Sweet Potato Stew for When You’re Feeling Blue

I’ve had a crappy week. I’ve been sick, I’ve had family issues, my career is sort of sucking right now, and to top it all off, it’s raining today. I have not felt like cooking at all, either. It's just been a funk, filled with Diet Coke and handfuls of trail mix. But a girl's gotta eat, right?

I've been known to medicate with food. In the past, I thought a lot of “medicine” was the way to cure what ails you. Now when I medicate with food, it’s mostly through cooking and savoring a small serving of something special.

Today’s stew was just the thing for a dreary afternoon pity-party. It was easy and thrown together with things I had in the pantry and refrigerator. The whole house smells like sweet potato pie. I had lunch with all my menfolk surrounding me. My husband asked for seconds, which always flatters and makes me happy. My tummy’s full, I feel better and I’m off to take a nap.


Sweet Potato Stew

1 carton Imagine Organic Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
½ tablespoon Berbere' Spice Mix*
½ tablespoon minced garlic (I used minced garlic packed in olive oil)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes (or Parmesan cheese)
1½ cups cooked grains (I used a brown and wild rice blend)
1 head of pre-steamed broccoli, chopped
Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes, for garnish

1. Heat all ingredients in a soup pot over medium heat. When soup begin to boil reduce heat to low and simmer for a few minutes more, until the grains absorb some of the liquid and the stew thickens.

2. Sprinkle a little bit of red pepper flakes over each bowl and serve with some good bread. We ate my latest experiment, made with leftover cashew cheese in the dough (posted here).

*I’ve been using this in everything! I made one batch and put it in a small canning jar in the cupboard.