Hey there everyone! Who else is super excited that the @cookwithus crew is back for another season??!! Yep, @chefsteve, @pandamama and @offoodandart are back to help facilitate the sharing of copious amounts of delicious recipes cooked by all kinds of fantastic Steemians. And to really top off the excitement, the first week's theme is root vegetables! For this potato-loving gal, it just doesn't get much better.
I would be hard-pressed to pick my absolute favorite vegetable, but potatoes probably top the list. To be fair, I really enjoy most any root veggie but the humble spud just hits the spot in my belly and my heart. Sweet, purple, red-skinned, Yukon Gold, or the standard baking potato--I'll happily eat them all. I enjoy them cooked every which way, and they fuel my active lifestyle very well. Me and spuds go way back, too. Potatoes were one of the few vegetables I liked growing up, though I think the way I enjoy them now is probably a good bit healthier than I did back then.
This particular dish really is not fancy, nor does it require any special kitchen skills or equipment. I think part of why I love potatoes is that they are just a simple, common food that anyone can work with so I tried to honor that in this week's entry. At least in my neck of the woods, you can find then in every part of the country so they are a staple in almost any region. They are like a loyal friend that always has my back when I need a satisfying yet easy meal.
I did incorporate a root vegetable that is maybe not quite as common, at least in my family. Fennel has now become much more of a staple in my cooking than it ever used to be because my older sister has a sensitivity to onions (and other alliums like garlic). Luckily I really enjoy the flavor of fennel, and it provides a very similar texture to replace onions in recipes when I am cooking to share with her. Though I wasn't specifically making this for her, it is fun to still whip up some recipes on occasion in case other people have similar issues and need different ideas.
To round out my root choices, I used both ground turmeric and ginger in the spice mixture to flavor my stew. They might just be some of the healthiest roots of them all! Packed with antioxidants and full of anti-inflammatory and other health-promoting properties, you can't go wrong adding more of them into your weekly cooking. I may be overusing the curry-style spices lately, but they are just so good for you and make everything taste delicious. They especially help amp up the flavor when you aren't using onions and garlic.
Double the Potatoes Stew
Makes 1 Massive Pot 😉
- 1 fennel bulb, fronds trimmed for garnish, bulb cleaned & chopped
- 1" knob fresh ginger, minced
- 2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, chopped
- 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 cups water or low-sodium veggie broth
- 2 tablespoons mild white miso
- 1 lime, juice
Heat a large stock pot over medium on your stove top. Add the fennel and fresh ginger to the pot. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the fennel is starting to soften. Add a tablespoon or two of water and stir as needed to prevent sticking.
Once the fennel is ready, sprinkle in your spices (turmeric through pepper) and cook for about a minute. Next add in both of the potatoes and the lentils. Stir, then pour in your water or broth. Add a bit more water if needed to completely cover the vegetables. Bring just to a boil, then partially cover and let simmer for 45 minutes.
Once the potatoes and lentils have cooked through, remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the miso and lime juice, then use an immersion blender to puree the mixture to your liking (or carefully use a blender). Taste and adjust flavors as you like. I left some chunks for a hearty stew. Spoon out into a bowl and garnish with the fennel fronds.
Enjoy!
I take potatoes any day and this is super delicious hardy meal Katie, perfect for this time of year 😊
I'm on a weeks vacation with my daughter visiting Santorini and Naxos. Loved reading your recipe @plantsoplanks - I'm a firm lover of potatoes and can eat them in any form. Your recipe sounds absolutely delicious
Oh I have heard nothing but good things about Santorini, so I hope you are enjoying your time away! I'm so happy everyone else loves spuds as much as I do. We're about to head over to spend time with my family and we are even doing a baked potato bar. Bring on the potatoes! :)
Yes, I've had a wonderful time - Naxos won my heart because it had such a Greek feel - and not so commercialised as so many countries have become. Baked potato bar sounds amazing - you'll have to share
So happy to see you in Season 3 @plantstoplanks! And here you are with a delicious dish to share!
Look at all those flavorful ground ingredients! It's hard not to enjoy a dish with all those wonderful flavors working together. And there's miso too! Altogether, your stew sounds so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
By the way, Cook with Us is now also on the Whaleshares platform and the Cook with Us team is on there as well. We've quoted some of your nice comments on this post, so check it out when you get a chance.
Happy to be back! It's always a pleasure to bring some home-cooked food to the @cookwithus table! :)
Great to see so many good things going on with the community, and I'm always happy to share some kind words about the great job you all do. I may eventually make it over to Whaleshares, so thank you for sharing the post and letting me know there are lots of friendly faces there. :)
Will try to reach you on Discord for Whaleshares. =D
Oh my Katie, this looks luscious! Definitely warms my heart just seeing the pictures. I am with you on the potato thing...in fact I have to watch myself as I would have them way too often, lol Great job here, you nailed it! :)
Thank you!! I've always said my desert island food would be peanut butter, but I think potatoes might just edge it out. ;)
Welcome back @plantstoplanks! Wow, your vegan stew looks so comforting and delicious! I was surprised while researching for this week that fennel was a root vegetable and I was hoping that someone would use some. It is one of my favorite vegetables. Your combination of fennel, potato, sweet potato, lentil and all of those warm spices just seems so perfect for this chilly fall weather that we are having the last few days. I also like to finish off a dish with fresh fennel fronds to add a little more sweet anise flavor. Thanks for sharing this warming and comforting vegan stew! Good luck this week.
