Another Lenten recipe to try: Malakwang in Peanut Sauce

This recipe comes from page 35 of the Food for Life cookbook. It is a recipe from Northern Uganda, and it is often eaten in times of food shortages. If you try this recipe, take a moment to learn about the conflict in Northern Uganda and how Lutherans are accompanying families displaced by violence and those beginning to return home.

When you sit down to eat, pray this Ugandan table blessing: Bless you, O Lord, as we sit together. Bless the food we eat this day. Bless the hands that made the food. Bless us o Lord. Amen.

Malakwang in Peanut Sauce

(you may want to try cutting the recipe in half)

1-2 lb sweet potatoes
1-2 lb leafy greens (try kale, collard greens, spinach, or chard)
1 tomato, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups cold water
1 1/2 cups natural peanut butter (no sugar or oil added)
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Peel and cook the sweet potatoes (steam, bake, or boil) until they are soft.

Meanwhile, remove any tough stems from the greens, chop the leaves coarsely, wash the leaves, and throw them into a large pot while still wet. Cover the pot and turn on the heat. Cook until the leaves are wilted, stirring occasionally. (If you use frozen greens, cook them until thawed.) Add the cold water, tomato, and onion and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir some of the hot vegetable cooking water into the peanut butter and then add the resulting peanut butter sauce in with the vegetables. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.

Serve with the cooked sweet potatoes.