Once upon a time, I was a brooding teenage vegetarian who wrote way too much dark poetry. I wrote short stories too, but it was poetry that I would escape to when I needed to process whatever high school drama had me all twisty-turvy. And whilst being a brooding teenage vegetarian, my parents were sweet enough to cook vegetarian meals a few times each week, which meant basically I ate well at dinnertime. Breakfast (what? a pot of coffee isn’t breakfast?) and lunch were a totally different story, but one out of three isn’t so bad, is it?

Then I went to college and became a hungry, busy young adult vegetarian with few cooking skills. The poetry and I soon parted ways as I focused on my studies and having fun and all that college in a major city brings. And I tried to stay fed, which was a challenge with those few cooking skills. I had a slow cooker that I would make soups in, but they always seemed to taste the same — no matter what I put into them. But really, the honest truth is that I ate a lot of take out, occasionally would declare chicken okay and didn’t eat a ton of vegetables — unless you count the freeze dried ones in the Thai ramen noodles I fell back on when my wallet was empty. Eventually, my lackluster eating habits caught up with me and my doctor gave me a choice: take iron pills or eat meat. I chose the latter. It seemed easier.

Now, if I’d known a little bit more about cooking back then, things might have been different. I had no idea how simple a good vegetarian stew could be to make. Nor did I realize how breaking out of my seasoning comfort zone could totally change dishes into something new, exciting and craveworthy.

These days, I still eat meat but often have meat-free days. And when I do, I love to whip up a really flavorful dish like this Curried Chickpea and Vegetable Stew. It’s a little spicy (okay, maybe more than a little spicy, but the rice offsets the spiciness), which means my kids aren’t big fans but that’s okay — more for me. Whipping up a pot of this on Sunday means lunch for the week for me (score!).

This vegetable stew has some of my favorite flavors — creamy potatoes, sweet carrots, meaty chickpeas and that twist of curry that transforms the tomato base into a warm, fragrant Indian-inspired dish that’s perfect served over rice.

I think my inner brooding teenage vegetarian would approve.

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I wish I could gaze into a crystal ball and see the future, perhaps six months from now. I wish I could see that the progress we’ve made means something and our efforts — the talking, the patience, the healing books and the one-footstep-in-front-of-another philosophy — is working and will land our family and community somewhere better.

Of course, I can’t. Instead, I must take comfort in the fact that today is better than last week, which was better than the week before that. Things are improving, slowly. We’re healing, slowly.

Meanwhile, I really want to just get back to good food here on Sarah’s Cucina Bella. I mean, that’s what this site is all about, right?

Broccoli Cheddar Soup is one of my all-time favorite dishes. I fell in love with it years ago at a country fair, where it was served in a big bread bowl. But I seldom had it again until last year when I spent one day a week in an office not far from Panera Bread. Let’s just say that I ate it a lot working there. A lot, a lot.

Now that I am back to working exclusively at home, I’ve been left to my own devices to make my own Broccoli Cheddar Soup — and let me tell you, this is as warm and comforting as the one I remember. It’s like a hug from a loved one or a beautiful memory — it just wraps you in happy joy.

Good thing my family likes it too because now I make it a little more often than I probably should. For the past few months, I have been making this soup on a pretty regular basis. Sometimes I leave it a little more chunky. Sometimes I puree it totally. But either way, it’s always good.

I love this with a hunk of crusty bread, torn straight from the loaf. No butter … just the soup and the bread complimenting each other. Sometimes, that’s all you need — just a simple combination to make everything just right.

Note: recipe adapted from Juanita’s Cocina.

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This soup is five years in the making. No, really. I created and tested the initial recipe five years ago, and then it wasn’t published. It needed something to polish it off — something to take it from good to great. That yogurt drizzle?  Totally did it.

Let me back up a little bit.

Five years ago this week, I was thisclose to having a cookbook published. There were meetings and brainstorming sessions. A signed contract. Then there was a deadline met. A manuscript produced. In the end, for complicated reasons that included a mega economic downturn, it didn’t work out and the book was never published. At my request, I was released from my contract. I was sad and attempted to find another publisher, but that didn’t pan out. Finally, I tucked the manuscript away to think about another time.

