Happy 2014!!! Stay warm with stew....Yummy!

Is it cold where you are??  We've had a really cold winter here in Missouri this year....ice storms, snow, unbelievable winds, and temps well below zero....BRRR!

One of the things I absolutely LOVE about all this cold weather is the chance to make lots of yummy, warming soups and stews.  I love digging out my big soup pot and having it simmer all day long, filling my house with comforting smells.

Our bodies are very resilient and yet, at the same time, very fragile.  They have been created as the perfect machine, able to repair themselves when taken care of properly.  Consider when you slip with that paring knife and cut a huge gash in your hand...OUCH!!  Immediately your body sends out an army of repair workers to fix it and usually, within just a few days, you won't even be able to see where the cut was; at the very worst, you may have a small scar as a reminder of your butterfingers.  What an amazing gift that is!!  

At the same time, think of the fragility of your body when handling temperature changes.  When it's hot outside, we barely step out of our air-conditioned comfort before we begin sweating and complaining and wanting to rip our clothes off!  Similarly, when the mercury plunges, it only takes a few degrees before we want to add layers of warm clothing and blankets and cover ourselves in protection from the elements.  (Of course, this can be a moment by moment occurrence if you're a woman in peri-menopause....but, we won't go into that now:)

The reason I bring all of this up as I'm rhapsodizing about stews is because of the warming element present in hot foods.  During the summer heat and humidity, the last thing we want to do is eat a big bowl of steaming soup, right??  That just seems ridiculous!!  However, in the grips of Old Man Winter, our bodies crave that warmth from the stew that we shun during the Dog Days of Summer.  

Before central heat and air conditioning, when our pioneer forefathers lived in log cabins and cooked over open fires or in fireplaces, they were hyper-sensitive when it came to eating foods that would aid in either heating or cooling their bodies.  When we lived in Italy for 2 years and then, later Spain for 3 years, we had no air conditioning and our heating was radiator heat that only warmed about 6 inches directly in front of the radiator.  I hardly ever turned my stove or oven on during the hot and humid summer months!! Not only would it heat up the house, which we definitely didn't want or need, but our bodies just craved the wonderful cooling that came from salads and other cold foods.  Similarly, during the winter, as we tried everything to keep warm, I couldn't make enough soups, stews, and chilis!! 

Living in our modern world has changed the way our bodies react to temperature changes and not in a healthy way.  Too many people keep their houses baking hot in the wintertime, which produces a petri-dish environment for bacteria, and frigidly cold in the summertime which messes with our immune systems and deprives our bodies of the ability of self-regulation.

All of that is a long way to say that you should eat more soup this winter!!!!  And, I've got a great recipe to get you started......

Indian Curry Stew Recipe

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs if you prefer dark meat), cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 T. minced garlic
2 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. hot Madras curry powder
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 14 oz can diced, stewed tomatoes
1 cup GF chicken broth
2 T. peanut butter
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cubed
1 small bag of mini-carrots
1 can peas or garbanzo beans (or both, if you're feeling crazy)

In a large saucepan, heat the oil.  Add the chicken, onion, and garlic.  Cook until the chicken is almost done and the onion is golden brown.  Add the cabbage and cook until it begins to soften.  Stir in the spices.  Add the tomatoes, broth and peanut butter and stir until completely smooth.  Add the sweet potato, rutabaga, and carrots.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Add the beans and/or peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Serves 4.

This is a wonderfully healthy and warming stew that can be served as is or over your favorite rice, quinoa, or millet. 



This is what a rutabaga looks like, if you're not familiar with them.  It is a root vegetable that is a cross between a turnip and a cabbage.  In the stores, you will generally find it waxed, so it is imperative that you peel it!!  And be forewarned, you have to really want it because they're tough to peel!!  

This stew is filled with vitamins, minerals, and healthful vegetables that we don't get enough of in our normal diets.  If you're a vegetarian, you can easily convert this recipe by simply removing the chicken and substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Root vegetables have historically been eaten in the late fall and wintertime because they store so well.  Farmers would grow and harvest them, then store them in the family barn or root cellar and bring them out during the lean, cold times when fresh food items were not readily available.  They were a protection against such illnesses as scurvy, beriberi, and rickets.  Unbelievably, and unfortunately, these diseases are making a comeback, even in our modern societies, because so many people eat processed, pre-packaged foods instead of whole foods.

This marvelous meal is also very fiscally responsible...you can make this big pot of warming stew and feed a family of four for about $10-12, depending on your location.  And, if your family is bigger, you can easily stretch it by serving it on top of rice or another grain.

So, let's start 2014 right....with some healthy, whole foods that will warm your family, protect them from unnecessary illnesses, and make your pocketbook happy :)  Stay warm!!