Chakchouka Stew (tomato stew)

 

Chakchouka or shakshouka is a style of vegetable cooking from the Middle East and the Mahgreb (the North African countries, especially in Algeria and Tunisia. Chakchouka is popular as a breakfast dish. You crack floating eggs into this tomato stew, which I love.  Most recipes include the eggs, but they can actually be left out if you like.

Ingredients - 4-6 servings

• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons Paprika
• 1 Onion, thinly sliced
• 2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
• 2-3 Green and red bell peppers, diced
• 1 cup Water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Eggs (optional)

 

Preparation

• Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Stir in the paprika and cook slighly to color the oil, about 10-15 seconds. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent and wilted but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes to reduce down a little bit. Add the peppers, water and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add more water as needed to keep it from drying out.
• Using a spoon, form four small indentations in the simmering peppers to hold the eggs. One by one, crack the eggs into a small bowl and slip each from the bowl into an indentation. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes or so until eggs are cooked through.
• Serve with crusty bread, pita or rice.

Variations

• Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seed to the hot oil for about 15 seconds before you add the paprika. Add 2-3 teaspoons of ground coriander along with the onions.
• For a little spice, sauté 1 tablespoon of harissa paste or a minced chile pepper with the onions.
• Add 1 small, diced eggplant along with the peppers.
• Add 1 potato, cut in a small dice, along with the peppers.
• Sprinkle the top of the cooked dish with chopped parsley or cilantro.

Source:  Arabic Food blog

IMMUNITY BOOSTER: Quinoa, White Bean and Kale Soup

  
A hearty soup with amazing quinoa and dark leafy greens.  Prep the herb blend before proceeding with the recipe, that way you just dump everything in at the same time without much fuss.
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups leeks, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, peeled, diced medium
1 large parsnip, peeled, diced medium
8 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, diced medium
1 cup dry quinoa
1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch kale (about a pound), rough stems removed, torn into bite sized pieces
Herb blend:
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (see crushing fennel tip)
1 teaspoon dried majoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Fresh black pepper, to taste

Preheat a 4 quart soup pot over medium high heat. Saute leeks and garlic in oil with salt for about 3 minutes, or however long it takes you to prep your carrot and parsnip. Add carrot and parsnip, along with the herb blend, turn heat up to high and saute for a few seconds.

Add vegetable broth, potatoes and quinoa. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes and quinoa are tender. Add kale and beans, and stir frequently until kale is wilted. Cover and simmer on low for 5 more minutes. Taste for salt
When you serve you may want to add a little lemon juice or a splash of balsamic vinegar or hot sauce – whatever your thing is. Or you may not.

SOURCE:  Post Punk Kitchen

Seitan Marango Stew

Seitan Marengo

According to a popular myth, the dish was first made after Napoleon defeated the Austrian army at the Battle of Marengo at Marengo south of Turin, Italy, when his chef Dunand foraged in the town for ingredients (because the supply wagons were too distant) and created the dish from what he could gather.^[ According to this legend, Napoleon enjoyed the dish so much he had it served to him after every battle.

We substitute seitan for chicken in this recipe.  Though traditionally served with toasted crusty bread, it’s delectable served over linguine or fettuccine pasta, mashed potatoes, or polenta.

20 oz (565 g) seitan, cut into 2 x 1 in (5 x 2.5 cm) pieces
2 Tbsp (30 mL) whole wheat pastry flour
3 Tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium onions, coarsely diced
2 cups (500 mL) low-sodium vegetarian broth
3/4 cup (180 mL) dry white wine (can be nonalcoholic) or white vermouth
1 Tbsp (15 mL) salt-free tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried thyme
12 oz (340 g) button or crimini mushrooms
1/4 cup (60 mL) pitted kalamata olives, drained and cut in half lengthwise
1 Tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In shallow bowl, toss seitan pieces in flour to coat.
Heat 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil in large, heavy pot over high heat and add seitan. Stir-fry seitan until golden all over. Remove from pot.

Add onions to remaining oil in pot. Stir-fry over medium-high heat until onions begin to soften, about 5 or 6 minutes, adding sprinkles of water to keep onions from sticking or burning. Add broth, wine, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Return seitan to pot. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

In large, heavy skillet heat remaining 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil over high heat. Add mushrooms, sprinkle lightly with salt. Stir-fry until they start to exude their liquid. Immediately add to pot with stew.
Add olives and parsley to stew and taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Serves 6.

