Resource Why are *literally* all women like this?

[BeansOfRequirement]

Now that I have your attention, here is my stew:

Stew of the man-child (recipe)​

Don't usually cook more than just frying something or mixing stuff together from cans. But today I managed to make one of the best stews (according to the following criteria: cost, time, difficulty, nutrition, scalability and taste).

Will need (red is what I used this time): Cheap lean protein (chicken/seitan/etc), cheap carbs (potatoes/lentals/beans/rice/etc), onions (a lot), carrots, butter, liquid cream, other vegetables (tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, etc), salt, black pepper, other optional stuff for flavoring (broth/bouillon cubes/lemon/garlic/herbs/peanut butter/etc). (I also think this can be made with way fewer items if we go harder with the onions, carrots, salt and pepper). Will also need a pot, probably a pan or oven, like a spoon or something, water, a knife, maybe a peeler.

Instructions: Prepare the protein to be ready once your stew can receive it (I boiled frozen chicken and then put it in the oven, working on the stew while the chicken was in the oven), fry onions in butter (or use something healthier), then put the liquid cream in (healthier options exist), add some water, throw in the potatoes and carrots (they take longer than the pre-cooked protein and vegetables, but not as long as the onions that we added from the start), work on the flavor with whatever you have (lots of black pepper is recommended, a lot of salt is recommended if a lot of fat was used, peanut butter is very much recommended, some broth is also recommended). Once satisfied with the flavor, add the protein and final vegetables, check if you need more water, some finishing touches to the flavor and it's done.

I made four portions at once, took a little less than an hour. Very tasty, a lot of nutrients, around 50g of protein. I can't think of many dishes that would be better overall than this one. I think you would be able to survive off of only this dish for a very long time; maybe someone has some ideas of what nutrients might be lacking, and what could be added to complete it?

Post your own stew (based)??? Stew mega-thread (wow)???

 

[Lost in a Dream]

After seeing the title, I popped a whole bag of popcorn expecting to witness a brawl, but instead you're in here cooking stew. *smh*

I like the recipe though. It sounds delicious!

 

[Smart No More]

Fuckin women! lol.

I'm a stew fan too and have a very similar recipe -

For me a stew has to be cooked slow and long. The other option is in a pressure cooker. It's all doable on a stove but the most convenient way I find is in a slow cooker/crock pot.
Oil
Butter
Chicken breast (for convenience) and simplicity. (you could go all out and make your own stock using bones but I'll save that for a later entry.
Diced onions. Red and white. More red than white though.
Thyme
Garlic (freshly chopped, powder or paste, your choice though you would need to add it in at different times depending which you use)
Bay leaf
Carrots
Sometimes I use leeks. Sometimes I don't.
Sweet potatoes
Regular potatoes
Tinned sweetcorn & if you fancy luxury extra a couple of corn cobs chopped into 6 equal pieces
Salt
White&black pepper
Stock. Not all stock is made equal so choice of stock can make a big difference.
Tomato paste/puree (optional)

I like to add a few herbs and spices from my cupboard but they're optional
Oregano
Paprika


Chop and peel regular potatoes and put them in lightly salted boiling water to simmer. The idea is to part boil them.

Whilst they're simmering chop your onions and garlic.

Take potatoes of the heat and drain then place a lid on the pan and proceed to shake the pan about vigorously in order to brake the outside of the potatoes to create a kind of semi mash around semi cooked potatoes. This, when added to your stew/stock will add some body.

Chop a couple of large sweet potatoes. Large cubes. They're going to have a similar effect to the semi mashed white potatoes but in a much bigger capacity. The idea is to cut them so they disintegrate into the stew making it think but leave behind some large chunks too. If you chop them large it's alnost guaranteed to work out that way.

Put some stock in the pot/slow cooker and add in salt, pepper and thyme. If using oregano add that too. Get it on the heat. Slow if you can. If using liquid stock you should add it to around half full. If using concentrated stock add water to around half full.

Chop your carrots. Chunky ftw. Same with your leeks if using them.

Now we're getting close to being done with prep -

Dice your chicken.

