Category Archives: Stews and Casseroles

Minestrone

This is traditionally a hearty ‘tomato-ey’ Italian soup which generally contains pasta, beans, potato and pesto plus whatever other left over veggies are to hand.  “Peasant food” at its best!  This is a great way to use up odds and ends in the fridge, kids generally love it as it’s got pasta in it and it’s good and filling.  Served with some good wholemeal bread this is a wonderfully substantial meal that requires little preparation and not much involvement once it’s on the hob.

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Minestrone
 
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Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 6+
Ingredients
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 celery sticks, diced
  • 1 T tomato paste
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 can cannellini beans / similar
  • 1.5 L vegetable stock
  • 375 g potatoes, diced
  • 140 g small pasta shapes, preferably wholegrain
  • 150g frozen peas
  • 180 g French beans, cut into small lengths (or other veg)
  • 1 small red capsicum (or other veg)
  • 150g broccoli florets (or other veg)
  • Handful baby spinach.
  • 2-3 tablespoons homemade basil pesto * (see other recipes)
  • Fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Heat a large saucepan or stovetop casserole with a tight fitting lid and sauté the onions and garlic until softened.
  2. Add carrots, celery, tomato paste, tomatoes, cannellini beans, vegetable stock, potatoes, and pasta, bring to boil, place on the lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Add peas, green beans, broccoli, capsicum or other chosen veg and simmer, covered for a further 10 minutes or until they are cooked to your liking.
  4. Adjust liquid if necessary, add more water if necessary. Stir in the baby spinach, pesto, and serve sprinkled with the freshly chopped parsley.
  5. Like most soups / stews, this is even nicer the next day, or prepared early in the day.

Mediterranean Lentil, Eggplant & Mushroom Ragout

Mediterranean Lentil, Eggplant & Mushroom Ragout

I’m not sure what I was aiming for with the flavour balance on this one, I just started adding herbs and spices I happen to love.  The result was  a delightful surprise!  My kids who aren’t that fond of lentils when they stay whole (they prefer mushy cooked-down texture of dishes like dahl) lapped this up and went back for seconds.  It’s summer here so a stew isn’t the kind of thing I’d usually think of making but it really works with its south of France / Moroccan / Greek flavours.  This comes together really easily with little effort once it’s all in the pot so although the cooking time is quite long, most of it is unattended.  🙂

 

Mediterranean Lentil, Eggplant & Mushroom Ragout
 
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Cuisine: Mediterranean
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dried Puy lentils (those are the little round dark green/blue ones)
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 500 g sliced mushrooms
  • 1 large eggplant, diced
  • 1 very large fat garlic clove - or ⅔ smaller ones
  • 1 medium red capsicum, diced
  • ½ bottle passata (or a can of chopped tomatoes, pureed)
  • Same volume of water as passata (fill up the empty jar / can)
  • 1 t vegetable stock powder
  • 1 t turmeric
  • 1 t ground coriander
  • 1 t smoked paprika
  • ¼ cup apple juice
  • ⅓ cup white wine
  • 3 small bay leaves
  • 1 t marjoram
  • 1-2 T lemon juice
  • Small handful fresh mint leaves, (about 12 large leaves) chopped
  • ** NOTE: t = teaspoon; T = tablespoon.
Instructions
  1. Put the lentils into a smallish saucepan, cover with water by a good inch or so and bring to the boil whilst you prep your veg. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and put the lid on. They should take around 20 minutes.
  2. Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and dry-fry the onion, mushroom and garlic until the moisture is released. Add the capsicum, eggplant and spices and continue cooking for about 10 minutes.
  3. (You can use a large casserole dish for the whole cooking process, however you need to avoid stewing the vegetables or their flavour won't be brought out, that's why I'm starting off in the pan).
  4. - Check your lentils and drain if cooked. You want them to be al dente, not hard and not breaking apart.
  5. Pour into a large casserole dish (which has a close fitting lid), add the passata / tomatoes, water and stock powder, apple juice and white wine, bay leaves and marjoram. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer and put on the lid and simmer until eggplant very tender and falling apart (about 20-30 mins).
  6. Add your cooked lentils and simmer, covered for another 10 or so minutes.
  7. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.
  8. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and mint and leave to sit whilst you prepare / serve your accompaniments. Don't worry about it cooling down (especially if you're serving it in summer) as It is actually much better served at room temperature than "straight from the pot" hot.
  9. We had ours with large gently boiled new potatoes (I put them on to cook at the same time as the lentils). Would also be great with couscous / rice or just good crusty bread. Some people might like to add hot chilli sauce at the table. (Yes I'm looking at you my chilli-sauce addict of a husband..).