supremely spicy sweet potato & lentil stew
hi friends, lovers, & people probably related to me —
117 — i really want to buy this but decided to be a responsible adult and buy a new cellphone + case + socks instead. aren’t you proud of me. still want it though
it is quite possible that i am 80% soup/ stew now
alison roman recently made a squash & lentil soup that i couldn’t stop thinking about which is kind of funny because i think squash is overrated and skews too sweet most of the time & also because i had never had a lentil before(must be one those raised east coast by way of midwest type of things) so on one of those bleak january mondays i made this and had a cozy hot lunch for the week. it’s thick, spicy & something that sticks to your ribs a bit without being heavy. kind of a cross between a porridge & chili consistency, which sounds weird but is absolutely delicious.
ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed
a shit ton of garlic — like 8 big cloves either smashed and finely chopped or grated
2 big shallots finely chopped
2 serranos or jalapeños chopped
butter & olive oil (or whatever your two favorite fats are)
chicken or vegetable broth or bouillon + water — you just want to cover everything & have atleast a few inches above it
lentils — whichever kind you like whichever kind you have / can find
tumeric
chili powder
cumin
chili flake
calabrian chili
white wine vinegar
salt & pepper
sour cream or yogurt or whatever cultured dairy product of your choice
scallions
cilantro
steps
1st — in a dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot melt down a generous amount of butter + olive oil / your favorite fats w/ all the garlic, shallots, serranos, calabrian chilis, & spices (be really heavy handed with the spices please), then add your sweet potatoes you want to cook these down till they are v. tender & kind of mashable. it will take time so put on a good playlist, catch up with a friend, send the last of your silly little emails, etc. once v. tender add the broth & bring to a strong simmer.
2nd — rinse your lentils, pick out any weird ones or stray skins. Add a cup or so to the broth and just let it hangout for awhile until it starts to break down (smoosh this down with your spoon, etc.) & a lot of the liquid has evaporated. taste & add more salt / pepper / seasoning as needed. once it’s getting close to your ideal consistency/ flavor — slice some scallions & cilantro. drizzle a generous amount of white wine vinegar & stir into the stew.
3rd — ladle into bowls, top with a dollop of sour cream, the scallions & cilantro, a little salt & pepper & a drizzle of the good olive oil. eat until comfortably full.
particularly good things i consumed recently
books — hot springs drive (a sweaty well written high brow thriller) & death valley ( a magical realism fever dream about mortality)
restaurants — i have a tiered system in the way that i think about mexican restaurants, the largest bottom tier are the authentic, inexpensive, strip mall, food truck, hole in the wall, unassuming places. the middle tier is split in half — half easily accessible, maybe a chain, endless chips & salsa, pitchers of margs places, the other half are the hipster tex mex version of that, your lonesome roses your big stars, etc. then their is the top tier — a lil more upscale, still authentic but more unique. in the last couple of weeks, i’ve been able to try new (to me) places on each tier and i couldn’t be effing happier (visual drawing coming soon). spicy taco (1st tier — get a burrito, the guac, the cochinita pibil taco & if you love yourself the mini chimichangas like kiera & i did — delicious, fast delivery & goes v. well with a pitcher of mezcal margs), las mañanitas (a classic lil corner spot with a phone book of a menu, dark & a lil kitchy go for one of the combination plates & this wild shrimp, potato & cheese dish that is smothered in a chipotle(y) sour cream sauce, fall asleep on the couch directly afterwards), & el xangaritto (tiny & phenomenal — 10/10 no notes, this might be my favorite & best mexican restaurant ever (insert gasp). byob, make a res — get the special (they change this every two weeks, ours were a v. fresh & delicious crab cakes), the chicken poblano fundido, the chef’s bbq ribs & the flautas en mole & honestly everything else, already want to go back)
movies — killers of the flower moon (finally lol, a heartbreakingly slow burn + so v. long, the book is great too)
restaurants continued — went to meadowlark for a couple of really boozy really good drinks & had v. good pimento cheese + toasts & some fried cauliflower that tasted like a jimmy john’s bbq chip. gretel for meg meg’s last lunch before going back to school — order a mac & cheese for the table or just yourself. the burger is so good & such a highlight but the mac & cheese might be better. bungalow in the afternoon a v. cold saturday w/ janel — we didn’t find anything while shopping so we treated ourselves to a leisurely lunch — couple glasses of wine, the big salad & 2 pizzas(there’s a lamb special w/ goat cheese that is rather delicious), a lovely way to spend the afternoon. big kids w/ audrey, morgan, ashton & jake already crowded in the early evening bc they are closing — get a bubbly negroni, the tots & the special, hope it’s the chicago style philly cheesesteak like it was for me, a perfectly messy sandwich
currently consuming
a leisurely sunday morning & a fresh to do list
as always,
mk
p.s. a lil reminder that i’m running the chicago marathon this fall for the chicago parks foundation bc i love running & love the outside — you can donate here!