Each serving contains: 380 calories; 22 g protein; 10 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 trans fat); 50 g carbohydrates; 8 g fibre; 450 mg sodium

Source:  Alive.com

IMMUNE BOOSTER: Vegan Dumpling Soup

Vegan Dumpling Soup

Dumplings are a winter food.  This is another immunity booster soup.  It has no chicken and is still a very tasty soup that warms that cockles of your heart, and stomach.

Ingredients
Soup:
about 2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
6 cups assorted chopped vegetables
 (green pepper, butternut squash, cabbage, 
  carrots, and fava beans;  
  can also use spinach, or stinging nettles)
6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 cup kale, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups seitan, chopped
1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes

Biscuits:
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk alternative
1/2 t ground thyme
1 t ground sage
1/8-1/4 t black pepper

The process

1. In a stockpot over medium heat, saute the onion in olive oil until softened.  Add garlic and continue to cook another 1-2 minutes.  Add the assorted vegetables (but NOT kale or mushrooms) and continue to cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.
2. Add broth and water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, make biscuit dough: in a small bowl, stir together all biscuit ingredients just until combined.
4. Add mushrooms, seitan and potato flakes to broth, and return to boiling.  Drop biscuit dough into broth and gently boil, uncovered, 10 minutes.
5. Push the dumplings aside and slip the kale into the soup, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked through.

Recipe Source:  Bite Me, I'm Vegan blog

READ BOOK EXCERPT:  "Stinging Nettles, Queen of Herbs: Alchemical Healing of Plant Allies"  explores nettles' history,  its role as a super-food, immune booster, how to use nettles, tonics, food recipes.  Available as Kindle or paperback: 

Kindle or Paperback book

Questions?  send email to safeinthewoods@gmail.com  

IMMUNITY BOOSTER SOUPS: Collared Greens, Bean, Tofu soup

 

Ingredients

3 cups vegetable broth, such as Pacific Organic brand
4 cups coarsely chopped stemmed collard greens (1 bunch 10 to 12 ounces)
1-1/2 cup packaged julienned (matchstick) carrots
1-1/2 teaspoons chili garlic puree or chili paste with garlic
1 (12 ounce) package extra firm tofu, cubed in bite size pieces
1 (16 ounce) can unsalted navy beans, drained
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Preparation

Combine broth, collard greens, carrots and chili garlic puree in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until greens are nearly tender. Stir in tofu and beans; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Ladle into shallow bowls; top with cheese.

Source:  Dr John LaPuma blog

IMMUNITY POWER SOUPS: Miso Veggie Soup

Mover over chicken soup!  Many other warm, steeping soups can boost our immunity and protect against winter colds and illness.  

Miso - if you haven't yet had the opportunity to experiment with miso, you're in for a treat.  Miso is a fermented food sold in paste form that is most commonly derived from soybean and brown rice or barley. Like most fermented foods, miso also contains active bacteria that help arm our digestive tract (and immune system) with a healthy ecology, protecting us from illness.  It is also said that the emollient nature of the linoleic acid in miso promotes soft, silky skin.

Fully Loaded Miso Soup {Protein Rich, Vegan}

• 2 large yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp chili-garlic sauce
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms of choice
• 5 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup shelled edamame beans, (run frozen beans under hot water for 15 seconds)
• 1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 package (about 500 grams or about 2 cups) firm tofu, diced
• 6 Tbsp miso paste, or to taste
• 1 bundle green onion (scallions), finely chopped

Directions:

Sauté onion, garlic, chili-garlic sauce and mushroom with some olive oil in a skillet on the stove top set to low-medium heat until onion is translucent (about 7-8 minutes).

Transfer onion/mushroom mixture into a large pot that you will be using to cook the soup.  Add vegetable stock and water to pot followed by edamame, bell pepper and tofu, stirring to combine over medium heat.  Allow mixture to come to a boil before reducing heat and adding miso.  Stir to integrate miso thoroughly and finally, add green onions (scallions) just before serving. 

Source:  Inspred Edibles blog

Thanksgiving Pilgrim Cupcakes

for the Pilgrim Hats,  use Fudge Striped Cookies, Mini Peanut Butter Cups and Buttercream frosting.

1. Frost cupcake with Buttercream frosting
2. Place cookie upside down on the counter
3. Upwrap Peanut Butter Cups, and place on cookie with a small amount of frosting
4. Pipe on the gold buckle and rim using a decorator bag fitted with a small round tip (I used copper and yellow Wilton coloring mixed, plain yellow would be fine too)
5. Place on top of frosted cupcake

Source:  Hoosier Homemade blog