Navajo Stew

2 medium sweet potatoes

2 red or green bell peppers

1 large onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 15-ounce can of tomatoes

1 tablespoon canned chipotles in adobo sauce

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1 15-ounce can of butter beans or black beans, drained (I didn’t actually drain ‘em to give

the stew a little more liquid; you can also make your own from dried)

flatbread (tortillas, lavash, pita, whatever…)

plain yogurt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel the onion and cut it, stem to root end, into thin wedges. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the garlic, oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender but not mushy. While the vegetables roast, puree the tomatoes, chipotles, and cilantro in a blender until smooth. Set aside. When the vegetables are tender, put them into a 2 to 3-quart baking dish, stir in the tomato-cilantro sauce and the beans, and return to the oven until hot, about 10 minutes. A few minutes before serving, warm the bread in the oven. Serve the stew in bowls stopped with yogurt or sour cream, with warm flatbread on the side.