Soup or Stew – Full of Beans, Or Just Culinary Lexicon?

I was leafing through a cookbook entitled “400 Soups” in a store the other day. Besides being impressed at how many varieties there are in the world, it struck me that the distinction between soup and stew is not at all clear. But does it really matter to someone coming home hungry after a long, hard day’s work? No – whatever you call it, serve it up in a bowl and let’s eat!

This debate permeates the web and blogosphere. And it is especially difficult for bean-based vegetarian stove-top preparations. Soup, stew, hotpot, potage, bisque, broth, chowder… All these terms have their nuances, but are often interchangeable. For these bean-based recipes below, I’ll use ‘bean hotpot’ for something served in a bowl, and ‘sauce’ for something served on top of something else (like pasta).

Rachel Ray commercialized the term I have used forever – ‘Stoup’. There are however, many other connotations for the word ‘Stoup’, including a basin for Holy Water or, a degrading idiot. I don’t want to go there. So I’ll stick with hotpot…

Lentil and Barley Hotpot
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Herbs du Provence
½ cup green lentils
¼ cup red lentils
¼ cup white (Indian Garam) lentils – or substitute red or green
¼ cup un-hulled barley, or soft winter wheat (or substitute pearled barley)
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup water
1 cup white wine
1 16-oz can diced tomato
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

In a 3-4 quart pot, sauté onion, carrot and celery in a bit of olive oil until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic, cumin, red pepper and Herbs du Provence and cook another minute or two until very fragrant.

Add remaining ingredients to pot, and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring several times, for about 45 minutes, or until all ingredients are cooked through.

Chili Bean Hotpot
1 green pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp. chili powder
½ tsp Allspice
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups water
¼ cup green lentils
¼ cup yellow split peas or red lentils
¼ cup soft whole winter wheat berries
¼ cup bulgur wheat
1 new potato, peeled and diced into ¼ inch pieces
3 fresh ripe tomatoes, diced and drained (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1 29-oz can spicy chili beans in tomato sauce (NOT vegetarian baked beans – too sweet)
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp molasses

In a 3-4 quart pot, sauté the pepper, onion and celery in a bit of olive oil until the vegetables soften and begin to caramelize. Add garlic, cumin, mustard and the spices and cook another few minutes until very aromatic. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the vegetable stock, water, lentils, peas and wheat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the beans and grains are cooked. The wheat berries might still be very al-dente – they will cook more in the next step.

Meanwhile, sauté tomatoes in a bit of olive oil over high heat to caramelize and stew for about 10 minutes. Set aside. Omit this step if using canned tomatoes. Add potatoes, tomatoes, cocoa and molasses to bean pot, along with the canned beans. Simmer for another 20 minutes until all the flavors meld.

Tomato & Cannellini with Pesto and Toasted Pine Nuts
2-3 large fresh ripe tomatoes, diced and somewhat drained
1 can Cannellini beans, drained
2 Tbsp pesto sauce
½ cup white wine
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup pine nuts
1 lb pasta (of your choosing)

Heat a pan over fairly high heat with a bit of olive oil and sear the tomatoes, stirring until they are bubbly and caramelized. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until heated through.

Meanwhile cook pasta al-dente according to package instructions. Gently toast pine nuts in a dry non-stick skillet over medium heat, shaking pan often. Allow nuts to slightly brown but not burn. Serve sauce over pasta topped with pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese.












Pinto and Andoille Hot Pot
4 small celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
¼ lb Andoille sausage, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 potato, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup cooked brown rice
6 leaves fresh basil, cut in chiffonade
2 tsp. Emeril Essence (or Cajun spice mix)

In a 3 quart pot, sauté the onion, celery and carrot until softened and slightly caramelized. Add the sausage and heat through and then add the garlic and cook a few more minutes until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until the potato is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

They Say Eat More Fish

Not only do nutritionists recommend eating more fish, they specifically emphasize the health benefits of those species containing higher levels of so-called omega-3 fatty acids. Together with their omega-6 cousins, they are known as ‘essential fatty acids’, which cannot be synthesized by the human body. Omega-3’s are found in ‘fatty’ fish such as salmon and of course sardines, mackerel and anchovies. There are many other sources of omega-3 fatty acids such as almonds, walnuts, leafy green vegetables and eggs. But if you’re like me and don’t go for the more ‘flavorful’ fatty fish, but you like salmon and those other omega-3 containing foods, you are still in luck.

