Tuscan Beef Stew

1 tblsp pickling spice
2lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-incubes
1 med onion, cut into medium wedges
4 carrots, cut into 1/2-in slices
1 tsp crushed rosemary leaves
1 tsp garlic powder
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 cans (14.5oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon flour

Place the pickling spice in spice bag and tie tightly with a long piece of string.

Place beef cubes, onion, carrot, crushed rosemary, garlic powder and bouillon cubes to slow
cooker. Stir in tomatoes and wine. Add pickling spice bundle; cover.

Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove pickling spice bag.

Thicken stew by mixing flour with 1 tablespoon water in medium bowl until smooth. Stir in several tablespoons hot liquid from stew, then stir flour mixture into stew. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until stew thickens slightly.

Serve with a piece of crusty bread or along side of your favorite mashed/roasted potatoes.

Taco Stew

2 pounds ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 (15oz) cans kidney beans, undrained

1 (15oz) can whole kernel corn, undrained

2 (10oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (4oz) can green chile peppers

1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes, unndrained

1 can tomato paste

1 (1.25oz) package taco seasoning mix

2c water

In a large pot over medium high heat, combine the ground beef and onion and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender; drain excess fat. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes Add the water and stir. Add in the beans, corn, chile peppers, tomatoes and taco seasoning. Mix well, reduce heat to medium and allow to heat through, about 15 minutes.

Serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips.

Mediterranean Bean & Bacon Soup

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 oz bacon, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 small stalks celery, finely diced
• 2 med carrots, finely diced
• 1 lg fresh bay leaf
• 1 onion, finely diced
• Herb bundle of fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme tied with kitchen string
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 6 c chicken stock
• Two 15oz cans cannellini beans
• 1 small bunch Tuscan kale, stems and ribs removed and leaves finely shredded or chopped
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 rind from a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
• Crusty bread, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, bay leaf, onions and herb bundle and season with a little salt and more pepper. Cook until soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. De-glaze with the wine, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Stir for 1 minute more. Add the stock and bring to a low boil.

Add a few ladles of the soup to a food processor along with 1 can of beans and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the soup and stir to combine. Add the remaining can of beans and the kale and cook until the kale is wilted. Season with a hint of nutmeg. Add the cheese rind and simmer for 15 minutes at a low bubble to let the flavors combine. Adjust the seasonings.

Remove the cheese rind, herb bundle and bay leaf from the soup. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and top with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with bread.

Black Bean-Hominy Chili

• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite-diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, cut into medium dice
• 1 bell pepper, cut into medium dice
• 3 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
  
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) drained black beans
• 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) drained hominy
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
• 1/4 of chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or small soup kettle over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers; sauté until soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin and oregano: sauté until fragrant, a minute or so. Add beans and hominy along with broth and tomatoes . Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender and flavors have blended, about 20 minutes. Stir in garlic, chocolate and cilantro; simmer a couple of minutes to blend flavors. Turn off heat and let stand a few minutes if there's time. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Homemade Vegetable Stock

• 1 ounce dried mushrooms
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 3 cups chopped carrot
• 1 cup chopped fennel bulb
  
• Salt
• 2 large garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Place the dried mushrooms in a large bowl and pour 1 quart of boiling water over them. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large stockpot. Add the chopped onions, celery, carrots, and fennel (if using) and stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Cook over high heat for several minutes, stirring only occasionally. Given that there are so many vegetables, and they have a high moisture content, it may take more heat and longer time to brown than you would expect. Cook until the vegetables begin to brown.

Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir to combine.Cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomato paste begins to turn a rusty color. Add the mushrooms and their soaking water, the rosemary, thyme, onion skins if using, peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley and 4 additional quarts of water. Bring to a simmer and then drop the heat until you just get a bare simmer. The surface of the stock should just barely be bubbling. Cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Using a spider skimmer or slotted spoon, remove all the big pieces of vegetable and mushroom. Discard or compost. Set up a large bowl or pot with a sieve set over it. Line the sieve with a paper towel and pour the stock through it. When you have about half the stock poured through, stop, let what's in the strainer filter through, and change the paper towel; the old one will be gunked up with debris. Filter the rest of the stock.

To store, pour into glass jars and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze. If you freeze in glass jars, leave at least an inch and a half of headroom so the stock can expand without breaking the glass of the jar.

Posole Rojo

• 4 or 5 dried ancho chiles
• 6 cloves garlic (2 smashed, 4 finely chopped)
• Kosher salt
• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut in half
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 15-ounce cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
• Diced avocado, shredded cabbage, diced onion, sliced radishes and/or fresh cilantro, for topping

Break the stems off the chiles and shake out as many seeds as possible. Put the chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water; weigh down the chiles with a plate to keep them submerged and soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid to a blender. Add the smashed garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and blend until smooth. Strain through a
fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing the sauce through with a rubber spatula; discard the solids.

Rub the pork all over with the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high. Push the onion and garlic to one side of the pot; add the pork to the other side and sear, turning, until lightly brownedon all sides, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups water, the chicken broth, oregano, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the chile sauce (depending on
your taste). Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover and cook, turning the pork a few times, until tender, about 3 hours.

Stir in the hominy and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the pork starts falling apart, about 1 more hour. Remove the bay leaf. Transfer the pork to a cutting board; roughly chop and return to the pot. Add some water or broth if the posole is too thick. Season with salt. Serve with assorted toppings and the remaining chile sauce.

Hott Curry Chicken

Spice Blend:

• 1 rounded tablespoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Chicken:

• 4 chicken chicken breasts
  
• 2 to 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Sauce:

• 2 tblp vegetable or peanut oil
• 4 lg cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 Fresno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• Salt
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 c chicken stock
  

For the spice blend: Combine the turmeric, coriander, cumin, paprika, dry mustard, cardamom and cinnamon.

For the chicken: Place the chicken in a shallow dish and season with half of the spice blend, the garlic, lime juice and some salt and pepper. Cover and let marinate for 1 hour.

For the sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, bay leaves, chile pepper, ginger, onions and the remaining curry spice blend. Season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock then bring to boil. Slide in the chicken and partially cover with the lid, allowing some steam to escape. Reduce the heat to a simmer and poach the chicken in the sauce, about 30 minutes.

Serve the with choice of garnishes over the rice, and naan on the side.

Variations for this recipe include substituting tofu, lamb or turkey for the chicken.