AMAZING! Followed it exactly - was shocked at how easy it was to do (I've burned nuts before trying to make these sorts of nibbles). We snacked on them for Thanksgiving and for days afterwards. Now I'm gearing up to make them again for Christmas. Thank you for a great recipe!
This did not go over as well as I'd hoped - my husband didn't care for it. I didn't add mushrooms (we didn't have any), so that may have changed the dynamic a bit. Also, the directions were slightly misleading, as I originally read the stew as simmering for 1 1/2 hours, which was way too long for the amount of liquid in the pot. Fortunately I caught it before it scorched. It's an interesting concept, walnuts in the stew, but it didn't taste exceptionally brilliant and didn't please the family as much as I'd hoped.
In spirit of full disclosure, I tweaked this recipe, but we GOBBLED it up! I added chopped carrots to the sofrito at the beginning of the recipe. When I added the fish (I used tilapia filets), I also added drained and rinsed cannellini beans and artichokes, and some zucchini in Italian sauce/herbs (all tinned; I'm cleaning out my larder). I also was lamenting the lack of apple juice in my house, but ended up adding extra water and about 3-4 tablespoons of cinnamon apple jelly. AWESOME, sweet and fishy tastes together, and it made the house smell fantastic! Also, I threw in some fresh dill and basil, along with the dried thyme and parsley. Successful, and I'm glad I used the apple...it added a lot of character to the soup.
I may have strayed a bit from the original recipe based on what we had, but we had a winner for dinner tonight! I chose this because we have a huge jug of tomato juice leftover from Thanksgiving. Instead of fettucine, I used farfalle (bowties). I was nervous about all of the soups I was making tasting the same (again, all tomato juiuce-based), so to this one I added extra lemon juice - maybe 2-3 times as much - and frozen corn kernels. I could have added more dill, too. I also stirred in a teaspoon or so of paprika and of cumin. This was spicy and bright with lemon, and really good! My husband added a little parmesan to his second helping, but said that it made it taste too "mac and beef"-like, and he preferred it without the cheese topping. I agree!
We altered a lot about it after the first time making it, but we loved it even more! We used way more shrimp and added the breadcrumbs / parmesan / white wine right into the skillet while the garlic and shrimp and let it cook together. We also added all of the following: crushed red pepper, parsley, minced onion, and herbs de Provence. Then, after the eggplants were stuffed, I covered with shredded mozzarella. My husband adored eating the baked skins. A "clean plate" recipe!
Not the most attractive dish, I must say, but VERY comforting and yummy.
We made this several times with an abundance of garden cabbage. I made with four smaller boneless chops and heaped the cabbage on top. I cut the salt out completely and put in a bit more black pepper. I also added a little fennel and some caraway seeds...on a whim. That was a nice extra taste for us, too.
Thanks for a hearty meal we'll definitely eat again!
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