Caraway-Spiced Chickpea Stew with Mint Yogurt

Why is it that food always tastes better when someone else cooks it for you? Last night after work I wasn't feeling well, so Joe made dinner for us (and even did the dishes afterwards) (now do you understand why I'm marrying this guy?). I'd been hanging onto this recipe for a while, waiting until the weather turned a little cooler. Well, yesterday it was a rainy 60-degree day. It felt like fall was finally approaching, so a light stew was just what the doctor ordered.

Caraway-Spiced Chickpea Stew with Mint Yogurt
Adapted from Food & Wine

• Two 14-oz cans of chickpeas
• 2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, stems discarded and leaves sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon dried mint (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped finely)
• 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Reserve 1/4 cup of the chickpeas' can liquid and then rinse and drain the chickpeas.

Spread the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, until barely tender.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and caraway and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chard leaves and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, chickpeas, reserved chickpea liquid, and 1/4 cup water; simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with the mint and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the stew to bowls and garnish with the cilantro. Pass the mint yogurt at the table.

Banana and Yam Stew

Two summers ago I had the amazing opportunity to go on a wildlife-viewing safari in Tanzania with my mom. Going to Africa to see the animals was one of her lifelong dreams, so it was a pretty unforgettable experience for her as well as for me. We saw some incredible things and I got the chance to take some great photos.

While we were there, we also had a great time talking to our guide during the long car rides between the Tanzanian national parks. He and all the other guides we met were so nice and always willing to tell us about everything we wanted to know, from Swahili words to Tanzanian history lessons to tidbits on Maasai culture.

While we were in the central Serengeti we spent a couple nights at a private camp where we could hear the wildlife moving about outside our tent. The last night at the camp, we asked the guides to cook us a traditional Tanzanian meal. They made a huge feast for us, but the thing I remember best was a coconut milk-based stew with yams and green bananas and all sorts of spices.

This recipe, from one of my favorite vegetarian cookbooks, is really similar to that stew. I don't know if it's exactly the same, but it's really good and brings back great memories.

Banana and Yam Stew
From Linda McCartney on Tour

• 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
• 2 pounds yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped roughly
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon each ground cloves, cumin, and turmeric
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/4 cups coconut milk
• 1 quart vegetable stock, plus another cup of water if you prefer
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
• 2 green bananas, sliced

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the yams or sweet potatoes and cook until slightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove to a plate or bowl. In the same pot, heat the other tablespoon of oil over medium heat and add the jalapeno, cilantro, onion, tomato, carrot, garlic, and spices. Cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and stock and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaves and lower the heat to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Add the bananas and yams/sweet potatoes. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Serves 4-6.

Tunisian Vegetable Stew

File this recipe under "makes your house smell like a Berber spice market." Tantalizing, no? This dish is a lovely Tunisian vegetable stew from one of my favorite cookbooks. I've made it a few times myself and have even coerced my Mom into preparing it at home during one of my visits.

Tunisian cuisine is an exotic blend of Mediterrean and desert ingredients. According to good ol' Wikipedia, lots of cultures have had an influence on its food: from Phoenicians, Arabs, and Turks to the French and the aforementioned Berbers. When you add all those together, you get tasty concoctions seasoned with coriander, cinnamon, hot peppers, and citrus. Of course, they're best served with a side of couscous, the national dish of Tunisia.

Tunisian Vegetable Stew

From  Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• Salt to taste
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup currants or raisins (I had both, so I used a combination)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Feta cheese
• Cooked couscous (I used whole wheat)

In a large skillet, saute the onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the cabbage, sprinkle with salt, and continue to saute for at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne to the skillet and saute for another minute or so. Stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas, and currents and/or raisins, and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Add the lemon juice. Serve on couscous topped with feta.

Creamy Root Vegetable Stew

Finally! October has arrived, and there are a lot of reasons why it's my favorite month of the year. For example: cool weather, fall foliage, pumpkins, Halloween, scarves and tights, football, baseball... the list goes on and on. Oh, and fall food is in full swing -- at the farmer's market today, the bins were overflowing with gorgeous squashes, apples, onions, and tons of root veggies.

So for dinner tonight, I made a delicious root vegetable stew that's perfect for celebrating the start of my favorite 31 days. It's creamy, thick, filling, garlicky, herby, and just all-around wonderful on a cool night.

Creamy Root Vegetable Stew

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
• 2 1/2 cups diced Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 pound)
• 2 1/4 cups diced peeled rutabaga (about 3/4 pound)
• 2 cups diced peeled turnip (about 2/3 pound)
• 1 1/4 cups diced peeled parsnip (about 1/2 pound)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Crusty bread, for serving

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and rosemary; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in potato and next 5 ingredients (through the 2 cups water). Bring to a simmer; cook, covered, 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Place 3 cups soup mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in cream, pepper, and salt. Serve with bread.