Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsps. olive oil

1 pkg. carrots (about 6 carrots), chopped into 1/2-1 inch chunks

4-5 medium sized russet potatoes, chopped into 1 inch chunks

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

1 can diced tomatoes

Approx. 64 oz. of vegetable broth (I like the clear broth like Swanson Organic, as opposed to some of the muddier-looking broths that are available)

2 Not-Beef bouillon cubes (or any other vegetarian or vegan brand of bouillon cubes)

2/3 cup pearl barley

1 small bag frozen peas, thawed

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. rosemary

1 tbsp. tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Put it together:

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high and cook the carrots and onions for about 5 minutes (You will get a brown crust on the bottom of your pot, don't worry about it)
• Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly
• Add the veggie broth and diced tomatoes (with their juice), as well as the tomato paste and bouillon cubes
• Add the pearl barley and potatoes
• Make sure it comes back up to a boil, taste, adjust salt and pepper, then cover and reduce heat to low
• Simmer, covered, for an hour, or until barley is softened
• If the stew is not thick enough for your tastes at this point, take the lid off and simmer uncovered until thickened
• If the stew is too thick for you, add water
• A few minutes before serving, add the thawed peas, heat them through, then serve

Variations:  You could use butternut squash instead of potatoes, or use fewer potatoes and add some cubes of squash, too.  If you hate peas, you can use celery, or a leafy green like kale or chard, though if you go that route, you probably want to add those earlier in the cooking process so they can soften and cook down.

Red Bean and Tomato Curry

This is mostly what my mother calls a "dump" recipe (as in you dump cans of stuff into a pan), but it's yummy.  I got it from Classic Home Cooking

I made a few small modifications

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. vegetable oil (They call for corn or sunflower oil, I sometimes use olive oil instead)

1 large onion, sliced 

5 garlic cloves, crushed

1-2 fresh green chilies, cored, seeded, and sliced (I used jalapenos, but you could use serranos, if you like pain)

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground coriander

pinch of cayenne

salt (to taste)

13 oz. can of chopped tomatoes

20 oz. can of red kidney beans (drained)

1 tbsp lemon juice

(They suggest fresh cilantro leaves to garnish.  I've never done this.  Instead, for a pop of green color, I add some frozen peas.)

The Plan:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the onion, garlic, chilies, and ginger, and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, until all the aromas are released and the onion is softened but not browned.
2. Add the curry powder, turmeric, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes with most of their juice and cook for about three minutes.  Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes longer (This is when I add the frozen peas.) or until the beans are warmed through and the sauce is thickened.  Add the lemon juice and serve hot, garnished with cilantro leaves (or not, really).

I also serve this over couscous, since making perfect rice like an Indian restaurant is beyond my grasp.  You can also substitute chickpeas for half of the kidney beans.