Ingredients

Vegetable stew

• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 2 large red onions, diced
• 4 to 6 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• 2 heaping tablespoons store-bought or homemade tomato paste
• Chopped fresh tomatoes
• cup hot water
• 4 to 5 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 whole chilies
• 1/2 pound roots and tubers, cut into 1-inch chunks:
  • turnips
  • carrots
  • rutabaga
  • yellow turnip
  • potatoes (?)
• 1 small head cabbage, outer leaves removed, cut into slender 1/2-inch wedges
• 1 pound zucchini, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 to 2 habanero peppers, left whole
• 3 or more heaping tablespoons all-natural smooth peanut butter

Roasted lamb

• 1.5 kgs pound lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Few drops red wine vinegar
• Olive oil
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large yellow onion
• 3 garlic buds
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 whole chilies
• Hot water and meat or vegetable stock
• Chopped fresh tomatoes
• 2 heaping tablespoons store-bought or homemade tomato paste
• 3 or more heaping tablespoons all-natural smooth peanut butter

Pilaf

• ½ cup white or semi-complet rice per person
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• olive oil
• parsley & chives

Vegetable stew

1. To make the vegetable stew, place the chopped carrots, turnips etc. and cabbage wedges in a large bowl, add a modest drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper and toss well. Add half the onions and garlic and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, heat the peanut oil and sauté the onion and garlic briefly. Add the marinated vegetables and sear on all sides until well coated with oil but not softened. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the zucchini and chopped tomatoes and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.
3. Scrape the tomato paste into a small bowl and slowly add 1/2 cup hot water. Stir the mixture into the pot, add the bay leaf and chilies and cook until the sauce thickens and oil glistens on the surface.
4. Add enough stock to cover (about 4 cups, give or take) plus the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, partially covered, for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove about 1 cup of the liquid and transfer to a small bowl. Add the peanut butter and stir to dissolve. Pour the mixture back into the pot and simmer 10 more minutes, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. The stew is ready at this point, but can be left to simmer longer to intensify the flavor, stirring in additional stock if the sauce thickens too much. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Lamb stew

1. To make the lamb stew, toss the meat in a large bowl with several good shakes of red wine vinegar with your thumb held over the bottle opening. Add a modest drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Add the onions and garlic and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, heat the peanut oil. Pat the meat dry, then sear on all sides until browned. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining onion and garlic, and the chopped tomatoes and sauté just until they are softened but not browned.
3. Scrape the tomato paste into a small bowl and slowly add 1/2 cup hot water. Stir the mixture into the pot, add the chilies and cook until the sauce thickens and oil glistens on the surface.
4. Add enough stock to cover the onions and garlic (about 4 cups, give or take) plus the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, partially covered, for about 30 minutes.
5. Remove about 1 cup of the liquid and transfer to a small bowl. Add the peanut butter and stir to dissolve. Pour the mixture back into the pot and simmer 10 more minutes, until the sauce is smooth and thickened.
6. Place in a baking dish and finish cooking by roasting in a hot oven 15-20 minutes

Pilaf

1. To make the riz gras or pilaf measure out ½ cup per person, with one or two extra measures.
2. Heat about 4 or 5 tbs olive oil in a large pan, add the diced onion and cook until translucid.
3. Add the rice and stir until it’s well coated with oil and heated through. It may change color a bit.
4. Add boiling water (2 volumes of water for each volume of rice) and stand back because it might boil up. Stir briefly, cover and reduce heat. Leave it to cook slowly until all the water is absorbed.

Serve the two stews separately with the rice on the side.

Contributed by John Olsen, eaten at VD18.