A tale about 'Big Red'...

My last post was not about a potato; this post is not about a pot. But yet, it is. 

I don't often use "Big Red", as it's been aptly named.  Not because I don't love the way it cooks; but because using it is such a production. I have a similar relationship with my Dutch Oven that many have with their slow cookers (although I think a Dutch Oven is probably less of a pain).  It's beautiful, it distributes heat fabulously and makes light work of even tough dishes, and it's relatively easy to keep clean.  But it's one of those appliances I don't use often, so it doesn't garner prime real estate in my already-too-small-and-crammed-with-stuff kitchen. 

Big Red lives on a shelf; in a cupboard barely used, right next to the refrigerator, about 6 feet above my head.  Being an even five-feet tall has many disadvantages - especially in the kitchen.  Digging out the 'once-in-a-while' appliances notwithstanding.  It's a delicate balancing act to retrieve Big Red that requires me, a step stool, some heavy lifting and baited breath.  And that's just to get to the lid (which I'm convinced weighs more than the pot).  Or I could just ask Daddy Vegan to get it down for me, but I'm fiercely stubborn and independent about these things (and I wonder where Little Miss gets it from). One of these days I'll learn.

Anyway, enough about the pot. Safe to say it survived it's perilous journey from the cupboard to the stove, otherwise we wouldn't be looking at this pretty picture of it.

There's one dish I always make in my Dutch Oven: Lentil Stew.  I'm not sure how or why this tradition began.  I don't even think the inspiration for this recipe started with "In a Dutch Oven..."; it probably just called for a large stockpot.  But Daddy Vegan had recently surprised me with this much-longed-for pot in my absolute favorite color in the world, and I was eager to try it. So 'Dutch Oven' lentil stew was born.

It's a hearty, deeply rich and satisfying stew; the kind you make on a cold winter's day, in a Dutch Oven, and sop up with tons of fresh crusty bread. To the uninitiated, you'd swear it was a beef stew. But, seeing as it's being posted on a vegan website, it's completely animal-free. 

Perhaps the best part about this stew is how simple - and versatile it is.  I call it "Leftover Lentil Stew" because it's a great way to use up leftover veggies kicking around your fridge or freezer (yes, you can use frozen vegetables here).  Any combination of veg works, from the basic celery and carrots to eggplant, squash, sweet potato and more.   Oh - and did I mention it only takes 20 minutes to cook?  (Weeknight Dinner Warriors rejoice!)

The broth has a southwestern kick to it, with cumin and chili powder being the dominant flavors, but additions of pure pumpkin puree and oregano give it a wonderful earthy "meaty" flavour too.  It's been cold and a bit snowy this weekend, and Daddy Vegan and I were craving something a little more warm and cozy.  And it just so happened I had some celery, carrots, corn and other veggies that were looking a little sad.  They're much happier now! 

Try this stew once as it's written below, and then experiment with the flavors; add different vegetables, adjust the amount of seasoning, or even try new seasonings.  It's a great canvas for carrying delicious bold flavours.

Enjoy!

"Leftover" Lentil Stew

(adapted from www.fatfreevegan.com)


Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced (if you like heat then leave in some seeds)
zest of half a lemon
2-3 cups vegetables - fresh or frozen - diced or cut into small chunks (I used carrots, celery and corn)
1 19oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15 oz can cooked lentils, drained and rinsed well
3.5 cups + 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp chili powder, divided in half
1 tsp ground cumin
1/3 cup quinoa
2/3 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (if you can't get pure pumpkin puree, you can use pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp brown sugar (skip this ingredient if using pumpkin pie filling)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a Dutch Oven, heat 2 tbsp vegetable broth on med-high heat.  Add onions and saute until golden and translucent; about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, jalapenos and lemon zest. Cook, stirring constantly to keep garlic from burning until soft; about one minute.  Add cumin and 1 tbsp chili powder and cook for 1 minute, allowing spices to warm through and become fragrant. 

2. Stir in tomatoes, using your spoon and the juice from the tomatoes to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. (That's where the real flavor is).  Stir in mixed vegetables, lentils, remaining 1 tbsp chili powder and oregano.  Pour in remaining vegetable broth and stir well.  Bring to a boil.

3. Add quinoa and simmer, covered, on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until all veg are tender.  Add in pumpkin puree, salt and pepper to taste and brown sugar (if using).  Simmer uncovered on medium heat for an additional 5 minutes.  Stew will appear a bit liquid, but will thicken as you stir it and will continue to thicken after it's removed from heat. 

4. Remove from heat; stir and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Serve hot.

Rainy Day Cooking...

Thursday was the perfect day to spend in the kitchen. It was cold and raining, so Little Miss and I couldn't go to the park; the car was at the mechanic all day so we couldn't go shopping, and quite frankly, neither one of us really felt like getting out of our jammies.

So, while she settled in for an afternoon of play with her toys, and Husband settled into an afternoon of work, I donned my best fuzzy slippers and went into my "happy zone" (a.k.a. the kitchen).

I was craving something warm, spicy, zesty and comforting for dinner - and it had to fit in ONE pot (because by the time I decided I wanted it, I'd already used just about every other pot, pan and container I already owned, and I wasn't about to stop to wash and reload). That's usually the trigger for me to pull out the slow cooker.

