Monday

Discovery of the day: Might Be Quinoa Veggie Stew

For yesterday's dinner I took another run at the Quinoa Veggie Stew I wrote about here and here. It definitely is not a Project Weeknight dish -- it requires a lengthy simmer to do it right. I made a few tweaks along the way and ended up with something most satisfactory.

Might Be Quinoa Veggie Stew
(Adapted from this recipe, which cites 'Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home')

1.5 to 2 cups cooked quinoa, brown rice, or other grain/starch of choice
2 med. onions, chopped (~1 cup)
2+ cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 Tblsp oil
1 large stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 red/orange/yellow bell pepper, chopped (~1 cup)
2 cups of some combination of diced zucchini, summer squash and/or eggplant
1 - 14.5 oz can tomatoes with liquid
1 - 15 oz can cannellini beans (or your bean of choice)
1/4 c red wine (or water)
1 cup chicken stock (or water/veg stock)
1 Tblsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried (mexican oregano if available)
Cayenne pepper to taste (opt.)
Salt

For the table: grated cheese, Cheddar or Monterey Jack.

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic for a good 5-10 minutes until you see some caramelization on the bottom of the pan.

Add carrots, celery, and about 1/4 tsp salt. Cook an additional 5+ minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegs soften.

Add cumin, chili powder, coriander, and cayenne. Stir for a minute or so until fragrant.

Add wine, stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Let wine cook down for a minute or so.

Add bell pepper, squashes, tomatoes, oregano, stock, and another 1/4 tsp salt if needed. Bring to simmer, reduce heat, and continue to simmer for a good 30+ minutes or until it reaches a thick, stew-like consistency.

Check seasoning, add salt if needed.

Here you can either stir in the quinoa (or cooked grain of your choice) and stir until heated through, or ladle the stew on top of individual servings of grains or potatoes. Top with cheese, if desired.

Yield: 6 or more 1.5 - 2 cup servings, depending on how you manage the starch component.

Notes:

• I used zucchini and summer squash. I wanted to add eggplant but the grocery store didn't have small ones.


• I think this would be smashing on top of (or under) mashed potatoes.

So there you have it. I stirred in the cooked quinoa but may try rice or potatoes next time.

Acceptability was high. My son ate a masterful portion. Now I know lots of vegetarian/vegan food bloggers have kids that enjoy their food, but my son only eats this style of food when he's with me -- he eats a more traditional omnivore menu at his dad's house. So any time he eats one of my flexitarian meals without balking, I'm a happy girl.

Just wanted to clarify that.
:)