climate is mostly dry with plenty of deserts and savannahs. The Air and Tenere National Nature Preserve was founded to protect rare species of Barbary sheep, oryxes, gazelles, and Addax antelope. While French is the official language, ten other dialects are spoken throughout. They have two major festivals each year-- Guerewol of the Wodaabe tribe is a traditional union ceremony and  La Cure Salee of Tuareg and Wodaabe pays tribute to the end of  rainy season.
Nigerien cuisine consists of vegetables (they start their day with salads), rice, potatoes, cassava, millet, dates, and groundnuts. Efo stew, quite simple to prepare, is a premiere highlight of both Niger and Nigeria-- a tasty celebration of greens. I added lentils to this delicious callaloo dish for texture, flavor, and fiber.

Efo Stew With Lentils Ingredients and Preparation

1 cup lentils
1 1/2 cup water
2 cup callaloo or spinach
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

After boiling and simmering lentils for about 30 minutes, add callaloo and other ingredients, cooking this for 7-10 minutes.

Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 18: Daraba

Another hearty, vegetable stew.

Chad--located in north central Africa-- is the 22nd largest country in the world and Lake Chad is the second largest wetland on the continent. The official languages are Arabic and French, but  over one hundred other tongues are currently spoken. They recently had a cultural and national museum open to celebrate the complexities of the country's history and its people (there are some 200 different ethnicities spread throughout).
Southern Chad actually has inhabitants whom eat only plant based. Foods like lentils, melon, mango, plantains, papaya, and pineapple are consumed. Daraba is the traditional vegetable and peanut dish that is perfect now with the temperature dropping. Modeled after Notes From the Kitchen's recipe sans the okra and eggplant, I added sweet potato scraps from previous peeling efforts and callaloo (which you could use spinach or mixed greens). The broth is creamy and rich thanks to the addition of peanut butter-- a huge favorite on every country of the continent! I rarely cook with peanut butter, but these past few weeks have shaped my love for jam's best friend in a new engaging way. And this bowl licking stew is addictive. Although in Chad, they eat daraba with millet, I consumed mine with "buttery" brown rice.

Daraba Ingredients and Preparation

3 cup water
1 sweet potato, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon Better Than Boullion
1 cup calaloo (or spinach)
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon paprika
pinch of salt and black pepper

Combine water, sweet potato, carrots, tomatoes, and Better Than Bouillon together in a pot.
Once vegetables are tender, take 3/4 cup stock and mix with peanut butter.
Add callaloo and peanut butter sauce to stew. Simmer for ten minutes.
Season with paprika, salt, and pepper.

Stew close up.

Stew and brown rice at ready.

Dinner is served.

Vegan Wintry Cheesy Stew

A creamy blend of flavors sprinkled with melted "cheese" & nutritional yeast.

Hello all!
Sorry for the brief hiatus everyone. Have been uber busy writing, writing, writing and just got an art piece selected and hung for the 2nd Annual SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Exhibit held at our little library downtown. It's an exciting honor and I couldn't be happier.
But now I'm back into the swing of veggie blogging and have been pinning recipes galore on 2 Pinterest boards- Vegan Yumminess and Chocoholics Anonymous for inspiration!
This evening, while strolling around the aisles of Trader Joe's, always scoping around for new vegan fare (finally carrying their own vegan mozzarella shreds, but unfortunately sold out!) and happened to find this enticing bag of yum called Harvest Grains Blend. It has Israeli style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa- just a few of my favorite grains that I never once considered blending together!
In the kitchen, I followed the package directions, added green peas, thickened, whipped, and creamed with the aide of almond milk, melted Daiya, and nutritional yeast to create delightful, rich stew to chase away the blues of the windy cold chill. Next time would love to add some diced tomatoes and have a slice of crusty bread as accompaniment.
Still, perfectly titled Wintry Cheesy Stew, this is a perfect chaser alongside a good book and cat (if you have one) right in front of a cozy, crackling fireplace.
Quick, fast, and easy, simply one of the most heartiest meals to make!

Harvest Grains Blend costs only $2.69 & it's well worth it!

Vegan Wintry Cheesy Stew

1 3/4 cup water (or vegetable stock for heartier taste)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 cup Trader Joe's
1/2 cup green peas (used frozen)
1/4 cup almond milk
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/3 cup Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt (lessen if using vegetable stock)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Bring water and olive oil to a boil.
Add the blend and green peas, lower heat, and cover.
10 minutes later, uncover to stir in almond milk, nutritional yeast, cheese, curry, garlic, onion powder, coriander, salt, and pepper.
Turn off the stove and let cool.
Serve and eat.

A hearty warm bowl of delicious comfort.