Oil up a pan

Fry onions until they start to soften,

Add in garlic and chicken

Fry hot and fast to sear and once you can no longer see the inner raw chicken that's plenty. Doesn't need to be fully cooked. Ideally the onions should be nice and fried though. Try not to burn the garlic. There's a bit of a knack to timing this but in a big frying pan you shouldn't struggle too much.

Now the stock should be warm.
Drew
Add in carrots, sweet potatoes and the par boiled/semi mashed potatoes. Leeks too if using them.

Let that get upto heat again. If you want to turn the heat up you can for this. Then drop it to low again and add your chicken.

Now open a tin of sweetcorn. Chuck all the juice and half the sweetcorn into the stew along with the chopped corn cobs if you use those. These will add a sweetness along with the sweet potatoes that is paramount to this recipe.

Throw in the thyme on the stem, the bay leaf (1 or 2) and (optionally) mix a spoon of tomato paste into the liquid.

Now, if I haven't forgotten anything everything is in the pot. Put the lid on and go about your day with it on a low setting/heat.

Come back 2-3hrs later and you'll see the liquid at the top looks kind of watery and and the heavy stuff has sunk mostly to the bottom. Now stir it. This is where magic happens. The sweet potatoes will break up. The juice from the chicken, garlic and onions will infuse with it. The stock will start turning think and opaque from the potatoes breaking up. Obviously you want some chunks too so stiring should be relatively gentle.

Now put the lid on and leave for another hour or so. The longer and slower the better but 4 hours minimum is okay I reckon. In a pressure cooker you can do it in two.

At the end you might want to add further salt and pepper to taste. I usually do. I have found that yoy can easily add too much salt whilsts it's hot though. As it cools you will start to taste the salt more so be sparing. I usually sprinkle a little white pepper on reheated portions too but it's opotional obviously.

I like to use a high volume slow cooker personally and you can make a weeks worth of meals in one go. It's about an hours worth of prep and faff all in. Less once you've done it a couple of times.

I sometimes add dumplings. You can buy ready mixed ingredients for that if you like. It's cheap in a single sachet/packet. Just follow the instructions on the pack. It's basically add water and mix. Then divide into dumpling sized balls and cook in your stew. They do add a nice extra but either way a couple of sliced of well buttered bread with each portion will really do your meal some favours. You can play with different bread. Wholemeal is nice but I found a bit of a soft spot for cheese and chilli cornbread. That's pretty easy to make using pollenta but you can buy it too.

I actually haven't cooked this since getting sick but it used to be a staple in my home. Seriously hearty food. Cheap too. Its so easy. Whilst I was specific about the steps it is really just a case of chucking everything in a pot and letting it cook. The steps are just nuanced in favour of more specific result but you can find your own way to what works for you. For me though, the thick soupy sweet and savoury stew with chunks of chicken, carrot and sweet potato and the crunch of the sweetcorn is just perfect. Especially with the buttery bread soaking it up and the fat from the butter carrying the burst of flavour.

You can do this whole thing with beef if you like. Change the stock to suit your protein. Various beans and pulses can be used too. I sometimes would use them alongside a meat. It's hard to get stew wrong but you can also really hone it to make it perfect. God I love stew.

Next time - good stocks & Ramen and Pho.

 

[Sibyl Vane]

Yummy! I Love making stew!

 

[miserableforever]

Fuckin women! lol.

I'm a stew fan too and have a very similar recipe -

For me a stew has to be cooked slow and long. The other option is in a pressure cooker. It's all doable on a stove but the most convenient way I find is in a slow cooker/crock pot.
Oil
Butter
Chicken breast (for convenience) and simplicity. (you could go all out and make your own stock using bones but I'll save that for a later entry.
Diced onions. Red and white. More red than white though.
Thyme
Garlic (freshly chopped, powder or paste, your choice though you would need to add it in at different times depending which you use)
Bay leaf
Carrots
Sometimes I use leeks. Sometimes I don't.
Sweet potatoes
Regular potatoes
Tinned sweetcorn & if you fancy luxury extra a couple of corn cobs chopped into 6 equal pieces
Salt
White&black pepper
Stock. Not all stock is made equal so choice of stock can make a big difference.
Tomato paste/puree (optional)

I like to add a few herbs and spices from my cupboard but they're optional
Oregano
Paprika


Chop and peel regular potatoes and put them in lightly salted boiling water to simmer. The idea is to part boil them.

