Here’s a warm and comforting vegetable stew made easy with the help of your freezer. Keep the ingredients on hand, and you’ll have a hearty meal ready in minutes with almost no effort.
Use the vegetables called for in the recipe or substitute any others you have on hand using the recipe as a blueprint for quantities.
Helpful hints
• Any type of shredded cheese can be used.
• The heat is up to you, add more hot pepper flakes if you like it hot.
Countdown
• Assemble ingredients.
• Start stew.
• While stew cooks, prepare avocado slices.
Shopping list
To buy: 1 container frozen diced onion, 1 container frozen corn kernels, 1 container frozen lima beans, 1 can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, 1 bottle ground cumin, 1 bottle hot pepper flakes, 1 small avocado, 1 lemon, 1 bunch fresh cilantro and one package shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese.
Staples: olive oil, salt and black peppercorns.
Easy Colorful Vegetable Stew
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup frozen diced onion
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 cups canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes with the juice
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup frozen lima beans
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4
- teaspoon hot pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small avocado cut into wedges
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese
Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook 1 minute. Stir in cumin. Add tomatoes and their juice. Stir in the corn and lima beans. Cover with a lid and cook 5 minutes or until lima beans are tender. Add the cilantro, hot pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, toss the avocado wedges with the lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.
Divide the stew in half and serve in two bowls. Top with the avocado wedges and sprinkle cheese over the stew.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 425 calories (39 percent from fat), 18.6 g fat (3.2 g saturated, 9.7 g monounsaturated), 5 mg cholesterol, 14.6 g protein, 58.3 g carbohydrates, 17.2 g fiber, 124 mg sodium.
Linda Gassenheimer is the author of more than 30 cookbooks, including her newest, “The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook.” Listen to Linda on www.WDNA.org and all major podcast sites. Email her at Linda@DinnerInMinutes.com.
