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Home / feat. Soups and Stews / Day 7: Italian Vegetable Stew & Hamilton Beach Giveaway
Italian Vegetable Stew | foodnfocus.com

Day 7: Italian Vegetable Stew & Hamilton Beach Giveaway

How many different pots of soup or stew have you already made this season? There are a lot of things I enjoy about making soup: It’s delicious and warming, It’s quick and easy, It makes for great leftovers. I mostly enjoy a good, thick stew with a crusty loaf of bread. Ok, now I’m hungry.

It’s day #7 of my 12 Days of Christmas giveaways and today I’m featuring Hamilton Beach! I own a lot of their small kitchen appliances and I just love how sturdy and dependable they are. (No, they didn’t pay me to say that.) Up until a few months ago I didn’t own a food processor. Bad idea. Then one day a beautiful food processor arrived on my doorstep and my life has not been the same since. This thing makes chopping, dicing and shredded unbelievably simple. I had about 4 blocks of cheese to shred recently for a pan of lasagna and it was a breeze to do with my food processor.

Italian Vegetable Stew | foodnfocus.com

So today, along with a delicious vegetable stew, I’m giving away the Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap food processor to one lucky reader. I used mine to easily mince the Pestata for my stew. Whoa, new word. Pestata. Like pesto, pestata is a puree of herbs, garlic and olive oil. You’re going to love the fragrant pestata that you’re required to make for this stew. I nearly wanted to pick up a spoon and eat it out of the bowl of the food processor.

But first, the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5.0 from 1 reviews
Italian Vegetable Stew
 
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Author: April | Food n' Focus
Ingredients
  • Pestata
  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
  • ⅓ cup fresh oregano leaves
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Stew
  • 12 ounces eggplant, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • Salt
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2¼ cups water
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained with juice reserved and chopped coarse
  • 2 zucchini (8 ounces each), seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 red or yellow bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 cup shredded fresh basil
Instructions
  1. FOR THE PESTATA: Process all ingredients in food processor until finely ground, about 1 minute, scraping sides as necessary. Set aside.
  2. FOR THE STEW: Toss eggplant with 1½ teaspoons salt in bowl. Line surface of large plate with double layer of coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant in even layer over coffee filters. Microwave eggplant, uncovered, until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, 8 to 12 minutes, tossing once halfway through to ensure that eggplant cooks evenly.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add eggplant, onion, and potatoes; cook, stirring frequently, until eggplant browns and surface of potatoes becomes translucent, about 2 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of pot; add 1 tablespoon oil and tomato paste to clearing. Cook paste, stirring frequently, until brown fond develops on bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water and chopped tomatoes and juice, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and gently simmer until eggplant is completely broken down and potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Add zucchini, bell peppers, and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet; add pestata and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir pestata into vegetables and transfer vegetables to bowl. Add
  5. Remove pot from heat and stir reserved vegetables and water from skillet into vegetables in Dutch oven. Cover pot and let stand for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Stir in basil and season with salt to taste; serve.
3.2.2158

Italian Vegetable Stew | foodnfocus.com

Recipe courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen

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Comments

  1. darci says

    December 10, 2013 at 8:13 am

    Yay! Another use for Zucchini!

    Reply
  2. Corinne says

    December 10, 2013 at 8:15 am

    I always wanted a food processor. Then one day I was cleaning in our basement and found one packed away. I must have registered for it during our wedding (four years earlier!). Now, I use it all the time! Love it!

    Reply
  3. Nicole S. says

    December 10, 2013 at 8:44 am

    Homemade guacamole!

    Reply
  4. Jennifer says

    December 10, 2013 at 8:51 am

    gucamole or hummus

    Reply
  5. Athena R says

    December 10, 2013 at 8:53 am

    I would mix up some baby food.

    Reply
  6. Kendal Barriere says

    December 10, 2013 at 8:57 am

    Probably baby food here in a few months 🙂 or maybe make some oreo balls. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Nicole Henry says

    December 10, 2013 at 9:04 am

    I would make baby food and some salsa! Not together of course 😉

    Reply
  8. Linda Marshall says

    December 10, 2013 at 9:15 am

    Salsa…Love your blog!

    Reply
    • Food n' Focus says

      December 10, 2013 at 9:35 am

      Thank you 🙂

      Reply
  9. Dan W says

    December 10, 2013 at 10:04 am

    Every kitchen needs a food processor. Just used mine last night processing old hot dog buns into breadcrumbs

    Reply
  10. Sun says

    December 10, 2013 at 10:41 am

    I would make a batch of pimento cheese spread – perfect for the holidays!

    Reply
  11. Dawn says

    December 10, 2013 at 11:37 am

    Fresh salsa!

    Reply
  12. Margot C says

    December 10, 2013 at 12:48 pm

    I think I would make some hummus; you really have to have a machine to do that.

    Reply
  13. Shelly says

    December 10, 2013 at 1:46 pm

    I’d make peanut butter!

    Reply
  14. Buck Weber says

    December 10, 2013 at 6:13 pm

    If that stew tastes as good as it looks I would have to make it at least once a month every winter!

    Reply
  15. Karlie says

    December 10, 2013 at 7:17 pm

    There are so many recipes I’ve been saving for when I get a food processor! My favorite is for avocado garlic pesto sauce.

    Reply
  16. Angela Arthur says

    December 10, 2013 at 9:34 pm

    I would make some SALSA!!!! Yum!!

    Reply
  17. Wehaf says

    December 11, 2013 at 9:09 am

    I would make some carrot soup.

    Reply
  18. katy says

    December 11, 2013 at 7:34 pm

    Guacamole!!! And salsa!!

    Reply
    • Food n' Focus says

      December 12, 2013 at 6:35 am

      Both delicious choices!

      Reply
  19. Alexis K. says

    December 12, 2013 at 9:03 pm

    I would make grandmas cranberry relish.

    Reply
  20. Vera K says

    December 13, 2013 at 6:54 am

    I would probably make some salsa.

    Reply
  21. Vunda V says

    December 13, 2013 at 7:55 am

    i would make pesto!

    Reply
  22. Jessica w says

    December 13, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    I saw a recipe for a fig, almond, and pecan bars and this would be perfect for that

    Reply
  23. BECKY EVANS says

    December 14, 2013 at 2:37 am

    Nuts , Spinach , and Kale for a Smoothie.

    Reply
  24. Katie M says

    December 15, 2013 at 12:04 am

    Tomatoes for spaghetti sauce. I dislike chunks of tomatoes in my sauce!

    Reply
  25. Nicky says

    December 15, 2013 at 2:23 am

    This soup looks delicious! I do not currently own a food processor. I’d love to have one just for graham crackers for the crust in cheesecakes!

    Reply
  26. itzia says

    December 16, 2013 at 4:03 pm

    avocado pesto

    Reply
  27. Charlene B says

    December 16, 2013 at 7:12 pm

    I would make hummus and homemade marinara to freeze.

    Reply
  28. manda says

    December 18, 2013 at 6:49 am

    Lentil soup!

    Reply
  29. Mar says

    December 19, 2013 at 12:21 am

    fresh salsa!

    Reply
  30. Melissa L. says

    December 19, 2013 at 12:50 am

    I would make salsa. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Food n' Focus – 12 Days of Christmas Finale says:
    December 18, 2013 at 7:01 am

    […] Day 7 – Italian Vegetable Stew & Hamilton Beach Giveaway […]

    Reply
  2. 12 Days of Christmas Finale | blogresepi.com says:
    November 1, 2016 at 8:57 pm

    […] Day 7 – Italian Vegetable Stew & Hamilton Beach Giveaway […]

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