Whilst they're simmering chop your onions and garlic.

Take potatoes of the heat and drain then place a lid on the pan and proceed to shake the pan about vigorously in order to brake the outside of the potatoes to create a kind of semi mash around semi cooked potatoes. This, when added to your stew/stock will add some body.

Chop a couple of large sweet potatoes. Large cubes. They're going to have a similar effect to the semi mashed white potatoes but in a much bigger capacity. The idea is to cut them so they disintegrate into the stew making it think but leave behind some large chunks too. If you chop them large it's alnost guaranteed to work out that way.

Put some stock in the pot/slow cooker and add in salt, pepper and thyme. If using oregano add that too. Get it on the heat. Slow if you can. If using liquid stock you should add it to around half full. If using concentrated stock add water to around half full.

Chop your carrots. Chunky ftw. Same with your leeks if using them.

Now we're getting close to being done with prep -

Dice your chicken.

Oil up a pan

Fry onions until they start to soften,

Add in garlic and chicken

Fry hot and fast to sear and once you can no longer see the inner raw chicken that's plenty. Doesn't need to be fully cooked. Ideally the onions should be nice and fried though. Try not to burn the garlic. There's a bit of a knack to timing this but in a big frying pan you shouldn't struggle too much.

Now the stock should be warm.
Drew
Add in carrots, sweet potatoes and the par boiled/semi mashed potatoes. Leeks too if using them.

Let that get upto heat again. If you want to turn the heat up you can for this. Then drop it to low again and add your chicken.

Now open a tin of sweetcorn. Chuck all the juice and half the sweetcorn into the stew along with the chopped corn cobs if you use those. These will add a sweetness along with the sweet potatoes that is paramount to this recipe.

Throw in the thyme on the stem, the bay leaf (1 or 2) and (optionally) mix a spoon of tomato paste into the liquid.

Now, if I haven't forgotten anything everything is in the pot. Put the lid on and go about your day with it on a low setting/heat.

Come back 2-3hrs later and you'll see the liquid at the top looks kind of watery and and the heavy stuff has sunk mostly to the bottom. Now stir it. This is where magic happens. The sweet potatoes will break up. The juice from the chicken, garlic and onions will infuse with it. The stock will start turning think and opaque from the potatoes breaking up. Obviously you want some chunks too so stiring should be relatively gentle.

Now put the lid on and leave for another hour or so. The longer and slower the better but 4 hours minimum is okay I reckon. In a pressure cooker you can do it in two.

At the end you might want to add further salt and pepper to taste. I usually do. I have found that yoy can easily add too much salt whilsts it's hot though. As it cools you will start to taste the salt more so be sparing. I usually sprinkle a little white pepper on reheated portions too but it's opotional obviously.

I like to use a high volume slow cooker personally and you can make a weeks worth of meals in one go. It's about an hours worth of prep and faff all in. Less once you've done it a couple of times.

I sometimes add dumplings. You can buy ready mixed ingredients for that if you like. It's cheap in a single sachet/packet. Just follow the instructions on the pack. It's basically add water and mix. Then divide into dumpling sized balls and cook in your stew. They do add a nice extra but either way a couple of sliced of well buttered bread with each portion will really do your meal some favours. You can play with different bread. Wholemeal is nice but I found a bit of a soft spot for cheese and chilli cornbread. That's pretty easy to make using pollenta but you can buy it too.

I actually haven't cooked this since getting sick but it used to be a staple in my home. Seriously hearty food. Cheap too. Its so easy. Whilst I was specific about the steps it is really just a case of chucking everything in a pot and letting it cook. The steps are just nuanced in favour of more specific result but you can find your own way to what works for you. For me though, the thick soupy sweet and savoury stew with chunks of chicken, carrot and sweet potato and the crunch of the sweetcorn is just perfect. Especially with the buttery bread soaking it up and the fat from the butter carrying the burst of flavour.

You can do this whole thing with beef if you like. Change the stock to suit your protein. Various beans and pulses can be used too. I sometimes would use them alongside a meat. It's hard to get stew wrong but you can also really hone it to make it perfect. God I love stew.

Next time - good stocks & Ramen and Pho.

