In cold weather, there is nothing more suitable than casserole dishes. The heat that dissipates during their preparation into the home space seems to envelop the family members in love and indicates that a pampering meal will soon be served here.
I like to make casserole dishes for several reasons: First, the preparation does not require much work or complex technique. Second, in this cooking style all the ingredients go into one pot, allowing for a good dish consisting of protein, legumes, grains and vegetables – all together. And one more thing: preparing casserole dishes allows for an endless variety of flavors and combinations between types of meats, vegetables and legumes.
One of the important rules in the preparation of such dishes is the slow cooking on a low flame, for a long time. Only in this way do you get a wonderful stew in its taste. Place the pot over the flame for an hour and a half. If you are not in a hurry, add another hour of cooking – because that is what makes the difference between delicious and very tasty.
I chose three stews this week, they combine chunks of meat, meatballs and chicken shanks. The first recipe is for making a cinnamon-scented meat and potato stew. It is a wonderful combination of meat, chickpeas and vegetables in slow cooking and a delicate aroma. The second recipe is made with the children in mind: a stew with meatballs that are beloved by the little ones and of course by the adults as well.
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The meatballs are cooked in a tomato sauce, in which pumpkin and beans swim, creating an interesting texture, one that will please the children. The third recipe is for making a stew of chicken shanks and green peas, cooked in a delicate spicy sauce that embraces with lots of flavor any substrate you choose to serve.
Cinnamon meat and potato stew – the ingredients (for 8-6 servings):
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large chopped onion
600 grams of shoulder beef cut into medium cubes
• 2 carrots cut into small cubes
• 1 large tomato cut into cubes
• 5 – 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 5 cloves of crushed garlic
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• ½ a teaspoon of hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 tablespoon chicken soup powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 glasses of water
• 1 cup chickpeas soaked in water overnight and filtered
• 6 diced potatoes (or 8 whole, peeled potatoes)
• Parsley leaves for garnish
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onion until transparent. Add the meat and fry together while stirring, until the meat changes color to gray. Add the carrots and fry for about 3 minutes. Add the tomato, tomato paste, garlic, cinnamon stick, spices and water and mix. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and cook for another 30 minutes. Add the potatoes, and cook on a low flame for about 30 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are tender and the liquids thicken slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot and garnish with a little parsley leaves.
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation time: about an hour and a half
Type of dish: Meat
Pot of chunks of meat with potatoes (Photo: Pascal Peretz-Rubin)Meatballs in tomato and bean sauce – the ingredients (for 8-6 servings):
For the meatballs:
• 500 grams of ground beef (or a combination of beef and chicken)
• 1 peeled and grated potato
• 2 coarsely grated onions and squeezed from liquid
• 15 chopped parsley stalks
• 8 chopped coriander stalks
• 4 chopped oregano or basil stalks
• 2 eggs
• ½ a teaspoon of black pepper
• ½ a teaspoon of hot pepper
• 1 tablespoon silane
• ½ a teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon in a heart
• ½ a teaspoon of salt
• ¼ a teaspoon of cinnamon
For the sauce:
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large chopped onion
• 1 large tomato cut into cubes
• 5 – 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 5 cloves of crushed garlic
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• ½ a teaspoon of hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 tablespoon chicken soup powder
• ½ a teaspoon of chuma pepper or hot paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4-5 glasses of water
150 grams of pumpkin cut into small cubes
• 3 cups frozen small beans
To serve:
• ½ A cup of chopped parsley
Meatballs (Photo: Pascal Peretz-Rubin)Preparation:
Preparation of the meatballs: Put all the ingredients in a wide bowl and mix until a uniform mass is obtained. Take some of the meat pulp and form balls 4 – 3 cm in diameter. Place in a wide tray and place in the refrigerator to cool and crystallize.
Preparation of the sauce: Heat oil in a large pot and fry the chopped onion until transparent. Add the chopped tomato, tomato paste and garlic. Stir and fry for a minute or two. Add the cinnamon stick, spices and water and mix. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
Add the beans and diced pumpkin. Stir gently. If necessary, add another cup of water. Bring to a boil, taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Continue to cook on low heat for about an hour. Serve on a bed of rice and garnish with a little chopped parsley.
Difficulty: Medium
Duration of preparation: about two hours
Type of dish: Meat
Chicken stew with peas and potatoes – the ingredients (for 6-8 servings):
• ¼ A cup of olive oil
• 8-6 fresh chicken shanks
• 3 medium onions cut into thin strips
• 3 cloves of crushed garlic
• 3 celery stalks with leaves
• ¼ a teaspoon of turmeric
Salt, to taste
• ½ a teaspoon of black pepper
• ½ a teaspoon of sweet red pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 8-6 whole medium potatoes
• 1 bag of frozen peas
• 2-3 cups of boiling water
Chicken and potato stew (Photo: Pascal Peretz-Rubin)Preparation:
Heat the olive oil in a wide, low pot, add the chicken shanks and fry for a few minutes on all sides, until the color of the shanks turns golden brown. Take out and place them on a plate.
Add another tablespoon or two of oil and the onion strips and fry until golden. Add the garlic and celery and fry for a few minutes until the leaves soften. Add all the spices, tomato paste and potatoes and fry while stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour the boiling water and return the chicken shanks to the pot. Stir. Continue to cook and bring to a boil. Lower the flame and cook for about an hour and a half, until most of the liquid has reduced. Towards the end of cooking, taste and adjust seasoning.
Difficulty: Easy
Duration of preparation: about two hours
Type of dish: Meat
Tipskal:
# Not only with rice: You can serve the stew with any topping you choose – mashed potatoes, couscous, pasta and more.
# You can add additional vegetables like carrots and peas to the stew.
Chicken stew with potatoes and rice (Photo: Pascal Peretz-Rubin)