167 stem recipes

A thick, rustic Italian-style soup loaded with penne, cannellini beans, fennel, zucchini, and summer squash simmered in vegetable broth spiked with dry vermouth. Low-fat, naturally vegetarian, and feeds 8 from one big pot in about an hour.

Minestrone casalinga: a homestyle Italian vegetable soup packed with white beans, leeks, cabbage, zucchini, and orzo. Rustic, layered, and exactly what cold weather calls for.

Szechwan spiced beef stew braised with star anise, hot bean paste, crushed peppercorns, and dry sherry. Deeply aromatic Chinese-style comfort food.

Stuffed red and yellow bell peppers filled with ground turkey, rice, navy beans, and a spiced picante tomato sauce. A low-fat dinner with real depth - Madeira deglazes the wok, fennel and rosemary do the heavy lifting.

Veal ragout with red pepper braises cubed veal in white wine, plum tomatoes, and herbs, then finishes with sweet bell pepper and a bright lemon-garlic gremolata over fresh fettuccine.

Oven-braised lamb stew with flageolet beans, elbow macaroni, fresh oregano, and Roma tomatoes. Browned lamb simmers in stock for 1 1/2 hours, then the pasta cooks right in the pot.

Homemade cayenne-spiked biscuit bowls cradling hearty ground beef chili loaded with kidney beans and stewed tomatoes. Pile on sharp cheddar, sour cream, and scallions for the ultimate cozy one-bowl dinner.