A great idea for this time of year is a healthful, warming stew, chock full of nutritious and delicious vegetables.
What I love about cooking is that it is an art, not a science! Setting out to bake requires measuring carefully unless you want to court disaster, but cooking is very forgiving. Throw pretty much anything into good olive oil and it will be delicious. You can’t really make a fatal error with stew, unless you burn it, of course, so set a timer if you step away from the stove! You can also just chuck everything into a crock pot and leave behind any worries about wrecking it altogether!
Start with a large pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil (but don’t let it smoke) and add chopped onion. After a couple of minutes, add celery and garlic and maybe a few sliced cremini mushrooms. Cook until the onions and garlic are translucent and slightly browned around the edges.
Add some sliced carrots, sweet potato or rutabaga and some chunks of potato.
Pour in a large can of tomatoes and a large can of water.
Bring to a bubble, cover and simmer about 20 minutes.
Once the potatoes are cooked, add any or all of the following: chopped parsley and/or dill, frozen peas, frozen corn, chopped kale or spinach, and a drained and rinsed can or two of beans. I like white kidney or cannellini beans in stew, but lentils are nice and meaty also. Last time I made this stew, I used a combination of garbanzo beans and romano beans, since that was what I had on hand, and it was delicious!
When you are almost ready to eat, add some fresh ground pepper and a couple of teaspoons of organic tamari soy sauce. I prefer to use tamari instead of salt since it adds a savory element in addition to the saltiness.
Organic is always best if you can manage to find/afford it as it tastes better and has more nutritional value plus less of the bad stuff like pesticides and genetically modified growing methods.
For those who prefer ingredients and amounts spelled out, here is the recipe:
WINTER STEW
2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
10 cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
4 carrots, chopped in chunks on an angle
4 potatoes, in 1 1/2″ chunks
1 bunch kale, with bottom stem removed, chopped
1/2 c. frozen organic peas
1/2 c. frozen organic corn
1/2 c. frozen organic edamame (soybeans)
1 large (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 quart (4 cups) water
2 cans beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c. wine
1 1/2 tsp. tamari soy sauce or salt
fresh ground pepper
1. Heat the oil over medium heat in large pot. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add mushrooms, chopped celery and garlic – stir and cook a few more minutes. If you like spice, add a 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes.
2. Stir in carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and water. Bring to a bubble, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
3. Add chopped kale and frozen peas, corn and edamame. Okra would be a nice substitute for the edamame if you can’t find these frozen soybeans. Continue to cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add beans, wine, tamari (or salt) and parsley. Simmer another 10 minutes or so.
Savour your stew! Bon Apetit!
Stew is even better the second day, so this recipe makes enough to feed four people for a couple of meals!
Comments 1
Sounds Good