Every time I want to complain about the weather, I remind myself that I’m not old enough to join AARP. I’m pretty sure you get to be a card carrying Weather Complainer once you join AARP. The thing is though, I haven’t seen much of the sun for the last 6 weeks and it’s totally crampin’ my style. I want to celebrate the bounties of summer and all the foods that go along with it, but it’s so drab and chilly. Once night falls, I want nothing more than to curl up with a hot bowl of stew (and my love, naturally). This is one of my go-to vegetable stews. It’s simple, filling, and hearty. No meat necessary and a cinch to prepare. Perfect for summers in San Francisco and an easy way to devour a bunch of vegetables all at once.
Oh! And how could I almost forget?
I was recently approached by the fine folks over at CSNStores.com about hosting a giveaway on my site. They sell everything from dinnerware, to cookware, to espresso machines. That means you could win a $25 gift certificate to any of their 200+ stores. If you’re anything like me, you’d take that $25 to buy something weird and impractical like a corkscrew or Pinocchio funnel from Alessi. Of course, you’re free to pick out whatever you like – even practical things. How quaint!
All you have to do to participate is 1) leave a comment (just one!) with your e-mail address so I have a way to contact you and 2) answer the following question:
What was the last memorable meal you cooked?
I’ll announce the winner on 8/18. Also, the giveaway is limited to those only within the US, Canada, the UK, und Deutschland. Due to shipping limitations, there are restrictions for those in the UK and Germany. You’d have to order from one of their UK or German sites, respectively. For everyone else, my sincerest apologies. For my next giveaway, I’ll be sure to include everyone. I won’t even forget Poland. Promise.
2 tablespoons cooking oil of your choice
1 onion, diced
3-5 garlic cloves, chopped finely
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced and cut into half moons
1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt & pepper, to taste
1 15-oz can of white beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup frozen green beans optional: cheese (I used a mixture of parmesan, asiago, and romano), chopped parsley or basil
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and carrots, stir for about 30 seconds. Toss the zucchini into the pot and continue cooking for a couple more minutes.
Add the tomatoes to the saucepan, along with the water, spices, and potatoes. Lower heat and cover partially. Partially covered, let the stew simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the white beans to the pot and continue simmering for another 10. The stew is ready when the potatoes are tender. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the green beans and continue cooking until heated through. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with cheese and fresh herbs, if desired.
Cory’s brother Casey has returned to the Midwest and life here has returned to normal. We were on our feet for much of the extended weekend and visited various parts of the city – Inner Sunset, Inner Richmond, Golden Gate Park, Haight Ashbury, Japantown, North Beach, Chinatown, Alamo Square (the Full House houses), and we even accidentally stumbled into Fisherman’s Wharf. I vowed to never take any visitors to the Wharf. We’re hip 20-somethings, after all. Not fanny pack wearing grandmothers who collect decorative roosters and bonnet wearing swans. Between all the walking, dining out (Indian, Vietnamese, and Puerto Rican food), I did manage to squeeze in some cooking and I even finished Fable 2 (priorities!).
We had less than a 24 hour notice to prepare for Casey’s arrival, so I wanted to make a hefty amount of food to carry us through the evenings when I’d be too exhausted to cook. Tagines are a favorite in our apartment, I love the contrast of sweet and savory flavors. It’s been a long time since I’ve purchased prunes, so I was tickled to discover that they’re now being marketed as dried plums. That’s what they are, of course, but the word “prune” conjures up images of old folks discussing their fiber intake. Nope, prunes are not nearly as sexy as dried plums.
2-3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 very large onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
red pepper flakes or cayenne, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lbs beef stewing meat, cut into cubes
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, with their juices
2 cups potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prunes, halved
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon honey
chopped parsley or cilantro, for garnish
couscous, bulgur, rice, or millet (for serving, about 1/4 cup per person)
Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and spices, cook for an additional minute, stirring often. Add the beef, cook on all sides until browned.
Once the beef has browned, add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes or cayenne. Cover the stockpot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss the potatoes into the pot and cover for another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the garbanzo beans, prunes, and raisins. Cover the stockpot once more and cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Just before serving, stir in the honey. Season to taste, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve the tagine with chopped parsley or cilantro and over couscous, rice, bulgur, or millet.
