Vegetarian Irish Stew

I stole this recipe from the March 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. I received the magazine in the mail today, opened it to this recipe, and had to make it. I changed a couple of things, and will post this recipe mostly as I made it.

It had such a great flavor, and I will definitely be making it again soon. Even Zoë gobbled hers up.

This recipe calls for seitan and tempeh, and while I like both of those items, we were snowed in and all I could get my hands on were what was available in our house, so I used tofu. When I make this again, I may omit the tofu/seitan/tempeh all together and use another vegetable like parsnips or sweet potatoes.

1 T olive oil
1/2 coarsely chopped onion
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1/2 cup)
1 T flour
4 oz seitan, cut into 1-inch pieces (I actually used firm chopped tofu)
2 slices smoky tempeh bacon, cut into 1/2-inch peices (I omitted)
1 clove garlic
1 t fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup stout beer
1 14-oz. can od vegetable broth (I used a bouillon cube in 14-oz of hot water)
6 oz butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used organic frozen)
1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 2 more minutes. Add seitan, tempeh bacon, garlic and thyme and cook another 2 minutes.

2. Pour in beer, and bring mixture to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, stirring and scraping any bits that may be stuck to bottom. Add vegetable broth and butternut squash, and bring to a simmer. Readuce heat to a meium-low and cook 20 minutes. Add edamame and cook 10 minutes more. (If using frozen squash, I would recommend cooking it 5 minutes and then adding the edamame for another 5 minutes).

I served this with homemade mashed potatoes cooked very indulgently with butter and cream, and a touch of nutmeg.

Yummy!

My next recipe to make from this issue is Jasmine risotto spring rolls with vanilla dipping sauce. And the sticky rice with mangos.