Thing 1: I've embraced Mark Bittman's credo of 'vegetables first' when planning meals.

Thing 2: I love beef stew.

My regular beef stew recipe is completely screw-up proof, yet despite the carrots, onion, and potatoes in the mix, the recipe is decidedly beef heavy - 3lbs per pot. So today I set myself the task of increasing the amount of vegetables, reducing the amount of beef, and yet preserving the taste of the original. I experimented, and found I liked this version even more than the original - the butternut squash and sweet potato add a very light sweetness to the dish. Delicious!

ingredients

5 small red potatoes (new potato size)
3 carrots
1 large parsnip
1 sweet potato
1 small butternut squash
1 onion
3 cloves garlic, smashed (and cut into chunks, if large)
1lb beef (I bought stewing beef, ready cut, as it was on sale)
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups water
salt and pepper
bay leaves

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Adapted from [this recipe] at the New York Times.

ingredients

1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 14oz can chopped tomatoes
2 14oz cans pinto beans, rinsed
1 lb winter squash (I used butternut), peeled and diced into 3/4 inch chunks
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
olive oil
1 tbsp sweet paprika
salt
pepper

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I had this at a friend's house the other evening, and it was so delicious! Thought I'd share the recipe that she just forwarded:

ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices
1/2 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (14-1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped (or cut with scissors)
1/8 tsp cayenne

1/3 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 c. finely chopped parsley

method

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat an ovenproof Dutch oven. Sauté onions with coriander until golden and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add the squash, carrot, fennel, chickpeas, tomatoes, broth, prunes, and cayenne; bring to a boil.

Cover the Dutch oven and bake until the vegetables are tender and the flavors are blended, about one hour.

Stir in the walnuts and parsley

comments

If you are somewhat . . . constitutionally delicate, I'd recommend replacing the prunes with raisins.

Conversion charts for weights, measures, and oven temperatures can be found [here].

Snagged this off Prevention. Most yummy. I'll see how it reheats for lunch tomorrow.

( White Bean, Spinach, and Barley StewCollapse )

Chickpeas and Spinach Stew
Serves 4

I snagged this recipe off The Green Guide. Since I didn't have zaatar (a Middle Eastern spice mixture of sumac, thyme, hyssop and sesame seeds), I fudged using the recipe at the bottom of the page. The guide folks say you can also order it at www.kalustyans.com, or use dried thyme, oregano or cumin, instead.

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As the title says - OMG this is the best chili ever. And that's not the name of the original recipe, but rather what I said after tasting it. I just made this for dinner, and cataloged the whole thing - I'll put photos behind the cut.

OMG This Is The Best Chili Ever (adapted from Whole Foods' [Spicy Vegetarian Chili])

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp basil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar (or more to taste)
1 28 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes
4 cups water
2 cans black beans (drained)
1 can red kidney beans (drained)
1 bag frozen corn

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and garlic, and cook until softened but not browned, about 12-15 minutes. Add the spices and sugar and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes and water. Simmer for 45 minutes. Add the beans, simmer for 20 minutes. Add the frozen corn, simmer for 10-15 minutes. Done!

You could also consider adding a little cinnamon - I've found it really rounds out the flavor.

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I love this dish - it's one of my staples. It makes a metric ton of food, but freezes beautifully, smells delicious, and uses such a variety of vegetables that I feel decadent when I eat it, even though it's not expensive to make. Both randomeliza and scooterlaru have eaten this at my house, and can testify to its deliciousness. Yay food!

Measures are American. Refer back to [this post] for conversions to the weights and temperatures used in other countries.

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