You have a pressure cooker, people have those? Never even seen one.

 

[NobodyKnowsMe]

For me, stew and vegetable soup are basically the same thing. I typically start with some sort of beef roast, cut into bite-size pieces. Let it simmer in enough water to cover, with various spices added, until the meat is tender. Then I add veggies: corn, gr beans, carrots, potatoes, peas, lima beans, and others, depending on what I have around. For the potatoes, I now always use the canned new potatoes. I'm not quite sure what they do to them (and really don't want to think very hard about it), but those canned potatoes do not fall apart the way regular potatoes do when they cook for a long time. I'll also often add some barley and sometimes some kind of tiny pasta like orzo or acini di pepe. I add enough beef stock to cover everything and let it slow cook all day. When almost ready to server, I'll typically thicken the broth up a bit so that it is somewhere between full liquid and gravy thickness.

 

[Smart No More]

You have a pressure cooker, people have those? Never even seen one.

I don't have a pressure cooker but they're easily bought. They're just a saucepan with a twist on lid and a valve in the top. You can get fancier ones now I think but the regular ones are pretty common in a kitchen of anyone who cooks a lot. I'm happy with the slow cooker myself. I only suggested the pressure cooker for those that want to make a stew faster. To be fair though, most people with a pressure cooker isn't likely to need my crappy recipe lol.

Yummy! I Love making stew!

Don't give out your secret ingredient. People guard these things with their lives. Old Colonel Sanders would be turning in his gravy!

For me, stew and vegetable soup are basically the same thing. I typically start with some sort of beef roast, cut into bite-size pieces. Let it simmer in enough water to cover, with various spices added, until the meat is tender. Then I add veggies: corn, gr beans, carrots, potatoes, peas, lima beans, and others, depending on what I have around. For the potatoes, I now always use the canned new potatoes. I'm not quite sure what they do to them (and really don't want to think very hard about it), but those canned potatoes do not fall apart the way regular potatoes do when they cook for a long time. I'll also often add some barley and sometimes some kind of tiny pasta like orzo or acini di pepe. I add enough beef stock to cover everything and let it slow cook all day. When almost ready to server, I'll typically thicken the broth up a bit so that it is somewhere between full liquid and gravy thickness.

I think those tinned potatoes are like that purely because they're sat in brine/salt before getting rinsed and put in cans. You can do it with cucumber (or any veg really). It won't wilt after doing that. It's how they do those fancy spirals and garnishes without them going sloppy and brown straight away. So maybe not as sinister as you feared. Though I totally get your reason for assuming foul play of some kind. It's often the case.

 

[onlyanimalsaregood]

Good recipe

 

[Sibyl Vane]

Don't give out your secret ingredient. People guard these things with their lives. Old Colonel Sanders would be turning in his gravy!

Well, you know what they say: Sharing is caring, and being greedy is not good for your soul.

But, in all honesty, that's why you must always be certain that the meat is properly cooked before you take your eyes off it. Chef Ramsay says it best than I ever could.

 

[Feeding Pigeons]

@GenesAndEnvironment stay in the kitchen.

Wait a minute, I'm confused about something in the recipe, you boiled the chicken and then put it in the oven? As in roasting?

 

[chocolatebar]

You guys have recipes for stew? I just cook wathever leftovers I have and that's it. The taste is never incredible, but never bad too.

 

[BeansOfRequirement]

Wait a minute, I'm confused about something in the recipe, you boiled the chicken and then put it in the oven? As in roasting?

Yep. It's frozen, so I boil it up to begin with. This is the first step and you can prep everything else while it's boiling. Then the chimken goes in the oven, freeing up the pot for the start of the stew (onions).

Eating the stew again rn, microwaved it. Almost as good as the fresh stew, lost some flavor (so I guess I need to go a little heavier with the seasoning next time.

 

[Feeding Pigeons]

Yep. It's frozen, so I boil it up to begin with. This is the first step and you can prep everything else while it's boiling. Then the chimken goes in the oven, freeing up the pot for the start of the stew (onions).

Eating the stew again rn, microwaved it. Almost as good as the fresh stew, lost some flavor (so I guess I need to go a little heavier with the seasoning next time.

