Menestra de porotos is an Ecuadorian bean stew, made with beans simmered in a sauce of onions, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, chili powder and cilantro or parsley.
Venison: it's what's for dinner. That's true, at least in Carolyn Waldron-Parr's kitchen. This soul-satisfying stew begins with a buttery onion roux that is then whisked to life with ladles of hot beef stock.
Three Mediterranean pantry staples—tapenade, hummus, and herbes de Provence—are used to make these individual appetizers that got high marks from the VT staff. Serve on a bed of greens dressed with balsamic vinaigrette, and follow with a vegetable-laced stew.
Who needs ice cream when you can have creamy cheesecake with a double dip of bananas. They're inside the cheesecake and also on top, along with pineapple and fresh berries.