I have something much deeper and more meaningful to share again on the blog tomorrow, as well as an update in our journey to find Maya, but for now, stew! I know, random, but I made a really simple but nourishing, delicious stew today for all the sick kiddos in our family, including mama, and Gio who has been kicking like crazy the entire time I've been typing this, so obviously he loved it! Haha! ;) It was made only with ingredients I had on hand, and since it turned out so good, I thought I would share the basic recipe! I know lots of friends are going through this sore throat/fever/cough with their kids too. Yuck. Anyways, keep in mind, this recipe is suuuuper adaptable to what you have on hand. You could add or take away any of the veggies, add a grain or pasta, use a different broth to make it completely vegan, or add meat, cheese, and/or cream if you want that and can handle the dairy. ;) Here's what I did, and it turned out so good that everyone ate it up!
INGREDIENTS
-32 oz broth (I had Stater Bros Beef Broth with 50% less sodium)
-24 oz potatoes, or about 20 small red (I had a bag of Tasteful Selection brand Steam & Savor which made it easy)
-2-4 oz spinach, coarsely chopped (I had about a quarter of a 10 oz bag of Popeye Superfood Spinach left in the fridge)
-1 small yellow onion
-5 cloves of garlic (yes, we love garlic, haha)
-1 carrot, chopped
-1 stalk of celery, chopped
-salt and pepper to taste!
1. Since I had a steam bag of potatoes, I first put those in the microwave to cook using the directions on the bag, but you can just boil your potatoes after chopping them up or cook them in the microwave like a "baked" potato, and then pulse them in a food processor a couple times for using in stew, like I did. (Keep the skin on the potatoes for the extra nutrients!)
2. Put your pulsed potatoes in the broth and turn them on low-med with the lid on while you prepare the veggies. You don't need it to boil too much yet since the potatoes are already soft.
3. Mince the garlic, and chop the onions according to the size you like eating them in a stew.
4. Get a non-stick pan, and after heating cooking spray, butter or oil in it, put the garlic and onions in and saute on low-med with a spatula until onions are slightly clearer and garlic is browned.
5. Remove the pan of garlic/onions from the stove and let it sit for a minute while you prepare the rest of the veggies.
6. Chop the carrot and celery to the desired size. I like to quarter and chop mine pretty small to get a little of everything in each bite! I give the spinach more of a coarse chop since it shrinks down a lot when boiled.
7. Now add the spinach, carrots, celery, garlic, and onions into the pot of potatoes and broth and boil until everything is cooked through, stirring occasionally to distribute all that starchy, potatoey, goodness! This will make the stew really creamy without even needing to add anything to it!
8. Salt and pepper to taste.... and done!
Enjoy, and let me know if you try it!
Love, Beth
