Its Cold Out! Warm up with a Spicy Sweet Potato and Poblano Stew

I was trying to create a recipe that would be hearty, healthy and warm on a cold night. I had a lot of vegetables in the fridge so I decided to conceptualize a vegetarian stew that packed a bit of heat with some sweetness. I wanted bold flavors that warmed the soul but left the diner without wanting of meat or dairy. I thought about flavor combinations. Spicy poblanos, sweet potatoes and earthy undertones of cilantro all backed with a hearty dose of chickpeas. It was an experiment that actually worked. Here's what I did:

Ingredients:

2 poblano peppers
1 small bunch cilantro chopped.
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch scallions
1 can whole plum tomatoes (get the best quality you can find)
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup red wine
Brown rice to serve with the dish
Salt and pepper to taste



Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub the whole poblanos with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the poblanos in the oven for about 20 minutes or until soft and tender. They will color a bit which is fine.

While the peppers cool a bit, drizzle some olive oil into a dutch oven and sautee the scallions and garlic over medium heat.

After a couple of minutes pour in the wine. It will be very bubbly and steamy.

Cook and stir for about a minute, then add the can of plum tomatoes with all the juice. Use kitchen shears to cut the tomatoes into large chunks.

At this point the poblanos will be cool enough to handle. Cut the tops off and slice them down the middle. Remove the seeds and chop the poblanos into large chunks. Add the poblanos, sweet potatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Remember, less salt is best to begin with. You can add more later, but you can't take it out. You can adjust the cilantro if you wish. It is a strong flavor that I love, but you can add less if you find it too strong.

Allow this concoction to stew on medium low heat until the sweet potatoes are tender and delicious. Season with more salt if needed at this time. Add the chickpeas last and warm through. Serve over brown rice and what you get should look exactly like the dish on the top of this page. This is both a healthy and hearty meal that will certainly warm you up.


Now of course, as you all know, we need something to drink with this meal.  I tried a few things and found that you need a bold wine that holds up well to acidic, sweet, spicy food. The sweetness of the sweet potatoes, the spiciness of the peppers and the acidity of the tomatoes, in a strange way, echoed the flavor combinations of barbeque. Knowing that barbeque and red Zinfandel go well together, I decided to give it a shot, and it worked out nicely. Here are some great Zinfandels to try with this meal:

 St. Francis "Old Vines" Zinfandel Sonoma 2008 ($17)  Flavors of chocolate and cherry with smoky undertones make this a great full bodied choice to try with this stew

2005 Kenwood Sonoma County Zinfandel ($14)  This is a great Zinfandel blended with a small amount of Barbera which gives it an added kick.

2010 Turley Old Vines Zinfandel:  90 points Wine Spectator
This concentrated red is loaded with base notes of dark fruit, offering aromas of boysenberry, roasted anise and dense blackberry, with mocha, espresso and sage flavors that are wrapped in firm tannins. Drink now through 2017. (4/ 2012)

This may be one of the best Zinfandels I have ever had (albeit expensive). This is a special occasion wine but well worth the splurge if you can find it. It usually ranges between 40 and 60 dollars a bottle.