Do you rinse the pot after boiling the chicken or do you leave the water like that cause its got chicken juice in it and makes the broth have more flavor?

 

[BeansOfRequirement]

Do you rinse the pot after boiling the chicken or do you leave the water like that cause its got chicken juice in it and makes the broth have more flavor?

I remove the water (can't fry onions in water), but don't rinse. Not for taste, just an unnecessary step I can avoid.

 

[nightnightnitrite]

Yeesh, mods might have to lock this one down, it's a lil too political XD However, I am a sucker for stew and soups of any kind and this sounds like a very beautiful stew!

 

[Symbiote]

Yeesh, mods might have to lock this one down, it's a lil too political XD However, I am a sucker for stew and soups of any kind and this sounds like a very beautiful stew!

Yeah, I'm just stewing over this thread....

 

[WhatDoesTheFoxSay?]

Clickbait title caught me off guard Nice one, @GenesAndEnvironment!

For me, cooking is throwing things into a pot and calling it food. Hard to put into words, much less into a structured recipe

You will need:

• Pork (preferably shoulder/butt) or the meat of your choice (ask your butcher for the best cuts for stews)
• Onion
• Garlic (optional)
• Celery
• Carrot
• Potatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sugar
• Light soy sauce
• Dark soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp Dried, or 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves (optional)
• 1/4 tsp Dried, or 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional)
• 2 Bay leaves
• Liquor of your choice (optional, I use brandy)
• Cornstarch

1. Meat and marinade:
Cut 500g of pork, or the meat of your choice into 3/4 inch cubes. Vegetarians may use mushrooms (white buttons, creminis and portobellos are ideal) as a substitute for meat—halve or quarter the mushrooms and blanch in boiling water for 30-40 seconds before marinating. Marinade the meat (or mushrooms), for at least 30 minutes, in:

• 1/4 tsp Salt
• A sprinkle of Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2. Onion:
Cut one large (preferably yellow) onion into 8 wedges.

3. Garlic (optional):
Smash 1-2 garlic cloves.

4. Celery:
Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces.

5. Carrot:
Dice 1 large carrot into 3/4 inch cubes.

6. Potato:
Like the above, dice 2 large, or 3 medium-sized potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes. In a pan, fry the potatoes in hot oil, turning often until lightly browned (should take about 5 minutes).

7. Sauté:
In a pot (min. 2L capacity), sauté the carrot, celery and onion until lightly browned. You may add garlic and rosemary, thyme and bay leaves at this time. Add the pork (or meat of your choice) to the pot and sauté until browned. You may then add brandy or the liquor of your choice, stir lightly to combine and cook the mixture for at least 20-30 seconds to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Add in the potatoes.

8. Gravy:
Dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 2 cups of cold water. Pour the starch-water mixture into the pot and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the gravy becomes too thick, add in water or stock until you get to your desired texture. Season to taste and serve.

 

[BeansOfRequirement]

Clickbait title caught me off guard Nice one, @GenesAndEnvironment!

For me, cooking is throwing things into a pot and calling it food. Hard to put into words, much less into a structured recipe

You will need:

• Pork (preferably shoulder/butt) or the meat of your choice (ask your butcher for the best cuts for stews)
• Onion
• Garlic (optional)
• Celery
• Carrot
• Potatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sugar
• Light soy sauce
• Dark soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp Dried, or 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves (optional)
• 1/4 tsp Dried, or 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional)
• 2 Bay leaves
• Liquor of your choice (optional, I use brandy)
• Cornstarch

1. Meat and marinade:
Cut 500g of pork, or the meat of your choice into 3/4 inch cubes. Vegetarians may use mushrooms (white buttons, creminis and portobellos are ideal) as a substitute for meat—halve or quarter the mushrooms and blanch in boiling water for 30-40 seconds before marinating. Marinade the meat (or mushrooms), for at least 30 minutes, in:

• 1/4 tsp Salt
• A sprinkle of Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2. Onion:
Cut one large (preferably yellow) onion into 8 wedges.

3. Garlic (optional):
Smash 1-2 garlic cloves.

4. Celery:
Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces.

5. Carrot:
Dice 1 large carrot into 3/4 inch cubes.

6. Potato:
Like the above, dice 2 large, or 3 medium-sized potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes. In a pan, fry the potatoes in hot oil, turning often until lightly browned (should take about 5 minutes).

