Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:  40 minutes
Servings:  6-8
 

3 cups water
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
dash cayenne pepper
1  15 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1  15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and chunked
½ cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place ¼ cup of the water in a large pot with the onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.  Add the cumin, coriander and cayenne.  Stir well to mix.  Add the remaining water, the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, bulgur, and sweet potatoes or yams.  Mix well, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook about 30-35 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Add raisins and cilantro, mix well.  Remove from heat and let rest for a minute or two.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Hints:  Sweet potatoes and yams are root vegetables, although the yams you see in most supermarkets in the US are not true yams.  Usually the sweet potatoes that are a deeper orange color are labeled yams.  They tend to be sweeter and more moist than those labeled as sweet potatoes.  Both varieties will work in this recipe, but I most often use the kind that are labeled yams.  Cut the peeled pieces into about ½ inch chunks.   To make this a bit more spicy, increase the amount of cayenne pepper.

MCDOUGALL FAVORITES

Some favorite recipes I have been making for years will be included in the next few newsletters.  If you haven’t tried them yet, put them on your menu soon.

BEAN SOUP

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  3-4 hours
Servings:  6

2 cups dried Great Northern beans
8 cups water
2 onions, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon rubbed sage
½ teaspoon ground oregano
2 tablespoons soy sauce
dash of liquid smoke (optional)

Put beans and water in a large pot.  Bring to a boil, turn off heat and let rest for at least 1 hour.  Add onions, celery, bay leaves, sage, oregano, and soy sauce.  Return to boil, reduce heat and cook, covered for at least 3 hours, until beans are mushy.  Add a dash of liquid smoke at the end of the cooking time, if desired.

Hint:  The liquid smoke gives the soup a delicious aroma, although it is entirely optional.  I make it both ways.  It is always a favorite with the family and we usually have a loaf of fresh bread with the soup.  One of our sons likes to sprinkle some curry powder over the top of his soup, then stir it in before eating.  You can easily vary this soup by adding other vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, and it may also be pureed before serving.  This also freezes well so you can keep some for use at a later date.  Great for lunch the next day, too!

GARBANZO DELIGHT

Preparation Time:  20 minutes
Cooking Time:  50-60 minutes
Servings:  8

4 cups vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 leeks, sliced (white part only)
2 yams, peeled and chunked
2   15 ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 ½ cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoons pure prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
dash cayenne pepper
dash Tabasco sauce

Place 2 cups of the broth in a large pot.  Add onion, carrot, celery, leeks, and yams. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Add beans, broccoli, remaining vegetable broth, and seasonings.  Mix well.  Return to boil, reduce heat and cook an additional 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over brown rice or other whole grains, whole wheat toast, potatoes or in a bowl by itself.

Hints:  While this cooks it will thicken as the yams break apart and become part of the broth.  (See note above on Yams.)  This is a delicious, surprisingly sweet, vegetable stew, sure to become a favorite.  This may be made ahead and reheated before serving.  Another great leftover dish for lunch the next day.

2003 John McDougall All Rights Reserved