Mushroom Bean Stew

It was one of those “what am I going to make for dinner” moments as I stood in the commissary and realized I had only a  few minutes to pull something together.  I walked into the produce section and spotted mushrooms, which spurred the thought that I could make something hearty, nutritious, revolving around mushrooms as a focal point for a vegetarian dish.

To go with this, I picked up some beans for protein, and some liquids for the base.  I wish we had no added salt broth for sale here, but we don’t.  To make up for it, I bought no added salt tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano for flavor.
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I also thought carrots would make a nice base and tie in the colors of the red tomatoes and brown mushrooms.
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To start, I sautéed the mushrooms (with a little black pepper), but not entirely, since they would finish cooking when I took them off the heat.  In the meantime, I sautéed the carrots in a separate pot.  When the mushrooms were about 75-80% cooked, I turned off the heat.
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It was really easy from there.  I just added the canned goods, tossed in some black rice (dry) and near the end of the cooking process I added the beans and the mushrooms.
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I couldn’t resist taking a picture from both angles.  I love, love, love the colors and flavors that resulted in this dish.
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I am starting to think I really can cook, and do it well without a recipe.  The good news is that after some months relying on recipes, I am able to create my own with what I have available.

QUESTIONS:  What was the last dish you created spur of the moment with little prep time or just whatever you had in your house?  What is your favorite soup or stew?  Do you prefer more or less broth?

My last post showcased mung bean pasta, and some of you asked about the nutrition information.  Since I through the bag away I was thinking there was no way I was going to figure this out, but thanks to the internet, here is the info:
One serving has about...
-190 calories
-4.5 grams fat (0.5 gram saturated)
-18 grams carbohydrate
-20 grams protein, yes, I said 20 grams protein!
-Great gluten free choice

My Aunt bought this for me in NYC, but I do see it available to buy online.  

4 comments:

Astra Libris said...

I'm soooooo excited to hear that you're going to Israel!!! I can't wait to hear all about your trip! Wave to all my favorite spots for me, pretty please! :-) (my favorite falafel stand is in the old city of Jerusalem just around the corner from the Kotel - wish I had more exact directions than that, because it's out of this world... :-) I'm soooooo happy for you!!! *clapping hands with excitement and jumping up and down* :-)

Oh my goodness, I can't believe you use black rice too!! I thought we were the only ones! Thank you!! *hugs* :-) Your stew looks AMAZING...

Jessie said...

Mmm, I LOVE black rice. I think we just ran out, actually. It adds such a great flavor to any meal. Glad to hear you were inspired by some beautiful mushrooms! I think you've got recipeless cooking down pat. I rely on recipes more, but I'm working on experimenting more. It's been a long process with plenty of disasters :P I like how you thought through your meal to make sure it was balanced, too - look at you, setting such a good example! ;)

Lori said...

Love using mushrooms as the base of my veggie meals. I'm sure the black rice added a great twist to this too. It is one of my favorites with that nutty flavor.

Gina; The Candid RD said...

I have often thrown together a quick soup or stew, but the only downside is that only I will eat it (Nick hates soup and stew...). So whenever I make soup I usually have to make him something else, which defeats the purpose of the QUICK meal!! Ugh.
I love mushrooms in just about anything. They've been on sale where I work lately and I keep bringing more home!!

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