Because I had written the book, I had all of these new, unpublished recipes that were just languishing. I wasn’t sure what to do with them. Then my food writing career started to take off, and those recipes were perfect for supplementing new ones I was creating. A few were published here. Most were sold. There’s just a handful left that needed more testing before seeing the light of day. It was only recently that I dug into the old manuscript and discovered how much of it I’d actually used already. That made me happy. Writing the book wasn’t in vain.

When one of my General Mills contacts recently put out a call for recipes using Yoplait’s new Lactose Free Yogurt, this recipe jumped to mind. It’s one of the remaining unused ones from the book that needed a little more work … it was perfect for this assignment. So I pitched the idea, adding the lovely green swirl of basil yogurt and she loved it. With a little more testing, I finally finished it … five years later. It’s a good feeling.

This isn’t your basic tomato soup. In fact, it’s nothing like traditional tomato soup — other than the fact that it has tomatoes. Instead, it’s a punched up version with a great Indian flavor to it. The sweet, bright basil drizzle really adds dimension to the bolder dish. Shawn, who isn’t a fan of Indian flavors, enjoyed this — though he prefers it in small portions (which would mean this recipe for 8 would serve about 24 as a small starter portion).

Whichever way you have it — as a starter or a meal — it’s fabulous with a little naan. Try it.

A final note on the book: Yes, I could have held off, edited the book more and pitched and pitched and pitched. Yes, I could have self-published. But in the end, I am happy with my decision to take apart the book and use the pieces for other projects. Families Eat Together (that was the working title) was my best work at the time. The recipes were the best part, and I am happy to have people reading about them and trying them — even if they didn’t come in a bound volume. Someday I will write a killer cookbook with prose worthy of the recipes inside. This one just wasn’t it.

Indian-Spiced Tomato Lentil Soup with Basil Yogurt Drizzle
serves 8

Soup:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 tablespoon grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (about 14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups vegetable broth

Drizzle:
1 6-oz cup Yoplait Lactose-Free French Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 cup packed fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon olive oil

Finishing salt (such as black sea salt), to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat in a pot. Stir in onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 7-10 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the garam masala and cumin. Cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, lentils, salt and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir well to combine.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 35-40 minutes, until the lentils are soft.

Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Set aside.

Combine the yogurt, basil, salt and olive oil in a food processor (a mini one works great for this). Puree until smooth.

To serve: Dish up the soup and then drizzle each with the yogurt mixture. Sprinkle with finishing salt.

Notes:
You can use a blender to puree the soup as well. However, be careful while it’s still hot – small batches are best.

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days (yogurt and soup separate).

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A little over a year ago, Shawn, the kids and several of our friends were on the Cape (Cape Cod, that is) for a wedding. One evening, we got takeout from a little place in Orleans, Massachusetts called Sir Crickets. We all ordered something different — fried clams, fried oysters (mmm!), clam chowder, fish and chips … there was just an array. We all shared a bit, which I love to do. It allows you to try so much more without going crazy. Total bliss.

The fried oysters — the first ones I’ve ever had — were amazing: tender, meaty and beautifully cooked. But as delicious as the fried oysters were, the standout dish was the New England clam chowder, which was ridiculously creamy, well-seasoned, a little smoky and loaded with clams and potatoes. It had taken some convincing to get me to try it, but when I did it totally reawakened a long dormant love of chowders in me.

Unfortunately, my friends and I skipped our annual fall trip to the Cape this past year, so I didn’t get to indulge in my favorites again. Maybe that’s why I have become a little obsessed with New England-style cooking. Why should it take a trip to the Cape for me to enjoy things like New England Clam Chowder?

This recipe for New England Clam Chowder comes from my family cookbook, which was created about 30 years ago with personal recipes from my grandmother, her sister and cousins. It also has journal entries from my great-great grandmother. The first time I saw the cookbook, I read through from cover to cover soaking in every word. It was almost like eavesdropping, but better. There’s such a special connection to my family’s past in that book.

New England Clam Chowder is a big thing here in the Northeast. Sold everywhere from grocery stores to fine restaurants, making a good chowder is no small feat. It should be creamy, but taste of the sea, and clams and have a meatiness to it. The potatoes give it a little more bulk. It should never be overwhelmed by the cream though. This recipe, which comes from a cousin (I think) named Peggy, is all of these things. It also has a very, very faint sweetness from the caramelized onions. But since it uses milk instead of heavy cream, it’s a little lighter. That means that the clam flavor shines through beautifully.

