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BAKED PLANTAIN AND PEANUT STEW

Vegan Cook's Bible
by Pat Crocker
Here is another great stuffing for wraps and vegetables. Once baked and cooked in the stew, the plantains or bananas lose their characteristic "banana" taste. They are an excellent stew ingredient because they thicken the mixture.
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe plantains (see Tips, below) or 3 large ripe bananas
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Jalapeno pepper; finely chopped
• 1/2 cup brown rice (see Tips, left)
• 1 tbsp grated fresh gingerroot
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 to 2 tsp Garam Masala Spice Blend or store-bought
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 cups Mushroom Broth, vegetable stock or water
• 1 can (28 oz) stewed or crushed tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 cup Cashew Butter or chunky peanut butter
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

Preheat oven to 375°F
Baking sheet

Directions

1. Trim tops off plantains and place on baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until peel is charred and puffy. Let cool. Slice in half lengthwise and peel off skin. Coarsely chop flesh and set aside.

2. In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Add garlic and jalapeno pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add rice, ginger, cumin, garam masala to taste, salt and nutmeg and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

3. Stir in broth and tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Add baked plantains and cashew butter and stir well. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is tender. Ladle into bowls and garnish with peanuts.

Tips
• Plantains usually arrive at supermarkets green and hard. Store in a paper bag for 1 or 2 days to ripen quickly. Plantains turn yellow with solid black splotches when ripe.
• I prefer Lundberg short-grain brown rice, which is soft and chewy when cooked, but long-grain brown rice, red rice or a blend of your favorites will also work.