Machu Beetchu Stew

Before I get into talking about the meal itself, I must give credit where it is due for the name of this dish. I was struggling mightily with what to dub it since it isn’t exactly Borscht, and it’s not exactly Chili either. Instead, it’s somewhere in between. SO, I shared the main ingredient list with a few people and asked for help. My ant (not a typo, but instead her preferred spelling) won in what turned into an open and shut contest the moment she shared her idea. Since Lima Beans and Quinoa are foods native to Peru, and the true main ingredient was beet root, Machu Beetchu Stew wasn’t going to be topped.

Now, onto the food itself. This meal is a great hearty stew with rich flavours and colours derived from the various ingredients. Well, the colour is pretty much primarily from the beets…but the flavours are multi-dimensional! As another plus, you can make a big vat of this ahead of time, and just heat it up when you’re ready to eat. We topped ours with some crumbled blue cheese, but goat cheese would also be fantastic here.

Time: 2.5 Hours. However, you can make the beets and boil the Lima beans ahead of time, and make this meal in a half hour to save time.

Ingredients:

• Beets
• Milk or Water (for pureeing the beets)
• Baby Lima Beans (rehydrate ahead of time if they are dried)
• Peas
• Ground Pork (Can substitute chickpeas if you want vegetarian)
• Onion
• Quinoa
• Seasonings/spices. We used fresh ginger, pink peppercorns, mustard seeds, dried dill, dried tarragon, and a little salt. We didn’t use horseradish, but it might be good in there too.

Method:

• Wash and boil your beets until they are soft enough to puncture with a fork. Then, set aside in a bowl to cool, and peel the skins with your thumbs (you might find food/surgical grade PVC gloves useful here so that it doesn’t look like you’ve got blood on your hands for the next day or so).
• While the beets are boiling, do all of your other prep:
  • Cook your Lima beans.
  • Cook your Quinoa (boil a 4 parts water to 1 part quinoa ratio until the water is gone, and then set aside in a bowl)
  • Dice your onion
• Place your peeled beets in a food processor, and puree with a little milk or water to get your desired level of thickness.
• While the beets puree, heat some oil in a pan, and add your diced onions. Let them cook until they start to become opaque.
• Add your pork and seasonings to your onions, and sautee until the pork is nearly cooked…you shouldn’t see any pink at the end.
• Stir in your pees and Lima beans, and then pour your pureed beets over everything, and stir to combine.
• Lastly, add and stir in your quinoa, and let everything simmer to heat up. (Our pictures involve a slow cooker because we went to a yoga class as the beets and meat were simmering…and then we added the cooked quinoa and stirred it in to heat it just before serving)
• Plate, devour, and enjoy!