Often for class I plan foods and flavors I suspect may be challenging for students. I think it’s important to have a mix of fun, easy-to-like recipes and some that may be unfamiliar. I base it on the type of curriculum I would want for my kids, if I signed them up for a class. I want students to enjoy cooking, experience a little growth, and encounter a little of the unexpected.

For this year’s Outstanding Orange course, we made Carrot Cake Muffins (easy win for most kids) and also this Orange Stew. It’s chunky and uses a Thai curry paste that may be some students may be unaccustomed to. I made sure to have plenty of bread and sour cream at the ready to make the table a little more commonplace, and then a student could choose to eat just bread or dip their bread in their soup. A strategy to use while working on expanding food preferences is to just get them eating. Then they are much more likely to try something else on their plate. When you have a full stop at the beginning of a meal, it can be tough to gather any momentum.

I brought all of my assumptions into class, and I was BLOWN AWAY at the positive response to this stew. Almost every student ate some, and several went back for seconds. It was a tribute to their parents exposing them to new foods. This soup is cozy and has warming spices, so I shouldn’t have been so surprised. The sweet potato is soft, sweet, and works well with the Thai curry paste. The picture is shown with shredded coconut as a topping, but I found it off putting and removed it from my recipe. Serve this stew with rice or bread on the side.

Happy cooking!

Orange Stew

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 yellow onion

3 garlic cloves

1 piece of fresh ginger (1 inch long)

1 jalapeno

2 limes

Fresh cilantro (for serving)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1-3 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup red lentils

4 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 can coconut milk (13 ounces)

Fresh cilantro (for serving)

Sour cream (for serving)

Instructions

1. Peel your sweet potatoes. Dice. 
2. Dice your onion. 
3. Peel and mince your garlic. 
4. Peel and grate your ginger on a microplane. 
5. Seed your jalapeno pepper (use food safe disposable gloves for this if you have them! So that your hands don’t stay spicy) and slice. Wash your hands well before touching your eyes. 
6. Juice your lime. 
7. Wash your cilantro and set aside. 
8. Add 2 Tablespoons oil to a large heavy bottomed pot, like a dutch oven. Heat on medium. 
9. Once oil is hot, add your diced sweet potatoes. Stir to coat in oil. Cook until slightly browned on all sides. Remove your sweet potatoes and set them aside on a clean plate. 
10. Add 1 more Tablespoon of oil to your large pot. Heat over medium-low. Add your onion. Cook until the onion softens and begins to look a little clear.  
11. Add your curry paste, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, and turmeric. Cook until it smells lovely (about a minute). 
12. Add your lentils, broth, salt, and sweet potatoes and stir.
13. Simmer your stew until potatoes and lentils are soft (about 10 minutes).
14. Add your coconut milk and stir. Simmer until lentils are falling apart (10 minutes)
15. Turn off your heat. Add your lime juice. Taste and add salt if needed.