Vegetable Stew over Quinoa

 

I'm not actively doing the January Pantry Challenge.  I actually forgot about it when I was making this month's meal plan.  I've been trying to use items that haven't been in rotation for a while since October.  This whole blog is one giant Pantry Challenge, so it isn't like I'm doing anything different than usual.

Today's ingredients to be used are quinoa and tomato paste, with an honorable mention for the radishes in the garden and most of the assorted veggies in the fridge and freezer.

*1 C dry quinoa
1 Tb olive oil
*1/2 onion, diced
*2 ribs celery, diced
*2 Tb tomato paste
*1 tsp dried tarragon
*3 C leafy greens, chopped (arugula today)
*4-6 radishes, sliced (or tiny potatoes if you don't like radishes)
*1 C asparagus, in 2" lengths
*1/2 C corn kernels
water as needed
salt and white pepper to taste
*2 Tb lemon juice or 1/2 preserved lemon

1.  Start to cook quinoa according to package directions.  In many cases, that will include rinsing.  I rinse even when it says pre-rinsed if there's any soapy residue in the water when I add it.

2.  Drizzle oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high.  Add onion, celery, and radishes and cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle in the tarragon and add tomato paste and a bit of salt and pepper.

3.  When mixture is mostly cooked, add in corn and asparagus.  Add water slowly, a quarter cup at a time, until the stew is as moist as you like it.  Maybe you want a lot of sauce, or you might prefer it on the dry side.  Allow to simmer until quinoa is ready, up to 10 minutes.

4.  Add chopped greens and allow to wilt, about 2 minutes.  Add lemon juice, then taste and add salt or pepper as needed.  Adjust water level by adding or letting it boil off.

5.  Make a bed of quinoa on the serving plate, or a ring of it.  Spoon the stew on top and serve.  As written, this is vegan and gluten-free, but you could add cheese (or bacon) to the mix as desired.  Without the corn, it's Passover-friendly.  To keep vegetarian but not vegan, crack a few eggs into the stew to make a kind of shakshukah.

Difficulty rating  :)