Sweet Potato and Tofu Thai Curry

Some of the recent CSA ingredients I have received include sweet potatoes, collard greens, Swiss chard, and butternut squash. So don’t be surprised when these foods are the stars of the next few recipes I post! The first one up is a curry that I made using sweet potatoes and collard greens. I found a Cooking Light recipe from 1999 that sounded good and I tweaked it to use what I had on hand. The original recipe called for leeks, butternut squash, serrano chiles, and a couple of other items I didn’t have stocked in my kitchen. Here’s my version:

Sweet Potato and Tofu Thai Curry
Serves 5
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1-2 teaspoons chili paste
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
• 1/2 bunch collard greens, rinsed and cut crosswise into strips
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
• 1 package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 5 cups cooked long-grain brown rice
• 1/4 cup finely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
2. Stir in soy sauce, curry, ginger, chili paste, and sugar. Add water, sweet potatoes, collard greens, salt, and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and sauté 12 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally.
4. Add tofu and lime juice to sweet potato mixture and continue to simmer until curry is to preferred consistency.
5. Serve curry over rice and sprinkle evenly with peanuts and cilantro.

Nutrition Note: Collard greens are one of the cruciferous vegetables, which provide cancer-fighting benefits. They are also an excellent source of vitamin K, which has anti-inflammatory benefits and helps promote strong bones.