Day Thirty: Pozolé

This Mexican pork stew dates all the way back to the Aztecs. It was and still is made with whole kernel hominy and served for special occasions. It can be made red with ancho or guajillo chili or green with tomatillo salsa verde. 

Ingredients

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup salsa verde
2 pound pork stew meat
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
2 (15 ounce) cans hominy

Garnishes

medium thin-sliced radishes
chopped avocado
plucked fresh cilantro
lime wedges

Prep

Sauté the pork chunks, in a large pot or Dutch oven, turning or stirring to brown all sides. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, and chicken broth and stir. Add the salsa verde and the liquid from the hominy. Bring to boil (stir every minute or so), lowering heat to simmer for 40 minutes. Add the Hominy and continue simmering another 20 minutes. Add water or more chicken broth if necessary to maintain soupy stew consistency. Don't overcook or allow to mush-up. Served garnished with your favorite toppings.

Day Twenty-Six: Bacalao

Puerto Rican Fish Stew

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound flaky white fish, such as haddock, tilapia or cod, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 Anaheim or poblano chile pepper, chopped
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water, as needed
1 avocado, chopped (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

2. Add fish, tomatoes and their juices, chile pepper, cilantro, olives, capers, oregano and salt; stir to combine. Add up to 1/2 cup water if the mixture seems dry. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with avocado (if using)

Day Twenty-Five: Brazilian Black Bean Stew

Brazilian Black Bean Stew

Leave out the chorizo for a vegetarian version.

Ingredients
Original recipe makes 6 servings

 1 tablespoon canola oil
 1/4 pound chorizo sausage, chopped
 1 medium onion, chopped
 2 cloves garlic, minced
 2 (1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
 1 large red bell pepper, diced
 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
 1 small hot green chile pepper, diced
 1 1/2 cups water
 2 (16 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
 1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the chorizo for 2 to 3 minutes. Place the onion in the pot, and cook until tender. Stir in garlic, and cook until tender, then mix in the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes with juice, chile pepper, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.

2. Stir the beans into the pot, and cook uncovered until heated through. Mix in the mango and cilantro, and season with salt.

Day Twenty-Two: Asian Stew

This is a labor of love for sure and probably not the most economical meal! However you can't beat this winning combination of Asian flavors! Splurge a little; try it on a special occasion.

Courtesy of Food and Wine

Short Rib Stew with Caramelized Kimchi

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 small Asian pear, grated (1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
6 pounds English-cut beef short ribs (twelve 4-by-2-by-2-inch pieces)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
1 large daikon, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 baking potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cups (12 ounces) chopped napa cabbage kimchi
4 radishes, thinly sliced
Steamed white or brown short-grain rice, for serving

1. In a bowl, whisk the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pear, pepper, 2 sliced scallions and 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil. Add the ribs, turn to coat and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally.

2. Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven or enameled cast-iron casserole. Lift half of the short ribs from the marinade, brushing off the solids, and sear over moderately high heat until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ribs; reserve the marinade separately.

3. Add the onion and 2 tablespoons of water to the pot and cook, stirring to release the browned bits on the bottom, 2 minutes. Return the ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the reserved marinade, broth and 6 cups of water; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat for 1 hour, skimming occasionally. Uncover and simmer for 1 hour longer, stirring and skimming occasionally.

4. Add the daikon, carrots and potatoes to the stew and sim­mer briskly until the meat is very tender, the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened, 30 minutes longer.

5. Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil over moderately high heat. Add half of the kimchi and cook, turning occasionally, until golden and lightly caramelized. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining sesame oil and kimchi.

6. Serve the stew topped with the kimchi and radishes and garnished with sliced scallions. Serve with steamed rice.

Day Twenty: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Stew

There's something about curry! I can't get enough! So here is yet another stew with curry. This one comes from Betty Crocker; it's vegetarian (can be vegan with a few substitutions) and a slow cooker recipe! Win!

Curried Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew

3 cups peeled sweet potatoes, cubed
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots
3/4 cup dried lentils, sorted, rinsed
2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger root
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth or 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt

1 In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix sweet potatoes, onion, carrots and lentils.
2 In 8-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add curry powder, cumin, salt, pepper, ginger  root and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth. Pour mixture into slow cooker; stir.
3 Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.
4 Increase heat setting to High. Stir in green beans. Cover; cook about 15 minutes longer or until green beans are crisp-tender. Serve topped with yogurt.

Day Nineteen: Chorizo Stew

I absolutely love chorizo; Mexican, Spanish, and Argentinian, you name it I want it. Ran across this gem of a recipe on Epicurious. White beans and chorizo seems like a great combination. It calls for Mexican chorizo, but I may use Spanish.

Chorizo and White Bean Stew
Bon Appétit  | February 2013
by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 sprig thyme
2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
5 ounces baby spinach (about 10 cups)
Smoked paprika (optional)

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprig. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-8 minutes. Add beans and broth and cook, crushing a few beans with the back of a spoon to thicken sauce, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach by handfuls and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Slice chorizo and fold into stew; add water to thin, if desired. Divide stew among bowls; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Day Seventeen: South Indian Inspired

I was browsing different soups on Allrecipes.com and came across something I had never heard of: mulligatawny soup. Mulligatawny stew is a pepper soup that originated in South India. Today the recipe is much different from the original because it's been adapted by the English. The traditional version often included lamb and south Indian peppers, while today's alternatives include chicken or lentils (for a vegetarian option) and curry. I chose this version because it includes apples; curry and apples make a wonderful pair. (*Note: I did not use the allrecipes version. I found this recipe instead, she makes the  vegetarian version)

Mulligatawny Stew

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 green chile pepper, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons cardamom
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 carrot, chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
8 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions


Heat oil over low heat in large saucepan; cook chicken until no longer pink. Add onion, garlic, ginger, chili and spices, stirring until onion is browned lightly and mixture is fragrant. Don’t over brown the onion. Add chicken stock to pan; simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. Add carrot, apple, and potato, and simmer until vegetables are just tender. Add lemon juice, coconut milk; stir until heated through. Garnish with fresh cilantro.