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One of my New Year's resolutions is to use more of the food stored in my pantry. My shelves are overflowing with packages of grains, heirloom beans, dried pasta, sauces, jams, mustards, sardines, cans of tomatoes and more. My goal is to cook with something that is languishing in the pantry, or my equally stuffed-to-capacity freezer, every single day. Yesterday I chose some Christmas lima beans to transform into a vegetarian main dish. Eat less meat and more vegetarian food! That is yet another New Year's resolution.

Christmas lima beans are sometimes called chestnut lima beans. When uncooked they are beautifully speckled like a calico horse, and when cooked they are more uniformly brown like chestnuts. But they really don't taste like chestnuts, despite what you may have heard. They have a texture a bit like russet potatoes and a mild earthy flavor, but none of the characteristic sweetness or dry crumbly texture of chestnuts.

These are the perfect beans to put in a stew. Not only are they large and "meaty," but the liquid they cook in becomes a rich, brown gravy when reduced. I combined the beans with silky sauteed onions and chunks of sweet squash to make a satisfying meatless main dish. It's a mild but hearty dish and the toppings jazz it up considerably.

Lima Bean & Butternut Squash Stew

Serves 4 to 6

2 cups Christmas lima beans

4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, sliced into thin half moons

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