“Make It Snappy” is presented by Goldfish Swim School of Chapel Hill. With recipes that only take 45 minutes or less to prepare, Christy helps you stay afloat at dinner time!
Resolution season is upon us once again! It is my hope that, as our society begins to learn more about health and true wellness, we start to veer away from the annual goal of strict weight loss. Adopting healthier habits in our overall lifestyles rather than trying to eliminate all carbohydrates, or implementing other restrictive “rules” for ourselves, I hope we’re all understanding that making small changes can have a huge impact not only on our bodies, but on our minds and our planet!
In addition to my usual reminder to myself to drink more water, try to remain active and cut back on all the holiday sweets, I am trying to focus on adding more plant-based options into my family’s diet. We are a family of carnivores, but we do know that consuming animal products has a significant impact on our planet and its climate. So, I hope that by making small changes to our routine and incorporating more vegetarian and vegan meals into our evenings, we can begin to reduce our carbon footprints here at home.
This Vegan Kale, Porcini and Chickpea Miso Stew is a hearty and delicious option for comfort food on a cold day that checks the box of cutting back on animal products. It’s a fast recipe, but you’ll see a few steps that I’ve designed specifically to build in extra layers of flavor to give the stew a rich, umami taste. The miso is an optional addition, but it really gives the dish a full, rounded flavor. Steeping rosemary in hot water while rehydrating the dried mushrooms creates a rich broth to bring the mushroom flavors to life. Do not discard the rehydrating liquid!
If you’re interested in veering away from the vegan vibe, feel free to add smoked sausage to this and top it with parmesan cheese. But trust me when I tell you that it’s just as tasty without!
Happy New Year friends! On behalf of my entire family, I want to thank you for your continued support of our family business, Chapel Hill Toffee and Griff’s Toffee, this past holiday season. It is because of you, our incredible customers, that we can make this business our livelihoods. Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2023!
KALE, PORCINI AND CHICKPEA MISO STEW
By: Christy Bray Graves
SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS
- 2 sprigs of rosemary (6”-8” each)
- ½ oz. package of dried mushrooms (such as porcini, shiitake or chanterelle, found in the produce section near the dried herbs and seasoning mixtures)
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 – 16 oz. cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ lb. kale, removed of stems and thinly sliced
- 2 – 32 oz. boxes of vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 TBSP white miso paste
- Juice from ½ of a fresh lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small saucepan on the stove, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, turn off the heat and add the two sprigs of rosemary. Let them steep for 2 minutes.
- As the rosemary steeps, gently rinse the dried mushrooms under cool water to remove grit. Add them to saucepan with the rosemary. Allow the mushrooms to steep as you prepare the rest of the stew.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions and allow them to cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes, until they are becoming translucent.
- Stir in the dried thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the rosemary sprigs from the saucepan and add them to the Dutch oven. Move the rehydrated mushrooms to a cutting board and roughly chop before adding them to the Dutch oven as well. Do not discard the saucepan water!
- Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the liquid from the saucepan into the Dutch oven, stirring frequently using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to lift up any stuck-on bits of flavor.
- To the Dutch oven, stir in the strained and rinsed chickpeas and the 2 bay leaves. Use the wooden spoon or a potato masher to smash about half of the chickpeas. This will give the stew a creamier texture.
- Pour in 2 boxes of vegetable stock, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot as you go to fully incorporate.
- Slowly and carefully add handfuls of kale to the pot, using the spoon to press and submerge the greens into the liquid. The dry kale takes up a lot of space, but as it’s wilted into the broth, it will reduce.
- Bring the liquid to a boil. Once it’s reached a full boil, cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
- As the stew simmers, stir 1 TBSP of white miso paste into ½ cup of warm water. Do not use boiling water or add the paste directly into the boiling stew. Extremely hot water can break down the miso paste and not stirring it into a slurry before adding to the stew can result in lumps.
- When the stew has simmered for 15 minutes, turn off the heat and stir in the miso mixture and the juice of one half of a fresh lemon.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. Serve the stew hot with extra lemon to taste.
As a wife and mom of three young boys, I often consider myself a master “chaos coordinator.” Between running our family business, Chapel Hill Toffee, managing our household and balancing busy schedules, I love to create quick and simple recipes that I know my family will enjoy – and my kids will actually eat!
My recipes are more of a guide than a perfect plan. I will always encourage you to use what you have on hand and make substitutions to suit your tastes. I invite you to share your own ideas, questions and final products with us on Facebook and on Instagram by tagging @christybgraves and @wchlchapelboro.
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