Make sure you use really good clams. I bought frozen ones from a local market that has a dedicated fish section. They came from Rhode Island. My clam juice was from Maine — both perfect for a true New England chowder.

It’s important to note that while this New England Clam Chowder is lighter than more traditional recipes, it’s still not exactly light. The base starts with a lot of diced salt pork, after all. But you can enjoy this one with a little less guilt — so that’s something, right?

On a side note, I have discovered that New England cooking really loves salt pork and cream. Just sayin’. Considering I plan to do more New England-style cooking, I wonder what that might mean for my waist? Eh, better not to worry …

Did the family like it? Yes! The kids, Shawn and I all really enjoyed this recipe. Shawn’s hoping for a slightly creamier version to hit our table soon, but I was really happy with this less creamy version. Try serving it with Fluffy Baking Powder Biscuits.

So, are you a chowder fan? What’s your favorite variety?

Lighter New England Clam Chowder, A Family Recipe
serves 8

1/4 lb salt pork, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
6 large potatoes, diced
1 quart chopped clams (I use frozen fresh ones)
1 pint clam juice
1 quart low-fat milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a large pot on the stove (I used my cast iron Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the salt pork and cook for about 10 minutes until the fat renders and the bits are golden. Remove the salt pork bits from the pot and reserve for later.

Add the onions to the pot and stir well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and lightly browned. Add the potatoes and stir well to combine.

Add the clams and clam juice. (You can just add the clams frozen, but it will add more time to the cooking time.) Stir well. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.

While the clams are cooking, separate the fatty bits from the meaty bits of salt pork. Discard any fatty ones — they are tough and inedible. Stir the meaty salt pork bits back into the chowder.

Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the milk. Enjoy immediately.

This soup reheats well.

More from Sarah W. Caron of Sarah’s Cucina Bella…

• Game Day Brownie Bites on BettyCrocker.com
• Chocolate Raspberry Parfait on Tablespoon.com
• Top 10 Tips for Healthier Dinners on BettyCrocker.com (an oldie but goodie)
• Make Your Own Empanadas on Pillsbury.com

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When you plan your meals ahead of time, the evening goes much smoother. It becomes simpler to just finish up whatever you need to (work, laundry, whatever) and then move into a speedy dinner prep. Unfortunately, I fell back into bad habits recently and wasn’t planning dinners. Heck, I wasn’t even thinking about dinner … until it was time to make it. We consumed a lot of pasta. It was really chaotic, and I hate chaos.

But I am working on it (we’re on day five of planning success!). Honestly, the stress of having dinner roll around without a plan is something I don’t need. No one needs it. And it’s just too easy to skirt the issue with a little bit of planning.

The slow cooker really comes in handy. It’s just so simple. You toss the ingredients in early in the morning and then when dinnertime rolls around, you have a hot, ready to go dinner. If you are struggling with dinners, you should totally get your slow cooker out and give it a shot. Having this stew bubbling away the other afternoon provided such sweet peace of mind so that I could focus on what I needed to without stressing over what I would toss together for dinner.

Oh, and this Slow Cooker Beef and Veggie Stew is a great dish to re-start your slow cooking adventures with.

This stew has a faint French onion-ness to the broth, but not so much that onion haters will balk (and the onion pieces are big so they can pick ‘em out anyway). And the roasted garlic adds dimension to the broth. The slow cooking blends the flavors as it renders the stew meat completely fall-apart tender. The vegetables – carrots, broccoli stems, potatoes and sweet potatoes – give the stew bulk so that it fills you up.

Did you catch that it has broccoli stems. Stems! The part that no one loves to eat. I keep stems in my freezer for using in recipes like this. And honestly, after slow cooking the stems for so long, the kids and I really enjoyed them in this stew. It was an unexpected but welcome element.

Eat this with a slice of buttered bread. Just divine.

