Southwestern Stew with Coconut Quinoa

This special-tasting stew is slightly modified from Anna Lappé and Bryant Terry's (He's from Memphis!) recipe in their cookbook named deliciously Grub.

This is definitely a weekend dish, because it takes a while to make, but it's not difficult...and it's very tasty!

Ingredients:

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 c. sliced red onion
1 (or try 2 for more smoke and spice) chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped (Remove the seeds if you want to tame the heat.  Leave them if you want to keep it spicy.  They'll be puréed anyway.)
10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped  (Yes:  10!)
one 28-oz can whole tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
2 bay leaves
up to 4 c. vegetable broth/stock
salt, to taste
2 medium white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch chunks
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 15-oz can coconut milk
1.5 c. quinoa, rinsed
3 T. dried unsweetened coconut
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn kernels, drained

Method:
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet that has a lid.  Add the onion and chipotle, and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic, and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

In a blender, puree the drained tomatoes along with the onion and chipotle until smooth.  Pour the mixture back into the large skillet.  Add the bay leaves and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a thick consistency (about 10 mins).

Add enough vegetable broth/stock to the reserved tomato juice to make 4 cups, then add to the puréed tomato mixture with 1 t. salt (or to taste).  Add the potato chunks, bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer until potatoes are softened (about 40-45 minutes).

While the potatoes are cooking, combine the coconut milk with 1.5 cups water and 3/4 t. salt in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Add the quinoa and dried coconut, return to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Allow the quinoa to rest, covered, for another 5 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork.

When the potatoes are soft, remove the bay leaves from the stew and stir in the black beans and corn.  Serve the stew over the quinoa.  Serves 4 - 5.

Roasted Vegetable Tacos

This is one I just threw together.  You could easily modify this...use smoked paprika instead of chipotles, stir in chopped fresh scallions instead of using onion, use refried beans instead of  black beans, add fresh jalapenos or minced garlic.  Use what you have on hand and what you like!

Ingredients:

2 ears fresh corn, shucked and washed

1 lb. baby bell peppers, seeds and veins removed, sliced

1 onion, halved and sliced

2 chipotles in adobo sauce, seeded if desired, finely chopped

3 T. olive oil

1/2 t. salt or to taste

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

non-stick spray

about 12 corn tortillas

1 lime, chopped into quarters

chopped lettuce

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a rimmed baking sheet, stand each ear of corn on its end, and cut the kernels away from the cob using a sharp knife.  Toss with the sliced bell peppers, onion, chipotles, olive oil, and salt until everything is coated.  Spread into an even layer, and roast in the preheated oven 20 - 30 minutes or until the vegetables are browning on the edges.  Remove from the oven and toss with the black beans while still hot.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat.  Spray with non-stick spray, and add a corn tortilla to the skillet.  When lightly browned, flip, and cook until the second side is browned.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Top each tortilla with the roasted vegetable mixture, a generous squeeze of lime, and chopped lettuce.

Serves about 4.

Chipotle Mashed Potatoes

Here's an idea that I tried recently, and it turned out deliciously!  When I make mashed potatoes, I use a hand mixer to "mash" them to ensure no lumps.  Just before this mixing recently, I put in 1 deseeded chipotle pepper (I used the kind that is canned in adobo sauce.) for every 2 potatoes.  It gave the potatoes a smoky flavor with a mildly spicy kick.  YUM!

Here's another idea I haven't tried yet:  using these chipotle mashed potatoes to top a vegan pot pie or shepherd's pie.  If you try it, let me know how it turns out!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

A big fat THANK YOU! to my very good friend Christa who turned me on to this recipe from Oprah's website.  It is, in a word, outrageously delicious.  OK, that's 2 words.  And not only does it taste great, it includes sweet potatoes, which I'm trying to work into my diet more frequently.  Yay!  This recipe can easily be made vegan by omitting the cheese from the corn toritllas.  Just brush both sides of the tortilla with oil (instead of only one, as in the instructions), and brown both sides.  Either way, it makes 12 6-inch really yummy tacos.

Ingredients:

1.5 T. canola oil, divided

1 onion, peeled and diced

2 chipotles (from a can and in adobo sauce), minced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 + 1/4 t. salt, divided

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

additional canola oil

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 t. ground black pepper (optional - I didn't use it.)

salsa, for serving

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 T. canola oil, then diced onion.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until transparent.  Stir in chipotles, garlic, and 1/2 t. salt.  Add sweet potato, remaining 1/2 T. canola oil, and another 1/2 t. salt, and stir to coat the potatoes with oil.  Cook one minute, then move the skillet to the oven and roast potatoes 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the tortillas.  Heat a frying pan or griddle (I used another cast-iron one.) over medium-high heat.  Brush 1 side of a tortilla lightly with oil, and place the oil side down in the pan.  (NOTE:  At this point you can scatter some shredded vegan cheese over the center of the tortilla if desired.)  Cook until tortilla is lightly golden brown on the underside but still flexible.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas

Remove the skillet from the oven and immediately stir in the black beans, black pepper, if using, and up to 1/4 t. salt, to taste.  Top each tortilla with the sweet potato mixture and a spoonful of salsa.  Try not to eat too many!

Tomatillo and Chipotle Salsa

Two plants have been extremely successful in our food garden this year:  tomatillos and Swiss chard.  It's been fun and challenging thinking of different things to do with these 2 foods, neither of which are usually a staple of our diet.  I found this great salsa recipe in Martha Stewart's Living magazine.  It's different, delicious, and uses tomatillos!  Tomatillos are a distant cousin to the tomato.  They look like a small green tomato with a papery husk.  I've adapted the recipe slightly, but it's mostly as I found it.  Here we go...

Ingredients:
6 or 7 tomatillos, husked, washed, and quartered
3 unpeeled garlic cloves
2 - 4 chipotles that have been canned in adobe sauce, seeded and coarsely chopped  (Chipotles are smoked jalapenos, and they give this salsa a smoky flavor.  The more you use, the spicier your salsa will be.  You can find chipotles at some grocery stores.  If you can't find them there, try the local international market.  I found them at Whole Foods.)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 t. salt, or to taste

Process:
Cook tomatillos and unpeeled garlic cloves in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Turn the pieces occassionally, and continue cooking until they are charred on all sides.  Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to handle.  Peel the garlic, then finely chop the tomatillos and garlic.

Mix the tomatillos, garlic, chipotles, sugar, and salt together.  Serve as a dip with tortilla chips, as a sauce on burritos or tacos, as a condiment on veggie burgers, or as desired.

NOTE:  For those of you who are not vegan, this salsa is also excellent mixed with plain cheese dip.