Food Lush

White Bean and Pumpkin Stew Recipe

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

By Dani

As everybody has said, it's really, really hard to pick a favorite Food Lush post, so I'm going to go with my gut and what I'm enjoying this week: Tara C.'s Zuppa di Anglio Fresco has been fighting off cold winds and germs for me lately, and I love it.

For me, I have to pick Tell Me: Starbucks vs. Indie Coffee - a topic that is oddly close to my heart. It's also a post that recalls one of the things I have loved about Food Lush: that it's a place to relive travels, bounce around ideas, debate the merits of food-related issues and try new things. Thank you for being a part of that, and letting me be a member of the team that played here every week.

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Now, I want to share with you a stew recipe that has been a staple for me this winter - it's sweet, salty, hearty - and a perfect use for leftover ham. It's adapted from a recipe is Campfire Cookery (an excellent cookbook in its own right!)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of dried beans (I used Great Northern white beans, but anything will do)
• 1 lb. or so of fresh pumpkin, cubed (butternut squash also works)
• 1/2 lb. of ham or pancetta, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Soak beans overnight, or simmer for about an hour before making the rest of the stew. Once the beans are softened, place all ingredients in a Crock-Pot with two quarts of fresh water or broth, and let cook for about eight hours. (The longer it simmers, the better it is!) Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkle of brown sugar and nutmeg on top.

(The finished product and cookbook. Photo by me.)

Not The Prettiest, But Easily My Favorite Lentil Stew

Editor's note: For our last week at Style Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

By Jessica

(Post I've selected from the archives from another writer: The Old Flame by Katie--it has a picture of setting lemon oils on fire, plus cocktail! Post of mine from the archives: Writer(s) Helping Writer: Vegetarian Meals--I often refer back to this post as an easy repository of some fave veggie meals)

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Tonight, I cooked my favorite lenti stew for dinner and as it was bubbling rather furiously away on the stove an odd thought occured to me "This looks like the bog of eternal stench". Now, I've made this particular recipe many times over, I love it and am always excited to eat it and NEVER has that thought occured to me until tonight. I'm not sure if that thought has ever occured to me while I've cooked anything I am happily willing to consume over and over again and yet, here we are. My son asked me why I was trying to force him to eat mud. 

This all sounds like such a rousing endorsement of a my favorite lentil stew, doesn't it? But, I do love it. The main flavor profile is supplied by carmelized leeks and the addition of the honey créme frâiche (or maple sour cream in our house) is just, oh, it's so very very good.

(photo of carmelizing leeks, not so "bog of eternal stench-like")

I find that I don't tweak this recipe as much as I do most recipes I try, although I use frozen leeks from Trader Joes and I add quite a bit more than the pinch of cayenne pepper that the recipe calls for, plus tonight I added a hint of smoked paprika as well and it just rounded out all the flavors nicely. The only other change I've made swapping maple syrup for the honey as it's what I had on hand the first time I made it and I liked it so much, it just stuck.

I hope you'll try it and enjoy it as much as I do. It feels right to send you off with something warm and comforting in your tummies. 

Zuppa di Anglio Fresco

By Tara C.

You guys, I am feeling pretty lousy this week. This winter has just been one cold after another around here. And do you know what I don't care about when I feel this way? Food. I really don't want to put forth the effort to make anything, and just about everything tastes bland and scratches my throat anyway.

One thing that does sound good is soup. It doesn't get much more comforting than a nice warm bowl of soup. One of my favorites is this Zuppa di Aglio Fresco. That would be Fresh Garlic Soup. Yes, chicken noodle soup is the traditional remedy for a cold, but in my opinion garlic soup puts up a good fight. It's especially good if you pour the hot soup into your bowl over a slice of crusty bread, then let your bread get nice and soggy in the soup.

If someone you care about is feeling under the weather, you should make them a bowl of soup. They will probably love you forever. I know I would.

Zuppa di Aglio Fresco

Adapted from Food to Die For: Secrets from Kay Scarpetta's Kitchen by Patricia Cornwall and Marlene Brown

4 T. olive oil

1 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

10 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

4 cups chocken broth

1 t. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil, add the carrots and garlic. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender but not brown.