7. Sauté:
In a pot (min. 2L capacity), sauté the carrot, celery and onion until lightly browned. You may add garlic and rosemary, thyme and bay leaves at this time. Add the pork (or meat of your choice) to the pot and sauté until browned. You may then add brandy or the liquor of your choice, stir lightly to combine and cook the mixture for at least 20-30 seconds to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Add in the potatoes.

8. Gravy:
Dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 2 cups of cold water. Pour the starch-water mixture into the pot and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the gravy becomes too thick, add in water or stock until you get to your desired texture. Season to taste and serve.

Nice. You usually make many meals at once? Btw, not sure mushrooms are an adequate replacement for meat.

In addition to these stews, I am now making fortified waffles for breakfasts. Increasing egg amount, adding oatmeal. Wish I could get more protein in, and lower the empty calories, somehow. I'd rather not use protein powder for this.

Stew meme:

 

[Clearly Canadian]

Fuckin women! lol.

I'm a stew fan too and have a very similar recipe -

For me a stew has to be cooked slow and long. The other option is in a pressure cooker. It's all doable on a stove but the most convenient way I find is in a slow cooker/crock pot.
Oil
Butter
Chicken breast (for convenience) and simplicity. (you could go all out and make your own stock using bones but I'll save that for a later entry.
Diced onions. Red and white. More red than white though.
Thyme
Garlic (freshly chopped, powder or paste, your choice though you would need to add it in at different times depending which you use)
Bay leaf
Carrots
Sometimes I use leeks. Sometimes I don't.
Sweet potatoes
Regular potatoes
Tinned sweetcorn & if you fancy luxury extra a couple of corn cobs chopped into 6 equal pieces
Salt
White&black pepper
Stock. Not all stock is made equal so choice of stock can make a big difference.
Tomato paste/puree (optional)

I like to add a few herbs and spices from my cupboard but they're optional
Oregano
Paprika


Chop and peel regular potatoes and put them in lightly salted boiling water to simmer. The idea is to part boil them.

Whilst they're simmering chop your onions and garlic.

Take potatoes of the heat and drain then place a lid on the pan and proceed to shake the pan about vigorously in order to brake the outside of the potatoes to create a kind of semi mash around semi cooked potatoes. This, when added to your stew/stock will add some body.

Chop a couple of large sweet potatoes. Large cubes. They're going to have a similar effect to the semi mashed white potatoes but in a much bigger capacity. The idea is to cut them so they disintegrate into the stew making it think but leave behind some large chunks too. If you chop them large it's alnost guaranteed to work out that way.

Put some stock in the pot/slow cooker and add in salt, pepper and thyme. If using oregano add that too. Get it on the heat. Slow if you can. If using liquid stock you should add it to around half full. If using concentrated stock add water to around half full.

Chop your carrots. Chunky ftw. Same with your leeks if using them.

Now we're getting close to being done with prep -

Dice your chicken.

Oil up a pan

Fry onions until they start to soften,

Add in garlic and chicken

Fry hot and fast to sear and once you can no longer see the inner raw chicken that's plenty. Doesn't need to be fully cooked. Ideally the onions should be nice and fried though. Try not to burn the garlic. There's a bit of a knack to timing this but in a big frying pan you shouldn't struggle too much.

Now the stock should be warm.
Drew
Add in carrots, sweet potatoes and the par boiled/semi mashed potatoes. Leeks too if using them.

Let that get upto heat again. If you want to turn the heat up you can for this. Then drop it to low again and add your chicken.

Now open a tin of sweetcorn. Chuck all the juice and half the sweetcorn into the stew along with the chopped corn cobs if you use those. These will add a sweetness along with the sweet potatoes that is paramount to this recipe.

Throw in the thyme on the stem, the bay leaf (1 or 2) and (optionally) mix a spoon of tomato paste into the liquid.

Now, if I haven't forgotten anything everything is in the pot. Put the lid on and go about your day with it on a low setting/heat.

