When my children were little, I loved exposing them to other cultures through food. We took trips all around the globe right at home in our kitchen. This recipe for African-style stew can take your family on a flavorful culinary journey, too. The spicy, sweet and savory stew is my version of one I sampled at the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World.

The stew has exotic flavor but uses ingredients found at any supermarket. A common characteristic of most African stews is peanuts, and they show up here in the form of creamy peanut butter.

You can make this a vegetarian stew by using vegetable broth, or your can make a heartier version with chicken by using chicken broth and adding shredded chicken when the stew is almost done. A squeeze of fresh lime and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro over each serving brightens the flavor of the stew.

AFRICAN-STYLE STEW

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons garam masala or curry powder

1 14.5-ounce can vegetable or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 medium or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 16-ounce can light coconut milk

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast meat, optional

1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and saute until vegetables are wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and garam masala or curry powder and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Place the peanut butter in a small mixing bowl. Ladle a little of the stew cooking liquid into the peanut butter and stir until smooth. Add the peanut butter and the shredded chicken, if using, to the stew and simmer until hot. Ladle into bowls and squeeze a little lime juice over the top of each serving and sprinkle with some of the cilantro.

Makes 6 servings.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Refried bean pie is a hearty meatless entree that takes just five minutes to put together.