Saturday 20 April 2013

Vegan Cocido (Spanish Stew)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Texas ~ Halo
The Cranberries ~ When You're Gone
Madison Avenue ~ "78 (Album Mix)
Alison Moyet ~ La Chanson Des Vieux Amants
Bonnie Raitt ~Love Sneakin' Up On You
Dani Wilde ~ Shine
Dave Gahan ~ Miracles
Fleetwood Mac ~ Tusk
The Commitments ~ Treat Her Right
Nelly ~ Promiscuous
Europe ~ Song 12
Maroon 5 ~ Misery
Lydia Loveless ~ Bad Way To Go
Kaiser Chiefs ~ Modern Way

This week I am craving the most basic of foods. Fresh veggies both raw and cooked and fresh fruits. Cooked or prepared simply and without much spice or richness. And that is how I stumbled across this recipe in a vegetarian cookbook that I have had forever...lol. The book in question is The Bean Book by Roses Elliot.

It's a simple stew that originally would have had a large piece of meat cooked in it...but Elliot subbed out the meat for chickpeas. I slightly adapted it to fit what we had in the stocks...so will add my adaptions to the recipe below. I also skipped step one - cooking of the dried chickpeas and started at step two and used two tins of drained chickpeas.

This stew, in my opinion, was glorious in its unfussy and rustic appearance. The colours of the veggies clear to see..the almost translucent stock. And the taste...a wonderful powerhouse of good clean veggie flavours. I confess..I went back for seconds. lol. It also appealed to me because it didn't have tomatoes in it as I am trying to avoid them for a while.

The recipe also says it serves four...but it made a huge vat of stew so I will be eating it for days...good job I loved it.

Vegan Cocido (Spanish Stew)
I gave this 12/10..lol Yum!
Vegan Cocido (Spanish Stew) serves four and then some
(Recipe adapted from The Bean Book/Elliot)

350g/12oz/1 3/4 cups of dried chickpeas or 2 tins drained
veggie stock
3 white potatoes or 5 purple potatoes quartered
2 onions, sliced
2 carrots. sliced
1 turnip, cubed OR 8 brussel sprouts, halved  (I know similar, right?lol)
2 leeks, sliced
1 small cabbage, quartered or cut into eight pieces
2 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
1 tbsp paprika
1 bouquet garni ~ parsley, thyme and bayleaf
2 tbsp oil
salt ~ optional
freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Soak, drain and rinse the dried chickpeas as usual. Put them into a very large saucepan and cover them generously with veggie stock and simmer then for about one hour until almost tender.

Meanwhile prepare the veggies and add the chickpeas in the saucepan. Together with the paprika, bouquet garni, oil and a little more stock if necessary. (Or add chickpeas, veggies, paprika, oil, bouquet garni to a very large saucepan and cover with approx. 1.5 litres of veggie stock). Simmer gently for a further 30 minutes or so..or until everything is cooked.
Remove the bouquet garni and season to taste.

And enjoy! Yum!

Thanks as ever to Rose Elliot for being an inspiration to this humble amateur cook for many years.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week has been great...

~Red~