sweet and spicy black bean stew

i got the idea for this dish from a recipe in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. his recipe, Brazilian Black Beans, calls for plantain instead of sweet potato, and for the beans to be baked in the sauce. i decided that i wanted more of a stew or soup and i liked the idea of a slightly sweet and spicy sauce, but not as sweet as the plantain would make it. at the end i added lime juice and nutmeg- the result is a delicious and easy stew with complex flavoring. this stew is also great with the addition of flavorful slow cooked chicken and it’s juiced added. you can serve it as a soup if it’s thinner, or with warm corn tortillas if it’s on the thicker side.

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
cayenne to taste, or minced fresh chili
1 Tbsp or more minced ginger
1.5 cups chopped ripe or canned tomato with juices
1 medium sweet potato
1 cup or more dry black beans ,soaked for 24 hours (or alternatively, use already cooked black beans, about 3 cups)
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
salt and pepper
fresh lime juice, to taste
grated nutmeg, to taste

cilantro for garnish

chop sweet potato into chunks and put into a pot and add just enough water to cover. parboil potatoes until tender enough to push a fork into. saute onion until soft, add cayenne or chili, thyme and ginger and sauté for another minute or two. add sweet potato and tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. cool enough to puree in blender or food processor. put sauce back in pot and add beans and cook until beans are tender, adding water as needed. when the beans are done, add lime juice and nutmeg to taste, adjusting salt as needed. garnish with cilantro.