Thrifty Veggie Stew

All you healthy eaters out there may now breathe a long sigh of relief. No more peanut butter chocolate pillows to give you a food coma. Ahhhhhhh. Vegetables! Beans! No sugar added! I crafted this meal with you folks in mind. The consistency of this dish is really less stew-like than my title may imply. It's almost more of a pasta dish. But, yet again, too stew-like to deny that fact in the title.

What can I say . . . I'm confusing.

The "thrifty" part comes in when you realize you have most of the ingredients needed already in the back of your kitchen cupboard.



What you'll need . . .

• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 3 cups water
• 1 can sweet corn (no salt added)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted)
• 1 can pinto beans
• 3/4 cup Israeli couscous
• 3/4 cup elbow pasta
• 1/2 cup Marsala cooking wine
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 package (about 12 ounces) frozen spinach
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method . . .

1. In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable stock and water. Heat on medium-high until bubbling (but not boiling).
2. Drain – but do not rinse – the corn, tomatoes, and beans. Add them to the pot, as well as the couscous and elbow pasta. Heat on medium-high heat for approx. 10 minutes.
3. Check to see if the pasta & couscous are getting soft. Then add cooking wine and garlic chunks, and turn the heat down a bit. Cook for another ten minutes.
4. Add the frozen spinach, stirring occasionally until it is fully incorporated (and not a frozen brick!).
5. Add salt and pepper. Cook on low heat until ready to serve.

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