Chana Masala is my all-time favourite Indian dish. Chick peas, tomatoes, onions and spices slowly simmered together until all the flavours blend into a hearty, satisfying "I-don't-even-miss-the-meat" vegetarian dish. What I like even more about it is that it's one of those slow-cooker dishes that DOESN'T have to start cooking at 9am in order to be ready for dinner. 4 hours is more than enough, so even if it takes me half a day to decide I want it, I can still be eating it by 6pm. (Of course, the 8 hour setting works well too if you've got the time.)

At the heart of Chana Masala is a vibrant, fragrant mix of ground spices - known as a Garam Masala. It's a staple in Indian and other South Asian dishes, and it's worth keeping in your pantry. I like to make my own Garam Masala (see recipe below), but you can just as easily buy it pre-made in most grocery stores now - just check the International section. In fact, you can even pick up pre-made Chana Masala mixes there too - they'll last a long time and taste just as authentic.

If you are going to grind your own though (which by the way, will last for up to 3 months in an airtight container), use a different grinder from the one you grind your coffee beans in. While Garam Masala is fragrant and wonderful, it doesn't mix all that well with coffee.

So, back to that rainy Thursday: Little Miss played. Husband worked. I prepped, chopped, diced, sauteed, roasted and baked. It was actually a pretty good day.

Enjoy!

Chana Masala (Indian Chick Pea Stew)

Ingredients:

Garam Masala (spice mix)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder

(you will need 2 tablespoons for this recipe)

Chana Masala

2 591 ml cans of Chick peas, drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp minced garlic from a jar)
1-inch (2.5-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or 1/2 tsp minced jarred ginger)
1 can (28 oz/875 g) diced tomatoes - DO NOT DRAIN
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup water

Directions

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the vegetable oil. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté until the mixture just begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of garam masala and sauté until the spices are fragrant and thoroughly blended with the onion mixture, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, the sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup of water. Stir and bring to a boil.

Transfer the tomato-spice mixture to a slow cooker and stir in the chickpeas. Cover and cook until the chickpeas are very tender, 4 hours on the high-heat setting.

About 15 minutes before the chickpeas are done, sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of garam masala and lime juice evenly over the chickpeas and stir, breaking up some of the chickpeas with the back of the spoon to thicken the mixture slightly. I like the sauce to be a bit thicker so I also mix in 1 teaspoon of corn starch dissolved in cold water and stir for 2 minutes to thicken. This step isn't necessary though, it's just personal preference.

Serve immediately over basmati rice and/or naan.

Meandering in Marrakesh

In the last few years I've developed a fascination with Morocco. To me, it's a mystic, far-off place filled with rich colours, sounds, spices and of course, food. On my list of places I need to visit, it ranks pretty close to the top.

I've also recently discovered a love for the spicy, savoury yet surprisingly sweet flavours of Moroccan food, l and have been struck with the urge to test out some Moroccan dishes in my own kitchen. There's just one problem: I don't own a tagine. For those of you who are unfamiliar, a tagine is a method of cooking and also a cooking dish extremely common in Morocco. It's a shallow pot with a cone shaped lid made from terra cotta that both simmers and steams food...the tall cone shaped lid allowing for condensation to collect and then drip back down into the dish, ensuring that a meal cooked in it will always be juicy. It's a great "one-pot-meal" type of cooking.

Of course, I could easily add a tagine to my growing collection of kitchen gadgets, but I kind of have this rule about what I bring into my already way-too-small-for-a-serious-cook kitchen: if it only serves one purpose and can't be used everyday, I don't own it. I'm not a fan of single-purpose gadgets or equipment. I just don't have the space for them. Maybe someday in my dream kitchen...but right now, space is at a premium, so I rely on things like my food processor or stand mixer that get a workout multiple times a week. A tagine, as lovely as it would be, just wouldn't be practical right now. Sure - one could to argue that my coffee maker is only a single-purpose gadget, and that's true - but it performs a function in my kitchen on a daily basis (sometimes multiple times a day) and that's a function I cannot live without (really...you don't want to know me before I've had some caffeine).

So I was elated to stumble across this recipe for Marrakesh stew that didn't require a tagine, but just a dutch oven or heavy pot - something we all have in our kitchens. And of course, I had a fridge full of vegetables that needed to be eaten, so I gave this a try. It's the perfect "make ahead" meal (it will freeze well for up to three months) and it's rich and satisfying and perfect for the bitterly cold and snowy weather we're having in Toronto right now. Perhaps the best thing about this stew is that anything goes - you can swap out any of the vegetables in it for others, or add them all. I'm already thinking that the next version of this stew will need some cauliflower and zucchini thrown in for kicks...and colour.

So, until the day comes that I find myself walking through the spice market in Marrakesh, absorbing the sights, smells and culture of the Moroccan people, I at least have my stew...and some extra counter space.

Enjoy!

Marrakesh Stew
Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion diced into large chunks
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how much heat you like)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
4 large carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into one inch pieces
coarse salt and pepper to taste
1 can of diced tomatoes
3 3/4 cups low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you're not concerned about keeping this one vegetarian)
2 small eggplants, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions:

1. In an 8-quart dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne and allspice and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add carrots, potatoes and squash and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 5 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes and broth (vegetables should be completely covered by liquid; add water to cover if necessary). Season with salt and pepper again and bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.

3. Add eggplant, stir to combine and simmer until eggplant is tender, another 20 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, season to taste with slat and pepper and cook until chickpeas are warmed through, 5 minutes. Serve with couscous or rice.

(to store, let cool then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months)