Classic Beef Stew
(Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com!)
You'll need (most amounts are flexible):
Beef round or stew meat (2-4 lbs.)
Flour (to coat beef)
Olive Oil
2 Onions, diced
1 6 oz. can Tomato Paste
1 c. dry red wine
4 c. Potatoes, cubed
2 c. Carrots, cut up
1 c. Frozen Peas (optional)
2-4 c. Beef Broth
Bay Leaf
1 t. Thyme
1 T. Kosher Salt
Prep veggies and trim beef. Make broth. Coat beef cubes in flour. Heat few T.'s oil over med-high heat in skillet. Brown meat. Transfer meat to dutch oven. Add onions to skillet, cook about 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomato paste, coat onions, transfer to dutch oven. Pour wine into skillet, scrape out brown bits and transfer wine to dutch oven. Stir in broth, salt, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook on stovetop on low for 2 1/2 hours (or in the oven at 325 degrees for 4 hours) and stir occasionally. Add 1-2 cups additional broth if necessary (I usually use 4 cups total). Add potatoes and carrots in last hour, add peas just before serving. (If freezing: skip peas, add when reheating. To reheat: thaw slowly and warm in saucepan over med-low heat.)
Serve HOT HOT HOT! with good, crusty bread.
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A Quick Version of Ina's French Apple Tart (pg. 191-2, Back to Basics): -Frozen puff pastry -About 4 medium apples -1/2 stick or 4 T. cold, cubed, unsalted butter -1/2 cup sugar -1/2 cup apricot jelly (orange marmalade works, too!) -2 T. rum or water Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour a sheet pan. Place one sheet of puff pastry, thawed, on sheet pan. Chill in fridge while you peel, core, and slice the apples. Keep slices thin. Layer sliced apples over pastry to fill entire sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and butter. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until browned. Rotate once and cut slits in pastry as it puffs up with air, as need be. Ina says, "Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine!" Heat rum and jelly, brush over pastry. Savor! |
