Winter Vegetable Stew

Reminiscent of a minestrone soup minus the pasta. The tomato herb soupy base is there as well as root vegetables and an ample amount of parsnips make this wintery stew hearty and substantial. 

  

Winter Vegetable Stew 

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Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced

4 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped

2 celery ribs, roughly chopped

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cups (500ml) low sodium vegetable stock

14 oz (410g) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

14 oz (410g) can low sodium diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 bay leaves

1 - 2 tablespoons dried oregano 

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC) 

Heat oil in a large stockpot on medium-high heat. Sauté leek, rutabaga, celery, carrot and onion for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion is soft.

Add the vegetable stock, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, soy sauce, bay leaves and oregano. Bring mixture to a boil, then transfer to a large casserole dish.

Bake, covered for about 20 minutes and then uncover and bake a further 10 minutes.

Serve with slices of rustic bread.  

Notes: you can use 2 rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped, instead of parsnips.

Food Photo of the Day ~ Oven Roasted Vegetables

Nothing beats a tray full of oven roasted veggies! Slightly golden brown and seasoned. Mostly enjoyed with a Sunday roast or Holiday meals... to me this is the perfect savoury side to any meal. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD 

Chicken Vegetable Stew

Sometimes I can get a complete craving for a recipe. Plotting and deciding exactly how everything will come together. Stew is one of those mystical one pot wonders that comfort all especially when the temperature drop. It was absolutely divine to sit down with a bowl and the let the savoury herbs unfold in front of you. 

Chicken Stew

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3 chicken breasts, diced 

5-6 potatoes, cubed

2 parsnips, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup red wine

2 x 796ml tins of diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

salt and pepper to taste

* You can change the vegetables, add different seasonings, adjust the seasonings or herbs according to taste, and omit the wine and add beer. * 

First, place a bit of olive oil a the stock pot. Turn the burner on to medium heat. Add the chicken. Stir. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Continue sautéing the chicken. When the chicken has slightly browned add the onions. Stir and fry the onion for about 1 -2 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, and potatoes. Fry for a few minutes longer or until slightly tender. Add the cumin, rosemary, thyme and paprika. Pour the red wine in and add the tinned tomatoes. Stir everything around. Pop the bay leaves in. Bring to a boil and then let everything simmer for about 2 hours. Serve it with some naan bread or a slice of french baguette.

Enjoy! - JW 

Guinness Infused Cumin and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Root Vegetables

Sunday dinner was an interesting one. I was inspired by my luv of the spice cumin and a can of Guinness. The rosemary was a last minute add. Why not have stout as the liquid base for the pork tenderloin and root veggies. I definitely saved the stock. 

I rolled the pork tenderloin in olive oil making sure all sides were lightly coated and then added the spices rolling to ensure each side was coated with cumin and rosemary. The pantry was very fragrant over the weekend do to the cumin! The Guinness was added to the bottom of the slow cooker pot, then some veggies, then the herbed pork tenderloin was set on top of the veggies and more veggies were added around it. The remaining Guinness was poured on top. The slow cooker was set to low for about 5 hours. 

The veggies were not under or over done for the most part because I decided to slice them chunky. A subtle flavour infused by the Guinness however still true their form, taste and texture. There were parsnips, carrots and multi coloured baby potatoes. With a few quarters of white onion here and there for sweetness.

When all was done this is how it got plated. Just a dash of summer savoury. I was going to make a gravy however I feel sometimes we may add sauce for the sake of making it taste better or hiding the natural flavours. I did have a bit of Fortnum's Piccadilly Piccalilli to the side of the meat, not pictured here, but the pork tenderloin was very melt in your mouth that it stood happily on it's own. - JW