Back, and Bringing Stew to ARF!

Okay, so I know I said that I would have Andrew's stew recipe posted yesterday, but since I'm in the throes of a "down" period physically I could barely sit up and figured that trying to write coherently would not be a good thing. I'm feeling marginally better today, but still ridiculously exhausted. Basically, if you've ever had mono, you'll know what I mean. Just stretch it out for over a year, add a mass of food intolerances / allergies, unexplained weight loss and constant pain under my right-hand ribs, and you have me!

But enough unpleasantries, onto the cooking!

Basically, this recipe was a case of "wow I have a lot of crap in the fridge that's going bad" plus "wow there's a lot of random stuff in our pantry we don't use" plus a stockpot! Throw in some spices and the secret ingredient - plain yellow mustard - and you have a sweet, tangy stew filled with chunks of goodness and health in every bite! With a great lean protein (ham), wild rice, and chunky sweet potatoes, it doesn't lack for flavour in any realm! I will be sending this into Sweetnicks for the weekly ARF / 5-A-Day round up (check out last week's entries here). Let's take a look at the goodies, shall we?

Olive Oil: A concentrated source of monounsaturated fats and vitamin E. Extra-virgin olive oil also contains polyphenolic phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity.

Onions: A very good source of vitamin C, chromium and dietary fiber. They are also a good source of manganese, molybdenum, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, phosphorous and copper.

Red Peppers: One cup provides over 100% of the DV for vitamin C and vitamin A. Red peppers are also an excellent source of vitamin B6. Green peppers are a very good source of fiber, folate, and vitamin K as well as the minerals molybdenum and manganese. In addition to beta-carotene, red peppers contain the beneficial phytonutrients lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Carrots (mine were purple!): An excellent source of vitamin A. In addition, they are a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber and potassium.

Tomatoes: An excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin K. They are also a very good source of molybdenum, potassium, manganese, dietary fiber, chromium, and vitamin B1. In addition, tomatoes are a good source of vitamin B6, folate, copper, niacin, vitamin B2, magnesium, iron, pantothenic acid, phosphorous, vitamin E and protein.

Mustard Seed: A very good source of selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. They are also a good source of phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, dietary fiber, iron, calcium, protein, niacin and zinc.

Sweet Potatoes: An excellent source of vitamin A. They are also a very good source of vitamin C and manganese. In addition, sweet potatoes are a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron.

Andrew's Ham n’ Tater Stew
Serves 10
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
½ cup roasted red pepper strips, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 tbsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tbsp pepper
½ tbsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
8 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup white wine
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
½ can tomato paste
1 tbsp yellow prepared mustard
2 cups frozen vegetable blend (I used this one from Europe's Best, it's great!)
2 large sweet potatoes, chopped
½ cup wild rice
½ pound cooked lean ham, cubed

1. Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion, peppers, carrots and garlic.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in paprika, cayenne, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper, basil and oregano.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, stock, wine, water and bay leaf. Stir in tomato paste
5. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Cook one hour, uncovered.
6. Stir vegetable blend, potatoes, rice and ham into pot.
7. Cover and simmer 40 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve, or reduce to taste by boiling rapidly, uncovered.
8. Can be frozen for later

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 163.0
Total Fat: 4.4 g
Cholesterol: 12.9 mg
Sodium: 579.0 mg
Total Carbs: 20.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.0 g
Protein: 7.7 g

So there you have it! Some healthy, hearty comfort food that's waiting for my man's arrival! Enjoy your weeks, everyone!