Some days are just so jam-packed that if you don’t make dinner in the morning it’s not going to happen at all. I hate the four o’clock feeling of not having an answer when people start asking “What’s for dinner?”. . . especially when I still have two more hours of work ahead before I can even think about dinner. When you are facing one of those busy days, then your crockpot (slow-cooker) can be your best friend.
I confess that this recipe, at the start of one of those hectic days, was also the result of discovering that I had mistakenly bought a big bag of potatoes when I already had one at home. . . oops! So right after breakfast (If I had been planning ahead I could have cleaned and chopped all the vegetable the night before) I began scrubbing potatoes and peeling carrots and onions (because those are the primary ingredients in any good stew). Then I chopped a wedge of raw leftover cabbage, 1 cup of chopped celery, and put everything in the crockpot with 6 cups of water and a packet of onion soup mix, 3 cloves of minced garlic, and some extra seasonings (You can be creative here).
For protein I added a can of seasoned black beans and about 8 ounces of frozen peas. To thicken, add 1/4 cup pearl barley. All these ingredients and the amounts are flexible as are the seasonings; I was flying by the seat of my pants and in a hurry, but it worked, so feel free use what you have on hand and experiment if you are adventurous.
INGREDIENTS:
4 – 5 medium potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1-inch
I large onion, peeled and chopped 1-inch
1 cup of fresh cabbage, chopped 1-inch
1 cup celery, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
6 cups water
1 packet onion soup mix
1/4 cup barley
1- 15 ounce can seasoned black beans
8 ounces frozen peas
(I would have added some dry red lentils also, if I had thought of it. They would have added more protein and creaminess to to stew)
Seasonings I used, but you can vary these if you prefer:
1 1/2 Tbsp. dry parsley, 1 tsp. ground thyme, 1 bay leaf
METHOD:
I did not pre-steam any of the ingredients because this recipe will slow cook for hours. Simply throw all ingredients into the crockpot, stir, cover, and set on low for 6 – 8 hours. Then dash off to your next project.
At the end of the day, you will be welcomed by the savory aroma of a healthy dinner already made (and an answer to everyone’s questions), and that is a satisfying feeling. You are on top of things — you can do this!
Sample the stew about 15 minutes before serving. Add salt or Braggs Amino Acids and pepper to your liking. (If you have any bits of leftover cooked vegetables in the frig, the perfect time to use them up is now. Add them, stir, and allow them to heat up and flavors to mingle for about 15 minutes).
Serve with a simple side salad and some rolls or breadsticks. It’s a no stress, no mess dinner and only one pot to wash!
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