For a few years now, I've settled into the habit of spending my Sunday afternoon or evening cooking a large pot of something on the stove. More often than not this became a habit out of frugality and laziness: I don't want to cook every day of the week and I wanted to make enough of something to take to work for lunch at least four days of the week. In the last year, here and there if something turned out especially nice, I'd post a photo to my Instagram account or tell someone about it and I would be asked to source the recipe or someone at work would ask me what I was having for lunch and where the recipe came from.
For years, going back as far to my days as a print graphic designer, I've toyed with the idea of curating a cookbook. That's a nice dream, but I honestly don't have the time. I like to take naps, you see. And curating a cookbook would turn into designing the cookbook and that's a whole other bag of worms. The best solution was to add to an already existing website and have a little fun area to collect these food adventures. I should specify clearly: I am not a chef. I have no formal kitchen training. I learned everything I know about cooking from my parents (both of whom cooked), my Granny (the best cook in the South in my opinion), and many friends over the years with whom I've shared meals. I firmly believe that my time spent in the kitchen has been time I've not spent in a therapist's office.
Cumin Roasted Carrots
This summer, a friend and I were looking for a spot for a late dinner and we settled at the bar at Butcher & Bee, which opened recently, in Nashville. I had heard really good things, but I hear good things about a lot of restaurants. No lie, this is the only restaurant since Husk that has not only met my expectations, but exceeded them.
We settled on four small plates. We had both heard the whipped feta was essential as well as the brussels sprouts. The dish that not only surprised us yet blew us away was the carrots. These carrots are perfectly roasted and were topped with cilantro. They were sensational.
I haven't had a chance to make a return dinner trip, but I've thought fondly about these roasted carrots since that one dinner. Finally I broke down, searched the internet and found a recipe to copy in hopes of satisfying the craving.
Cumin Roasted Carrots
- Two cups of carrots
- One Green and one red bell pepper, diced
- sea salt (to taste)
- cumin
- olive oil
- cilantro (handful, chopped)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Boil carrots and diced bell pepper for 25 minutes on medium heat. Drain.
In a baking dish, add carrots and bell pepper, a splash of olive oil and a tsp of cumin. Stir & coat.
Place baking dish with carrots & bell pepper in oven for 15 minutes until roasted desired amount.
Once out of oven, sprinkle diced cilantro atop carrots/bell peppers.
I'm not certain that these were exactly like the carrots that we had at that lovely dinner a few months back, but they scratched the itch.
Venison* Vegetable Stew
For as long as I can remember, I've been eating vegetable soup with meat added. In fact, when I think of childhood, the smell is that of vegetable soup on the stove; the onion & potato base to begin, then the addition of the tomatoes and other vegetables and the aroma of the mixture filling up my parent’s home in north Mississippi. Daddy, for some reason, would add a splash of milk to his bowl to cool it down along with saltine crackers. Worcestershire sauce was and still is present.
This is the first time I've written the recipe down. The original versions use stew meat, but now I use venison because my brother took up hunting again and I've got a freezer full of deer. Plus, deer is leaner, healthier & not pumped full of who-knows-what hormone at some factory farm.
I will never make this as good as my Mother's version.
Venison* Vegetable Stew
2 cans vegetable broth
4 cups of water
6 moderately sized red potatoes, diced
1 white onion
5 carrots, diced
2 cups celery, diced
2 cans diced tomatoes, blended
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
3 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic salt (I like Trader Joe’s variety)
¼ cup worcestershire sauce
1 cup frozen / 1 can yellow corn
1 lb venison tenderloins, diced into 1” pieces (if venison is not available, use stew beef)
Instructions:
In a skillet, brown the venison or stew beef, set aside.
Bring the water and vegetable broth to a boil in a 2 quart pot. Add diced potatoes.
In a skillet, saute the onions, carrots and celery until tender. Add to pot boiling potatoes. Add cooked venison (or beef) to the pot. Add blended tomatoes, mixed vegetables, corn, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, garlic salt, salt & pepper and worcestershire.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low/medium on the stove to simmer for a few hours and allow flavors to blend.