Since the holidays (and pregnancy) are over, I am trying to get back into what I consider our normal diet. Right after E was born, we did 6 months of being vegan; for me, it was an attempt to lose the baby weight with an ever-failing thyroid, but during that time frame, I gained weight; none was lost. When we called it quits, we moved to a vegetarian diet–short-lived–and then to a very modified version of our original eating habits. I would say before the last trimester of F’s pregnancy, we used 90% less dairy than our pre-vegan days and probably 2/3rds less meat. I make everything we eat from scratch, anyway (with the exception of pasta… no idea how to make pasta), so pre-packaged, processed food just isn’t something our table sees a lot of, anyway.
However, those last few months… Well, I’m surprised I didn’t gain more than I did. And now that we are on the other side of the New Year, my resolution is to get back to our already fairly healthy diet (my mother the vegan will argue with that) rather than go crazy with some fad that involved eating processed milkshakes 3 times a day combined with cabbage soup. Or whatever it is this year.
Trouble is… I’m getting bored. There is only so much light broccoli alfredo, taco salad, and spicy sausage and peppers I can take in a week (although, I love all of the above). Any of you who keep up with my Pinterest have probably seen a renewed energy when it comes to the pinning food items. While I think I have probably made 3 recipes out of the hundred I have pinned, they do offer me some inspiration, and that’s how we ended up with tonight’s Cilantro Lime Sweet Potato Stew.
It was surprisingly light and had a sweet, yet spicy flavor. If I make it again, I will probably use more sweet potato and add broth to make it more of a soup than stew. Maybe throw in some fresh mushrooms or fresh bell pepper? I haven’t decided yet. But I thought it turned out well enough I would share. The sweet potato was really the star of the show, in my opinion, and the beef seemed more like something to add a little interest to the mix. I’m sure it would work very well as a crock pot recipe, but I hardly ever use the crock pot, so it’s all stove-top.
Cilantro Lime Sweet Potato Stew
- 1/2 stew beef
- 2 large cloves garlic
- Juice from half a lime (about 1 tbsp)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tequila (I used Jose Cuervo Gold)
- 1 tbsp pickle jalapeno and juice (from the jar)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 pint vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro (garnish).
Combine beef, spices, lime juice, olive oil, jalapeno, and tequila. Allow to marinate for 2-3 hours.
In an pot (I used my 8 quart pot–it was a little big), combine meat and marinade with garlic cloves and onion before turning heat on low. Bring to a simmer, stirring periodically, until onions are soft and translucent.
Add vegetable broth and sweet potatoes (potatoes need to be covered to keep from turning black). Allow to simmer for 2-3 hours.
Serve with fresh, chopped cilantro.
Makes 4 servings.
