There's always that point where winter gets real — temperatures dip, and we start to wonder if we'll ever hit short-sleeve weather again. That's when we pull out our warming recipes — stews, soups and chilies.
Today's stew is particularly welcome because it combines the flavors of the Mediterranean into a meal that's hearty without being overly filling. Thanks to ground turkey, artichokes and olives, this stew is a refreshing play on the palate.
With a pot of this stew on the stove, we might just survive the latest snowstorm.
Menu suggestion: Mediterranean Turkey Stew with Artichokes; Orange segments; Wheat rolls
Mediterranean Turkey Stew with Artichokes
Start to finish: 20 minutes
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey, defrosted if frozen
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic and spices (see Cook's note)
1 can (19 ounces) chickpeas
1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced black olives
1 can (14 ounces) quartered artichoke hearts (see Cook's note)
Crumbled feta cheese for garnish, to taste
Cook's note: Any diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic will work. Use artichokes packed in water, not marinated artichokes.
In a 4 1/2-quart Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the pot as you chop. Add the turkey, and raise the heat to medium-high. Stir frequently, breaking up any large chunks of turkey and making sure that it cooks through. While the meat cooks, add the garlic powder, oregano, thyme, bay leaves and black pepper.
While the turkey continues to cook, open all the cans. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Drain the artichokes and olives.
Add the tomatoes with their juices to the pot. Break up any large tomato chunks. Add the chickpeas, olives and artichokes. Stir thoroughly but gently.
Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the turkey is no longer pink, about five minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring from time to time, to blend flavors and reduce the liquid slightly, about 10 minutes or until ready to serve. To serve, spoon the stew into bowls, and garnish with feta-cheese crumbles to taste.
Yield: 5 servings
Approximate values per serving: 385 calories (31 percent from fat), 14 g fat (3 g saturated), 45 mg cholesterol, 26 g protein, 41 g carbohydrates, 1,028 mg sodium.
Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross are co-authors of "Desperation Dinners!" (Workman, 1997), "Desperation Entertaining!" (Workman, 2002) and "Cheap. Fast. Good!" (Workman, 2006). Contact them at Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016, or send e-mail to tellus@kitchenscoop.com. Or visit the Desperation Dinners Web site at www.kitchenscoop.com. © Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross. Dist. by United Feature Syndicate Inc.