As I previously posted, I bought an instant pot a few months ago, and it has been used quite regularly in my kitchen since then. I was trying to use up a bunch of kale before it went bad and kind of thought this up as I went along….the way much of my cooking happens. It actually started out as a maple flavored idea, then I thought, “oh! … [Read more…]
Green Bean and Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
I have to admit this here – like a huge chunk of the population, I fell for the hype and got an Instant Pot this past November. After I got mine, I found out that it fit into my kitchen routine quite nicely. It paid for itself within weeks of buying, just by allowing me to get food ready quickly on and not having to resort to takeout. You can … [Read more…]
Pea and Potato Lamb Stew
This is a delicious stew that can be made from mostly freezer and pantry items, making it a good recipe to have on hand for those days that you cannot get out to shop. This recipe can be used with other frozen vegetables as well and reheats well for leftovers. You can serve this with rice, or flat bread, a dollop of yogurt, and salad. … [Read more…]
Rosemary Scented Slow Cooker Beef Stew
It hasn’t been super cold here yet this winter, but with everyone being sick, comforting stews and quick-cooking soups were our mainstays for a while. This one saved us on a day when we knew that we were going to busy all day, and would need something waiting for us at dinnertime. Rosemary Scented Slow Cooker Beef Stew 1-2 … [Read more…]
Eggplant and Tomato “Stew”
We got some local eggplant and tomatoes at the farmer’s market. In the summer, I make this dish many times, using whatever vegetable I have on hand – eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower, etc. It takes about 40 minutes, and doesn’t use a whole lot of ingredients. Fresh, seasonal vegetables taste best simply prepared. I don’t even use spices in this a … [Read more…]
Pasta Fagioli Soup | The Levantess
This is a recipe for a delicious soup consisting of mostly pantry ingredients. I stumbled across a recipe for Pasta Fagioli a few years ago, but I made changes according to what we had and my family’s tastes. Using the marinara sauce gives it more of a long-simmered, rich taste. This recipe specifies Italian turkey sausage, but I have also used … [Read more…]
Caldo De Yum! , or Turkey Sausage, Spinach, and Alphabet Noodle Soup
We needed soup, because everyone in our house was sick. I didn’t have any chicken, but I did have sweet Italian turkey sausage, so I decided to make a soup that complemented the sausage. I thought of tomato, automatically, but we didn’t want it too strongly tomato-ey. So, this soup is mostly chicken stock based, with some tomato paste to flavor … [Read more…]
Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup
The lentil is a humble but mighty ingredient. It is a superior form of protein, and contains significant amount of fiber and iron. It is also good source of folate, an important nutrient for women of child-bearing age. But, what is the best part? It cooks in a short time, relative to dried legumes. That makes it a better option for a weeknight … [Read more…]
Ropa Vieja in the Slow Cooker
This is a lovely dish of shredded beef, with a delicious sauce. It is really easy to put together, since you prepare everything, set it in the slow cooker, and go about your day. Ropa Vieja is a Cuban dish. It translates to “old clothes” , because it looks like shredded old fabric. It tastes a heck of a lot better than old clothes, though. … [Read more…]
Throwback Thursday : Fall Lentil Vegetable Stew
It appears that this time last year was the same kind of chilly, rainy Fall weather that we are having today. I made a lentil stew then that had carrots and spinach, and nicely spiced with curry, cumin, and allspice. This is a wonderfully homey, satisfying stew that can be made with things that most people have on hand. Thus, I have tagged it … [Read more…]