Cassoulet

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped (doesn't need to be small)
1 lb sausage
1 lb chicken legs
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 bay leaf
parsley
thyme
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions and sausage; sauté them for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Drain all but 4 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet. Brown the chicken legs in the skillet; remove from pan and set aside.

Combine the onions, sausage, chicken legs, tomatoes, wine, chicken stock, herbs to taste, garlic, tomato paste, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper in a large casserole dish. Cover with a lid or foil, and bake the casserole for 25 minutes. Add the carrots to the casserole, cover, and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Add the white beans to the hot casserole and gently stir the mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. Discard the bay leaf and serve the cassoulet hot.

NOTES
Adapted from about.com.
My amounts of some ingredients didn't quite match the recipe but it still turned out tasty anyway.

Chunky Vegetable Stew

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 1/2 oz) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 c cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 yams, peeled, cut into 2" chunks
3/4 tsp crushed rosemary
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4" thick slices
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, separating slices; cook 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and juice, beans, yams and rosemary. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. (You may need to add a little water at this point to make sure there is enough liquid to cover the bottom of pan.) Add zucchini and stir. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes or until yams are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and top each serving with cheese to taste.

NOTES
From Vegetarian Times.
One of our favorites!
We like to add sliced kielbasa to this (add at the same time as yams etc.).
I usually use diced tomatoes instead of stewed.
When we have the time we like to cook this long enough for the yams to mush (a couple of hours). In this case we add the zucchini in the last 15-20 minutes so it doesn't also turn to mush.

Spicy Red Lentil Chili

1 c red lentils
4 c + 2 Tbsp water, divided
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 c diced onion
1/4 c diced celery (about 1 stalk)
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 medium tomato, cored, diced (1 c)
2 c vegetable stock
1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 c finely diced green bell pepper
salt to taste

Bring lentils and 2 c water to boil on high; turn off heat. Remove half the lentils and liquid; place in blender or food processor and puree about 1 minute.

Melt butter in stockpot on medium low. Add onion; cook, stirring, about 2 minutes, until soft but not browned. Add celery and garlic; cook, stirring, 5 minutes, until soft but not browned. Add tomato; cook 5 minutes.

Add stock, 2 c water, Tabasco, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper and chili powder. Bring to a simmer.

Add reserved whole and pureed lentils plus liquid. Cook about 15 minutes, until lentils are tender.

Combine cornstarch and remaining 2 Tbsp water in a small bowl. Bring soup to a boil and add cornstarch/water mix. Stir 30 seconds to thicken slightly. Turn off heat; add green peppers. Season to taste with salt.

NOTES
From Wegmans.
Untried.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

2 medium-large sweet potatoes or yams
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
2 (14-15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14-15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can chopped mild green chilies
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt to taste

Microwave the sweet potatoes for about 3 or 4 mintes per potato. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 3/4-inch dice. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat until golden. Add the bell pepper, beans, tomatoes, chilies, corn, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. (I like to add a dash or two of chipotle seasoning or cayenne pepper; not necessary, but tasty if you've got 'em and don't mind a little heat. You can feel free to add whatever spices you normally like in your chili -- it's easily customizable.)

Bring chili to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season lightly with salt.

At this point you can eat it, or let it sit for an hour or two before eating, to give the flavors a little time to blend. Either way, it's delicious.

You can garnish with all your favorite chili toppings: cheese, sour cream, lime, tortilla chips, avocado, whatever.

NOTES
My recipe, adapted from various others.

Stewy White Beans

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 small shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb mustard greens or kale, stems removed, leaves sliced into 1" strips
juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 c vegetable broth
1 (28 oz) can whole or diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook 4 minutes. Add garlic and greens and cook, stirring frequently, until greens begin to wilt, 3-5 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice, brown sugar, bay leaf, red pepper, broth, and tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until the greens are tender, about 15 minutes. Add beans and cook 5 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season with salt, pepper, and (if desired) the remaining lemon juice.

NOTES
From Real Simple.
Untried.

Tuscan Chicken Stew

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c chicken broth
1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans (or other white beans), rinsed and drained
1 (7 oz) bottle roasted red peppers, drained, cut into 1/2" pieces
3 1/2 c torn spinach

Combine first 4 ingredients; toss well. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Add broth, beans and peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in spinach; simmer 1 minute.

NOTES
From Cooking Light.
Untried.