Navajo Stew Recipes

NAVAJO STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
• Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel the onion and cut it stem end to root end into thin wedges. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the garlic, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender but not mushy.
• While the vegetables roast, purée the tomatoes, chipotles, and cilantro in a blender until smooth. Set aside. When the vegetables are tender, put them into a 2- to 3-quart baking dish, stir in the tomato-cilantro sauce and the beans, and return to the oven until hot, about 10 minutes.
• A few minutes before serving, warm the bread in the oven. Serve the stew in bowls topped with yogurt or sour cream, with warm flatbread on the side.
• Ingredient Notes
• You can substitute 1 tablespoon of Cumin Salt (page 241) for the cumin and salt in the recipe. You may need to add more salt to taste.
• Serving & menu ideas
• This is a filling stew, but Corn on the Cob (page 188) makes a wonderful side dish, and if you've still got room for dessert, consider Warm Plums with Mascarpone (page 262).

NAVAJO LAMB STEW WITH CORNMEAL DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Sprinkle meat w/ salt and pepper. Heat 2 T oil in 5 quart Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add meat afew pieces at a time; cook until browned. Transfer meat to med bowl.
• Heat remaining 1/2 T oil over med heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Stir in wdater, tomato paste, chili powder and coriander.
• Return meat to Dutch oven. Add potatoes, carrots and celery leaves. Bring to a boil.
• Cover; reduce heat and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes or until meat is tender. During last 15 minutes of cooking, prepare cornmeal dumplings.
• Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in med bowl. Cut in butter with fingers, pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Make a well in center; pour in milk all at once and stir with fork until mixture forms dough.
• Drop dough onto stew to make 6 dumblings. Cover and simmer 18 minutes or until dumplings are firm to the touch and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Drop dough onto stew to make 6 dumplings. Cover and simmer 18 minutes or until dumplings are firm to the touch and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• To serve, spoon stew onto individual plates; serve with dumplings.

ZUNI VEGETABLE STEW WITH NAVAJO FRY BREAD

Steps:

• FOR THE SOUP: Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil in 4 quart Dutch oven over medium heat until onion is tender. Stir in bell pepper, poblano and jalapeno chiles. Cook 15 minutes.
• Stir in Hubbard squash, broth, salt, pepper and coriander. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. 6 servings about 1 1/3 cups each.
• FOR THE NAVAJO FRY BREADS: Mix flour, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and dough almost cleans side of bowl. Gather into ball; cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Heat oil (1 inch) to 400°F in 4 quart Dutch oven.
• Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 6 inch circle on lightly floured surface. Let rest a few minutes.
• Make a hole about 1/2 inch in diameter in center of each circle. Fry circles, turning once, until puffed and golden, about 1 minute on each side; drain. Serve warm. 12 breads.
• Southwest Cooking.