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Fast & Easy Dinner: Baked Potatoes With Spicy Vegetable Stew

partysugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:45:29 -0700

Baked potatoes are totally underrated, and for some reason they've got a bad rap. It's time we gave the stuffed potato some love. Instead of topping them with cheese and sour cream, these baked potatoes are filled with a spicy vegetable stew making them an entire delicious meal. The stew consists of black beans, carrots, zucchini, and squash, but feel free to stir in your favorite vegetables, or use the stew to top baked sweet potatoes.

To bring the baked potato back into your life, read more.

Baked Potatoes With Spicy Vegetable Stew
From Vegetarian Times

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
14-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
19-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced yellow squash
1 cup diced zucchini
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup diced carrot
4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed (about 2 1/2 lbs.)
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce potatoes with tines of fork and bake until tender, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes.
Stir in chili powder and cumin. Add tomatoes, broth and beans. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
Add yellow squash and zucchini. Cover and simmer until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
To serve, split baked potatoes and mash their pulp slightly. Spoon vegetable stew into center.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Spring Lamb and Vegetable Stew

partysugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 06:50:34 -0700

According to the food dictionary on Epicurious, stew is a "method of cooking by which food is barely covered with liquid and simmered slowly for a long period of time." However, this recipe proves that a rich flavorful stew can come together in under 30 minutes.

The key is to use a tender cut of meat like perfectly in-season Spring lamb. White wine, canned tomatoes, and store-bought chicken broth combine to make the simple sauce. To experiment with this quick-cooking stew, read more.

Spring Lamb and Vegetable Stew
From Real Simple

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds lamb steaks (top round or shoulder), bones removed and meat cut into 2-inch pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
4 carrots, cut into 3-inch sticks
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
4 ounces green beans, cut into small pieces (about 1 cup)
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until medium-rare, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate.
Add the carrots, onion, and the remaining oil to the pot. Cook until beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and scrape up any brown bits.
Add the broth, tomatoes, and beans. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the lamb, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Hurry-Up Beef-Vegetable Stew

partysugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:58:31 -0800

Beef stew is not your average quick cooking meal. Most recipes take a couple hours, or even an entire day to fully develop a robust stew flavor. However, I've found a recipe for a super simple beef stew that comes together in under an hour. Red wine, thyme, mushroom and tomato soups, give this stew a slow cooked feeling. All you have to do is throw everything into a pot and wait for it to boil, making it the perfect end of the week meal. To get the recipe please read more

Hurry-Up Beef-Vegetable Stew
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine

2 cups water
1 10.75-oz. can condensed golden-mushroom soup
1 10.75-oz. can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup dry red wine or beef broth
2 cups chopped cooked roast beef
1 16-oz. package frozen sugar-snap stir-fry vegetables or one 16-oz. package frozen cut broccoli
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

In a 4-qt. Dutch oven combine water, mushroom soup, tomato soup, and wine. Stir in beef, frozen vegetables, and thyme.
Cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring frequently. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender, stirring occasionally.

Serves 5.

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Harissa Adds Pizzazz to a North African Vegetable Tagine

YumSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:00:44 -0700

A while back, I showed you how to make your own version of harissa, a North African chili paste, from scratch. Although it tastes great in everything from couscous to pasta to grilled meats, I'd just come back from three days of all-out feasting and was craving nutritious, vegetable-forward meal. In this riff on a North African tagine, a little bit of spicy, smoky chili paste goes a long way. Make the best of harissa when you read more.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine With Harissa Yogurt Sauce
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup (8 ounces) Greek-style yogurt (like Fage or Oikos)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon harissa sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse kosher salt

Vegetable Tagine:
Coarse kosher salt
1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces
1 3/4-pound turnip, peeled, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound spring onions or green onions, coarsely chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, rinsed
1 5-ounce bag baby spinach
1 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Make the yogurt sauce: Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Cover and chill; can be made 2 days ahead.
Make the vegetable tagine: Bring 8 cups water to boil in heavy large saucepan. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Add carrots; cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Using skimmer or large slotted spoon, transfer carrots to large bowl of ice water. Return water to boil. Add turnip; cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Using skimmer, transfer turnip to bowl with carrots. Reserve cooking liquid.
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add next 7 ingredients. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Cook until onions are soft, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add wine; simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour. Add carrots, turnip, beans, spinach, and 2 cups reserved cooking liquid (save the rest of the vegetable stock for another use). Bring to simmer; cook until vegetables are heated through, adding more cooking liquid for desired consistency. Season stew to taste with coarse salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Divide stew among bowls. Spoon dollop of yogurt sauce over and serve.

Serves 6.

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Can You Identify Root Vegetables?

YumSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:50:51 -0700

The weather's becoming more moderate, which means root vegetables are turning up in markets everywhere. Root vegetables are typically firm to the touch, making them perfect candidates for soups, stews, and long braises. But there are so many tubers that, at times, it can be hard to set them all straight. Can you ID your root vegetables? Our quiz is the only way to find out!

Take the quiz

How to Clean Leeks

partysugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:00:45 -0700

With their mild onion flavor and thick white stalk, leeks are one of my favorite vegetables. They're excellent in cold weather preparations like soups, stews, and braises. When cooking with leeks, it's important to take the time to properly clean them. Because of the way they grow, leeks are one the dirtiest of vegetables, with mud and dirt getting trapped between the layers. Here's how I like to clean mine:

Most recipes call for the white and light green parts only. Start by slicing the dark green part off. Slice off the bottom end.
Cut the leek in half lengthwise and dice according to the specifications in your recipe.
Fill a large bowl with cold water. Toss the chopped leeks in the water and swirl with your hands.
Let stand in the water for several minutes. Swirl with your hands again to ensure all the dirt is removed.
Drain in a colander and dry with a paper towel.

