Vegetable Stew

I hadn't made this recipe in probably ten years and then suddenly woke up one morning with a craving for it. I don't know what vital nutrient I'm lacking that would account for such an atypically healthy craving. I just labeled it a happy anomaly and went with it. I have to stay, it was a nice change of pace not to feel guilty for indulging myself. And after a walk to the farmer's market (where I was delighted to find every vegetable on my list), I came home and whipped up a batch of this hearty stew that totally hit the spot. Really, I swear (again, I can't explain it).

VEGETABLE STEW

Yield: 6 large servings

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (or 5 tablespoons olive oil)

2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium potatoes, cut into small chunks

1 eggplant, diced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 stalk broccoli, cut into tiny florets

3 carrots, sliced
3/4 cup burgundy (or other red wine)
2 medium-small zucchini, cut into chunks
2 large (or 3 medium) ripe tomatoes, diced
¼ lb. sliced white or cremini mushrooms
6 oz. tomato paste
¼ cup molasses (unsulfured)
1 teaspoon dried dill weed

sour cream (optional)

freshly chopped parsley (optional)

1.      Melt the butter or oil in a large stew pot.  Add the onions, garlic, potatoes and eggplant and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Sauté until potatoes begin to get tender.

2.      Stir in the celery, broccoli, carrots and wine. Cover the pot and steam until all vegetables begin to get tender, stirring occasionally.

3.      Add zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato paste, molasses and dill. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender (stirring occasionally). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.      Serve hot, topped with sour cream and freshly chopped parsley.

slightly adapted from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

onions, garlic, potatoes and eggplant in pot

starting to get tender

adding celery, carrots, broccoli and wine

added vegetables getting tender

adding zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms,
tomato paste, molasses and dill

mixed

about 25 minutes later...vegetable stew

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Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip

One of the perks of working at a cooking school is getting free food once in a while. Usually it's already been cooked by the chef students, but yesterday there were white beans leftover from a class (that couldn't be put back because they were already soaked). So when someone offered to give them to me, I made this dip. It's simple, but the lemon zest and rosemary make it anything but boring.

ROSEMARY-LEMON WHITE BEAN DIP

Yield: 2 cups

2 cups cooked* white beans (such as cannellini), drained but moist

1 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

grated zest of 2 lemons

1.      Put the beans in the container of a food processor with 1 clove garlic and a healthy pinch of salt. Turn the machine on, and add the 1/4 cup olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until the mixture is smooth. Taste, and add more garlic if you like; then, puree the mixture again.

2.      Place the mixture in a bowl, and use a wooden spoon to beat in the rosemary, lemon zest and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed.

3.      Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

from Mark Bittman, The New York Times

*HOW TO COOK BEANS:
1.      Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover by 3-4 inches.
2.      Drain and rinse soaked beans.
3.      In a heavy pot, cover beans with a few inches of fresh water and bring to a boil.
      Simmer, covered, until the beans are tender (about 1 to 1 ½ hours). 

cooked beans in food processor with garlic and salt

If you don't have time to soak/cook the
beans, you can always used canned.

pouring in the olive oil

pureed white beans

fresh rosemary

lemon zest

everything in a bowl

rosemary lemon white bean dip

In addition to dipping crackers or vegetables
in it, you can also use it as a sandwich spread.

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Mesir Wat (Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew)

I get a hankering from time to time for Ethiopian food and I love making it at home. I still haven't successfully made injera (the spongy bread), so I order that online. I usually make my same old favorites, but every once in a while I like to try a new recipe. This one for red lentil stew couldn't be much simpler and it's good. A solid recipe for you lentil lovers (I know you're out there).

MESIR WAT

(Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons minced, peeled ginger

1/4 cup niter kibbeh, oil or butter

2 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 lb. red lentils (also known as masoor dal), rinsed

4 cups water or stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.      Place the onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender and puree. Add a little water if necessary.

2.      Heat the oil, butter or niter kibbeh in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium flame. Add turmeric, paprika and cayenne pepper and stir rapidly to color the oil and cook spices through, about 30 seconds.

3.      Add the onion puree and sauté until the excess moisture evaporates and the onion loses its raw aroma, about 5-10 minutes. Do not burn.

4.      Add lentils and water to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until lentils are cooked through and fall apart, about 30 to 40 minutes. Add water if necessary to keep the lentils from drying out.

5.      Stir in salt and pepper to taste and serve.

from whats4eats.com

onion, garlic & ginger

adding spices to niter kibbeh

mixing in the pureed onion/garlic/ginger

mixed

adding lentils and stock

mixed

mesir wat

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