The Cookful

Full of your favorite food topics

Home > Archives for diced tomatoes

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

By

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew is a hearty dish that makes a perfect meatless dinner. It may sound like an interesting flavor combo but it’s delicious. Really. So. Good.

A few years ago I had this amazing sweet potato and peanut soup at an Ethiopian restaurant. It was strange, actually, because it was called Western African Peanut Soup on the menu, but Ethiopia is not in Western Africa. I was intrigued and ordered it anyways. I’ve been wanting to try to recreate it ever since then.

I couldn’t wait for a chance to share it with you, and our Sweet Potato Series seemed like a good place, especially as a great reminder that sweet potatoes aren’t just for pies and casseroles. You can include them in soups and stews, and even in quesadillas. Yes, we totally did that!

red bowl sweet potato, greens and peanuts in a thick stew; beige and red cloth under bowl; larger bowl of stew in background

Can You Make This Soup Vegan?

Yes, very easily! While I use chicken broth in it, you can totally substitute it out for vegetable broth instead. 

Can You Add Protein?

If you are worried about getting enough protein in your meal, you can add chicken or cooked chickpeas. If you add chicken, cube it into 1-inch pieces and sauté the chicken until almost cooked through then remove from the pan and set aside and add back into the pan after adding the ginger and garlic.

If you want to add chickpeas, add 2 cans of chickpeas that you’ve drained and rinsed when you add the kale.

I really think you’re going to love this soup. It’s creamy and a bit sweet but also spicy too. I love that sweet-spicy thing. Enjoy!

Print
African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

Contributor: Christine Pittman

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew is a hearty dish that makes a perfect meatless dinner. It may sound like an interesting flavor combo but it’s delicious. Really. So. Good.
Garnish with cilantro and roasted peanuts.

Listen to our editor-in-chief, Christine Pittman, briefly talk about how to make this recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:

  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Entrée
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: African
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 lbs. (about 6 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch ginger piece, grated
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup chunky peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 cups chopped kale
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup shelled salted peanut halves

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add the sweet potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  3. Add garlic and ginger. Cook 30 seconds.
  4. Add broth, tomatoes, peanut butter, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir and heat to a boil.
  5. Add kale. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes are very soft. Mash some sweet potatoes with a spoon to thicken the soup.
  6. Garnish with cilantro and peanuts.

Notes

  • If you want to add chicken, cube 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast into 1-inch pieces and sauté the chicken until almost cooked through then remove from the pan and set aside and add back into the pan after adding the ginger and garlic.
  • If you want to add chickpeas, add 2 (16 oz.) cans of chickpeas that you’ve drained and rinsed when you add the kale.

Tomato Chutney

By

Who knew you can make a traditional tomato chutney in your own kitchen? You’ll be surprised how easy it is to prepare tomato chutney with fresh ingredients that you can find in your local store.

Who knew you can make a traditional tomato chutney in your own kitchen? You'll be surprised how easy it is to prepare tomato chutney with fresh ingredients that you can find in your local store.
The primary ingredients in tomato chutney are red or green tomatoes. You can use them in any way: diced, mashed or crushed. However, for today’s recipe we will use diced red tomatoes.

To enhance the flavor of the tomatoes, we add diced onions and freshly chopped ginger. Then, we need to add some sweet and tangy ingredients. Instead of using regular vinegar, add wine vinegar that has a fruity accent. A little bit of sugar, sweet paprika and salt is also necessary to make our tomato chutney tasty. And of course, in the end we need a little spiciness, which we get by adding chili powder.

Once the tomato chutney is done cooking you can refrigerate it for another day or seve immediately with kebabs, burgers or sandwiches. It will also pair perfectly with any type of meat and is great served over toasted baguette or basic garlic toast.

Print

Tomato Chutney

Contributor: Ilona Orzechowska

Who knew you can make a traditional tomato chutney in your own kitchen? You’ll be surprised how easy it is to prepare tomato chutney with fresh ingredients that you can find in your local store.

