I had various leftovers at home and decided to whip up a huge pot of stew to feed us in the upcoming week. So this is an odd, yet delicious mix of things like quinoa and bacon, which in many peoples’ minds maybe doesn’t fit together at all. But I’m happy to report that this marriage was a delicious and a happy one, though. Naturally, as always, you do you and adapt where you see fit, following the directions where your fridge and pantry stocks nudge you.

INGREDIENTS:

(Yields 8 generous servings / 0.90 EUR per serving / 7.17 EUR for all)

2 tbsp sunflower seed oil (0.03 EUR)

2 onions (0.20 EUR)

4 garlic cloves (0.13 EUR)

4 carrots (0.40 EUR)

1 red horn pepper (0.33 EUR)

2 large smoked sausages (2.00 EUR)

Small chunk of bacon (0.67 EUR)

1 can diced tomatoes (0.53 EUR)

1 cup red lentils (0.67 EUR)

1 cup quinoa (1.00 EUR)

4 cups precooked cannellini beans (0.80 EUR)

2 tbsp dried parsley (0.13 EUR)

1 bay leaf (0.01 EUR)

1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (0.07 EUR)

1 tsp garlic powder (0.07 EUR)

½ tsp dried chili flakes (0.03 EUR)

1 and ½ tsp salt (0.03 EUR)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.07 EUR)

8 cups water (–)

METHOD:

Wash, peel and finely dice all the veggies. Cut the sausages into coins and roughly chop the bacon. Wash quinoa and lentils in a fine mesh colander under running water. Add the oil to a big pot and saute onion on high heat for a few minutes, until slightly translucent. Add in fresh garlic, carrots and horn pepper. Cook briefly, so that the veggies start to caramelize, before adding in the sausages and bacon. Give a good stir and let it cook for about five minutes.

Add in diced tomatoes, lentils, quinoa, beans, parsley, bay leaf, paprika, garlic powder, chili, salt, black pepper and water. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and cook with a lid cracked open for about 45 minutes, while stirring occasionally. If needed, add in a bit more water. Serve warm. This stew reheats great and will keep refrigerated for up to five days. It also freezes very well.

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Pošto sam doma imala raznih ostataka, odlučila sam nam smućkati veliki lonac grah variva da nas hrani kroz tjedan. Tako da sam na kraju dobila ovakav čudnjikav, ali i jako ukusan miks na prvi pogled nespojivih stvari kao što su kvinoja i špek. Međutim, konačni je rezultat ispao odlično. Naravno, kao i uvijek, vi slobodno prilagodite sastojke, kako vlastitom ukusu, tako i onome što vam je doma pri ruci u hladnjaku i špajzi.

SASTOJCI:

(Za 8 izdašnih porcija / 6,69 kn po porciji / 53,57 kn za sve)

2 žlice suncokretovog ulja (0,20 kn)

2 luka (1,50 kn)

4 češnja češnjaka (1,00 kn)

4 mrkve (3,00 kn)

1 crvena paprika roga (2,50 kn)

2 velike dimljene kobasice (15,00 kn)

Mali komadić slanine (5,00 kn)

1 konzerva sjeckane rajčice (4,00 kn)

1 šalica crvene leće (5,00 kn)

1 šalica kvinoje (7,50 kn)

4 šalice kuhanog bijelog graha (6,00 kn)

2 žlice sušenog peršina (1,00 kn)

1 lovorov list (0,10 kn)

1 žlica slatke crvene paprike (0,50 kn)

1 žličica češnjaka u prahu (0,50 kn)

½ žličice sušenog čilija u pahuljicama (0,25 kn)

1 i ½ žličica soli (0,02 kn)

1 žličica svježe mljevenog crnog papra (0,50 kn)

8 šalica vode (–)

PRIPREMA:

Operite, ogulite i fino nasjeckajte svo povrće. Kobasice narežite na novčiće, a slaninu na par krupnih komada. U mrežastoj cjediljci dobro isperite kvinoju i leću pod mlazom vode. Dodajte ulje u veliki lonac, pa na jakoj vatri par minuta dinstajte luk dok ne bude staklast. Ubacite svježi češnjak, mrkvu i papriku rogu. Kratko kuhajte tako da se povrće blago karamelizira, te onda ubacite kobasice i slaninu. Dobro promiješajte te ostavite kuhati pet minuta.

U lonac dodajte sjeckane rajčice, leću, kvinoju, grah, lovor, slatku papriku, češnjak u prahu, čili, sol, papar i vodu. Pustite da zavrije, pa smanjite vatru i krčkajte sa odškrinutim poklopcem oko 45 minuta. Povremeno promiješajte, a po potrebi dodajte još malo vode. Poslužite toplo. Ovo se varivo super podgrijava i smrzava, a u hladnjaku će držati do pet dana.