I’ve been happily cooking and eating my way through The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden and every dish I’ve made so far has been wonderful. It’s almost always stew and soup season here in San Francisco and I love, love, love a good tagine. For those who are suffering through the summer heat and spending very little time slaving over a hot stove, I sincerely apologize and hope you’ll save this recipe for when the weather cools down. Let me make it up to you by sharing this picture of Cory’s brother’s puppy:
2 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup blanched almonds, chopped and toasted (optional)
freshly chopped parsley, for garnishing (optional)
couscous or rice, for serving
Heat oil in a large pot. When hot, add the onions and chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions have softened. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Add salt, pepper, ginger, and cinnamon. Mix in the spices and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for an hour.
Remove the chicken from the pan and continue cooking the sauce until reduced to a thick sauce, about 30-40 minutes. Stir often. Stir in the honey and return the chicken to the pan, coating each piece of chicken with the sauce. Continue cooking until heated through Garnish with almonds and parsley and serve over rice or couscous.
Okra is sort of a weird getable that I mostly associated with the American south (and indeed, we also have a huge pot of gumbo in the fridge). That is, until I moved to Egypt and okra slowly worked its way into my diet. I originally intended on preparing a slightly different dish, from Claudia Roden’s The New Book if Middle Eastern Food. As is often the case, I ended up putting the cookbook away and went a slightly different route. Roden’s bamia matbookha will have to wait for another day. This dish did not disappoint, though – it was filling, hearty, and comforting.
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
1-3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 lb tomatoes, chopped OR 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, with their juice
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1 lb okra, chopped
1 15-oz can of chickpeas
Add oil to a large heavy stockpot. When hot, add onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add in the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Pour the tomatoes into the stockpot and add the spices – coriander, cumin, clove, salt, and pepper. Cover partially and simmer for an hour. Stir occasionally.
After an hour, add in the okra and chickpeas and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season once more to taste and serve.
We’re well into spring and many food bloggers have retired their hearty soups and stews for bright and colorful vegetables that hardly need any cooking. Nay, not me. San Francisco’s warmest months are September and October and there are only about 28 days a year where the temperature reaches above 75 degrees. In the year that I’ve lived year, there have only been about two or so days where the weather was uncomfortably warm. I’ll happily cook with in-season spring as it trickles into my local produce market, but there’s no way I’ll give up hearty soups and stews for those cold San Francisco nights.
Speaking of San Franciscan nights, I’m not sure what Eric Burdon was thinking when he described them as “warm”.
1 lb chicken breasts
2 strips of bacon
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, roasted
2 c potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 c white wine
1.5 c stock, chicken or vegetable
1/2 c parsley, chopped
1/2 bunch of kale, chopped
1 t paprika
cayenne pepper, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
- Prepare the chicken: Either by sauteing in a pan, or baking. If baking, preheat oven to 350 F. Coat the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Roast the red peppers: Preheat oven to 400F. Wash and dry peppers. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Coat each pepper with a little bit of oil and bake for 15 minutes. Using the stems, turn the peppers and continue this step until each side begins to turn brown. This should take about an hour. Remove peppers from the oven and let them cool until they’re easy enough to handle, about a half hour or so. Peel off the skins, cut the pepper into large pieces. Remove the pith and skins.
Alternatively, you could set your oven to broil and roast the ovens much quicker, but I’ve never had much luck roasting the peppers evenly with that method (though my oven isn’t the most reliable, so it could just be me). For a shorter method on roasting red peppers, check out Closet Cooking.
- Add two slices of bacon to a large stockpot and cook over medium heat. Once bacon has finished cooking, set bacon aside and cut into small pieces once it has cooled.
- Toss the chopped onions to the stockpot, adding a little bit more oil, if necessary. Cook onions for about 5-7 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic into the stockpot and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Add chicken, bacon, red peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, white wine, and stock to the pot. Bring the stew to a gentle boil and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. After an hour or so, add paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in kale and parsley. Season again to taste and serve.
Serves 4
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