Playdate Special: Caribbean stew

Yesterday was my first lunch playdate at the new house. I had wanted to do something special, perhaps attempt new recipes, to mark the occasion, but although I’d thrown a housewarming party and hosted smaller dinners since our move, I have yet to hit the stride in consistent grocery shopping and meal planning. Thus, I settled on a reliable Caribbean stew and a scrumptious and fail-proof carrot cake.
Last night, after an afternoon of hauling in yet more boxes from the garage to unpack, I briefly contemplated baking the dessert and making the stew ahead of time since both, especially the stew, would taste fine if not better the next day. Now that I am a mother, multi-tasking has taken on a new level of meaning, and I think it would be fair to state that the television’s Iron Chef with a team of assistants has it easy compared to a sleep-deprived mom trying to cook from scratch while supervising two active and curious preschoolers. I decided to try and get a good night’s sleep and then tackle cooking in the morning before the guests arrive.
The verdict: All the kids, even the one or two more cautious eaters, ate the stew. One mom suggested a bit more salt to bring out the flavors. The carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting were scrumptious. I placed Pixar’s Wall.E cake toppers on the cupcakes for the kiddos and they were thrilled! Overall the kids played well (we only had to mediate a few conflicts) and we had a satisfying lunch. Afterwards, we took the kids outside to enjoy the sun and play in the yard before their afternoon nap. I always say that if you’re going to have chaos, you might as well have good company. And, I think today’s playdate is yet another fine example of spurts of craziness accompanied by moments of pure delight.

Caribbean Stew

1 and ¼ pounds ground turkey
1 large onion, diced
1 and 1/2 cups shredded carrots
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, undrained
2 15 ounce cans of Trader Joe’s Black Beans, drained
1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon paste, dilute with 1.5 cup water
1 tablespoon allspice
2 cups frozen okra
Salt to taste

Brown ground turkey and drain oil. Push meat to sides of pot. Heat one tablespoon of cooking oil in the middle and add carrots and onion. Sauté until tender. Sprinkle in allspice. Gently toss in tomatoes, beans, and bouillon-seasoned water. Add enough water to cover the mixture and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Throw in the frozen okra and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve with brown rice. Like most stews, this one can be cooked a day ahead to let flavors blend. But it’s good on the day of as well.

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