stew – that paleo couple

Solyanka

January 18, 2017January 17, 2017 by Heather Schrader Leave a comment

We have had some pretty cold and dreary weather lately, and this kind of weather always causes me to crave soup. This weekend, Brent was eager to experiment with something new. Brent discovered Solyanka, a spicy and sour soup that originates from Russia but is also popular in Germany and former Eastern Block countries.

Solyanka is traditionally prepared in three different varieties: meat, fish, or mushroom. When Brent shared our recipe development with our friend Russ, who you might know as The Domestic Man, his first question was “Meat, fish, or mushroom?” As someone who specializes in recreating traditional recipes, it was no surprise to us that he was already familiar.

Chicken Posole Soup

August 10, 2016August 17, 2016 by Brent Schrader 1 Comment

Posole, or pozole, is a traditional Mexican stew that is made with hominy. Hominy, if you weren’t aware (we weren’t), is dried maize kernels—think corn puffs pre-puff. While we aren’t big corn consumers, everything else about the soup/stew seemed amazing: chicken (or pork), radishes, salsa, chili pepper, and even avocado.

While we took some liberties, including substituting hominy with chopped cauliflower, this soup is out of this world. It was surprisingly filling and delicious, while not requiring a lot of preparation or work. We shredded some remaining chicken from a roasted whole chicken and within a half-hour we had dinner on the table. If you decide to roast a chicken early in the week, you’ll be able to make stock and this soup in easy progression. We hope you’ll give this recipe a try, and let us know in the comments how you like it!

Grandma Dean’s Oyster Stew

January 7, 2015June 18, 2015 by Brent Schrader 4 Comments

Oyster stew is one of the few things that I normally refused to eat growing up—until I was in college, I was confident that oysters were the last thing I should ever eat. Thankfully I’ve lost that perspective, and Heather and I go out for raw oysters fairly regularly at a local raw bar happy hour. This recipe is based off of my late Grandma Dean’s, who I remember for infamously “teaching me my first word: mine.”

Oyster stew is a big tradition in many households, and has roots in the Americas going back to the late 19th Century. Dishes like this one are especially popular for those who celebrate a meatless dinner on Christmas Eve—you may know Italian families that celebrate the Festa dei sette pesci, or Feast of the Seven Fishes. This is an amazing fresh first dish for a meatless dinner, a special occasion, or a light yet savory treat.

Birria (Mexican Stew)

December 3, 2014June 18, 2015 by Brent Schrader Leave a comment

As the weather cools down for us here in the DC area, my mind have moved from barbecues and light refreshing salads to more substantial meals and stews. We are huge fans of chili and pulled pork, but I wanted to expand our repertoire. Especially because I am prone to colds or falling under the weather as the seasons change, I wanted something that could help keep my sinuses clear with the help of capsaicin. (Check out the medical uses in this Wikipedia article—warning: not AIP friendly.)

For me, this is an ideal winter stew, and is much heartier than our hot and sour soup, which was my go to meal when fighting a cold up to now. We hope you’ll give it a shot, and enjoy it in a variety of ways.

Seafood Stew

September 17, 2014June 18, 2015 by Brent Schrader 4 Comments

Like it or not, fall is quickly approaching—which means it is time to start preparing for colder weather and warming recipes. Fall is by far my favorite season of the year (strongly influenced by football), and I also love having a hearty stew, soup, or other warm meal to pair with the changing leaves and cooling weather.

This seafood stew is partially inspired by our friend Russ, of the Domestic Man, as he gifted us with some homemade fish stock (UPDATE: get the recipe here) when we last visited. He’s one of our aspirational cook friends (check out our review of his cookbook here), and we wanted to take full advantage of the offering. This stew may be made with a variety of seafood, depending on what is available where you are, and is quite delicious. We hope you’ll take this recipe on and make it your own this fall.