Slow Cooker Beef and Veggie Stew
serves 6

1 1/4 lb stew beef, cut into 1″ chunks
1 small onion, quartered
1 Yukon gold potato, diced
1 sweet potato, diced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2″ thick pieces
6 cloves roasted garlic, sliced and crushed
1/2 cup diced broccoli stems
4 cups beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
salt and pepper, to taste
flour (for thickening)

Combine all of the ingredients except the flour in the bowl of the slow cooker. Stir gently. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

Remove a ladle of broth from the stew to a container with a cover and add flour (2 tbsp to start). Cover and shake vigorously until combined. Stir into the stew. Repeat until you reach desired thickness.

Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

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Last weekend, I was thinking up new recipes to work on when this idea for a veggie-filled chili came to mind. I’d almost call it a girl’s chili, but I truly hate when people refer to certain dishes as “man food,” so I surely shouldn’t be hypocritical and call this “girl food.”

It’s anyone who loves veggies food.

Really, this chili is all about fall produce. It begins with peppers, eggplant, leeks and kale — all from the farm where I get my CSA box … but you could easily find these in the grocery store or at the farmers market. The veggies, which are plentiful, bulk up the chili and make it feel substantial as you eat it. Once the veggies are all softened, you add in the (antioxidant-rich) tomatoes and beans … oh and the seasonings too. Then it just has to simmer.

You’ll notice that in the recipe, I am decidedly vague about the seasoning amount. Seasoning chili is a hard thing for me. While I love knock-your-socks-off hot chili, my husband and kids don’t. Not even close. So I always have to go mild for them. For myself, I and then doctor mine so that it has that bite that I crave.

Maybe someday we can be on the same page about the heat? Maybe? Eh, who am I kidding …

Autumn Vegetable Chili
serves 4

2 tbsp canola oil
1 bunch leeks, rinsed and chopped
1 cup chopped sweet bell peppers
1 cup chopped fresh kale
1 cup peeled and chopped fresh eggplant
1 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning
1 29-oz-can tomato puree
1 6-oz-can tomato paste (plus two cans of water)
chili powder (1 tbsp for mild, 2 for medium, more as desired)
1 tsp cumin
pepper, to taste
1 15-oz-can dark red kidney beans

Heat the canola oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook 3-5 minutes, until softened.

Add the peppers, kale, eggplant and salt. Stir well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir well.

Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, water, chili powder, cumin and pepper. Stir well. Stir in the kidney beans. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings such as shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado and sour cream.

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You know how flavors can bring back vivid memories? Split pea soup is like that for me. One whiff of it’s smoky scent, and I feel the chilly spring afternoon air as I sat at my family’s wrought-iron patio set. My grandfather had returned from a favorite deli with sandwiches and soups, and raved over how good the split pea was. The criss-cross of metal pressed into my thighs as I agreed to try the soup — though I was rather skeptical about it. My legs dangled off the edge of the chair, too short to reach the ground, as I dipped the plastic spoon cautiously into the paper cup of soup.

It was amazing. I was totally surprised by how much I loved split pea. Heck, I think I surprised everyone when I ate a whole cup of it. The salty, smoky flavors, mingling with the slight sweetness of the split peas.

Until a few years ago, I never dreamed of making split pea soup myself. But when you bake up a ham every Easter (like I do!), it’s so easy to whip together with a few simple ingredients.

While this recipe for Easy Split Pea Soup is easy, it is time consuming too — you’ll need to let it cook for a few hours before you can dig in. So be sure that you have enough time for it to cook before you start making it. The good news though? Most of the cooking time is totally hands-off.

PS – This is fabulous served with a buttery grilled cheese sandwich.

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Earlier this week, a farm in our town started their preliminary work for the growing season. They begin by readying their greenhouse and planting seeds for their crops (and they sell some of the started plants too). In a month or so, the first crops will be planted in the fields, and their garden center will be hopping with hopeful people with fanciful dreams of amazing gardens.

As I look outside at our disheveled gardens, I am struck with how much work will have to happen before we can grow anything this year. Rocks from our gravel driveway were pushed far onto our lawn this winter. They need to be moved back again. Leaves, long forgotten under the snow, wait to be raked up and moved to our compost pile. My fenced garden of raised beds for growing veggies needs to be cleaned up, fertilized and planned. And will this be the year that I turn the grassy paths in it to gravel ones? I’m not sure.

And all this has to happen fast — between rainy days and chilly winds — so that it’s all picked up before the first blades of grass and rapidly growing weeds start appearing. It’s a race against Mother Nature, and I’m cold and sore just thinking of it.

