Category: dietary

Recipe: Village Chicken Stew

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A very simple and hearty chicken stew that is especially good with bone in dark meat cuts of chicken. This stew is cooked long, low, and slow and results in a very gravy-like stew with just enough flavor from onions and seasoning to make it hearty. This is in the Zambian style so serving with it nshima (corn meal porridge) and repu (collard greens) is traditional but you can make any type of carb side and vegetable want and it makes a really satisfying and mostly hands off meal if you have the time, perfect for a weekend dinner.

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Recipe: Kewa Datshi

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This is a homey and simple dish that is basically a cheese and potato stew. While a lot of Bhutanese food relies on many chilies this is only uses a few to flavor the dish with just enough heat to give it a light, almost sweet flavor. I found this dish very humble and simple but unfortunately that also meant it isn’t very flashing or tempting. I boiled it down a little more I think it usually is (as it seems to be served pretty watery) and added a little less cheese and found myself wishing that it had a little bit more flavor. I think this is an interesting template I might play around with in the future for how to cook potatoes though and its so easy that you should try it for yourself as well to taste a little bit of Bhutan at home.

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Recipe: Pisto Con Huevos

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I’ve seen people characterize pisto as “Spanish ratatouille” but I guess to me its more like Spanish shakshuka. You can make the eggs separate for the pisto by frying them in a pan if you prefer that but I did kind of just make it like shakshuka. Unlike shakshuka though it has basically no heat and is a very simple flavor but that can be kind of refreshing or comforting. This is a fairly easy dish that is mostly hands off so it’s perfect for a midweek meal especially if you have already chopped the vegetables ahead of time.

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Recipe: Barley Risotto

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We ended up with a bunch of leftover barley which I thought I didn’t really like but my husband loves it so I figured I’d give this recipe a try and it worked out phenomenally. While I can admit this doesn’t end up with the texture of risotto because it’s a little too toothy even when cooked and it doesn’t give off as much starch it also doesn’t need to be babysat as much and has an earthy, nutty note that goes really well with the vegetables. I’ve made this 3-4 times already and it’s probably a lasting staple in our house.

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Recipe: Oyakodon

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Oyakodon literally means parent and child bowl and it’s a fantastic and easy one pot dish that will come together in a few minutes. Pair it with some miso soup, pickled radish, or some grilled sweet potato for a perfect all together meal. This can be made ahead of time technically but I find it doesn’t reheat well so making your sides and rice ahead of time is what actually will make this a quick dinner. You can make the egg in this bowl as runny or solid as you like depending on your preferences.

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Recipe: Vegetarian Fleischnacka

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Since I love making fleischnacka I really wanted to see if I could make a meatless version just to see if it worked and it does! This version gets its deep umami flavors from a combination of eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms that are slow roasted together with tomato paste and the ground really finely so they stick together in the roll. These don’t taste exactly like the meat version but they have their own delicious, deep flavor all its own.

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Recipe: Waterzooi

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This is a Belgian boiled chicken stew that historically used to be a seafood stew. It uses cream and egg yolks to thicken it. All the recipes include breaking down your own chicken and making your own stock but I suggest that you either do that on a separate day from making the soup itself or simply skip that step, buy stock and proceed from there. Breaking down a chicken and making your own stock will turn this simple recipe into an all day project but if you have the time, that’s okay. This is a delicious soup which is thick and rich and perfect with some crusty bread to soak up all the broth. Traditionally you leave the meat on the bones but my husband really hates that so I simply took it off after boiling the chicken parts.

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Recipe: Masoor Dal

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Quick, delicious and filling red lentils made from pantry staples and things you probably have lying around the house. You can serve this with almost any carb you can think of: rice, roti, naan, paratha, even sourdough bread or biscuits if you want to go crazy and it comes together in 30 minutes without much supervision so it’s great for a weeknight or when you just can’t babysit dinner.

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Recipe: Grilled Nectarine and Bean Salad

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This bright bean filled salad is filled with all sorts of things that it actually has a fun texture and the taste works pretty well. Since there are beans and chickpeas it kind of acts as a reverse bean bowl but also that means it is actually quite filling as a main dish. The dressing is just a nice acidic lemon vinaigrette but a creamy sour cream based dressing wouldn’t be amiss either, if you skip the acid in the dressing though maybe add some tart tomatoes or spinach to off-set the sweetness of the grilled nectarines.

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Recipe: Moqueca (Fish Stew)

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This is a really quick and easy fish stew that leans on the flavors of coconut milk, tomatoes, and lime to create a wonderfully creamy sauce that pairs well with most white fish. This is made in one pan, it’s gluten free, and you can easily use any type of mild white fish or shell fish you have available making it a great week night meal. I’d actually like to try this again with some shrimp because I think it would be even better. You can eat this alone like a soup or with rice for a more of a hearty meal.

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