But let’s not get too carried away. White fish is still great for you, so I for one will continue enjoying Cod and Tilapia, along with Salmon, thank you very much.


Oven Poached Salmon and Summer Vegetables
4 portions salmon fillet, about 1/3 lb. each, skin removed
1 yellow summer squash, seeded and sliced into half-moons
2 dozen grape tomatoes
1 dozen asparagus spears
8 fresh basil leaves, cut in chiffonade
palmful fresh mint leaves
2 tsp anise seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. Place each salmon filet on a separate piece of aluminum foil more than big enough to completely wrap the fish. Distribute the remaining ingredients scattered on top of the salmon. Salt and pepper to taste. Wrap the fish tighly in the foil and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.


Pan Roasted Cod over Soba Noodles
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp spiced rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
½ red pepper, halved and thinly sliced
¼ cup shredded carrot
1 very small yellow squash, sliced
1 small can sliced mushrooms, including liquid
¼ lb. soba noodles
1½ lb cod fillet, cut into 4 pieces
3 cloves garlic, sliced
½ inch fresh ginger, minced

In one pot, combine broth, water, soy sauce vinegar, sesame oil and mushrooms (including liquid from can. Bring to a boil and add soba noodles, carrots, pepper and squash. Simmer, stirring often.

Meanwhile, heat a separate non-stick skillet and cook cod over very high heat in a bit of canola or peanut oil for about 2 minutes. Flip carefully and continue cooking another 2 minutes. Set aside. In same non-stick skillet, fry the garlic and ginger over medium heat in a bit of canola or peanut oil until fragrant, but not browned. Set aside.

When noodles are done (they should take no more than 5 minutes), transfer one fourth of the noodles, vegetables and broth to each of four bowls. Top the noodles with one of the fish portions and scatter the garlic and ginger on top of the fish pieces.

Salmon Stuffed with Crabmeat
4 salmon filets, tail end, skin removed, about 4-inches long each
3 cups herbed seasoned stuffing mix
1 can crab meat, picked through and drained
Fresh herbs such as oregano, mint or tarragon

Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions (I like to add a bit of garlic passed through a press). Mix in the crabmeat with the stuffing. Lay each fillet out on a work surface and divide the stuffing among the four filets. Roll each fillet up and place seam-side down in a baking dish. Spray with oil and top with fresh herbs. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until heated through.

Tilapia with Creamy Guacamole and Fresh Tomatoes
4 Tilapia filets
2 fresh ripe tomatoes, diced and drained
½ lemon, quatered

Creamy Guacamole
1 avocado. Finely diced
juice of half a lime
1 clove garlic, pressed through a garlic press
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp powdered cumin
dash Cayenne pepper
dash salt
1 Tbsp good real mayonnaise (or sour cream)

Prepare guacamole by mixing all guacamole ingredients together, mixing well to achieve a creamy consistency.

Meanwhile, sauté the tilapia, preferably on an oil-sprayed non-stick ridged grill pan, about 5 minutes on one side. Flip and finish cooking about another 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness. Salt and pepper to taste.

Plate the tilapia and sprinkle with lemon. Top with a dollop of creamy guacamole and some diced tomatoes.

1000 ways to deploy a squash harvest

First of all, give some away.

Next make zucchini soup. Then make ratatouille. Freeze some for a rainy day. Now, give more away.

Then, consider some of these ideas.


