Category: Main Dish

Butternut Squash, Chickpea, and Swiss Chard Stew (Three Ways)

Published on by Alissa4 Comments

It is STEW weather!!!! The temps have dropped and I already find myself craving big bowls of comforting stews, sweatpants, a hot cup of tea, and a good book. It has been difficult to go for runs this week with temperatures in the 40s (for highs), but it makes it worthwhile when I can come home to a big steamy bowl of stew.

This stew is chocked full of nutrients and contains the best of what is in season right now….winter squash and swiss chard. If you don’t have swiss chard, you can sub spinach. Swiss chard is like king of greens and nutrients. As the seasons go cold and many of us are fighting off colds, eating these leafy greens will help boost your immune system.  Slice the leafy portion in 1 inch strips and cut the stalk in 1/4 inch sections, discarding larger portions of the stalk due to toughness.

Butternut squash is a hearty winter squash that stores very well. I successfully grew a few this year in my garden and have them stored in my basement. You could probably use sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash in this recipe, but if you have never ventured down the butternut squash path…do it. It’s surprisingly sweet when cooked. I love it roasted too, adding a caramely sweetness. Cutting one up does take a bit of effort. Slice it in half, scoop out the seeds, and slice the halves vertically and remove the rind. You can also find diced butternut squash in the freezer section of your local grocer.

Now this stew is very versatile. I made it as a curry, but it would be great with a tuscan or italian flare and even a mexican twist.  For the three varieties, here are the different combos that you could add to the stew:

  • Curry Style – Add chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and loads of curry powder.
  • Tuscan Style – White beans (navy beans or cannellini), basil, and thyme.
  • Mexican Style – blackbeans, red bell pepper, green chilis, chili powder (chipotle or regular), and cumin.
To make this stew creamy, I use an immersion blender to blend part of the butternut squash into a puree. If you do not have an immersion blender, then transfer some of the soup into a blender or food processor. Pureeing part of the stew gives a creamy base to the stew without adding heavy cream.
Butternut Squash, Chickpea, and Swiss Chard Stew (serves 6 as main dish)
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cups of diced butternut squash
  • 15 oz can diced tomato, undrained
  • 3 – 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth (may sub half water)
Curry Style Add-ins:
  • 1 to 2 Tbsp curry powder
  • 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 bunch of swiss chard, cleaned and chopped
  • 1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
  • fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • fresh cilantro (optional)
Tuscan Style Add-ins:
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 15 oz can of navy beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
  • 1 bunch of swiss chard or kale, cleaned and chopped
  • fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • shaved parmesan cheese (optional)
Mexican Style Add-ins:
  • diced red bell pepper
  • 8 oz can of diced green chilis
  • 1 – 2 Tbsp chili powder (chipotle or regular)
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
  • 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 bunch of swiss chard (or spinach), cleaned and chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions:
  1. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large pot over medium high heat. Add diced onions and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  2. Add diced butternut squash, stirring to coat with olive oil. Saute for approximately 5 minutes.
  3. Add broth, spices (except basil and parsley if going tuscan), beans, and tomatoes (add red pepper and chilis at this stage if going the mexican-style route). Bring stew to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes or until squash becomes tender.
  4. Add chard and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes or until chard stems become tender. Stir in the final touches…parsley, basil, or cilantro, depending on the stew that you are making.

Tender Pot Roast

Published on by AlissaLeave a comment

I guarantee this pot roast will melt in your mouth. When running low on time or when making this in the middle of the week, I use my slow cooker. BUUUUT, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I love cooking it slooooooowly in my dutch oven. For a 3 pound roast, it will usually take 2.5 to 3 hours in a 200 to 225F oven. If you are cooking for a bigger crowd, go for a 5 pounder, but it will take 4 hours, at least. The big problem is having a house smell THIS TASTY and having to wait for the dang thing to finish. But honestly, this is one of the easiest and most impressive meals to make.

Start with a good roast, grass-fed if possible. It really does make a difference and it’s better for you and Mr Cow. I usually use chuck roast, but arm roast or shoulder roast work as well. The chuck roast has more marbling which does best when slow cooked, making it good and tender. Prior to placing in the oven, brown it on all sides in the dutch oven over med-high heat. This seals in the juices and gives extra flavor.

