Spiced Braised Beef With Sweet Potatoes Recipes

BRAISED CHIPOTLE SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Arrange an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Heat a large braiser or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the olive oil, carrots and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots soften and the onions start to become translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt and toss together so that everything is coated with the oil and seeds. Cook until the sweet potatoes start to soften slightly on the edges, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the kale and 1 teaspoon salt and let wilt slightly, another 2 minutes. While the kale is cooking, stir the orange juice, tomato paste, brown sugar and chipotle into the vegetable broth. Add the adobo sauce, if using. Pour the mixture into the pot. Stir and toss all the vegetables with the broth mixture and bring the mixture to a boil. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if desired.
• Cover with a lid and bake 30 minutes. Remove the lid, stir and bake, uncovered, until the potatoes are very tender and saucy, about 30 minutes more. Serve on a bed of brown rice if desired, topped with radish and cilantro.

SPICED BRAISED BEEF WITH SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the beef, potatoes, tomatoes (and their juices), onion, apricots, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender, on high for 4 to 5 hours, or on low for 7 to 8 hours. Ten minutes before serving, prepare the couscous according to the package directions. Add the chickpeas to the slow cooker and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach. Serve with the couscous and sprinkle with the almonds. To freeze: Omit the couscous and spinach. Cool the beef to room temperature and divide among freezer containers or bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat: Thaw in a bowl of cold water or overnight in the refrigerator. Cook in a pot, covered, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the spinach. Serve with the cooked couscous.

SPICY BRAISED SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy lidded skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the paprika, cayenne and tomato paste, and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste turns a rusty color, about one minute.
• Add the sweet potatoes, and stir for about a minute until coated with the onion and spice mixture. Add the white wine, enough water to cover the sweet potatoes halfway (1 1/2 to 2 cups), and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce thick. Taste and adjust salt. If the sauce is still watery once the sweet potatoes are thoroughly cooked, do not adjust salt right away. Carefully remove the sweet potatoes to a platter using tongs. Turn up the heat, and reduce the sauce until thick. Adjust salt, and pour the sauce over the sweet potatoes. Remove from the heat, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.