Tag: Stew

Beef and Pumpkin Stew

A thick and hearty stew filled with fall flavors perfect for those chilly evenings.

It is that time of the year where the garden is coming to an end with just a few stragglers hanging on. Today I picked the last of the tomatoes, some herbs, a pumpkin, and a handful of onions. This may sound like a random array but isn’t that the best thing about soups and stews. You can pretty much throw anything into them, and they will come out perfect.

The Spices:

What spice goes well with pumpkin? For me, that’s cinnamon! Cinnamon gives food warmth, adds a natural sweetness, and mixes in a depth of flavor that is irresistible in this stew.  I use a teaspoon of cinnamon for this recipe, but if you are not used to using cinnamon in savory dishes you might need to adjust it a bit. It is such a distinctive flavor it might require easing into.

Pumpkin:

Do not throw any of that pumpkin away. Did you know you can eat every part of the plant? Pumpkin flowers, leaves, stems, seeds, flesh, even the skin are all edible. Some varieties are better for eating than other. Your smaller pie pumpkins are sweeter than your heirloom varieties, but all are edible. The harder varieties, like butternut or Queensland blue, are better for soups and stews. Soft varieties tend to make the soup watery.

Beef and Pumpkin Stew

Cedar Oak Farms
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1” cubes
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small pumpkin peeled and cut into 1” cubes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth divided
  • 4 – 5 tomatoes peeled and sliced
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 can (14 ounces) garbanzo beans, undrained
  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup roasted & salted pumpkin seeds optional
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Instructions
 

  • In a 4-quart Dutch oven heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove beef and keep warm.
  • Add the onion to the Dutch oven and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for another minute.
  • Return the beef to the Dutch oven. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Carefully, add 2 – 3 tomatoes to the water and let boil until the skin cracks, about 1 minute. Immediately place in cold water. Repeat until all the tomatoes have been processed. Set aside. Cut the pumpkin in half, discarding the pulp, but reserving the seeds. Cut the pumpkin into slices that are easy to peel. Cut into 1” chunks. Set aside.
  • After an hour, add the pumpkin, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garbanzo beans, orzo, and spices to the Dutch oven. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of vegetables broth. Bring to a slow boil then reduce to heat to low. Let simmer for another hour.
  • If you are choosing to use the pumpkin seeds, roast them during this time.
  • Stir the stew and taste. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve in bowls and garnish with the pumpkin seeds and parsley.
Keyword Beef, Soups & Stews

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Spicy Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Spicy Brazilian Shrimp Soup offers a bite of delicious warmth. Fluffy lime rice floating in a pool of coconut and tomato bisque, topped with shrimp that has been seasoned in our Chili Lime Seasoning. Light, delicate, and oh so good!

This is one of our favorite weeknight meals when quick and easy is the goal. The soup is ready in 20 minutes with bits of rice, lightly seasoned shrimp, a hint of sriracha heat all in a tomato bisque base made with coconut milk. The warmth of the spice and soup wraps you in a cozy hug. And who doesn’t need some warmth on a cold winter night?

Traditional:

Traditionally the rice and shrimp are added to the stew and cooked together. We have found if we make the shrimp and rice separately and add it to the dish at the end we are able to pack in a bit more flavor. Instead of adding lime juice to the stew we make a lime rice. Rice is an absorbed sucking up all the flavors around it. By adding the juice and zest from one lime we can really kick up the flavor giving the whole soup a nice rounded flavor. Same with the shrimp. Shrimp is on the milder side and does well soaking in the flavors it is cooked with. Our chili lime seasoning is crafted with fresh lime and chili making it the perfect complement to this dish.

Roasted Red Pepper:

You can purchase a jar of roasted peppers if you prefer, but we love the taste and texture of a freshly roasted pepper. Take a whole red bell pepper rinse and dry it thoroughly. Rub olive oil over the skin of the pepper and using a large roasting fork pierce the pepper from stem to bottom. Lay over an open gas range fire and let it sit until the skin starts to char and bubble. Turn and repeat until the whole pepper is cooked. Let cool before removing the stem and seeds. Dice and add to stew.

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Spicy Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Cedar Oak Farms
Fluffy lime rice floating in a pool of coconut and tomato bisque, topped with shrimp, and garnished with fresh chopped cilantro.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 20 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine International
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

Lime Rice:

  • 1 cup balsamic rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Stew:

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 can (14-ounces) diced tomatoes, with green chiles
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 roasted red pepper, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce
  • 1 can (14-ounces) coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and cut in half horizontally
  • 2 teaspoons chili lime seasoning

Instructions
 

Rice:

  • In a medium saucepan bring rice and water to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to a low simmer and cover for 15-20 minutes. Uncover and mix in coconut oil. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Add the lime juice, lime zest, and ½ teaspoon salt, mix. Fold in cilantro. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Stew:

  • Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
  • Add tomatoes, broth, roasted peppers, and sriracha to the pot. Bring to a boil.
  • Stir the coconut milk into the soup.
  • Season the shrimp with the Chili Lime Seasoning. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a saucepan. Add the shrimp and cook 3 minutes. Turn and cook another 2 – 3 minutes.

To serve:

  • Add a tight scoop of rice to the center of bowl. Spoon the tomato broth around rice and top with shrimp. Serve immediately.
Keyword Soups & Stews

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