Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here. Pantry power Good day and happy Monday to you. I've been testing lots of wintertime recipes lately, and to be honest, have gotten a little tired of cooking! Cooking fatigue is real. I live alone, so I can't push the task onto a family member — Frito is strictly a taste tester — and regular takeout costs can really add up. To help move past burnout, I reread my colleague Aaron Hutcherson's recent piece, "In a cooking rut? Here are 5 ways to reclaim your joy." Aaron's tips include changing your routine, seeking new sources of inspiration and taking a break. Another of his recommendations was to reach out to others, and I've been following that advice. Recently, I've chatted with a few friends by phone about their cooking fatigue, and it feels good to know that I'm not alone. We've all been cooking a lot in the past few years, and the world is still pretty topsy-turvy, so there's no sense in feeling guilty about it. Instead, I've been leaning toward fast and easy dinners, like this Black Bean and Pumpkin Stew With Pasta, which is from Aaron's pantry series. It's a genius recipe that produces a richly flavored black bean stew in only 20 minutes. Canned ingredients and quick-cooking pasta are the tricks that make it quick. "Canned pumpkin puree — 'tis the season! — gives the stew plenty of body," Aaron explained. "The pasta helps thicken it a bit, too. The texture is what designates this recipe as a stew as opposed to a soup for me, but feel free to add more stock if you prefer a thinner consistency." This formula is great with black beans, but would be just as nice with a white bean or even pinto or kidney beans. The recipe got some rave reviews from readers, including this one with some variations you might want to try for yourself: "Was called to make this as soon as I saw the picture and read the ingredients. Added a handful of chopped kale, a dash (or two...) of red pepper flakes and at the last minute sauteed some smoked sausage that was in the fridge. It was delicious!" | Today's recipe | Photos by Scott Suchman for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post | Black Bean and Pumpkin Stew With PastaFind substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe. Want to save this recipe? View it on Voraciously here and click the bookmark icon below the serving size at the top of the page to add it to your Saved Stories List. For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder. Servings: 4 Total time: 20 mins Ingredients - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces/100 grams) orzo or another short pasta
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 4 cups (1 quart) unsalted or low-sodium vegetable broth
- Two (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- One (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- Homemade or store-bought croutons, for serving
Steps1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the pasta, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper and cook, stirring regularly, until fragrant and toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. 2. Add the broth and increase the heat to bring it to a boil. Stir in the black beans and pumpkin puree, decrease the heat so the liquid is at a simmer, and cook until the pasta is al dente, 7 to 9 minutes. Taste, and season with more salt and/or pepper, if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve warm, drizzled with olive oil and a few croutons scattered on top. From Voraciously staff writer Aaron Hutcherson. Tested by Aaron Hutcherson. Nutrition information per serving: Calories: 409; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 542 mg; Carbohydrates: 66 g; Dietary Fiber: 15 g; Sugar: 9 g; Protein: 18 g.
Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas: - If you can't have gluten >> use a gluten-free pasta, substitute rice or omit it, and nix the croutons, too.
- No garlic powder? >> Use onion powder or a clove of fresh garlic, minced or finely grated.
- Out of black beans? >> Any canned bean will work fine here.
🦃 Thanksgiving is coming 🦃 For the next few weeks, I'll offer helpful tips to streamline your turkey day prep. Have a specific query? Email me! | Dessert | 🎧 "Wolf" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. 📺 Cats try catnip for the first time. 📰 "We should eat more plants. Here's which ones are best for the planet." by Tamar Haspel in The Post. 👀 Mosaic Jell-O. 🗣 If you liked this newsletter, please forward it to a friend! |
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