Cumin, Pinto and Sage Stuffed Zucchini
2 12-inch zucchini, sliced lengthwise and scooped of seeds
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 fresh sage leaves, diced
½ lb ground beef
1 rounded Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 can pinto beans, drained
2 cups cooked rice
½ lb grated jalapeno-Jack cheese
1 can diced chilies

Heat oven to 400F. Place zucchini in a large oiled roasting pan and spray them with canola oil. Bake for 20 minutes until just starting to soften. You can broil for the last few minutes just to brown the inside of the zucchini if you want. Do not salt them or they will go wet and limp on you.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté onion until soft. Add garlic and sage and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add ground beef and brown. Add chili powder, cumin, beans and rice and mix well. Stuff zucchini boats with beans and rice mixture. Top with cheese and chilies and bake until completely heated through and cheese is melted, about another 20 minutes.

Serves 6.


Grilled Swordfish with Zucchini Caponata

6 swordfish steaks, about ¾ inch thick
Zucchini Caponata (see below)

Heat grill and spray swordfish steaks with canola oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Grill fish for five minutes on one side with out turning or moving. Flip and grill the other side for about three more minutes.

Plate steaks on individual plates and top each with about ½ cup Caponata.


Zucchini Caponata

1 medium zucchini, seeded and finely diced
1 small eggplant, diced to ½ inch
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest and juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup calamata olives, chopped
6 marinated artichoke quarters (1 small jar), drained and chopped
1 fresh, ripe tomato, seeded and chopped finely
3 fresh basil leaves, chopped in chiffonade
1 Tbsp minced fresh mint
salt and pepper to taste
hot pepper sauce to taste

In a large pan, sauté zucchini and onion over high heat in a bit of olive oil. Let the zucchini brown just a bit – but not too much to burn it. As the zucchini browns a bit you can turn the heat down to medium. I like the caramelization this achieves, but it’s a delicate balance not to burn the zucchini, which makes it bitter. Add the garlic for the lat 1-2 minutes of cooking. Remove zucchini mixture to a bowl.

Add the eggplant to the pan and brown lightly in a bit of olive oil just as for the zucchini. Make sure the eggplant is cooked through and then add to the zucchini in the bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Then toss in remaining ingredients and let marinate at least half an hour.

Makes about 3-4 cups; enough to top 6-8 servings of meat or fish, or to make 2 pizzas.


Ratatoille Nicoise

3 medium zucchini, sliced
1 large onion, diced
1 yellow pepper, halved and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
palmful fresh oregano
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp sugar
2 anchovies, finely minced (optional – if you have them)
½ cup Calamata olives
½ cup pimento-stuffed green olives
1 Tbsp fresh mint, minced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup dry white wine

In a large pot, sauté the zucchini in a bit of olive oil until softened and slightly browned. Set aside. In the same pot, sauté the onion and pepper until softened and starting to turn golden. Add the garlic and oregano and cook another few minutes until fragrant – but do not allow garlic to brown. Set aside.

In same pot, heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil just until smoking and then add the tomatoes, sugar and anchovies if you are using them. Sauté, stirring often, until tomatoes cook down and caramelize a bit.

Return all vegetables back to the pot. Add the olives, mint, red pepper and wine. Salt well to taste. Bring to a boil, stir and return to a gentle simmer. Cook for about half an hour.

As with all ratatouilles, this is actually best if refrigerated overnight to allow the flavors to meld, and gently reheated the next day.


Zucchini and Yellow Squash Carpaccio

The smaller the squash the better, to avoid the seedy centers of the larger specimens, and the tougher skins of larger yellow squash.

2 small zucchini (about 4 inches)
2 small, tender yellow squash (about 4 inches)
1 leek, white section only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, washed and drained
6 fresh basil leaves, cut in chiffonade
1 Tbsp fresh mint, minced
1 Tbsp capers
½ cup Ricotta cheese
zest and juice of ½ lemon
about 2-3 Tbsp good olive oil

Very thinly slice the zucchini and squash ideally using a mandolin. Arrange slightly overlapped spirally in a single layer on a large platter, alternating zucchini and yellow squash. Arrange leek, mint, zest and capers evenly over squash. Dot the platter (about 1 tsp) evenly with the Ricotta cheese. Sprinkle evenly with lemon juice and olive oil. Salt and pepper generously. Let the carpaccio sit for at least an hour.