If you are tired of S.U.B. food, over instant ramen and/or too cheap for frozen dinners, you’re looking in the right place.
Here you will find ideas for cooking well and cheaply, as well as finding more variety in your own cooking and the S.U.B. This week, with the chilly weather and pervasive sicknesses, I’m all about the veggie stew.
This recipe, which I created with a friend while we were studying abroad, usually makes enough stew to last me about seven meals.
I don’t eat it constantly, but I usually finish my batch by the end of the week. If you don’t like the idea of eating the same thing many days in a row, you’d better get used to it; you’re in college now.
Just kidding, if you do get tired of your stew before it’s all gone, you can put it up in quart sized freezer bags. If you put just enough for one serving in each bag, then you can take them out and unfreeze them one by one when you’re ready for them.
You will need one small pot, and one medium-large pot. You will also need:
1 C lentils, washed
2 C chicken or vegetable broth (water also works well, the broth just adds a little more flavor)
Olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 ½ T curry powder (or to your liking)
1 beet, chopped (most people either love beets or hate them. If you join the latter category, feel free to substitute. That goes for all the veggies in this stew.)
1 sweet potato, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 precooked sausages; I like Johnsonville Polish Kielbasa (optional)
1 bag baby spinach, washed and stemmed (I usually leave the stems on, but that’s just me)
Put the lentils and the chicken/veggie stock in the small pot. Let them come to a boil, and then simmer with the lid on until all the liquid is gone (about 30 minutes).
While the lentils cook, pour the olive oil into your large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and don’t stir, so that it browns.
Once the onion has browned a little, add the curry powder, stir, and cook about a minute. Then add beet, sweet potato and carrots.
Let cook together for about seven minutes, then add enough water so that the vegetables are just submerged.
If you like your stew thicker, add less water; if you prefer it more watery, add more water. You can’t go wrong.
Let the whole thing simmer until the vegetables are as tender as you like them. I usually let it go for about 15 minutes so that the potatoes and carrots are soft and the beets are still a little crunchy.
Finally, add your lentils, spinach and sausage (if you’re using it) to the pot. Stir the spinach in, and then cook until warmed through (about five minutes). Then dig in!
If there are parts of this recipe that aren’t too exciting for you, that’s okay. The stew lends itself nicely to most adaptations. If you’re not into lentils, serve it over brown rice instead.
If you’re a vegetarian, substitute quinoa for the lentils to add some protein to the mix.
If you’re not a vegetarian, and you have some left over chicken, throw that in instead of the sausage. This stew is about using up any veggies or other leftovers that you don’t know what to do with.
Happy eating!
If you have any questions or recommendations for Sophie Pattison, and what she should write about for her next article regarding food or cooking, please contact her. You may send them to trailae@pugetsound.edu.
