[Game of Thrones Special Recipe] Harrenhal Vegetable Stew

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"Winter is coming"..

"A Lannister always pays his debts"..

"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die"..

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As someone who got into a reading habit pretty late (in her 20's), fantasy genre never appealed to me much. I read Harry Potter in parts and never touched The Lord of the Rings!. My natural inclination is towards fiction with either lots of drama (The Notebook) or suspense (The Thirteenth Tale). My book choices are pretty predictable and never-out-of-the-box. Then 3 years ago, I accidentally stumbled upon George R. R Martin's Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice & Fire series). It was an intimidating set of books with 1000+ pages each and very hesitatingly I started reading on my e-reader. The story of GoT, set in medieval times is filled with swords, sex, gothic creatures and characters hungry for power - always. There are too many Houses to remember and worst of all, as soon as you start liking a(ny) character, the author invariably kills it. Ugh. Anyhow, soon I found myself drawn into this fantasy world to such an extent, that it was very hard to get out. Every chapter had a cliff hanger at the end and it was impossible to resist NOT to read the next one. 

Coming to today's recipe - Harrenhal Vegetable Stew, I have to say whether you are a fan of the show or not, it will appeal to all. Just cut the veggies in season, dump everything into a stock pot and let it simmer. Store the rest in refrigerator and enjoy during those crazy weeknight dinners. (If you were me, while watching an episode of GoT). :-)

One biggest perk of working in New York is that the nearby library is just 4 blocks away. Atleast once a week, I make time during my lunch time to go there and look for any favorites. During one such strolls, I stumbled upon this Unofficial guide to GoT recipes. Now, a hardcore fan can instantly relate to my excitement. My eyes lit up to see recipes from Sansa's Buttermilk biscuits (duly bookmarked for later) to Khaleesi's heart (no thanks!). I found myself leafing through the pages and simply lost track of time.

My lucky find during the usual library strolling. 

Most of the recipes, as one should expect have meat except for a handful of them. This Harrenhal Vegetable Stew was one of them and looked extremely hearty. I decided to make some & blog today - April 12th when the Season 5 will be premiering on HBO. Wohoo!

Enjoy!

Harrenhal Vegetable Stew

Adapted from The Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook by Alan Kistler

Serves 6

Author's Note: Stews don't always need meat to be delicious - but empty revenge is never satisfying. Weasel (Arya) enjoys her barley stew well enough, but the score she decides to have settled is a bit thin. Still, this healthy meal of vegetables helps her mind renew its vigor for the dark work that lies ahead. (A Clash of Kings, Chapter 30 - Arya)

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 can of crushed or diced tomaotes
1 carrot, sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup of barley rice (or barley)
8 cups of water (or vegetable broth for more flavor)
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp thyme
salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Notes:

- Cut all vegetables into similar-size pieces so they cook evenly.
- Barley can be easily substituted with any grain of your choice: Brown rice, Farro, Cream of Wheat etc.
- Instead of fresh, frozen veggies can be used.
- Some bread and a drizzle of (flavored) oil on top with make this stew a delightful meal.

Preparation:

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic. Once it starts to sizzle, saute onions until they are soft (3-5 minutes). Add rest of the fresh veggies - zucchini, bell peppers, carrot and celery. Mix everything and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low and add remaining ingredients - can of tomatoes, parsley, barley rice, thyme, salt & pepper and water (or broth).

Cover and allow to cook for atleast 45 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Remove cover and cook for 10 more minutes. Adjust seasoning, garnish with parsley and Serve.

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