Always a pleasure to join in the fun! I think we have all used some slightly different combinations of root vegetables so far, so I'm happy to have brought some fennel into the mix, as well! Good luck with judging as I know there are lots of really fantastic recipes to choose from!
Buenos días @plantstoplanks , exelente receta amiga , el menú se ve delicioso. La saludo desde Venezuela y que tenga un exelente día amiga.
Muchas gracias! Un buen día para ti también!
I had never thought of substituting onion for fennel before - inspired cooking @plantstoplanks! I loooove me some potatoes, those little red skinned ones must be great. I can't get those here in Spain!
Thanks @gardeningchef! Between my sister and her allium sensitivity, my mother who can't eat peppers, my bro-in-law who has a poultry allergy, and myself not eating animal products my family has gotten pretty good at being creative to include everyone. :) What a bummer that you can't get those potatoes in Spain! They are my favorite kind for making mashed potatoes.
Wow that sounds like quite a feat to keep you all happily fed... well done for being so creative in the face of adversity! :D
There is nothing better than a hearty bowl of stew, a potato, lentil one...even better! What an excellent idea to use fennel in place of onions, I would never have thought of that ingenius idea. The fennel fronds as a garnish is a lovely touch.
It really is the stuff of life, isn't it? Just simple home cooking as it should be. I used to be terrible about not using all parts of the vegetable, but now it seems like such a waste to not use such a flavorful part! Everything is better with a little touch of something green to finish it off. :)
What an interesting recipe)
Glad you think so @notannov! :)
Bring on the potatoes! You really can’t go wrong with a potato and lentil soup. Silly me, I always thought fennel was the green hairy leaf thingy pictured in your soup, wasn’t aware that you could chop it like an onion.… very cool. I’m sure it tasted delish and who doesn’t love curry spices 🤷🏼♀️ Great job @plantstoplanks.
I knew I'd make my potato-loving posse proud with this one. ;) I'm still learning every day how to use different vegetables, so I'm happy to pass on some new knowledge! I really did only start working with fennel in the past few years, so it took a little while to figure it out. The sliced up bulb portion is fantastic roasted! Such rich flavor, and the greens are great to add a little herb note. I do love fennel seeds in my cooking, as well, so I am happy to use any part of it I can.
I’ll have to keep that in mind with my next soup. :))
Exactly the kind of meal that I would make around here. Just pulled up a big fennel from the garden. It's one of my favourite vegetables both raw in salads or as part of us do as you say. You can use the stalks as well which is awesome full stop and I absolutely love roast fennel with roast potatoes. Like your sister my man can't eat onion either but he can eat spring onion tops and chives of which I have grown An Abundance of in the garden . I usually cook my onions separately when I have a craving for them.
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I'm so envious that you have some right in the garden! I can't recall if we have tried growing any yet in our own garden, but I can often get it from the local farmers market. I love it multiple ways, as well, but I think roasted may just be my favorite.
Wow this looks like a really delicious dish!! Think I will have to try this. Good luck in the contest. I think it’s a winner!! 🌈🦋🌴💛
Aww, I appreciate the kind words! I am always happy with a simple bowl of goodness on my table, and I know I am not alone in that sentiment. :)
Dear Fellow runner ,
We have a winner of "runner of the week", please, leave a comment at:
https://steemit.com/runningproject/@runningproject/runner-of-the-week-the-steem-running-project-wk4-season-2-powered-by-actifit
Nice recipe i like the way you use fennel! And i like potatoes!
Thanks! I hadn't used fennel in a little while, so I'm glad I grabbed a bulb to use it this time around!
Nice entry @plantstoplanks. I must admit that I’ve never really mastered Fennel. I’ve got difficulties adjusting to the taste. But every fennel recipe I’ve seen looks amazing yours including. I haven’t given up yet on mastering it and this recipe will definitely inspire me toward that goal.
Thanks @foodforsoul! I definitely wasn't so sure about fennel the first time I tried it, but now I have come to really enjoy the flavor. Roasting is definitely my favorite way to eat it. Caramelizing all those natural sugars really brings out the anise-like flavor and pairs so well with other root veggies. I especially like it with parsnips. Those two just pair well together in my mouth's opinion. ;) I'm sure you will find a way to incorporate it into some of your beautiful dishes at some point!
This looks absolutely delicious @plantstoplanks, I just love potatoes and anything spicy even more, a beautiful entry, good luck!
Thanks so much @lizelle! This week has been so fun seeing all of these yummy and satisfying root veggie dishes. I want a bite of them all!