Test Kitchen Tuesday for One: Hearty Vegetable Stew

Some weeks, I really search high and low for a new recipe to try. And, some weeks, they just fall in my lap. This would be one of those lap-falling kind of recipes.

2Chili is down in Bend with our pets while I man our Seattle place and go to meetings this week. On my own to make whatever I wanted, I had fewer requirements than usual. This recipe made it into my Twitter feed somehow, and I thought I was the perfect combination of end of summer/beginning of fall veggies. I was able to make this entirely with things I had on hand.

Admittedly, I didn’t have everything –  just like in life, you gotta improvise sometimes. So, instead of lentils (why am I out of lentils?!), I used a can of garbanzo beans. And, instead of Granny Smith apples, I used Fuji. The last of the summer squash from my garden rounded everything out, and, a last minute decision to add some cooked Trader Joe’s multigrain pilaf was a tasty decision.

I have been doing the “Insanity” workout challenge – stay tuned for a review in another couple months – and this was the perfect recovery meal after a workout. I started it before the workout, and the fact that it was ready to go and simmering on the stove when I was done made it even better. After Insanity, the last thing you really want to do is cook. And now, I have dinner for several more days – bonus!

Make this stew for a very comfort-food taste in a short period of time!

Vegetable Stew

Recipe Source: Active.com

Time Required: 10-15 minutes to prep, 35 minutes to simmer

The Cook’s Taster Rating (out of 5): 4.5. This stew is amazing! You won’t believe how good a cooked apple is in a stew with sweet potatoes and squash. I subbed garbanzo beans for the lentils, and I have to say, I think I liked it better because of the chickpeas than I would have with lentils. Filling and deee-lish!

Nutritional Info:

For the original recipe as directed, however, it says it only yields two servings – there is no way! This is at least 4-6 servings, so take with a grain of salt:

410 calories; 9 g fat (1 g saturated, 0 g trans fat); 67 g carbohydrate, 22 g fiber, 19 g sugar, 20 g protein

For my modified version with one can of chickpeas instead of lentils and one cup of cooked multigrain pilaf, only one apple, no added salt and with (5) 2 cup sized servings.