  • Author: Ilona Orzechowska
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 100 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cup 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 and 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups diced onions
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
  • 1/3 cup wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. chili powder

Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized pot combine tomatoes, onions, pressed garlic, chopped fresh ginger, wine vinegar, sugar, sweet paprika, salt and chili powder.
  2. Cook on high for 10 minutes, mixing often.
  3. Reduce the heat to low, cover tomato chutney and cook for 90 minutes. Mix often to prevent the tomato chutney sticking to the pan.

You’ll bed putting this Tomato Chutney on everything! It’s so good! – #TheCookful

Click To Tweet

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

By

Bye-bye Chipotle. Time to make Chicken Burrito Bowls with the slow cooker.

Bye-bye Chipotle. Time to make Chicken Burrito Bowls with the slow cooker.

Mexican food always inspires me to get in a better mood, so I’ve been really excited during our slow cooker chicken dinner series. Did you see those slow cooker carnitas? And those slow cooker fajitas? Oh my. This inspiration is something we seriously need in life, which is why I’m throwing my hat in the ring with these copycat Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls, done in the slow cooker. Bam!

This is a whole new level of delicious meal prep. Yes, you can totally prep this meal ahead of time. Make the chicken on a Sunday afternoon, then assemble the slow cooker chicken burrito bowls for the week. The key is to keep the cold ingredients (i.e. sour cream and salsa) on the side so you can warm up the bowls and top them when you’re ready to eat.  

The entire meal is pretty darn easy to pull together. The flavorful, tender chicken is made in the slow cooker and with the chicken stock, tomato juices and spices it cooks in, it is oh-so easy to shred when you take it out. It’s that melt-in-your-mouth tender chicken that you attribute to Chipotle except with even MORE flavor. 

The rest of the recipe takes about 5 minutes to assemble and there you go. You have lunches or dinner made ahead with very little work. Packaging each serving in its own container also makes it handy to top each bowl the way family members will enjoy it without going to a lot of work.

However, that’s only if you feel like sharing. I guarantee after one bite of these explosive flavors you’ll want to keep the recipe to yourself.

 

Print

Slow Cooker Burrito Bowl

Slow Cooker Burrito Bowl

Contributor: Meghan Bassett

Bye-bye Chipotle. Time to make Chicken Burrito Bowls with the slow cooker.

  • Author: Meghan Bassett
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

Slow Cooker Chicken:

  • 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs or a mixture
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock 
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder 
  • 1 tsp. chili powder 
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder 
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin powder 
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 
  • 1/2 tsp. salt 
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper 

Cilantro Rice:

  • 2 cups cooked rice 
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp. lime juice 
  • 1 tsp. freshly chopped cilantro 

Burrito Bowls:

  • 1 cup black beans, drained 
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced 
  • 1 cup pico de gallo 
  • 2/3 cup shredded Mexican style cheese 
  • Optional toppings: Hot salsa, sour cream, freshly chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. In the insert of a slow cooker, add chicken, chicken stock, can of diced tomatoes, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, cumin powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.  
  2. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. Transfer chicken from the slow cooker to a bowl. Shred the meat using two forks. Set aside. 
  3. To make the rice, stir together warmed up cooked rice with lime juice and cilantro. Set aside.
  4. To assemble the bowls, start with a base of cilantro lime rice. Top with shredded chicken, black beans, pico de gallo, Mexican style cheese and avocado. Serve with hot salsa, sour cream and additional freshly chopped cilantro.

Go to Chipotle without me. I can make my burrito bowl at home. #thecookful

Click To Tweet

Slow Cooker Queso with Real Cheddar Cheese

By

This queso is made with real cheddar cheese instead of a processed cheese. It’s also made in the slow cooker so it’s simpler than ever to make.

This queso is made with real cheddar cheese instead of a processed cheese. It's also made in the slow cooker so it's simpler than ever to make.

As Americans, it’s in our nature to enjoy dunking things in cheese. Go to any tailgating event or sports watch-a-thon and there’s bound to be a bowl of queso surrounded by a pile of tortilla chips.