2. Stir in the chicken stock, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

3. Discard the bay leaf. Puree the soup (I use an immersion blender). Stir in the sherry and cheese. Heat medium heat for around 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Don't let it boil.

(photo from: Eating Well)

I'm Crazy for Vegetarian Chili

by Sarah Anne

This post was originally supposed to be about an amazing banana bread recipe I found, because I know you need another one. However! In searching for a good vegetarian chili recipe high in protein, low in fat, I came across a recipe from The Kitchn, and had to share. I promise I'll share the healthier banana bread another time, because I've already made it twice. Read: I can't stop eating it. Anyway!

I'm absolutely one of those people that cannot leave well enough alone. I always tweak recipes, add something here, substitute something there, and as a result I never make the same recipe twice. Often times, I just "wing it" and make my version of whatever dish I'm feeling like in that moment. Soups, chili, casseroles, and salads are all pretty forgiving. I've been getting better about it lately, but when I decided to have chili last night for dinner, I realized that I didn't have a "go-to" recipe. After looking at several that looked delicious, (how does any chili recipe NOT look delicious?) I knew I had a winner.

This recipe uses no faux meat, no yams, no funky ingredients but relies on beans for protein content. On top of that, the secret ingredient - espresso powder, gives it a dark, rich flavour that you might think you'd miss without the beef. The method is easy to follow, and really is a bit of a chop and dump kind of thing. It does take a bit of time to prepare, only because the flavours need to simmer and marry, but it will be worth it I promise. 

Of course, I made a few tweaks. I definitely used less than 1/4 cup of olive oil, more like 1/8th, or two tablespoons. I added 6-8 chopped mushrooms and two roughly chopped carrots in after the onions had sauteed for a couple minutes on their own.  I also increased the chili powder, cumin, and garlic, as often I feel like recipes tend to be under-spiced for my own palate. I like things bold! Abrasive! I used three 19oz cans of beans, one chickpea, one kidney beans, and one mixed. I didn't have chipotle chili powder on hand, so I just used chipotle puree, and added a few tablespoons in with the tomato step, along with a bit of smoked paprika and cayenne.  I told you, we like things muy caliente around these parts.  

Side note: If you don't have/use chipotle puree, you should. Take a can of chipotles in adobo and give it a whizz, or as Jamie Oliver says - whazz, in a food processor or high-powered blender. Store in the fridge and add to everything and anything. It lasts forever and is SO versatile! Think aioli, salad dressing, marinades, soups, etc!

If you care about nutritional and caloric stats, I did plug the recipe into a calculator. For seven servings, they are a bit over 300 calories each (337), with 14 grams of protein and a whopping 13 grams of fiber. A bonus for the vegetarians out there, you're getting some vitamin D from the added mushrooms as they are the only plant source of vitamin D. Nifty eh?

The other thing about this recipe with my additions? There's no way on God's green earth it serves only four people I estimate more like 6-8 servings. It's so fiber rich and filling, you won't need a massive bowl to be satisfied. I did top my bowl with a bit of sour cream and diced avocado and made these muffins to have on the side. All in all an easy, rich, satisfying and healthy meal that was cheap to boot!

This will from now on, be my 'go-to' recipe for chili. I think it's versatile, thick, rich and saucy and just what I was looking for. I hope you'll give it a try and let me know what you think!

Do you have a favourite chili recipe, or a recipe that you seem to go back to over and over for something? What do you like in your chili and what do you look for when searching for a recipe? 

Quick and Easy Carrot Soup

Editor's note: A quick but very warm welcome to Hillary, a Style Lush writer who will be sharing her delicious recipes and food finds with Food Lush every other week. She's one of the best, as you'll soon see!

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By Hillary

January means trying to undo weeks of indulgent eating (at least in our house it does). It's a struggle to get back to our healthy routine, so I try to make it as easy as possible.

This soup is easy to prepare, is full of flavour, and (when portioned out and stored in glass jars in the fridge) is so easy to grab and go (removing the temptation to hit up a drive through).

Wash, and/or peel, and rough chop the following:

2lbs carrots
2 medium yams
4 - 6 stalks of celery
1 large onion
4 - 6 cloves of garlic
Knob of fresh ginger (I go for a 1-inch to 2-inch knob for a strong ginger flavour)

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil (I use olive) in a large soup pot. Add your veg and cook on high heat for 7 - 10 minutes. You want to keep things moving so they don't burn.