I never really thought much about growing seasons and yard prep and all that until I had kids. It’s amazing how those sweet little people can make you so much more mindful about everything — where your food comes from, how you eat and living kindly with nature.

While I am in the beginning stages of planning for spring, it’s still soup season. And heck, when it’s cold like it still is (even on lovely sunny days like today), soup is just about the best thing ever — warm, comforting and belly-filling.

This Potato Broccoli Cheddar Soup is a perfect late winter soup. It’s creamy, though it contains no cream, and flavorful, though the ingredients list is relatively short and simple. One of the greatest discoveries I ever made about soup making was that pureeing potatoes in a soup can give it that lovely creamy texture without the added fat of stirring in heavy cream.

The flavor reminds me of a broccoli and cheddar baked potato (which is especially good if you love broccoli … and broccoli and cheddar baked potatoes … like I do), except it’s in a comforting, warm soup.

Here I’ve topped it with some chopped roasted red peppers and Westminster Oyster Crackers. The cool, sweet peppers and crunchy, almost buttery crackers are a fabulous compliment to the soup.

A few months back, I received a box of these crackers in the mail, and was instantly smitten. Oyster crackers and I have a long relationship, dating back to my days in Catholic elementary school. I used to sneak them during band practice (I played the clarinet. Poorly. Um, yea. Might have helped if I didn’t eat during practice, I suppose).

So, these Westminster Oyster Crackers. They impressed me. First, there was the flavor and texture — an almost buttery flavor, and a satisfying puffy crunch. Then there was the ingredients list, which is simple and 100 percent pronounceable. They contain ingredients I have not only heard of, but own! So, we’ve been munching on these for a few months now — as snacks, in soups, etc. The kids love taking them for snack time at school.

It’s still chilly here, so this soup is perfect. With the crackers and roasted red peppers, of course.

Potato Broccoli Cheddar Soup
serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb broccoli, cut into 1″ pieces (including the stem!)
4 cups low sodium (or no salt) chicken stock
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown.

Stir the potatoes and broccoli into the pot and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and stir it all up. Cover and cook for 30 minutes over medium heat (or until the broccoli and potatoes are tender).

Remove the soup from the heat, and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it’s mostly smooth (a few chunks are a good thing). Stir in the cheddar a little at a time, until melted. Taste and salt and pepper, as needed.

Serve immediately.

NOTE: The soup thickens as it cools, so if you have leftovers add a little extra chicken stock or broth to the soup when reheating for a looser consistency.

Giveaway!

Entries Closed. Congrats to Jacquie, the winner of the prize pack!

Westminster Crackers was kind enough to offer a fabulous prize pack for one of my readers. Seriously, I am jealous — it’s really awesome, and would be a great addition to any soup lover’s kitchen.

Here’s what one lucky winner will get:

• Samples of Westminster Crackers (oyster, rounds and squares)
• Set of 4 soup crocks from Sur La Table
• Soup Socks from Sur La Table
• Ladle from Sur La Table

To enter, leave a comment on this post, sharing what your very favorite soup is, before March 25 at 11:59 p.m. A winner will be chosen by March 27 and notified via email. Be sure to include an email address so that I can contact you.

Bonus entries (up to 3):

After you’ve commented, you can earn up to three bonus entries (one/task):

• Like Sarah’s Cucina Bella on Facebook (and leave a separate comment on this post saying that you did)
• Twitter about the contest (and leave a separate comment on this post saying you did)
• Give Sarah’s Cucina Bella a thumbs up on Babble’s Top 100 Food Mom Bloggers list (currently listed on Page 3) (and leave a separate comment on this post saying that you did)

DISCLOSURE: Westminster Crackers provided me with samples of their crackers. They are also providing the prize pack. I was not monetarily compensated for this post, and receiving the samples and prize pack didn’t influence my opinions in anyway.

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Once upon a time, what feels like a bazillion years ago, I interviewed for a job at Taunton Press, publishers of Fine Cooking. But the job wasn’t for that fabulous magazine, it was for another of their great enthusiast titles – Fine Woodworking.

I’ll pause for a second while those that know me personally snicker a bit. It’s okay. I totally understand.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Fine Woodworking is a wonderful magazine for woodworking enthusiasts. But I am not one of them. I walked into the interview knowing very little about woodworking. Fortunately, I was plenty qualified for the position, which was working in editorial/web development — so they could look past the fact that “dove-tailed corners” was about the only woodworking phrase I could think of.

