Thai Sweet Potato Curry

I have been doing some research on this whole knee-ache thing and I discovered what the problem is. Guess what I have. Runner’s knee. Is that not the funniest thing you have ever heard? I am a runner and my knee hurts on occasion and so therefore I have RUNNER’S KNEE. Way to state the obvious. It has something to do with my quads not being strong enough or something like that and so I need to do some quad-strengthening exercises, which, unfortunately happen to be some of my least favorite exercises (wall sits, squats, etc.). I may also need to get some special sneakers and so I’m planning a trip to Marathon Sports in the near future. At least it’s something that’s not really health-threatening or permanently damaging, so that’s good news I suppose, it’s just annoying.

I have a four-day weekend this weekend (for some holiday that has something to do with Paul Revere – that’s New England for you) so I’ve been trying to enjoy the nice weather. On Friday my roommate and I went out for ice cream – Peanut Butter and Jelly flavored was the new one for the month, yesterday I went for a long walk to get my haircut, tomorrow is the Boston Marathon so I may go meet up with my cousin whose boyfriend is running in it and then my roommate and I are making a trip to Texas Roadhouse and BJ’s, and on Tuesday I am planning on going clothing shopping for the Bahamas (even though I hope to be wearing very minimal amounts of clothing during that whole trip :P). Really, it’s looking to be a very action-packed few days.

When I went home for spring break, I brought all my winter clothes back with me so that there would be more room in the car in June. This freed up a shelf in my closet which I am now using to display my cookbooks! (They were previously hidden away in a box.) I showed them to my roommate at which point she scoffed at the multitudes of vegan cookbooks that I own. “But Joanne, you eat meat!” she exclaimed. “Yes,” I replied, “but I like the way vegans. Plus a pound of beans is less expensive than a pound of chicken. By a long shot.” A few days later in an attempt to actually use some of these cookbooks, I set to making this sweet potato curry and asked her if she wanted a taste. She loved it. I pointed to The Tropical Vegan Kitchen, which is where it is from. It just goes to show you that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Literally.

Thai Sweet Potato Curry
Serves 2, adapted from The Tropical Vegan Kitchen

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp red curry paste
3/4 lb sweet potato
1 can lite coconut milk
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 oz peanuts, chopped
2 scallions
3/4 cup brown rice

1. Set up the rice to cook (i.e. boil and simmer).

2. Chop up all of the veggies – onion, garlic, and sweet potatoes.

3. In a medium skillet, heat the EVOO. Add the onion and cook until soft – 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 min. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes.

4. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook about 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft. Serve warm, over the rice, with scallions and peanuts.