In the winter there is nothing nicer than a steaming hot stew or casserole that has been cooking away for a few hours. In the cold months I turn to one pot meals as a source of a nutritious and easy meal.
The reasons I love one pot stews:
-
quick and easy to prepare
-
simple
-
you can leave them for ages to cook
-
the comfort they bring
-
the anything goes approach- you can throw anything in and in and they still taste great
-
the endless possibilities- an easy way to experiment with different flavours
-
they work great with meat, fish and vegetables
In the summer months I prefer something much lighter like a fresh salad or maybe a stir fry, however I still do have the odd craving for a one pot meal. So yesterday I thought I would have a go at making a lighter one pot stew for the warmer months.
*Squash, Bean and Tomato Stew*
Ingredients
-
1 large leak diced
-
1 onion diced
-
2 cloves of grated garlic
-
2 cups of precooked squash (I used Buffy squash)
-
200g of red kidney beans
-
1/2 cup of mushrooms
-
5 large tomatoes deseeded (or use tinned)
-
2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
-
2 tbsps of tomato puree
-
2 tsps or more of dried mixed herbs
-
1 tbsp of sweetener (optional)
-
seasonings
Dice the onion and allow it to sweat on a low heat in a pan with oil. Once softened stir in the grated garlic and cook until aromatic. Add the leek and mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Next add the tomatoes and stock, allowing the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, mixed herbs and add the sweetener if desired. The sweetener takes away the tinny flavour that some tinned tomatoes have. The squash and kidney beans are already cooked so can be stirred in the end just to warm through. Season to taste.
I’ve been scouring the web to find other light and delicious one pot dishes that you may like to try…
So there’s my collection of favourite summery stews-I hope you all enjoy them!
Do you like one pot meals? What are your favourite recipes?
Pingback: Revilisation and Reinvention | Celery and Cupcakes