Add 6 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable) or water and bring to a boil.

Spice it up! Cumin, dried ground ginger, rosemary, black pepper, orange zest - whatever you fancy.

Cover and simmer until veg is tender (15 - 30 minutes, depending on how large  your pieces are.)

Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt (I always leave this until the end because I never know how salty my stock is.)

That's it! I love this recipe because it's so fast. The most time-consuming part of the recipe is the vegetable prep and because it's a blended soup the vegetables don't have to be chopped prettily. I store individual portions in mason jars in the fridge so lunch is just a few minutes in the microwave away.

Verde Chicken Stew

by Tara

Again with the soup, Tara? Yes. It is soup season! (Perhaps a lot of us need to send a memo to our local weather, because I hear my area isn’t the only one with 70-degree December temps?)

Ingredients:
-1 tbsp olive oil
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 can (15-oz) white hominy
-1 can (10-oz) green enchilada sauce
-1 cup water or chicken broth
-1/2 cup + 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro*
-2 cups (about 1 lb) diced, cooked chicken
-1 cup uncooked rice**
-3 green onions, sliced
-shredded cheese***

Directions:
-Add oil and garlic to a large pot (at least 4 quarts) and cook over medium heat until garlic is fragrant, about 45 seconds.
-Drain hominy and add to pot, along with broth/water enchilada sauce, and 1/2 cup cilantro. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 8-10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, cook rice in a large pot or rice cooker, as instructed on package.
-Add chicken to stew and let simmer ~20 minutes.
-Stir in cooked rice and remove from heat.
-Serve topped with green onions, reserved cilantro, and cheese.

Mmmmm. Ignore my thumb. A photographer I am not.

*If you’re one of those people that hates cilantro, you can remove this. Just add something that has a flavor you like: Mexican oregano, an onion, more green onions, etc., if you remove this.
**I used brown rice, but it doesn’t really matter. Just remember that brown rice takes longer to cook!
***I used a combination of Colby Jack and Pepper Jack cheeses.

Italian Chicken Soup

by Tara

I received a similar recipe in an email from a friend, and because I can't just follow instructions I messed with it, added a bunch of stuff, and it was still delicious. Here's what I did:

Italian Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped
-salt and pepper to taste
-olive oil (extra virgin olive oil is preferred)
-1 large onion, chopped
-5-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tsp crushed red pepper
-28 oz canned, diced tomatoes
-32 oz (1 quart) chicken broth
-1 tbsp Italian seasoning
-8 oz mushrooms, sliced
-1 package greens (I used a spinach/arugula blend, but just spinach would work)

Directions*:
-Salt and pepper chicken to your desire
-Heat about 1 tsp olive oil in a large pot
-Add chicken and cook through; Remove chicken and set aside
-Add about 1 tsp to same pot and add onion, garlic, and red pepper; Cook until onion is browned and garlic is fragrant
-Add tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning; Bbring to simmer and let cook about 10 minutes
-Add chicken back to pot; reduce heat, Cover, and let simmer about 20 minutes
-Add mushrooms and greens to pot; Re-cover and let simmer about 10 more minutes
-Let cool about 10 minutes and serve with your favorite Italian cheese on top.**

 


(I also made garlic bread and it really added to the meal! I broiled a sliced loaf of bread that was sprayed with EVOO and sprinkled with garlic salt and dried parsley.)

My bowl right before I devoured the whole thing.

* I feel like this would work in the crockpot, but haven’t had the opportunity to try it yet.
** I forgot to buy mozzarella, but I had parmesan on hand and it was delicious with that on top.

 

Broccoli, Cannellini Bean & Cheddar Soup

by Jess M

This time of year I make a lot of soups for dinner. And cheesy soups always taste so good with a nice crusty roll and a salad on the side. But most cheese soups I’ve made (broccoli, cauliflower, potato) are very rich, have lots of cheese and are more suited to a special weekend meal rather than a weeknight dinner. This particular broccoli soup is lighter on the cheese, and is thickened with cannellini beans. It makes for a quick, creamy, and tasty soup that has a good dose of beans and greens.