Do you cook with leeks? How do you prepare them?

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Sunday Slow Cooker: Vegetable Stew With Dumplings

YumSugar — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 06:00:33 -0700

Hand me any soup with dumplings, and I'll devour it; I simply love them that much. Not quite bread, not quite noodle, dumplings are the perfect chewy bite of comfort - especially when served with a myriad of different vegetables.

Aside from the slow cooker doing all the work, and the delectable dumpling aspect, the beauty of this dish is its versatility: substitute zucchini for green beans, or fresh, in-season morels for cremini mushrooms. To make a variation that you love in your slow cooker, read more.

Vegetable Stew With Cornmeal Dumplings
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

3 cups peeled butternut or acorn squash cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 14-1/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 9-ounce package frozen Italian green beans or frozen cut green beans
Paprika

Directions

In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine squash, mushrooms, undrained tomatoes, Great Northern beans, the water, garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
For dumplings: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, parsley, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, milk, and oil. Add to the flour mixture; stir with a fork just until combined.
If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir frozen green beans into stew. Drop the dumpling dough into six mounds on top of the stew. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook for 50 minutes more. (Do not lift lid while dumplings are cooking.)

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 288, Total Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 37mg, Sodium 442mg, Carbohydrate 45g, Fiber 7g, Protein 12g,

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Today's Special: Lemony Lentil–Spinach Stew

partysugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 07:59:59 -0700

I used to believe that a stew had to bubble on the stove all day and be full of tender, falling apart meat chunks. After I ate at the Moroccan restaurant Aziza, here in San Francisco, I realized that a stew can be made in under 40 minutes and be absolutely delicious without the meat. In our attempt to cover more vegetarian and vegan recipes here on YumSugar, I thought a hearty warm vegetable stew would be a perfect addition to the collection. Perhaps there are more people out there like myself whose definition of stew is narrowly limited to only include meat. WIthout the meat, a stew can cook much quicker. Worried that an all vegetable dish won't satisfy your hunger? Think again because this stew is so full of scrumptious vegetables that it's a knockout one pot dinner. And if you're with a man who must have his meat, throw pieces of chorizo into the pot with the potatoes. Get the recipe and read more

Lemony Lentil–Spinach Stew
From Vegetarian Times magazine

2 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
3 medium red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1/2 lb.)
6 oz. baby spinach leaves
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds.
Add broth and lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add potatoes, and cook 15 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
Add spinach, lemon juice, lemon zest and cayenne pepper.
Cover, and simmer 2 minutes, or until spinach wilts. Stir in mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

PER SERVING: 276 CAL; 18 G PROT; 3 G TOTAL FAT ; 46 G CARB.; 456 MG SOD.; 20 G FIBER; 6 G SUGARS

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Sunday Slow Cooker: Polenta With Beef Ragout

YumSugar — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 06:00:02 -0800

I like to think of this meal of warm, creamy polenta with ground beef and vegetables as comfort food on its best behavior. The soothing texture of polenta is everything your body craves in Winter, but, unlike so many other carbo-licious foods, the ground beef and stewed vegetables are actually wholesome and nutritious. When I make it for dinner tonight, I'll be stirring in some sun-dried tomatoes and my favorite Italian pesto. To add this recipe to your slow cooker collection, read more.

Polenta With Beef Ragout
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 14-1/2-ounce can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
1 large red sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 16-ounce tube refrigerated cooked polenta
6 tablespoons purchased pesto or olive tapenade
Fresh basil sprigs (optional)

Directions

In a large skillet, cook ground beef until brown. Drain off fat. Transfer meat to a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in undrained tomatoes, carrots, onions, sweet pepper, broth, salt, black pepper, and garlic.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours.
If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in zucchini. Cover and cook about 30 minutes more or until zucchini is crisp-tender.
Meanwhile, prepare polenta according to package directions. Serve meat mixture over polenta. Top individual servings with pesto. If desired, garnish with basil. Makes 6 servings.

Serves 6.

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Butter-Braised Radishes: An Unexpected Surprise

YumSugar — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Lately I've been drawn to preparing everyday vegetables in unexpected ways: Last week, I wrote about turnips and the spicy quality they take on when served raw in a salad. Likewise, when I saw a recipe for braised radishes, I couldn't wait to try it. Unlike turnips, which are often found simmering in stews, radishes are typically served raw in salads or as crudités. However, the fuschia-hued root vegetable is delicious when cooked. After braising these radishes, they tasted and looked liked red-skinned potatoes, with a blush-colored skin, a soft, waxy texture, and a mellow flavor.

Radishes, when sautéed with a little butter and quick-braised, are as comforting to eat as potatoes, but they require a fraction of the labor and have none of the heaviness of a serious starch. To get the recipe for this surprisingly stunning dish, read more.

Butter-Braised Radishes
Adapted from the Chicago Tribune

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 green onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice, white and light green parts only
2 bunches radishes, greens removed, trimmed, halved or quartered, depending on size
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water

Directions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook until it just begins to brown, 3-4 minutes.
Add the onion; lower heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 3 minutes.
Add the radishes, salt, sugar and pepper to taste; stir in the water.
Raise heat to high; heat just to a boil. Cover; lower heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes.
Uncover; raise heat to high. Heat to a boil; cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes.

Serves 4.

Nutrition information per serving: 76 calories, 71% of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 118 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

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