Reggae (Pork) Gumbo

Another one from the Looneyspoons Collection.  This one is subtitled, "Spicy Pork tenderloin gumbo with tomatoes, mushrooms and sweet potatoes". I made a couple of variations of this one for the swap: one without pork (and extra mushrooms) for the vegetarians and one with less mushrooms for the family that doesn't prefer fungi! The rest I did follow to recipe with the exception that I used a pork loin roast as it was on sale.

1 tsp olive oil
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups diced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onions
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can (28 oz) no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (5.5 oz) tomatoe paste
1 tsp each ground cumin and grated gingeroot
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp each salt, ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
1 cup sliced okra or zucchini
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add prok cubes and cook until lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Add mushrooms, onions, garlic and celery.  Cook and stir until vegetables are tender, about five minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and their liquid, tomato paste, cumin , gingeroot, oregano, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in sweet potatoes and okra.  Cover and simmer another 30-35 minutes, until pork and potatoes are very tender.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.  Serve hot.