A ragout (pronounced ragoo) is a French hearty stew – not to be confused with ragu, the Italian sauce usually served over pasta. A ragout is usually made with beans or lentils, fresh vegetables and herbs. It can contain meat, but is still a hearty meal even if it is meatless.

Lately the media has expressed concerns with farm-raised fish processed in Asia. Overcrowding and polluted waters are some of the biggest concerns. For that reason, fish caught in local lakes are more appealing to me and at least I know what my family is eating.

I usually make this dish with cannelli beans and catfish. My recipe is below, but feel free to use lentils or your favorite beans and substitute chicken or sausage for the fish. Obviously, served meatless with a side salad and crusty bread, it is a wonderfully nutritious meal.

Ragout of cannelli beans and tomatoes with white fish
3 15-oz. cans cannelli beans, rinsed and drained
4 Tbsp. canola oil
6 white fish fillets (catfish, tilapia, halibut)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 slices bacon, chopped (optional)
1-1/2 cups dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 15-oz can tomato bits
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 Tbsp. butter
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish.

Heat oil in skillet. Salt and pepper fish fillets and lightly brown in batches. Remove fish. Sauté onions, carrot, celery, garlic and bacon in remaining oil until tender. Then deglaze pan with wine. Add stock, herbs, beans and tomato bits. Cook until heated through.

Return fish fillets to pan and continue to cook covered on low heat for about 10 minutes more. Remove fish again and cover to keep warm. Add lemon juice and butter to pan and cook the sauce for 20 minutes, allowing it to reduce.

Serve ragout with a slotted spoon and place a fish fillet on top. Drizzle ragout juices over the fish. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped fresh parsley. A side salad of organic greens is always a nice addition.

I’m so happy we are past the latest arctic blast. I’m tired of being cold and feeling under-the-weather. Grocery shopping was not high on my to-do list, but I was craving a hearty soup. So I decided to whip one up with ingredients on hand. A hearty golden potato soup is the result of throwing together items I consider to be kitchen staples.
Golden Potato Soup
3 medium onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
4 carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 lbs. potatoes, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
4 cups chicken stock
1⁄2 lb. mushrooms
1 cup cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
In a large heavy pot, caramelize the onions on low heat in olive oil and butter – season with a little salt and pepper. When the onions are a beautiful golden color – about 15-20 minutes – add carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, bay leaves and thyme.

Cook for another 5 minutes and then add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. (I dropped in 4 Parmesan cheese rinds I had saved in the freezer since I didn’t have any Parmesan cheese. Those will melt into the soup, thicken it and give it nice flavor.) Turn off the heat.

While the potatoes cooked, I chopped baby portabella mushrooms and browned them in butter. I cooked them separate from the other vegetables because I knew I would pureé those and didn’t want to include the mushrooms.

Remove bay leaves (and Parmesan cheese rinds). I wanted the soup to be chunky, so I pureéd it with my immersion blender for about 5 seconds – just enough to thicken. Add the mushrooms, cream ( I didn’t have cream, but added 1⁄2 cup Half & Half and a little sour cream) and Parmesan cheese if you have it. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with chopped scallions, cilantro or parsley.

Kitchen staple items have a long shelf-life in either the pantry or refrigerator/freezer. For me, they include onions, carrots, celery, garlic, canned tomatoes, dried and canned beans, pasta, rice, potatoes, dried herbs, stock, butter or olive oil, flour, sugar, salt and pepper. With those items on hand, I can always whip up a meal.

Every Southerner knows that eating black-eyed peas brings good luck in the New Year. If you haven’t had yours yet, it is not too late. Try these black-eyed pea recipes. And they are good any time of the year.
Black-eyed Pea Salad
I thawed a bag of peas that came from my summer garden and boiled them 30 minutes with just enough water to cover, a bay leaf, salt and pepper – then drained. You could also use 3 cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained.
Then add:
2 tomatoes, chopped
1⁄2 red onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1⁄4 cup parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. red wine or balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for a few hours – or overnight. It makes a great side dish and is also good served with chopped avocado. Add a chopped jalapeño pepper if you like it hot.

Southerners also love their casseroles, so why not one with black-eyed peas?
Sausage, Black-eyed Peas with Rice and Greens
1 lb. sausage, crumbled or bite-sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. flour
3 cups broth
2 cans black-eyed peas
3 cups cooked rice
10 oz. cooked greens (spinach, kale, etc.)
8 oz. shredded cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown sausage in a large oven-safe skillet. Add olive oil and onions, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until they just begin to brown. Add garlic, oregano and flour, stirring until all is incorporated. Slowly stir in broth – your choice of beef, chicken or vegetable – making a gravy. Cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes, adjust seasonings and remove from heat.

Add peas, rice and greens to the skillet and combine. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes until the cheese melts and the sides of the dish are bubbly.

I used Kielbasa sausage, wild rice, beef broth and kale topped with Colby-jack when making the dish. For a Tex-Mex flair, try chorizo sausage and follow the same recipe, but substitute corn for the rice and a can of Rotel tomatoes and a chopped green pepper instead of greens. Then top the casserole with cornbread batter – from a mix is fine – mixing cheddar cheese into the batter. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30-40 minutes until the cornbread is lightly brown.