Broccoli, Cannellini Bean & Cheddar Soup from EatingWell.com

This recipe is super simple: you basically cook the broccoli, and then puree it with the beans and melt in the cheese. I use an immersion blender so that I don’t have to transfer the hot soup to a blender and back again. I top it with some croutons and serve it along with a side salad. And for a vegan alternative, I think you could make this without the cheese and use vegetable broth.

(Photo from: me) 

Broccoli potato soup

by Elsha

I love broccoli cheese soup. It’s creamy and comforting and delicious. However, my husband recently started avoiding dairy, so a cream based soup filled with cheese is sort of out of the question. Fortunately, with a little looking around and some modifications I managed an excellent dairy free substitute. 

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 to 2 lbs thick stemmed broccoli, stems peeled and diced, tops cut into pieces
1 1/2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 cans (5-6 cups) chicken broth or vegetable broth
3 cups water

(There's a lot of chopping to do.)

First, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is soft. Then add the diced broccoli stems, half of the potatoes, the broth, and the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the broccoli and potatoes are tender. 

Meanwhile, put the broccoli florets and the rest of the potatoes in a pot of water to cook. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. 

When the broccoli stems and potatoes are tender, use an immersion blender to puree the soup smooth. Add the broccoli florets and the rest of the potatoes as soon as they are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. 

(photo credit: me. The lighting in our kitchen is so yellow!)

Pureeing the potatoes and broccoli stems gives the soup a nice creamy base without using any milk or cream, and the yukon gold potatoes give it a nice buttery taste. Using vegetable broth makes the soup vegan, or you can go the other direction and sprinkle cheese on the soup when you serve it. Either way, YUM!

Do you have a favorite broccoli soup recipe?

Japanese Curry and Rice

by Tara

One of the things I miss very most about living in Japan is the food. You could get any type of food you wanted, any time of day or night (except Mexican. Good Mexican was hard to find there). A great reason to visit Japan, however, is the Japanese food. Ramen (NOT AT ALL the same as 12-cent ramen), tonkatsu, sushi, oh my! But a favorite of many is Japanese-style curry. The largest curry chain (in Japan? In the Tokyo area? I don't know) we frequented was Coco Ichibanya, or Coco's as it is affectionately known, is delicious, amazing Japanese curry, fast-food Japanese-style, and excellent drinking food. (Our favorite location was at the closest train station, which was really handy coming home late from a bar or trip downtown.)

It's impossible to duplicate the deliciousness of Coco's, but making Japanese curry and rice is a task I've taken on and something that I love even if it isn't the same. This is a SUPER versatile dish, depending upon what you like.

Japanese Curry and Rice
Makes about 4-6 servings, depending upon how much you devour. 

Ingredients:

-Vegetables (common: spinach, onions, garlic, potatoes (any variety), carrots, parsnips, corn, squash, celery, tomatoes... really anything you like, probably about 1 chopped cup of each, more the fewer veggies you choose)
-Protein (pork, chicken, beef (breaded, fried, however you like), tofu, or skip it)
-Curry roux (S&B Golden Curry Sauce or similar)*
-2-3 cups of some sort of stock or broth (or just water, really), to your desired thickness (we like it soupy but not watery)
-White, sticky rice (about 2 cups) 
-Jack cheese (if desired) 

Directions:

-Chop vegetables into similarly-sized cubes or pieces (not the corn or the spinach of course, but the choppable veggies). Saute until beginning to soften.
-Meanwhile cook meat to your liking.
-Combine vegetables and meat, break apart roux and add it to the mixture, and add broth/stock/water.
-Cook over medium-low at a simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring often, until roux is fully broken apart and everything is easily mixed together.**
-Meanwhile, cook white, sticky rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop.
-Shred cheese.
-Serve curry over rice, top with cheese, and eat with a big spoon. 

Photo by my husband.

The only caveat to making this delicious meal is that your whole home will smell like curry. Until the next day. But you guys, it's worth it.

*In my area I have to go to Walmart to find this, which seems ridiculous. But at a regular, well-stocked grocery store, a commissary (if you have access to a military base), or international store you shouldn't have trouble finding it.
**Once I threw everything into a slow cooker, went home at lunch and stirred it, and it cooked on low all day and was delicious. 

Do you have a favorite international food?