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

Two new dishes for us tonight: baked cauliflower with a delicious tahini sauce, and ground turkey meatballs with a pomegranate syrup. We had originally planned to make this cauliflower dish (from Lebanese Cuisine) as part of the Lebanese feast last weekend, but there was already way too much food, and so we made an excuse to try again this week. The kebabs are listed as a variation on a turkey burger recipe in the How to Eat Supper cookbook; it isn’t exactly “authentic”, but the kefta was delicious all the same. To round things out, Lisa made baby bok choy sauteed with plenty of onions and garlic.

Lisa says:

This turkey kefta is way different than the versions I had growing up… but you’re right, it’s really good.

Chris says:

Yeah — no pine nuts or bulgur in this one… Yum, I really like the way the cauliflower is cooked — I don’t think I’ve ever had it any other way than raw or steamed. I strayed from the recipe and used Jenn’s baking method instead of the one in the book.

Lisa says:

…that taratur sauce on it rules.

Chris says:

Oooh — the sauce is actually also good on the kefta.

Lisa says:

I like how there’s not really a ton of tahini in it, but the sesame flavor really comes out.

Chris says:

I like how there’s not really a ton of kefta left, because most of it is already in my belly. The flavor really went in.

Turkey Kefta Kebabs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 large tomato, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 dry white wine
pomegranate molasses

Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a nonstick skillet, and cook the onions and tomatoes, sprinkled with salt and pepper, over high heat until the onions start to wilt and brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, onion-tomato mix, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, cilantro, and wine. Mix together well and form into small balls. The mix will feel *really* delicate and sticky.
In the skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, and rotate every 30 seconds or so until all sides are seared. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 150. Serve on a plate and drizzle the pomegranate molasses over the top.

Makes ~14

Cauliflower with Taratur
1 head cauliflower
olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp water
1/3 cup lemon juice
powdered red pepper

Heat the oven to 450F. Break the cauliflower into florets and place into a small bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over the cauliflower and add a pinch of red pepper. Toss until all the cauliflower is coated, then place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned and tender.
In a bowl, mix the crushed garlic and the salt. Add the tahini and blend well, then add the water and mix thoroughly. Add the lemon juice and blend until the sauce is whitish and smooth. Add red pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and serve.

Tonight I made two new recipes, each the first recipe we’ve tried in two new books — from The Mushroom Lover’s Mushroom Cookbook, Boneless Chicken Breasts with Wild Mushrooms and Enoki, and from Asian Flavors, Baby Bok Choy with Garlic and Straw Mushrooms.

Lisa says:

Wow — you can really taste the wine in this.

Chris says:

Yeah, I kinda wish we had the cognac that the recipe calls for on hand.

Lisa says:

Really? I love the wine — and the really interesting variety of mushrooms!

Chris says:

Yeah, it’s delicious. I just ended up getting a bunch of different mushroom varieties because I couldn’t find Mousserons. What about the bok choy?

Lisa says:

Mmmmmm, so good! You know I’m going to say that it needs more garlic — but what doesn’t?

Boneless Chicken Breasts with Mousserons and Enoki
————————————————–
2 large boneless chicken breasts, with skin
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, green and white parts separated
8 oz fresh mousserons, cleaned, or 1 oz dried mousserons or wild mushrooms *
2 tbsp Cognac or 1/4 cup dry red or white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 3.5 package enoki mushrooms, trimmed and broken into 5-6 clumps
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet, preferably nonstick. Add the chicken breasts, skin side down, and cook until the skin is deep golden brown and crisp, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts over, reduce the heat to medium low, and continue cooking until no trace of pink remains in the thickest part of the chicken, about 6 minutes.
Remove the chicken breasts, add the scallion whites and mousserons or wild mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the Cognac or wine and cook until evaporated. Add the stock and boil until the sauce is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Add the enoki, parsley, and scallion greens and stir to mix. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up. Reduce the heat and simmer 2 minutes.
Serve hot, spooning half of the mushroom mixture and sauce onto each of 2 plates and topping it with a chicken breast.
* If using dried mushrooms, reconstitute by pouring hot chicken stock over the mushrooms in a bowl and letting sit for 10-15 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, then strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter and save for use in the recipe.

2 Servings

Baby Bok Choy with Garlic & Straw Mushrooms
——————————————-
1 lb baby bok choy
1 tbsp peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 oz straw mushrooms, halved
2 tbsp rice wine
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt

Blanch the bok choy in a saucepan of boiling water for one minute. Drain, and cool by running under cold water.
Heat the oil in a wok, add the garlic and fry gently for one minute until golden. Drain from the wok and set aside. Add the straw mushrooms and bok choy and stir-fry over high heat for two minutes. Add the rice wine, sugar, and salt, and stir until the vegetables are coated in the wok juices.
Transfer to a serving plate, spoon over the garlic, and serve at once.

4 Servings

Nothing super fancy tonight — turkey burgers on the grill — but Lisa found a nice recipe for stir fried bok choy with garlic and ginger as a side dish. Unsurprisingly, she quadrupled the garlic. We’re vampire-safe for the time being.