Sweet potato lentil stew

This stew turned beyond delightful, hearty and mellow.

In the crock pot mix:

• one of those huge cans of Bruce's Yams, 2/3 of the liquid poured off

• one cup dry uncooked lentils 

• one cup water

• 4 cups beef broth

• 1.5 cups cooked black beans

• 1.5 cups garbanzo beans

• about 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• about 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• about 1.5 tablespoons cumin

• about 1 tablespoon chili powder

• about 1 tablespoon ras el hanout 

Cook about 4-6 hours on high 

Somali style stew with chicken on the side

I wanted a Somali style stew and thought I could toss something in the crock pot to cook for the day. And I thought I'd use chicken thighs, even though they aren't common in Somali cuisine.

But all I had were drumsticks.

For the stew (toss in crockpot):

- one cup white/great northern beans (no salt)

- one can garbanzo beans, rinsed

- about 1.5 cups frozen butternut squash

- about 2/3 cup frozen zucchini

- one cup homemade chicken stock (no salt)

- one cup water

- paprika

- garlic powder

- black pepper

- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped chives

- 3 whole cloves

- cumin

- a pinch cinnamon

I think.

Now the drumsticks:

I marinated six drumsticks in spiced apple cider, smearing them with a small amount of orange marmalade and sprinkling them with a 1/2 teaspoon or so (each) of brown sugar. Left them in the fridge all afternoon.

Cooked them for 20 minutes at 350, basted thoroughly with the juice from the pan and then increased temp to 425 for an additional 45 minutes.

Almost vegan, a little African

Today's dinner was completely an inspired blur. Let's hope I can record it because I think it was really yummy.

It started with noticing a package of Saffron Road harissa simmer sauce in the cupboard, with a can of chick peas right above it.

Stew!

Into the big old Le Creuset pot went:

• one package Saffron Road Harrissa Simmer Sauce

• a more or less equal amount water

• about 3/4 cup homemade chicken stock (if I hadn't added this, the stew would have been vegan; I added it to keep the stew from getting too spicy)

• about one cup great northern white beans. I make them from dry beans, unsalted, and freeze them in individual portions

• one can garbanzo beans, rinsed

Now the vegetables... 1/2 to 1 cup each, based on personal preferences:

• three color peppers

• baby carrots

• zucchini

• butternut squash

• peas

• Brussel sprouts (which I chopped)

And meanwhile, I started couscous in the steamer. I started with a normal portion of 2/3 cup couscous to 1 cup water but I had this odd 1/4 cup or so of uncooked couscous left so I tossed that in, too. I added a generous amount if ras el hanout and a drizzle of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.

I was concerned about protein. I wanted to keep the low proportion of animal products therefore I made Morningstar veggie patties. 

Which ended up in the stew.

And I can't believe how delicious it was.

Vegan Super Stew

Daughter has a cold. So I made this vegan vegetable stew.

The broth was saffron road vegetable broth with extra water added. I spiced it with paprika, parsley, pepper, garlic powder and lemon-dill.

I sautéed kale, radishes, butternut squash, three colors of peppers, and zucchini before adding them to the broth.

Other items included carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, garbanzo beans, and white northern beans.

Harissa chick pea stew and rice

I had to make a whole chicken last week and chicken bone stock to make room in my freezer. 

To use up some of the new chicken stock so it would fit in the freezer I made rice with chicken stock and parsley mixed 50/50 with the water.

To use up the chicken and this pile of tomatoes someone gave us from their garden, I made this stew:

- 2 cups homemade chicken stock (to use up my old stock)

- 1 cup diced chicken

- about 30 ounces chick peas

- about 4 cups diced tomato

- 1/2 cup zesty sprouts

- 1 package saffron road harissa simmer sauce

- about 2 cups vegetables (in my case broccoli, carrot and cauliflower)

- 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

- 1 tablespoon ground cumin

- water

In the crockpot on high.

Maraq (Somali style chicken stew)

I wanted something African last night and around here, the options are rather limited. We do have an Ethiopian restaurant in Allentown and my request to visit it for dinner baffled my husband.

We were too hungry after a long day. It was farther than he really wanted to go. I don't really like Ethiopian food.

He's right. I'm not fond of Ethiopian food. I don't dislike it, but it doesn't interest me like other cuisines. I realized this while dining on Ethiopian in Djibouti and grappling with what to do since my right hand was broken leaving me no choice but to eat with my left.

In Yemen, they gave me a plastic spoon. I have never been so happy to see a plastic spoon.

Today, I am hoping to avoid yesterday's drama (and there was plenty. The ten-year-old stomped off to her room and refused to come down. I was screaming. Husband was trying to make dinner and used my secret stash of spicy vegetarian "buffalo wings" that I got on clearance at Target.).

I researched Somali stews on the internet and found something for chicken... Because A. I don't have a goat and B. Chicken thighs work well in the crock pot.

I decided on Maraq. My variation of course. Because I never have the required ingredients. Yet, that never stops me. 

This is what I threw into the crockpot at 8 a.m. I started it on high but may adjust it later. I also hope to stop at the store and buy green pepper. Because the recipe asked for that and I think it will be needed.

In the crockpot:

- 1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock, on the bottom of the crock, plus an additional 1/2 cup on top of the chicken before putting the lid on. I freeze my chicken stock in 1/2 cup discs (Noosa yogurt containers) and drop them into the crock pot like that.

- garlic. I didn't have fresh cloves so I sprinkled in hearty amounts of garlic powder and added a touch of garlic pepper. I also sprinkled garlic pepper on the chicken before adding the lid to the crock pot.

- cumin. Recipe called for two tablespoons. I apparently only have one. Just found cumin. Bought some at Indian grocer. Perhaps more than a tablespoon added. For a total of about 2.5 tablespoons.

