Greek Stew

A meatless stew inspired by Greek flavors.

I'm not Greek.  I had my first Greek/Mediterranean food after college and I instantly loved it.  I associate many things with Greek food such as lamb, chickpeas, eggplant, pita, hummus, feta, and certain herbs & spices.  This stew is not authentically Greek but I was inspired by Greek and Mediterranean flavors while making it.  I didn't know what to call this stew with out making a long name listing all the ingredients so I just simplified it by calling it Greek Stew.

No matter what this dish is called it is delicious.  It contains plenty of vegetables, chickpeas, and rice which give it lots of nutrients, fiber, and protein.  It's a meatless meal that is high in flavor yet low in calories and it fills you up without weighing you down.  And, it makes a huge pot of stew that will feed many or just one all week long.

Greek Stew

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
thyme, oregano, and rosemary
olive oil

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used crimini)
4 mini sweet peppers, sliced (optional--I had them so I used them and they add pretty color)
salt & pepper
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
4 cups cooked cargo or brown rice (1 cup dry, cooked)
2 cups cooked chickpeas

Toss the chopped eggplant and zucchini (you can either peel them or not) with the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper, and olive oil.  Use enough olive oil and herbs to coat the veggies well. Maybe about 1/2 tsp-1 tsp of each (salt and pepper is to taste).

Spread the herbed vegetables on a sheet pan and roast at 425 F for about 20 minutes until nicely browned and very fragrant.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil, in a large stock pot, over medium heat.  Saute the onions, mushrooms, and peppers, with salt and pepper to taste, until soft.

To this add the roasted eggplant mixture, broth, tomatoes, rice, and chickpeas (with a little more salt and pepper).  Mix well and cook on low, covered, for at least 1 hour.

I made this on the weekend so I had plenty of time to let it sit and stew.  You could also put it all in a slow cooker and let it cook all day, or turn up the heat and it would cook in less time...just keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

Serve hot with any sides of your choice.  I had it with pita chips and tzatziki.  Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy.

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