In the years since I published Just In Time For Thursday, a fall/holiday/anytime vegetarian^ main course inspired by a Sweet Tomatoes pasta dish, it’s evolved quite a bit. Pasta is out (though you could still add it), chick peas are in, and whole spices are added at the start of the sauté, Indian-style.
^ Vegan, with the cheese garnish omitted
My normal batch is a double, in a giant 14″ skillet – 8-10 servings – but I’ve put measurements for normal humans below.
I love barleywine or any brown ale with strong hop characteristics and a good ABV kick as a pairing. The dish is quite sweet for a main; many regular browns don’t provide enough contrast. Stouts and porters can also work well, again if they’re not overly malty.
Recipe:
In a large skillet or shallow pan, sauté in olive oil over medium heat until browned:
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 4-6 clove garlic, peeled, smashed, and diced
- Crushed red pepper to taste (1-2 tsp?)
- Salt to taste
Add and sauté until just cooked through:
- 1-2 sweet potatoes, diced
Add and sauté until liquid is mostly absorbed/evaporated and apples are slightly softened:
- 2 cans chick peas, drained (or about 1 1/2 C dry chick peas, cooked ahead of time however you like)
- 1-2 Granny Smith apples, diced
- Optional: 1/2 bag spinach, roughly chopped
- 6 oz. or so raisins (or other dried fruit)
- Apple cider vinegar to taste (1-2 tsp?)
- Liquid aminos to taste (1-2 tsp?)
- Maple syrup to taste (1 T?)
- Salt to taste
Serve garnished with:
- Roasted, salted almond pieces, chopped or crushed
- Optional: shredded cheddar cheese