Luckily, it’s quite simple to throw together a good chile con queso and it works well for feeding a large crowd. While a processed cheese such as Velveeta may be the gold standard (pun intended) in most queso dip recipes, we wanted to give regular shredded cheddar cheese a try as a less-processed alternative.

Let’s jump in!

 

Print

Shredded Cheddar Queso Dip

Slow Cooker Queso with Shredded Cheddar

Contributor: Karman Meyer

This queso is made with real cheddar cheese instead of a processed cheese. It’s also made in the slow cooker so it’s simpler than ever to make.

  • Author: Karman Meyer
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 hours
  • Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 (15 oz.) can no-bean chili
  • 1 (10 oz.) can mild diced tomatoes & green chiles (like Rotel), drained
  • 8 oz. 2% milk
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. chipotle chili pepper seasoning
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp. salt

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker, cover and set on low to cook for 2 hours.  Stir to combine ingredients and continue to cook, covered, for 1 more hour.  Keep the slow cooker on warm setting to keep warm when serving. Serve queso with tortilla chips.

Let’s make some queso with shredded cheddar. #thecookful

Click To Tweet

Quick Kale and Kielbasa Soup

By

Who’s addicted to kale? Feed your addiction with this chunky Kale and Kielbasa soup, perfect with a cozy blanket and a night of reruns.

Quick Kale and Kielbasa Soup in a white bowl with a silver spoon sticking out; bowl is sitting on a stripped dish towel; kale leaves are behind the soup bowl next to a stack of white bowls.

The world has gone kale crazy. Have you seen all the different recipes for Kale Chips and Kale Juices? Ha ha! I’ve even seen Kale Chocolate Chip Cookies. Yes, really. Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer my kale in hearty savory dishes. This Kale and Kielbasa Soup is totally one of those.

Kale is a pretty simple ingredient to work with. You can buy it as whole leaves or pre-chopped in plastic salad bags. If you get the whole leaves, you’ll need to remove and throw out the hard thick stem. Just tear or cut the soft leafy parts off of the stem and then chop them up. You’re good to go.

It’s easier though to get the bagged kale. It’s pre-washed and pre-chopped, cutting way down on your prep time. A quick prep time is what it’s all about when making quick soups like this. It’ll be ready in under 15 minutes. Dinner is served!

Print
Kale and Keilbassa Soup

Kale and Kielbasa Soup

Contributor: Christine Pittman

Who’s addicted to kale? Feed your addiction with this chunky Kale and Kielbasa soup, perfect with a cozy blanket and a night of reruns.

  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 5 servings (10 cups) 1x
  • Category: Entrée
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 cups low or no-sodium chicken broth
  • 8 cups chopped kale
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. coarse black pepper
  • 7 oz turkey kielbasa
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 (28 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
  • 2 (16 oz.) cans chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)

Instructions

  1. Put a large pot or Dutch oven over medium- high heat and add the olive oil.
  2. Measure the broth into a microwave-safe bowl and put it in the microwave for 4 minutes.
  3. Put the kale into the pot with the olive oil along with the salt and pepper. Stir and cover.
  4. Chop the kielbasa into ½ inch pieces. Add it to the kale. Stir and cover. Stir occasionally. If the kielbasa starts to darken, reduce the heat to low.
  5. Mince the garlic. Add it and the chili powder to the kale. Stir. Add the hot broth from the microwave. Stir. Cover and cook on high until simmering.
  6. Open the diced tomatoes and add them to the pot. Open the chickpeas. Strain them and add them to the pot. Bring it up to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until the kale is more tender, 4-5 more minutes.

Published September 2015, revised January 2016.

as seen on

Christine Pittman

Christine is the founder of TheCookful and also of her blog COOKtheSTORY. Her passion is explaining the WHY behind cooking – Why should you cook things a certain way; Will they turn out if you do it differently; What are the pros and cons of the method? Learn more about Christine, her cookbooks, and her podcast.

About

Cookbooks

Podcast

Cook With Us!