My “Ultimate” Beef Stew

There is nothing more satisfying during winter weather than a wonderful pot of stew simmering on the stove to give you that good feeling of “home.”  After researching, I found that Chuck roast provides the very best flavor for stew, so that is the meat of choice for this meal.  The long, slow cooking enhances the natural flavors, and the well-marbled texture of the meat provides the flavor that is needed.  This is the first time I have “concocted” a recipe such as this.  Planned out the method and decided what the result would be.  I have to say it was a resounding success, and this stew surpassed my expectations; it is excellent.

Ingredients for meat:

1 Chuck Roast, 2-3 lb.

EVOO (Extra-Virgin Olive Oil)

Salt, Pepper to taste

Johnny’s Seasoning

Water

Vegetables:

1 large onion, cut in wedges

Garlic powder

1 C. baby Carrots, cleaned, sliced diagonally

1 C. Celery, cleaned and sliced diagonally

3 Tbsp. butter.

5 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut in fairly small chunks

Salt, Pepper to taste

Water

2 cans Beef Broth

Directions:

Rinse and pat roast dry.  Season with salt, pepper and Johnny’s Seasoning, rubbing into roast while you heat a large pot on the range top .  Add EVOO to pot and then the roast, browning evenly on all sides.  When brown add about 6 oz. of water to pot, reduce heat to simmer, and cover pot.  Continue to simmer, reducing almost all liquid each time before adding more.  It is when the liquid is almost gone, and the juices caramelize, that the deep, rich flavor you’ll want later, is produced.  I generally “cock” the cover after half an hour or so and watch carefully for the liquid to reduce.  Just prior to it going dry, and burning, I add more water, and then cover tightly for remaining time, having assured rich flavor.   Simmer for two to three hours, until roast is tender and meat is falling apart.

During the last hour that the roast is cooking, prepare vegetables.  Melt butter in a slightly smaller pot,  add onions, garlic, celery and carrots to sauté over medium heat until onions are translucent.  Add potatoes and water to cover the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper and simmer uncovered until potatoes and carrots are fork tender.  I have to say that this produces a very rich and flavorful vegetable broth.

With a large slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to pot with roast, reserving vegetable broth.  Add 1-2/3 cans beef broth to stewpot (reserving 1/3 can of broth), and as much of the vegetable broth as is necessary to cover the vegetables well.  Increase heat to medium. Bring stew to a boil, then reduce heat again and simmer for a bit to meld the flavors.

Mix 4-6 tbsp. Flour with reserved broth, and additional water if necessary) in jar (or other container with tight-fitting lid), cover and shake well.  Add thickening to stew pot slowly, stirring constantly to mix thickening in well, and continue to stir gently until a boil is reached.  Reduce heat back to a simmer, and cook together for about five minutes to blend flavors.  Taste to adjust seasonings.  Your ultimate stew is ready, and by this time, you are probably more than ready, too, as the fragrance from this stew is absolutely mouth-watering near the end.  I am writing this at the end of the day I prepared this for the first time, and I am looking forward to tomorrow.  I know my stew is going to taste even better then, and I plan to take a tangy sourdough baguette out of the freezer.  Yum!

Corn Chowder
You know what’s really nice about chowders?  They all have potatoes and celery and onions… Yum!
Ingredients:
½ C. Chopped salt pork
1 medium onion, chopped
½ C. Celery, chopped
2 C. Raw, peeled, (1/2 inch cubed) potatoes
2 C. Water
½ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Paprika
3 tbsp flour
½ C. milk
1 ½ C. hot milk
2 C. Corn, removed from cob
Directions:
Sauté salt pork slowly – do not burn. Add and sauté the onion and celery until brown.  Add potatoes, 2 C. water, salt, paprika, and simmer until potatoes are tender.  Combine, stir in slowly and bring to the boiling point the flour and ½ C. milk.  Add the hot milk and corn and heat, but do not boil the soup.  Serve immediately.

Cream of Broccoli Soup
This is really yummy soup, one of my favorites!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
½ C. celery, sliced small
2 tbsp. flour
¼ tsp. Salt, or to taste
Dash pepper
3 C potatoes
1 ½ C chicken broth
3 C fresh broccoli, cooked
1 tsp fresh thyme, snipped
1 tsp fresh flat leaf parsley, snipped
1 C milk or, a mix of milk and cream, plus?
Directions:
Clean and prepare broccoli; process with ¾ cup of the broth in food processor or blender for a minute or so. Set aside. In medium saucepan cook potatoes until fork tender, set aside. In soup pot melt butter and sauté onion and celery until onion translucent.  Stir in flour, seasonings, salt and pepper.    Add milk/cream all at once and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly.  Cook 1 minute more.  Add potatoes, broccoli mixture, remaining broth (if necessary, add additional milk at this time, and heat soup thoroughly.  Check for seasonings again, and add as needed.

Healthy nourishment for the Body,

A Delight for the Senses,

Food for the Soul. 

