stew Archives - Sugar et al

Red Kidney Bean and Pumpkin Stew

24|09|2014

I think we all have heard the story. Cinderella, her step-sisters, her fairy Godmother and the pumpkin carriage. To be able to transform into the most glamorous carriage, I couldn’t love the pumpkin more! But I literally couldn’t love it more than that. My parents love pumpkin and so do my children (how?). I couldn’t get past the mushy texture. As a colour-driven individual I love the way it looks and so last year, I made a few genuine attempts to start cooking with it. I did not fall in love. Nope. I know my readers love it too, gauging by the responses to my posts in the past. And since I love my readers, I decided to lock my eyes with pumpkin again. This time around I thought I would add it to recipes that are big on flavours and pumpkin is an addition. Non-pumpkin loving souls (if you exist?) could benefit from removing them, enjoying the rest of the dish if they wanted to. As it turned out, I actually liked the dish, along with the pumpkin. I did not have to remove any.

The stew is inspired by an Indian dish from my childhood.,’Rajma Masala’. The red kidney bean is the star here. We moms have a natural tendency to add ‘things’ to the meals we feed our children, so the addition of pumpkin is a no-brainer. What is great however, is the way the ingredients work together! The contrast in textures and flavours, makes the stew really delicious. And filling. A quick and hearty weeknight meal. Whilst being equally healthy.

Feel free to increase the heat in the stew by adding either a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, powdered chilli or chopped green chillies.

Red Kidney Bean and Pumpkin Stew
Serves 4

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped
11/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 cup canned, diced tomatoes
3/4 cup vegetable stock/chicken stock
1 can red kidney beans (400 g)
400 g butternut pumpkin, chopped into 3 cm cubes
salt, to season
fresh sprigs coriander, leaves picked, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and wait for 30 seconds. Cook the onion, stirring, for 2-3 mins or until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and spices. Cook, stirring, for 1 min or until fragrant.

Add the tomato and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins. Add red kidney beans and simmer a further 10 mins or until pumpkin is just tender. Season with salt. Garnish with coriander. Serve warm

Bouillabaisse- French Seafood Soup

31|01|2014

Sometimes all it takes is a few simple ingredients to turn dinner into a happy family meal. You know the ones that bring out smiles across the table. The ones where everyone wants to reach out for another helping and you end up eating less because you are too busy serving. I actually like that. It gives me the drive for a repeat performance. If it is something as wonderful as this French classic ( pronounced boo yah behss) that takes only a few minutes to serve up and is equally healthy, I am up for it. Even on a hot day like ours was today. A unique combination of ingredients that magically transform into complex flavours in a beautiful seafood soup.

I wonder what took me so long to share this recipe. This is a dish that I almost instantly fell in love with when I saw it on a cooking show, years ago. Without even cooking or tasting it I could feel the flavours dancing on my palate. Tangy tomato, mild notes of citrus, the subtle scent but deep colour from the saffron and the sweetness of the sea from the prawns. Garlic, onions…I consider my safe zone. A splash of white wine makes it very French but I decided to skip it the last few times I cooked this and yet it was nothing short of delicious.

I only followed the exact recipe and measurements once and that was the first time I made it. Ever since then, it has been based on intuitive cooking. You just add as you go according to taste and consistency. Saffron can be expensive and if you don’t have it, leave it out. It is an important constituent of the dish and I cannot really recommend a substitute as the flavour is unique. I also remember adding Cointreau once as I did not have oranges at home and yet it turned out great. Over time, I have simplified the recipe with ingredients that are available at hand but maybe slightly different from the classic recipe.

You can get fancy with your choice of seafood. I have used frozen fish and prawns as that is more of a quick convenient option for me. The seafood is poached in the soup and that makes it soft while adding to the flavour and making it equally healthy.
The best way of enjoying this soup is with some crusty bread along side. I love to serve it with slices of well toasted garlic bread.

