Moroccan Butternut Squash and Carrot Stew Over Quinoa

Moroccan Butternut Squash and Carrot Stew Over Quinoa
Thanks to my Founding Foodie in crime, Amy, who sent me this tried and true recipe. Try swapping in sweet potatoes and/or chick peas. The stew can be made ahead and doubled for a large batch. It can be served on its own, over the quinoa recipe below, over rice or chickpeas.

Tip: measure out the spices ahead of time, then add all at once rather than one at a time. There are a lot! And if you take too long (like me) you may burn the first few spices you’ve added.

StewMoroccanStew - 5
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika (or regular, if you cannot find)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if sensitive to heat, cut down to 1/4 teaspoon or omit entirely)
a pinch of saffron
1 cup water
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Quinoa
1 cup quinoa (or couscous)

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

MoroccanStew - 1For the stew:

In a dutch oven or stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté till tender and browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Stir in all seasonings – paprika, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cayenne pepper and saffron – then add water, tomatoes and lemon juice. Bring all to a boil.

Stir in squash and carrots, then cover and simmer until the veggies are soft and tender, stirring often. This took me about 30 minutes, so cook time can vary depending on how tender or tough your vegetables are. The longer it simmers, the better all ingredients incorporate.

For the quinoa:

Rinse and drain the quinoa. While draining, melt butter into the oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add onions and carrots, sauté till soft and browned, stirring often. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Stir in salt and turmeric. Add the quinoa and combine all together. Cook for another minute. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and quinoa is tender.

Before serving, mix the cilantro and mint into the quinoa. Serve the stew piled on top of the quinoa. For a bit of freshness, sprinkle a bit of chopped cilantro and mint on the stew!

Originally published in “Stew Me, Baby”

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Mafe, a.k.a. African Peanut Stew (a.a.k.a. Groundnut Stew)

Mafe, a.k.a. African Peanut Stew (a.a.k.a. Groundnut Stew)
Adapted from Simply Recipes’ African Peanut Stew. Of course, this version suggested legs or wings, which might work nicely, but this would be my undoing. I chose the third option: thighs.  Although I opted for boneless and skinless (ew), I can see how they would add some depth to the stew. Instead, I opted to use my homemade bone broth, which I feel accomplished the same thing. I also took issue with how many sweet potatoes the original recipe called for. Either the scale at our grocer was way off, or it was just way too many. I reduced the amount here and upped the cooking time so they would disintegrate into the stew more. It was a lovely choice. I skipped the peanuts, which was not a lovely choice. Use them — it needs that umami sweet, roasted flavor. Enjoy!

IMG_1651INGREDIENTS

3 pounds chicken thighs (substitute legs and wings, if preferred, or use a mix)
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large yellow or white onion, roughly chopped in smaller pieces
3-inch piece of fresh ginger (about 4 tablespoons grated)
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (I used san marzano packed in sauce and crushed by hand)
1 quart chicken bone broth (or stock if using meat with bones)
1.5 cups peanut butter
1 cup roasted peanuts, crushed slightly
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne (more or less depending on your heat tolerance … this stew should have some warmth to it)
Salt and black pepper

Garnish:
1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
Additional crushed peanuts

IMG_1650METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat coconut oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (a Le Creuset or another dutch oven is ideal for this stew.) Salt the chicken pieces top and bottom, then dry well, adding them to the pot when the oil begins to shimmer. Do not overcrowd—work in batches, removing pieces to a plate after they are browned on each side.

Add the onions to the hot pot and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Make sure to scrape any browned bits off the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the fresh grated ginger (really—do NOT use dry ground ginger!) and garlic and saute for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Add the sweet potatoes and stir to combine.

Return the chicken to the pot, adding the broth, tomatoes, peanut butter, peanuts, coriander and cayenne. Stir well to combine. Bring to a rolling simmer and then carefully taste and adjust salt, as needed. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven, reducing the temperature to 275 degrees. Simmer the soup for about 60-90 minutes, stirring every half hour. Once the potatoes and meat fall apart, the stew is done

Remove from oven, take chicken out carefully and shred with forks, removing skin and bones if used, and return to pot. The potatoes should fall apart as you stir. You can further adjust the seasonings for salt and cayenne, then add black pepper—as much as you can stand. You want this stew to be peppery!

Top with cilantro and crushed peanuts and serve in bowls or over steamed white rice.

Originally published in “Tales Of Mafe … And A Strong Aversion To Chicken”

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Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew

This always tastes better the next day, just warm it up on the stove or in a crock pot. This makes enough to serve about 25 hungry people.

1/4 cup bacon renderings (or substitute vegetable oil)BrunswickStew - 3
2 cups chopped Vidalia onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3 cups diced potatoes
3 cups white corn
3 cups baby lima beans
3 cans diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup dark beer
5-10 shakes hot sauce (about 1 to 2 tabelespooons)
3-4 cups meat from one small, fresh chicken (stewed and shredded)
one small pork loin (slow cooked and shredded)
1 bottle BBQ sauce
More salt, pepper and paprika to taste

In large stockpot, sauté onions, celery and bell pepper in the bacon fat over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Next, stir in the vegetables, stock and seasonings. Bring to a simmer, cover pot, and reduce heat to medium low.

Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally while you shred the meat.

Mix in the shredded meat and BBQ sauce. Bring back to a simmer, cover and cook on low for about 2 hours, stirring often.

When done, adjust seasonings to taste.

Originally published in“Southern Staple Brunswick Stew—WITHOUT Skinning a Squirrel”

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photo credit to Aaron Otis Photography 2014


July
Watermelon is the perfect summer food. It hydrates, it cools, it's sweet and juicy. We have some great ideas for your table, including a salad, ceviche cups, popsicles and cocktails. Get ready to beat the heat with us!