"stews" news and stories

One of the healthiest food-themed resolutions for the New Year may be to make more soups and stews, hearty one-pot meals that warm you and give you a day's worth of nutrition in a single steaming bowl. And all you need for many of them is a slow cooker. OK, call it a crockpot. If you've got an old crockpot in storage, dust it off for 2011, and fire it up. (In the market for a new one? Read Jane Lear's feature on choosing the best slow cooker.)

Mexican posole is an ancient dish that celebrates corn, and was prepared for special occasions, and eaten in community. The spicy hominy stew is as special today as ever, with its blend of tomatoes, spices, cilantro, chicken and chiles. And with only 20 minutes of prep time before you let the slow cooker do its thing for two to three hours, it's one of the simplest suppers.

Recipe for Crockpot Posole

More Posole Recipes, including Vegetarian, and Green and Black Bean Pork varieties.

Few of us want to make a complicated lasagna for solo dining -- by day six, you'll never want to see lasagna again! In this series, AOL Food staffer Sarah LeTrent taste-tests simple recipes suitable for a "table for one."

When we think of peanuts, we think Virginia, ballgames and a top hat-wearing, cane-holding, monocled mascot. However, peanuts are also a staple in West African cooking and used prominently in many dishes. One such typical meal is a hearty stew made with tomatoes, sweet potatoes and peanuts.

This vegetarian version of the soup relies on the saltiness and creaminess of peanut butter -- the pantry staple and venerated American spread that is an often unsung hero in meals that don't include jelly or two slices of bread.

Presenting a new (and more acceptable) way to eat peanut butter by the spoonful.

Find the Peanut Stew recipe after the jump.

Barbecue ribs. Photo: biskuit, Flickr.

Oktoberfests are ubiquitous this month. For those not interested in the chug-a-thons and oompah bands, check out this list of alternative options.

Dixon Lambtown USA, Dixon, Calif., Oct. 3: Break out the mint jelly! Attendees can participate in such culinary slugfests as the National Lamb Ribs Eating Contest and Barbecue Cook-Off, not to mention a shearing competition and sheepdog trials. For the kiddies, there's Mutton Bustin' -- a buckin' bronco bruising of the woolly kind.

The Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival, New York, Oct. 8-11: Hosted by and benefiting the Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength, this festival brings the toque and the home cook together. Everyone from sous chefs to casserole queens can attend wine seminars, recipe-creation panels and cooking demonstrations. For the kiddie cook, check out the Kids Get Cooking! series. Your favorite celebrity TV chefs will be there, en masse, including Ming Tsai, Paula Deen, Rachael Ray and Anthony Bourdain, as well as culinary heavyweights such as Sue Torres, Marcus Samuelsson, Odette Fada, Daniel Boulud and David Chang.

When making a beef or vegetarian soup and stew, there are some main ingredients that can create a meaty taste while stimulating the tongue's taste receptors.

This time of the year, I look forward to a warm hearty dinner that's not too complicated. Winter stews are perfect for putting together some of your favorite ingredients and cooking them in water, and transforming them into a thick rich savory blend of meat and vegetables.

Lately, I've been cooking beef stews, in particular the French Beef Bourguignon. I first tried this dish when I was invited for dinner at my friend's house, in the suburbs of Paris. I was immediately struck by the incredible juiciness and tenderness of the beef. Beef Bourguignon is probably my favorite stew. The beef simmers in an assertive Burgundy for hours resulting in a mildly sweet succulent meat.

While I tend to make beef stews, there are several other kinds of stew to choose from when cooking, including many that are vegetarian. Below are 8 recipes for very different stews:

1. Martha Stewart's Indian Stew - It's perfect for thos vegetarians out there!
2. Beef Bourguigon
3. Kabset Baitenjan - This is an Iraqi-style beef and vegetable stew.
4. Braised Lamb Stew
5. Baby Root Vegetable Stew with Black Tea Prunes - This is another vegetarian stew.
6. Moroccan Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes
   
7. Georgian Pork Stew
8. Bahian Seafood Stew with Coconut and Tomato