Bouillabaisse- French Seafood Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced or 1 leek, white part only, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Large pinch of saffron threads
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup tomato based pasta sauce (I used chunky vegetables)
2 sprigs rosemary or thyme
2 tsp orange zest
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp chilli powder
300 g firm white fish fillets (fresh or frozen), cut into small cubes
16-18 small/medium prawns, cleaned (fresh or frozen)
salt and pepper to taste
A few sprigs of rosemary and a handful of parsley for garnish
Crusty bread to serve

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions (or leeks if using), garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until the onions soften slightly.

Add the pasta sauce, chicken stock, saffron, rosemary, orange zest, bay leaves and chilli powder. Season with salt and pepper (take care not to over season as there will be a slight saltiness from the prawns). Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the fish and prawns to the stock mixture and cook for 7-8 minutes or until the fish and prawns are just cooked through. Divide the soup among serving bowls. Garnish with rosemary and parsley leaves. Serve with your choice of bread.

Chickpeas and Chorizo Stew

28|01|2014

You hear me raving about the blue patches in my city all the time. Well, there is something else I rave about quite a bit. Our sunny winters and our cool summers. Exciting, isn’t it?
It actually is amazing!

When we first moved to Sydney, we happened to stay in a house that did not have a heating or cooling unit. It was spring and pretty cold (that’s what I thought when I disembarked the aircraft). We invested in a room heater. A few mornings later the temperature soared, the heat was unbearable and we were sweating at home. We went back to the same dealer and bought a table fan. Apparently, he wasn’t surprised to see us. Then overnight the weather went through a complete transformation. The following morning, we found ourselves desperately checking up on our cargo that was to arrive with warm blankets and quilts.
Over time we got used to the weather. The room heater and table fan were kept next to each other. There were occasions when both were used on the same day. I found it hilarious at that time. That was pretty much how it was for most of the year. And to take the excitement a step further were the rain showers that would catch us by surprise any time of the day or season.
Today, I have grown to love the thrill that comes with this kind of unpredictability. What is life without a little pizzazz? The benefits are many. And that clearly reflects in our clothing, lifestyle, our local produce or our food. We can enjoy meat roasts in summer while sitting at the beaches with a popsicle in the middle of winter

Chickpeas have been a part of my diet for as long as I can remember. Hence, I am always on the look out for new ways to cook with it. I usually stock up on cans of chickpeas and lentils on a frequent basis and this is a classic example of how tins and cans can come to your rescue to put up a meal when you are too busy to visit the grocer’s. A simple and hearty Spanish stew, great on flavour. When I don’t have chorizo at home I cook the same dish with diced bacon. Chorizo is easy to overcook and can turn hard and chewy if not cooked properly. 7-8 minutes in the pan should do it. Vegetarians can substitute chicken stock for vegetable stock and skip the chorizo or use tofu instead.

Is there anything in particular you love about your climate? Or anything you wish you could change?

“Here’s some ‘blue’ to drive away your ‘blues’. I thought its high time I shared a few visuals with you. This is just one of the blue patches amongst hundreds in my city. If you have already visited or lived in Sydney, you would know this is our gorgeous Bondi Beach. If you haven’t, you know what to expect!

Chickpeas and Chorizo Stew (minimally adapted from Taste.com)
Serves 5-6

1 tbsp olive oil
2 chorizo sausages, sliced or diced bacon
1 red onion, chopped
1 red capsicum, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 large potato, peeled, cut into 1.5cm cubes, cooked for 2-3 minutes until almost tender
400 g canned chickpeas with liquid
1 cup of canned, diced tomatoes (3-4 medium ripe tomatoes, if using fresh)
1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock
1 cup baby spinach
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper, to season
Crusty bread or rice to serve

Heat oil in a casserole or large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chorizo, turning until starting to crisp. Remove and drain on paper towel. Drain excess oil and fat, leaving 2 tbsp in pan.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and capsicum and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the potatoes, chickpeas, oregano, tomatoes and chicken stock. Season, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Add in the chorizo in the last-minute if you like it crisp otherwise cook it with the stew for a few minutes. Garnish with baby spinach and parsley. Serve with white rice or crusty bread.