Now when it comes to veggies in my roast, there are many ways to do this. I’m a big fan of onions, carrots, and red potatoes. Personally, I only cook onions with the meat because I hate mushy carrots and mealy potatoes. I add the potatoes and carrots with about 1 hr to 30 minutes left in the cook cycle. OR, I will roast them separately, allowing them to caramelize in a roasting pan…mmmmm!!!!

Tender Pot Roast

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 3 hours

  • Olive oil
  • 2 whole onions, quartered (or 1 bag of frozen pearled onions)
  • 3 lb chuck roast
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 sprig of fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary (optional)
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried rosemary (optional)
  • 1 cup beef broth or water
  • 4 large carrots, unpeeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
  • 1 lb red potatoes (or whatever color fits your fancy), cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
PREP: Preheat oven to 200 F. Place rack in the bottom third of the oven. You may have to remove the top rack if you have a tiny oven like ME. Wash and pat dry the roast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper LIBERALLY…aaaaaall over.
COOK: Add about 1 Tbsp of olive oil to your dutch oven. Heat over medium heat until the oil is hot, but not sizzling. Add onions and brown for 5 minutes. Remove onions and set aside. Keep dutch oven over medium heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add roast and brown on all sides.
Once meat is browned on all sides, turn off heat. Add onions and garlic back to dutch oven. Pour wine over roast and into dutch oven. Because the pot is hot, a majority of the wine will cook down, leaving approximately 1/4 cup left. Add the herbs and beef broth, making sure the herbs are submerged in the broth. Make sure the onions are placed around the roast or underneath the roast.
Place lid on dutch oven. Set into the oven on the bottom rack. Set your timer for 2.5 hours. NOW STEP AWAY FROM THE OVEN…..and enjoy that awesome aroma.
With about 45 minutes left in the cook cycle, add diced carrots and potatoes directly to the dutch oven. Seal back up…and step away.

Bison Chili

Published on by AlissaLeave a comment

The windows are open, the morning temps are in the 50s and evening temps are in the low 70s. My sweaters are begging to be worn and my wool socks are starting to peak their heads out of my drawers….fall is finally getting here after a looooooooong summer. And there is nothing that I like to celebrate fall with more than an awesome bowl o’ chili!

Now, there are more chili recipes out there than you can shake two sticks at. My chili changes nearly every time I make it, depending on my mood (and what’s in my cabinets). In my mind, meat is optional in chili….yes, I think I just heard a massive gasp from all the okies and texans. But beans are not options. Sorry to all you anti-beanites…I still love you despite your hate for legumes. Anywho, my main chili formula is:

CHILI = Meat (optional, but could be beef, turkey, or bison) + beans (at least two cans of whatever I have in the cabinet) + tomato sauce + diced or stewed tomatoes + garlic+ onion + peppers (bell and jalepeno..whatever you have) + a poop ton of chili powder

…seriously, nearly 1/3 cup of chili powder…dump that stuff in…go on….it’s called CHILI for a reason folks. And that’s mainly it. From there, you can dump add a myriad of other items to this pot o’ awesomeness.

This week, my cabinets were a bit sparse and I had just harvested veggies from the garden. So my chili was more of a garden medley than normal. To the above formula, I through in some diced carrots from the garden, tomatoes, a purple bell pepper, a jalepeno, a hungarian wax pepper, and parsley. I only had garbanzo beans and red kidney beans, so those jumped in as well. And to top if off, a pound of local bison meat. If you have never tried bison, do it. It’s lean and a great grass-fed meat option.

Bison Chili by Big eats, tiny kitchen

  • 1 lb of ground bison
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced and deseeded
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 15oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 150z can of tomato sauce
  • 3 Cups of water or broth
  • 1/3 Cup chili powder
  • 2 Tbsp cumin powder
  • 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 2 cans of beans (kidney, ranch, chili, black, or garbanzo), drained and rinsed
  • salt and pepper
Saute meat over medium heat until no pink re
mains. Drain meat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes until onion is translucent. Add garlic through carrots and cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes until vegetables are slightly tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and spices and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes or 45 or until you are ready to jump in. Add beans at the end so that they do not become tough. After adding beans, cook for another 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Now dig in!