Come back 2-3hrs later and you'll see the liquid at the top looks kind of watery and and the heavy stuff has sunk mostly to the bottom. Now stir it. This is where magic happens. The sweet potatoes will break up. The juice from the chicken, garlic and onions will infuse with it. The stock will start turning think and opaque from the potatoes breaking up. Obviously you want some chunks too so stiring should be relatively gentle.

Now put the lid on and leave for another hour or so. The longer and slower the better but 4 hours minimum is okay I reckon. In a pressure cooker you can do it in two.

At the end you might want to add further salt and pepper to taste. I usually do. I have found that yoy can easily add too much salt whilsts it's hot though. As it cools you will start to taste the salt more so be sparing. I usually sprinkle a little white pepper on reheated portions too but it's opotional obviously.

I like to use a high volume slow cooker personally and you can make a weeks worth of meals in one go. It's about an hours worth of prep and faff all in. Less once you've done it a couple of times.

I sometimes add dumplings. You can buy ready mixed ingredients for that if you like. It's cheap in a single sachet/packet. Just follow the instructions on the pack. It's basically add water and mix. Then divide into dumpling sized balls and cook in your stew. They do add a nice extra but either way a couple of sliced of well buttered bread with each portion will really do your meal some favours. You can play with different bread. Wholemeal is nice but I found a bit of a soft spot for cheese and chilli cornbread. That's pretty easy to make using pollenta but you can buy it too.

I actually haven't cooked this since getting sick but it used to be a staple in my home. Seriously hearty food. Cheap too. Its so easy. Whilst I was specific about the steps it is really just a case of chucking everything in a pot and letting it cook. The steps are just nuanced in favour of more specific result but you can find your own way to what works for you. For me though, the thick soupy sweet and savoury stew with chunks of chicken, carrot and sweet potato and the crunch of the sweetcorn is just perfect. Especially with the buttery bread soaking it up and the fat from the butter carrying the burst of flavour.

You can do this whole thing with beef if you like. Change the stock to suit your protein. Various beans and pulses can be used too. I sometimes would use them alongside a meat. It's hard to get stew wrong but you can also really hone it to make it perfect. God I love stew.

Next time - good stocks & Ramen and Pho.

Ummmmmm! Parsnips play nicely with the other ingredients!

Now that I have your attention, here is my stew:

Stew of the man-child (recipe)​

Don't usually cook more than just frying something or mixing stuff together from cans. But today I managed to make one of the best stews (according to the following criteria: cost, time, difficulty, nutrition, scalability and taste).

Will need (red is what I used this time): Cheap lean protein (chicken/seitan/etc), cheap carbs (potatoes/lentals/beans/rice/etc), onions (a lot), carrots, butter, liquid cream, other vegetables (tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, etc), salt, black pepper, other optional stuff for flavoring (broth/bouillon cubes/lemon/garlic/herbs/peanut butter/etc). (I also think this can be made with way fewer items if we go harder with the onions, carrots, salt and pepper). Will also need a pot, probably a pan or oven, like a spoon or something, water, a knife, maybe a peeler.

Instructions: Prepare the protein to be ready once your stew can receive it (I boiled frozen chicken and then put it in the oven, working on the stew while the chicken was in the oven), fry onions in butter (or use something healthier), then put the liquid cream in (healthier options exist), add some water, throw in the potatoes and carrots (they take longer than the pre-cooked protein and vegetables, but not as long as the onions that we added from the start), work on the flavor with whatever you have (lots of black pepper is recommended, a lot of salt is recommended if a lot of fat was used, peanut butter is very much recommended, some broth is also recommended). Once satisfied with the flavor, add the protein and final vegetables, check if you need more water, some finishing touches to the flavor and it's done.

I made four portions at once, took a little less than an hour. Very tasty, a lot of nutrients, around 50g of protein. I can't think of many dishes that would be better overall than this one. I think you would be able to survive off of only this dish for a very long time; maybe someone has some ideas of what nutrients might be lacking, and what could be added to complete it?

Post your own stew (based)??? Stew mega-thread (wow)???

For me, parsnips are a nice addition. This recipe in all its permutations sounds delish!!

Nom, nommmm nom nommm.

Now that I have your attention, here is my stew:

Stew of the man-child (recipe)​

Don't usually cook more than just frying something or mixing stuff together from cans. But today I managed to make one of the best stews (according to the following criteria: cost, time, difficulty, nutrition, scalability and taste).

