If you really don’t want to go to town, but you want to look like you have – then present this stew to your friends and family and see if they don’t sing and dance your culinary glories. This stew was influenced by Greek Cypriot family members over the years – I have incorporated it into an amazing stew, ideal to serve at your Christmas festive table. All the carnivores will be amazed at just how tasty and delicious this stew actually is. Everything about it will melt in your mouth, and your taste buds are going to have an intense feast. And as if that wasn’t enough of a bonus, preparation time for a traditional Xmas meal is cut to half the time if you cook this recipe up.
Advantage : You can make this a day in advance !
INGREDIENTS FOR STEW
good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, cut into slices
5-6 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
1 large aubergine/eggplant, cut into small squares
OR I used 6 baby aubergines/eggplant, chopped
1 to 2 Tbsp tomato puree
1½ cups freshly chopped tomatoes (or a tin of chopped tomatoes)
1 tsp dried mint
1 Tbsp miso, melted in ½ cup of boiling water
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1½ cups petit pois (frozen small peas)
3 cups vegan chicken pieces (I used 1 packet of frozen Quorn)
3 medium sized Cyprus potatoes (or stewing potatoes)
½ tsp black pepper
sea salt to taste
6 dried apricots, chopped and stewed in ½ cup water until very soft (optional) – the water will reduce to a syrup.
freshly chopped parsley for garnishing
METHOD FOR STEW
In a non-stick frying pan, add some olive oil, heat for a minute and fry your potatoes on both sides. When slightly golden, set aside on a plate that is lined with some white kitchen towel, to absorb some of the oil.
In the same pan begin to fry your aubergine/eggplant pieces on both sides. Set them aside on a plate likewise with kitchen roll, to absorb extra oil.
Next, fry up your vegan chicken pieces until golden, and set aside.
Now in a large casserole fry your onions. When translucent, add your potatoes, your raw garlic, and the nutritional yeast. Then add the cooked chicken pieces. Stir every half a minute or so, add the tomato puree, stir again, and then add in the chopped tomatoes.
Next, add the remaining ingredients, remembering to add the water a little at a time. Taste for seasoning, and simmer gently for half an hour.
Serve this with golden roasted parsnips, carrots, and also with my amazing cauliflower warm festive salad. But be sure to have some Mediterranean bread available on the table – a crunchy garlic baguette will also marry well with this.
Enjoy ! ! !
Preparation time : 20 minutes.
Cooking time : 45 minutes.
Note/Tip : If serving with parsnips and carrots, be sure to peel and cut them the night before in advance of baking (I steam mine first as it’s faster) – and leave them soaking in cold water overnight in the fridge.
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR PICTURES BELOW
Warm Cauliflower Salad
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked cannellini beans, or other of your choice
1 cauliflower – use the florets
freshly cut flat leaf parsley
2 spring onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
4 lemon wedges
olive oil for drizzling
sea salt to taste
METHOD
Use pre-cooked cannellini beans – either soak and boil, or use from the can as I did.
Pre-steam your cauliflower until tender, and allow to cool. Arrange your cauliflower florets in a serving dish, then add the garlic and beans, top with the onions, and garnish with the parsley.
Drizzle on the olive oil, add salt to taste, and decorate with your lemon wedges.
All recipes and content © Miriam Sorrell www.mouthwateringvegan.com 2010
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO THE COMMENT BOX AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENT ON THIS RECIPE. THANK YOU.
We can’t get Quorn here. We can get unflavored and flavored seitan and tofu. What would you
suggest as a substitute?
I wish your site had a pin button to put on pinterest..It is hard to keep paper trails of recipes.
Would love to make this stew for vegan friend but what could I use instead of aubergines as I don’t like them?
Hi Eve, you could use zucchini/courgettes (cut lengthways) or whole okra instead of aubergine/eggplant. Let me know how it goes !
Enjoy !
Hi Sherri, not sure which part of the world you live. If in the US you can purchase a brand called Gardein – there are so many fake/faux meat brands – Gardein have a frozen vegan range. Otherwise seitan should do the trick ! Let me know how it goes, and enjoy !
Hi Iani, the pin button facility is there and working now – I think it was a temporary glitch caused as a result of some update that affected the pin usage, thanks for pointing it out.
I’m going to make this over the weekend! However, what are the red “berries” you have scattered over the main course and the salad, they’re not mentioned in the recipe and I can’t make them out? For presentation purposes, it brings an extra dimension. PS I LOVE your recipes 🙂
Hi Jen, thanks for dropping by. They are red peppercorns !