• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

(⅛ RECIPE):

Calories: 300

Calories from fat: 25

Total fat: 2.5 g

Saturated fat: 0 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 56 g

Fiber: 9 g

Sugars: 6 g

Protein: 14 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 890 mg

Vitamin A: 210%

Vitamin C: 150%

Calcium: 20%

Iron: 30%

This is one of my winter staples, especially if I’m having a busy week, have no one to impress, and don’t want to use a million dishes (big ups to the disherwasherless!). You get your beans, greens, and grains all in one pot; in this case I use white beans, kale, and quinoa. You also get about eight servings out of it, so you can either freeze it or keep it in the fridge for four days or so, having it for lunch or dinner or ... stew for breakfast? Why not!

It’s really versatile, so make up your own spice blend, use different beans and grains (although cooking time may vary for the grain), and, you know, just do whatever you want—this stew is your canvas. Prep the herb blend before proceeding with the recipe; that way you just dump everything in at the same time without much fuss.

HERB BLEND:

½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (see tip about crushing

fennel seeds, page 248)

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

Freshly ground black pepper

EVERYTHING ELSE:

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and green parts, about

one average-size leek)

1 teaspoon salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, peeled, cut into medium dice

1 large parsnip, peeled, cut into medium dice

8 cups vegetable broth

1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into medium dice

1 cup dried quinoa

1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch kale (about a pound), coarse stems removed,

torn into bite-size pieces

First, prepare the herb blend by stirring all its ingredients together in a small bowl.

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

Add the vegetable broth, potatoes, and quinoa. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes and quinoa are tender. Add the kale and beans, and cook, stirring frequently, until the kale is wilted. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 more minutes. Taste for salt.

When you serve this stew 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!

Portobello Pepper Steak Stew

SERVES 4 •ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES •TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(¼ RECIPE):

Calories: 190

Calories from fat: 35

Total fat: 4 g

Saturated fat: 0.5 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 19 g

Fiber: 3 g

Sugars: 6 g

Protein: 15 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 740 mg

Vitamin A: 20%

Vitamin C: 110%

Calcium: 6%

Iron: 15%

Cooking bell peppers ’til they’re slightly blackened brings them to new flavor heights. That plus red pepper flakes and black pepper makes for a really peppery and yummy stew that comes together quickly, right in your skillet. A hint of fennel seed adds a lot of interest without being overwhelming.

Portobello and seitan form a tag team of meatiness that makes this stew the perfect meal for a Super Bowl party or a particularly rough night of extreme knitting. Serve over a baked potato, or on a whole wheat roll for a sloppy sandwich. Or, for a neater sandwich, try a whole wheat pita. To get this together in 30 minutes, prep the onions and pepper while the seitan is cooking, and prep the mushrooms while the onion and peppers are cooking.

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups seitan, sliced thinly

1 red onion, sliced into ¼-inch half-moons

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced in ¼-inch strips

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced in ¼-inch strips

A big pinch of salt

2 portobello caps, sliced into ¼-inch strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (see tip)

1 teaspoon