Will need (red is what I used this time): Cheap lean protein (chicken/seitan/etc), cheap carbs (potatoes/lentals/beans/rice/etc), onions (a lot), carrots, butter, liquid cream, other vegetables (tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, etc), salt, black pepper, other optional stuff for flavoring (broth/bouillon cubes/lemon/garlic/herbs/peanut butter/etc). (I also think this can be made with way fewer items if we go harder with the onions, carrots, salt and pepper). Will also need a pot, probably a pan or oven, like a spoon or something, water, a knife, maybe a peeler.

Instructions: Prepare the protein to be ready once your stew can receive it (I boiled frozen chicken and then put it in the oven, working on the stew while the chicken was in the oven), fry onions in butter (or use something healthier), then put the liquid cream in (healthier options exist), add some water, throw in the potatoes and carrots (they take longer than the pre-cooked protein and vegetables, but not as long as the onions that we added from the start), work on the flavor with whatever you have (lots of black pepper is recommended, a lot of salt is recommended if a lot of fat was used, peanut butter is very much recommended, some broth is also recommended). Once satisfied with the flavor, add the protein and final vegetables, check if you need more water, some finishing touches to the flavor and it's done.

I made four portions at once, took a little less than an hour. Very tasty, a lot of nutrients, around 50g of protein. I can't think of many dishes that would be better overall than this one. I think you would be able to survive off of only this dish for a very long time; maybe someone has some ideas of what nutrients might be lacking, and what could be added to complete it?

Post your own stew (based)??? Stew mega-thread (wow)???

For me, parsnips are a nice addition. This recipe in all its permutations sounds delish!!

Nom, nommmm nom nommm.

 

[WhatDoesTheFoxSay?]

Nice. You usually make many meals at once?

I'd cook for the family on my days off. I'd usually prepare 3-4 dishes, with rice as the staple, and this'll serve 2-3 people. Making food is one of the few things I truly enjoy from start to finish. Immersing myself in the cooking process improves my mood and enhances mindfulness, and having created a tangible end product that can be enjoyed and shared lets me feel a sense of accomplishment and pride.

Btw, not sure mushrooms are an adequate replacement for meat.

Mushrooms will not replace meat in terms of nutrition, because they are "not equivalent in protein amount or quality". However, I do think that the 'meaty' texture and 'umami' flavour of mushrooms make them a suitable substitute for meat for this recipe. For the meal to be both meatless and nutritionally complete, I'd recommend adding half to a cup of beans (green peas or kidney beans would be ideal, where I would soak the dried legumes overnight, then steam them for at least 30 minutes before adding them in).

In addition to these stews, I am now making fortified waffles for breakfasts. Increasing egg amount, adding oatmeal. Wish I could get more protein in, and lower the empty calories, somehow. I'd rather not use protein powder for this

'Fortified waffles' sounds badass! The only thing about cooking for breakfast is that you'll have to wake up really early every morning. There was one time when I made pancakes for breakfast on Mother's Day. Perhaps you could put some toppings on the waffles? Some cheap 'high-protein' ones I can think of are poached eggs (Gordon Ramsay has a tutorial on how to make them), tuna mayo, (canned) sardines in tomato sauce, shredded chicken and corned beef (heard it's a thing in some places). You'll have to be careful with cured and processed meats, though.

 

[BeansOfRequirement]

'Fortified waffles' sounds badass! The only thing about cooking for breakfast is that you'll have to wake up really early every morning. There was one time when I made pancakes for breakfast on Mother's Day. Perhaps you could put some toppings on the waffles? Some cheap 'high-protein' ones I can think of are poached eggs (Gordon Ramsay has a tutorial on how to make them), tuna mayo, (canned) sardines in tomato sauce, shredded chicken and corned beef (heard it's a thing in some places). You'll have to be careful with cured and processed meats, though.

Nice suggestions, thanks; never made a poached egg but that looks very easy and fast. I actually meal prep both the stews and waffles, especially the breakfast (I don't cook them in the morning, even).

 

[Insomniac]

was expecting things to go down. I'm so disappointed.

 

[Lullaby]

Slightly OT, but if anyone has any good chili recipes, please send them my way.