Jackie Vetter’s Kitchen

I need to do some catching up, so here are a couple of days worth of dishes and recipes for you.

I’ve been wanting some “meaty” stew. It has been so cold here, probably an average of about 15°, and you know how warm and comforting it is to eat some stew with some good, crusty bread and a nice glass of red wine. WOW!

This was a Friday lunch, so yes, Rusty was here for lunch and his massage. We all enjoyed this very much. It fit the bill to a T! But no, we didn’t have the wine for lunch, we had it for dinner the next night when we ate this as leftovers. Even better! In addition, add a nice salad to the table. The cornmeal muffin with mine is just a simple recipe made from my own fresh ground cornmeal I get through the organic co-op.

Here’s the recipe:

Mushroom Barley Stew
Yield 4-6 servings
Time 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 T olive oil
about 20 small mushrooms, chopped
1 c pearl barley
½ cup soaked/cooked or canned great northern beans
2 t cumin
Tabasco (optional)
salt
pepper
1 T soy sauce
3-4 c vegetable stock

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat, sauté carrot, onion, garlic, and peppers until onions are translucent. (If you are watching the amount of oil you use, just water sauté the veggies). Add mushrooms and sauté until tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until barley is tender, 20-30 minutes. Serve. You’re going to love this stew!

This next recipe was a dish I made to take for dinner at the Optimist Club. Everyone loved it!

Yellow Curry Vegetables and Rice
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup 1-inch potato cubes, boiled
1/2 cup 1-inch carrot cubes, boiled
1/2 cup small broccoli florets
1/2 cup small cauliflower florets
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. Thai red chili paste
Salt, to taste (optional)

In a medium pot, combine the vegetable stock and the coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. Return to a boil and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve hot with steamed brown or white rice. I used white in these pictures because I was out of brown.

Pair this with a nice salad. Here’s a picture of our lunch time salad:

Here is a recipe for CREAMY RANCH dressing I found on the vegan forum that is pretty good!

1 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 cup plain soy milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoon minced parsley
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

stir all together, place in container and let sit in the refrigerator overnight. You can add extra spices if you want to make it stronger.

Enjoy these recipes!

Happy, Healthy Eating,

Jackie V.