- tomato purée. The recipe called for some high amount of tomato paste and 2 fresh tomatoes. I thought I had tomato paste. I don't. I had a 28 ounce can of tomato purée. Which since the original recipe was stove top and mine is crock pot, I hope the additional liquid will burn off. When I opened the can, I was shocked to see *how much* 28 ounces of tomato purée is. A lot. I did not add tomatoes. My family is not overly find of them, so I may or may not add them later in the day.

- spices: pepper, paprika, lots of parsley and a pinch of chili powder. Recipe asked for cilantro. Don't have any. May add coriander. Yes, need to do that. Nope. Don't have that. Thought I did. 

- squash. Recipe called for butternut but I had this hacking huge yellow squash from the farmer's market.

- baby carrots. About a pound. Husband chopped them. I wouldn't have. The squash depleted my desire to chop.

- I stirred all this and plopped a frozen pile of about 2 pounds chicken thighs (skinless) on top. I seasoned with garlic pepper (as mentioned above) and placed a disc of chicken stock on top (also as mentioned earlier).

- After talking to my husband, we have decided to add a can of chick peas (in part because I had this incredible tomato based chick pea stew at Camp Mosey Wood this summer and this looks similar). So chick peas. Two 15.5 ounce cans. Drained.

Verdict: this was incredibly delightful

Beef stew

Today we're making some beef stew. I pulled some beef cubes from the freezer and coated them with garlic pepper, barbeque rub, parsley and Italian seasoning. I poured the a few dollops of oil and some strawberry basil vinegar into the bottom of my cast iron skillet.

I seared the meat on high heat and then added some tomato and store bought beef broth. I transferred it to the crock pot, added more broth, and dumped in about 3/4 pound of baby carrots.

After a few hours, my husband will probably lower the heat and add peas.

I don't have red wine to really do it right.

Venison Stew

I started a stew this morning and quickly discovered I had none of the ingredients.

I chopped my venison cubes into bite-sized chunks and cooked them over medium-high heat in the Le Creuset skillet with some canola oil, fresh ground pepper, and country herb blend.

When that finished, I added about a half cup of balsamic vinaigrette. Then, in my Le Creuset cassoulet, I placed a can of condensed beef vegetable soup, about four cans water and another half cup of vinegar in my Le Creuset cassoulet.

I added the meat and its juice into the cassoulet and let it come to a boil and then reduced it to a simmer. I also threw in two carrots, nicely chopped.

It turned out to be one of my best stews.

Boeuf Bourgogne

For lunch today, we had PB&J on store-bought wheat. Something about PB&J requires store-bought bread. My friend Gayle says it requires Wonderbread. I think not. Today marked the first time my husband went to the grocery store in January. $30 for items like creamer, tomato sauce, bread, noodles, cooking wine, salad greens, apples, potatoes... I'm not sure what else. Hopefully parsley as I need that for my stew.

The potatoes were buy one get one free so my husband bought two, and sliced one bag into circles and fries to freeze in small portions so we can make our own French fries later. He must have been chopping potatoes for an hour!

Lunch featured a make-your-own PB&J bar. We had blueberry Trappist and organic red raspberry jellies, and apparently my daughter insisted on celery at the store. So she had PB & celery. Celery and onions are the two foods I detest. I even tossed in some Cool Ranch Doritoes. With a nice healthy stew for dinner, we can afford some decadence.

And dinner... Boeuf Bourgogne...
This recipe comes from the Internet, and I did not attribute its source. It was something to do with a particular wine, not a generic recipe site or a chef's site. It claims a pinot is the key to any beef burgundy... My French cookbooks have recipes for this dish, but they are more complex.

As copied from the 'Net:
Boeuf Bourgogne
3 to 4 pounds chuck roast is 2-inch cubes
1 bottle petite sirah (the wine folks developed the recipe remember)
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup flour
2 ribs celery (small dice)
2 medium red onions (one small dice, one chunked)
5 medium carrots (one fine dice, others 2-inch chunks)
2 lbs whole button mushrooms
6 cups beef stock
bouquet garni
salt & pepper

Their directions:
1. In a medium sauce pan, reduce beef stock by 50 percent. Reserve.
2. Add beef cubes to a large bowl. Salt and pepper generously. Dust with flour to coat.
3. Heat olive oil in stock pot or roaster with lid under medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of the beef and brown thoroughly (needs to be dark). Remove and do the same to remainder of beef. Remove beef.
4. Add diced celery, carrots and onion and two tablespoons flour. Cook stirring for five minutes.
5. Add wine, stock, bouquet, and put the beef back in. Reduce to simmer. Put lid partially on and simmer for three hours, stirring occasionally.
6. Add onion, carrots and mushrooms. Cook about 45 minutes, until these vegetables are tender and sauce thickens.

Like everything I cook I adapt this. I reduce the volume, for one. Today I used 1.2 pounds of stew beef from Wegmans. Normally I use beef cubes and then I cut them fairly small. I don't use beef stock, I use vegetable and add the drippings from cooking the beef. I used a handful of diced red onions today, instead of the amount the suggest. And I added them while I browned the beef. (I also threw about 3/4 cup browned hamburger into the vegetable stock while I reduced it. The hamburger was left over from the other day. I used 32 ounces of vegetable stock, which I cut with a cup of water. I used a small bottle of red cooking wine instead of sirah. One of these days, I hope to use real French wine, but I can't bring myself to cook with something I would rather drink. I do not use a bouquet garni, but a handful of fresh parsley. And instead of the celery and mushrooms, I use the more American cubes of potatoes. My family likes it, even if it isn't quite as French by the time I get done. So now it's stewing...