Lisa wanted to cook something tonight, and keeping in mind that we had some great veggies to use from the CSA box, found this hearty stew on Fatfree Vegan Kitchen.  Lisa made some modifications that changed it to be neither fat-free nor vegan, but it still remained healthy and was simple and delicious.  We love warm stews on chilly nights, and Seattle has had quite a few of those lately!

Chris says:

The kitchen smells really good.

Lisa says:

Well try this — it tastes really good.

Chris says:

Oooh, yum — I really like this one! We’ve had a few stews that were similar, but this may be of my favorites.

Lisa says:

The fennel is good; it’s not overpowering.

Chris says:

Look at all those veggies! It’s pretty filling, too.

Lisa says:

Well it does have two entire cans of beans…

Chris says:

Uh oh…

Lisa says:

Don’t go there.

Fennel and White Bean Stew (adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen)
1 large bulb fennel
Olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large (28-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken broth, divided
1 tsp. dried herbs de provence, crushed
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 small zucchini, cubed
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 small lobster mushroom, cleaned and sliced
6-7 stalks of baby bok choy, cut in thirds

Prepare the fennel by removing the stalks and leaves (save them for another use). Slice about 1/4 inch off the bottom of the bulb, and cut the bulb in half, down through the middle (top to bottom). Cut each half into thin wedges, top to bottom.

Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a large pot. Heat it on medium, and add the fennel and carrots. Sauté for about 3 minutes and then add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the beans, 1 cup of chicken broth, and all seasonings. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the other cup of chicken broth, the zucchini, the mushrooms, and bok choy. Cover and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.

3 Servings

I bookmarked this white chili recipe featured on Blue Kitchen (GREAT photos) back in November and finally got to making it this weekend. It’s definitely not the usual “ground beef and kidney beans” fare… this spices in this chili include bay leaf, oregano, and… ginger! Unusual, but subtle. We loved it.

Chris says:

Usually I seed the jalapeños when I make chili, but since there wasn’t anything else really “hot” in the recipe, like chili powder, I left most of the seeds in.

Lisa says:

Really? I was all prepared to say “Spicy!” after my first bite, but it’s not that hot. It has a really good flavor, though.

Chris says:

Doesn’t it? I was wondering how it was going to taste with that ginger, but it’s very subtle. It doesn’t overpower the taste at all.

Lisa says:

The toppings make it a really colorful dish. Yay cilantro!

Chris says:

I think we’re going to have to change the name of this blog to We [Heart] Cilantro and Onions — I think we use them in 75% of the meals we make.

Lisa says:

Speaking of cilantro, what’s with these people?

Chris says:

Hey, that just means there’s more for us…

White Chili
———–
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 inch thick piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks
5-6 white mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 15 oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, more for garnish]
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon each, salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small tomato, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Heat a large sauce pan over a medium heat. Add olive oil. Add onions and jalapeño pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, another minute or so. Add chicken and mushrooms. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to cook chicken on all sides.

Sprinkle in flour and stir to coat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add broth, beans, 1/4 cup cilantro, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Discard bay leaf and adjust seasonings. Spoon chili into bowls and garnish with tomato, cilantro and green onion.

4 Servings

A few nights ago Lisa made one of those perfect-to-use-up-the-CSA-box recipes: this warming soup used just about every vegetable in the kitchen; adding a little pasta and some beans turned it into a great meal.

Chris says:

I love recipes like this that have so many vegetables in them…

Lisa says:

I know! The great thing about this recipe is that you can basically change the veggies based on what you have in the kitchen.

Chris says:

Remember when you used to complain about soups and stews that didn’t have meat in them?

Lisa says:

Only because I didn’t think they’d fill me up!

Chris says:

That’s what the pasta and beans are doing for ya.

Lisa says:

Yep… although it may be time for a meatstravaganza soon.

Chris says:

Huzzah!

“Kitchen Sink” Minestrone
————————-
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diagonally sliced carrot
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cups diced tomato
2 cups diced peeled butternut squash (about 1 small)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 zucchini, sliced
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups small broccoli florets
2 cups thinly sliced collard greens
1/2 cup uncooked small seashell pasta
2 teaspoons dried sage
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper, and sauté 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Add tomato and next 9 ingredients (tomato through garlic), and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in broccoli, greens, and pasta; cover and cook 5 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in sage and thyme.

6-8 Servings

I’m also submitting this one to Presto Pasta Nights… it’s been a while!

Lisa modified a recipe from Southern Living and created hands-down the best homemade bean burgers we’ve tasted. Accompanying the burgers were roasted portobello mushrooms, corn salsa, and an adobo mayonnaise.

Chris says:

I’m in love!

Lisa says:

They’re pretty damned good…

Chris says:

I mean I’m in love with you cooking these awesome dishes!

Lisa says:

Don’t get too used to it, I feel like I’ve been cooking for hours.

Chris says:

Well worth it — and there’s a bunch of leftovers, so next time it’ll only take a few minutes to heat up. It all evens out. Anyway, substituting chipotle peppers for the jalapeno in the recipe was such a good call. That smoky flavor of the burger was perfect with that adobo mayo.

Lisa says:

Well it *is* chipotle week… we had a lot to go through. Don’t feel like you have to eat all the accompaniments, I just love roasted mushrooms so I went ahead and made them.

Chris says:

Are you kidding? I’m all about condiments. I’m having it all.

Chipotle Bean Burgers
———————
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup salsa
2 tablespoons self-rising cornmeal mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
cooking spray

Sauté first 4 ingredients in hot olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until onion is tender.
Mash black beans and pinto beans in a large bowl; stir in onion mixture, salsa, and next 4 ingredients. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
Shape mixture into 8 patties. Place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Coat patties evenly with cooking spray. Chill 30 minutes.
Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until browned and thoroughly heated.

Serve on a bun with whatever condiments suit your fancy. You can make adobo mayo by adding one teaspoon of adobo sauce to some light mayonnaise.

Serves 8

Since we loved, loved, loved these burgers, let’s submit this to the Legume Love Affair Event!

Tonight I made a soup adapted from The Mushroom Lover’s Mushroom Cookbook: a chicken broth-based soup with plenty of veggies, chicken, and sauteed mushrooms. The original recipe suggests huitlacoche (also known as ‘corn smut’), but I couldn’t find any here in Seattle.

Chris says:

This is really good — and a nice change of pace from the Great Bowls of Fire soup/stews; most of those seem to have tomato bases.

Lisa says:

Yeah this one’s a bit thinner because of the broth — but really good. And not too spicy.

Chris says:

Yeah, not real hot peppers in here, but they do add flavor. I’m going to make this one again when I stumble across some of that corn smut!

Latin Tomato and Mushroom Soup
——————————
6 cups chicken broth
1 14.5 oz can black beans, drained
1 cup shredded chicken
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup tomato puree
4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1 large anaheim pepper
1 small poblano pepper
2 large portobello caps
1/4 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
tortilla strips *

Combine the stock, chicken, corn, tomato puree, whites of green onion, peppers, and black beans in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and sautee the mushrooms in the olive oil until they give up their juices. Set aside.
Stir in the mushrooms, cilantro, lime juice, and green onions, and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve hot, sprinkling each bowl with tortilla strips.

* To make tortilla strips, cut 2-3 corn tortillas into thin strips, spray with cooking spray and bake in a 400F oven for 10 minutes or until crisp.