Navajo Stew - TASTY
Hey Malia! Great thread idea!!
I've been given the assignment of a vegetarian dish for the next potluck with my friends. The theme for the night is Old Western Films, but someone already snagged the obvious spaghetti option. Do you have any ideas for a really tasty southwestern vegetarian addition? I'm pretty comfortable using Tofu, but exploring some legumes would be interesting to try.

Thanks!
My very favorite southwestern vegetarian dish is called Navajo Stew. My INTJ brother gave it to me and I kind of adjusted it to my liking. This is one of the tastiest things I have ever eaten. No kidding. Here you go:
NAVAJO STEW
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1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 large can tomatoes, and their juices, fire roasted if possible
1 medium can black beans, and bean liquid
(if you don't like bean liquid, add a little more veggie broth and discard bean liquid)
2 cups vegetable broth
1-2 cups cooked brown rice
(cook according to package instructions)
[this is served added in with the end product, so make the amount that pleases you. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, chopped chives, cilantro, and/or chili peppers, to taste, for extra flavor to the rice while you cook it, but it isn't necessary]
2 tablespoons ancho chiles in chipotle sauce, minced
<--important to the flavor of the stew, so try to find it if at all possible
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne
(depending on your preference. Omit if averse to spicy food.)
1 teaspoon dried oregano OR 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
(or more, to taste)
dash red pepper flakes
olive oil for sauteing
DIRECTIONS:
Heat olive oil in bottom of medium soup kettle with a lid until ready for sauteing. Add onions, bell pepper, and saute until transparent. Add garlic just at the end and saute for about 30 seconds.
***At this point you may stir in (to lightly toast) salt, pepper, and cayenne if you wish, or you can add it at the end with the rest of the other seasonings.***
Add sweet potato, tomatoes and their juices, beans and liquid, and vegetable broth.
Add all seasonings and stir well.
Bring stew to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring as needed. Cover, and turn heat to low. Cook for 45 minutes.
Remove lid and adjust for seasoning. Stir in brown rice and serve with desired garnishes.
RECOMMENDED GARNISHES:
sliced, ripe avocado
shredded cheese
(a mild Mexican white cheese or cheddar is great)
sour cream
(you can use a vegan sour cream here -- though I find most vegan sour creams taste kind of off, they taste good added to spicy or savory things)
chopped chives
sliced jalapenos
cilantro
warm tortillas
(vegetarian)
TORTILLAS
The best soft taco tortillas (or tortillas for tearing and dipping into Navajo Stew) in the whole entire world are made by a family in Woodland, CA. They sell them at the Sacramento co-op and the Davis co-op, among other places. When I moved away from Sacramento for a while, I used to order them by mail. They are incredibly good: thick, chewy, tender, crisp on the outside when you cook on a cast iron griddle or over a barbecue, and full of flavor. Moreover, they're vegan.
Here is their contact info:
Micaela's California Fresh
2081 Freeway Dr
Woodland, CA 95776
(530) 662-0512
If you live in California, the cost of shipping and buying them wholesale (I order about 10-20 packs of 12 tortillas at a time and freeze them for later use) ends up being about the same cost as buying them at the store.