Make a pot of soup or stew today!

My Grandmother’s Simple Potato Soup
Yummy and Delicious!  This is my “comfort” food and never fails to bring my grandmother to life again for me.  She used to bring me this when I was sick, even after I was married and had kids, and she’d tuck me into bed and "fuss" over me.  It was wonderful…
Ingredients:
4 Russet potatoes, cut into half-inch cubes
1 small onion, diced
Water
Whole Milk
2 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cut up potatoes and onions, rinse well and place into large saucepan.  Add water until you can just see it through the potatoes, and then add milk until it covers them well.  Place butter on top and season well with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil slowly, watching it carefully to make sure it doesn’t boil over.  Lower heat immediately when it starts to boil, and simmer until potatoes are done.  With the back of a spoon or a potato masher, mash some of the potatoes to thicken, but not all of them.  Let simmer another couple of minutes and then remove from heat.  Serve hot.  Serves 4.

My Minestrone Soup
I like Minestrone, and have been looking for a recipe so I could make some, homemade.  What I have found is that there are as many kinds of minestrone as there are recipes.  In other words, every single one is different, and I have not been too impressed by what I’ve seen.  I’ve decided to create my own, so here we go.  Later - this soup turned out great!  Now, when you make it, you can customize just for you, too.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 ½ C celery, sliced thickly
1 C carrots, sliced 1/8” thick
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 good-sized potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes
Salt, pepper
1 C. fresh green beans
Two cans Chicken broth
1 can tomatoes, 14 ½ oz.
Water
2 tbsp fresh flat-leafed parsley
2 tbsp fresh basil
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 C. pasta, small shells
1 C. pasta, penne
Directions:
Melt butter in soup pot, sauté carrots, onion, celery and garlic.  Add potatoes, chicken broth, parsley, basil and water to cover.  Bring just to boil, reduce to simmer and cook until vegetables are done.  Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, pasta and beans, and simmer until penne pasta is al dente.  Check seasonings again, and serve.  Do not overcook, as pasta will become too soft. 
I prefer my minestrone without meat, as a luncheon dish.  Cooked chicken (diced) can be added, or beef broth can be substituted, and cooked beef, diced, can be added.  In fact, I have seen recipes where there are more beans, more veggies (or less), and just about anything you like.  I saw one recipe that was all green.  All ingredients were either colorless or green, and they added pesto to it when done.  Suit your own taste.

Yvonne’s Quick Split Pea Soup
Yvonne was my best friend in high school, but she moved to Yucaipa in our Junior year.  We remained in contact until after school, but then I lost her, and thought it would be forever.  This last year, Doris Thorson (a mutual friend) tracked us both down on the Internet, so we are all still catching up with one another.  Yvonne has been in Kansas for many years, the home state of her husband.
Ingredients:
1 C Onions
1/8 tsp Red Pepper flakes (I use the ones in the Pizza Hut pkgs.)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sauté this in ½ tbsp. olive oil
Add:
l C Dried Split Peas (washed)
Garlic to taste
1 Bay leaf
4 C Chicken Broth (I use one can, with water added to make 4 c)
Then:
Simmer for 45 minutes.  Remove bay leaf and add 1/2 C milk.  Blend in blender and reheat, but do not boil.

Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs:
1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground pork
Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound curly endive, coarsely chopped (1 pound of escarole would be a good substitution)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions for meatballs: Stir first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons each, shape meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

Directions for soup: Bring broth to a boil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and curly endive and simmer until meatballs are cooked through and the curly endive is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk eggs and cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Stir soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle egg mixture into moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.  Ladle soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with parmesan cheese sprinkled atop.  I think this recipe came from Giada de Laurentiis of Food Network’s Everyday Italian TV show.
 

Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14-1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 pound lentils (approx. 1-1/4 C)
11 C. low-salt chicken broth
4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
2/3 C. dried elbow pasta
1 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions:

Heat oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Add garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until juices evaporate a little and  tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add lentils and mix to coat. Add broth and stir. Add thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to simmer over low heat until lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.  Stir in pasta. Simmer until pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Sausage and Potato Soup
Jim and I really like this soup, and the making of it is still evolving as we work to get the seasonings just as we like them.  Different sausages with varying tastes can be used to provide additional flavor, spiciness, and richness.  A very good soup!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 C. chopped onions
1 C. chopped celery
1 C. sliced carrots

1 med. tomato, chopped
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed and cut into 1/2" pieces
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 pounds white potatoes, peeled and diced
1 qt. chicken stock
Salt and black pepper

paprika to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 - 1 C. half and half

Directions:

In a large pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add onions, celery and carrots and sauté for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add sausage and continue to sauté for 2 minutes more. Stir in garlic and herbs. Add potatoes, tomato and stock (additional stock or water can be added to cover all). Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer soup for 30 minutes. Add chopped parsley and season the soup with salt, pepper and paprika.  Note: if using purchased stock or broth, be sure to taste before seasoning, as many of these can be quite salty.