In the end, it came down to me and one other applicant and I didn’t get the job. That was okay too. I ended up working at an awesome children’s publisher instead. Ironically, I was later interviewed for a grad school project on blogging by the woman who beat me out for the job.

Anyway, I digress. While interviewing for Fine Woodworking, I fell head over heels in love with Fine Cooking. I had seen the magazine before and enjoyed it, but that was when I really embraced the title and its amazing recipes. From homemade tortillas to fabulous cookies, they’ve never disappointed me. (And I harbor a not-so-secret dream of working there some day. Just sayin’.)

So, when I saw the recipe for Tomato Bisque in their Soups & Sandwiches special issue, I knew I would love it. Moreover, I knew it would be perfect for the big Sunday family dinner that I hosted this week. I couldn’t have been more right … everyone adored the soup, and the leftovers made a fabulous lunch yesterday. And when I was digging up the links for this post, I discovered that Abby Dodge, who actually founded the Fine Cooking test kitchen, wrote the recipe. I’ve admired her work for a long time, as someone to look up to in the food writing and recipe development field.

The Tomato Bisque starts with caramelized onions — the original recipe calls for a small white onion, but I used a large Vidalia one, since I turned the soup for two into soup for 12 and wanted the inherent sweetness of the Vidalia. Paige, of course, was quick to mosey up with her little pink stool to watch the progress as I made the soup.

Anyway, once the onions are caramelized, you add the thyme and garlic and stir it for just about a minute. Then the remainder of the ingredients, except for the cream are added. It boils, reduces and then you finally mix in the cream and serve.

All in all, it was really easy to make too. The recipe instructs to make cheese toasts with it. But I decided to serve this with my Gorgonzola Bison Sliders, and that was an awesome combination.

Try this Tomato Bisque. It’s amazing.

What’s your favorite cooking magazine?

Tomato Bisque for 12
serves 12, plus leftovers
adapted very slightly from Fine Cooking

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
a handful of fresh thyme sprigs, tied together with kitchen twine
5 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
6 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
a scant cup of honey
sea salt and ground black pepper
1 2/3 cups heavy cream (whipping cream is fine too)

Heat the oil in a deep stockpot over medium heat. You will need a really large pot for this. It makes a lot of soup.

Add the onions to the pot and saute for 10 minutes or so, until the edges begin to brown lightly. Add the garlic and thyme, stirring for one minute until fragrant.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth or stock, honey, salt and pepper. Bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20-30 minutes, until slightly reduced.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cream.

Serve immediately.

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When Will came home from school today, my house smelled incredible. The the lingering scent of slow-cooking beef mixed with red wine, garlic and more was mouthwatering and hit me as soon as we stepped through the door. I couldn’t wait until dinnertime.

The stew, which the kids both ate a lot of, was hearty and well cooked. After hours of cooking, the potatoes with silky soft and the meat was fork tender — just as it should be. When I asked Shawn what he thought, he said, “Very good.” That’s a sentiment that I haven’t heard about a stew in a long, long, long time.

I’ve really fallen for this slow cooking lately. The whole idea of tossing ingredients in a pot and letting it take care of itself is so incredibly helpful at the conclusion of a busy day when the last thing I want to do is create a fabulous meal. Are you a slow cooking fan? What’s your favorite slow cooker recipe? Share! I am dying to try more!

Sarah’s Waist-Friendly Slow Cooker Beef Stew
serves 6

1 1/2 lb beef stew meat
4 cups beef broth or stock
1 cup red wine (something you’d be happy to drink!)
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 lb Idaho potatoes, rinsed and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 lb sweet potatoes, rinsed and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
8-10 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients, except the salt and pepper, in a slow cooker and stir well. Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 5-6 hours or on low and cook for 10-12 hours. The stew is done when the vegetables are tender and the meat is falling apart. Remove the sprigs of thyme (for easier removal, tie them together with kitchen string before cooking). Season with salt and pepper.

Now, you can serve it just like this, or you can thicken it as you desire … your choice. I use a little cornstarch mixed with a little of the broth to thicken it ever so slightly.

Enjoy.

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