Last weekend, I was at a wedding of some great friends and it was the first weekend that fall had arrived to Colorado. The air was cold, and rainy but very beautiful. A beautiful evening indeed! To celebrate this colder weather I enjoy making a few hot soups and stews to have something warm to put in our tummies. The recipes to follow are two of my absolute favorites, which I found and have adapted some over time. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do!
Navajo Stew or Navajo Mole
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes (I sometimes use yellow potatoes in addition)
2 red or green bell peppers
1 large onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 15-oz can of tomatoes (I always enjoy the fire-roasted variety)
1 tbsp canned chipotles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 15-oz can of butter beans or black beans drained
Flatbread (tortillas, lavash, or pita) Or see below recipe for Navajo fry bread
Plain yogurt/Greek yogurt or sour cream
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1 inch pieces. Peel the onion and cut it stem end to root end into thin wedges. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the garlic, oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir and continuously roast for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not mushy.
While the vegetables roast, puree the tomatoes, chipotles, and cilantro in a blender until smooth. Set aside. When the vegetables are tender, put them in a 2-3 quart baking dish, stir in the tomato-cilantro sauce and the beans, and return to the oven until hot-about 10 minutes.
A few minutes before serving, warm the bread in the oven. Serve the stew in bowls topped with yogurt or sour cream, a little chopped cilantro on top with warm flatbread or Navajo fry bread on the side!!
Navajo Fry-Bread
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp powdered milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup water
vegetable oil for frying
Directions
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and powdered milk in a large bowl. Pour in the water and mix all at once mix using a fork to create a giant clump of dough.
Flour your hands. Using your hands begin to mix the dough, trying to get all of the flour mixture to form a ball. *You want to MIX the dough, but not KNEAD it, kneading it will create a denser/heavy bread when fried. The inside of the dough ball should still be sticky while the outside is well floured.
Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Using your hands shape/stretch the dough into a 5-7 in round/disc shape, although it does not need to be perfectly round.
Heat oil of about 1 inch deep to 350 degrees in a cast-iron skillet or other pot. Test w/ a piece of dough to make sure it is hot enough, and place your dough into the pot.
Lay each piece into the hot oil, pressing down so that the top is covered in oil and the dough is immersed. Fry until golden brown and then flip to fry the other side. Should take about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
**This recipe is great for making Indian Tacos! Make your favorite taco filling and use the bread as the outer taco shell/tortilla. Add shredded lettuce, onion, cheese and yogurt or sour cream. This is delicious! I recommend doubling or tripling the above recipe for this reason!
White Bean, Potato & Arugula Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cups chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups diced red potatoes
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
1 14oz can of white cannellini beans
1/2 cup white wine, or 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 oz arugula (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
salt/pepper
lemon wedges (optional)
Fresh grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)
Directions
In a soup pot, saute the onions and garlic in the oil for about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, rosemary, broth & salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the beans and the wine. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender about 10 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, rinse and drain the arugula. Remove any large or tough stems and coarsely chop and large leaves. Set aside.
When the potatoes are tender, add the basil and salt and pepper to taste. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig-some leaves may remain in the soup, but that is fine. Put a handful of arugula into each bowl and ladle the hot soup over it. Serve immediately with lemon wedges & cheese if desired.
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