Home-style Beef Stew

Are you guys watching Shark Week?

Don't act like you're not. We all watch it, because it's awesome. I'm obsessed with Shark Week and sharks. Sharks are amazing and powerful and still so mysterious.

If I were a little better at this blogging game, I would have made a Shark Week inspired meal this week. Or better yet, a shark inspired cocktail. My shark inspired cocktail would be called "Shark Bait BREW-haha" and it would have Landshark beer in it. HAHA GET IT?! Shark?! BREW?!

I shouldn't quit my day job.

What I did make this week was this yummy Home-style Beef Stew. The mornings and evenings are getting a lovely crispness to them here in New England, and I was craving a nice home-cooked, heart-warming meal.

I have had a bit of a crazy week, so I actually made this stew on SUNDAY and kept it stored in an airtight container in the fridge and cooked it up for dinner on TUESDAY. I have to say, the longer it stayed tucked away in the fridge, the more the flavors melded together and the more delicious this stew became.

The stew is a breeze to pull together. Start by chopping and dicing 1 medium yellow onion, 2 large carrots, 1 medium turnip, and 2 stalks of celery.

In a large stock pot, heat up some olive oil and butter over medium heat, then brown a bunch of stew meat on all sides until browned. Beautiful! Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same pot, juices and all, saute the onions and a big clove of minced garlic. Stir constantly so the garlic doesn't burn!

After some time has passed, you will want to add a dollop of tomato paste and a whole container of beef stock or broth (low sodium variety is best, so we control the salt, not the broth man). Return the beef to the pot as well.

Season the stew with a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, and pep-dawg. Boil it. Lower the heat. Cover the pot and walk away. I'm talking a whole hour and a half (stirring occasionally).

Scurry back to the kitchen an hour and a half later and plop the turnips, carrots, and celery into the pot. Actually, don't plop them in. The stew will be hot and a "plop" usually comes with a "splatter" and that might result in burns. I don't want you to get hurt. So, rather, gently add them in.

ACTION SHOT!

30 minutes later, and it's time to finish it off with some parsley. At this point the stew should be nice and thick and completely irresistible!

Serve over mashed potatoes, because this meal is built on the principle of comfort food (and nothing is more comforting than mashed potatoes).

French Onion Pasta

 

Why does everything become ten times better when you add bubbly, melted cheese on top?

I'm talking about French Onion Soup. Tender onions in a salty brown broth served in cute, rustic soup bowls with a generous layer of cheese melted on top. Oh boy, I need some now.

While this soup is usually an appetizer, this recipe will take everything we love about French Onion Soup and make it a hearty, comforting meal

This dinner is adapted from a post I saw on Pinterest a while back. I am such a sucker for recipes that take a traditional dish and put a new spin on it. See: Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese.

All the basic principles of French Onion Soup are built up in a delicious, thick sauce then poured over pasta and baked with mozzarella cheese on top. If your knees have gone weak at this point, I can understand.

If the flavor profiles weren't enough, this meal is so easy to put together and you most likely have a bunch of the ingredients laying around the kitchen.

We begin by caramelizing slices of onion in unsalted butter over medium-low heat. I added just a scant teaspoon of salt along with 1/2 teaspoon of honey to get the process going. Don't overdo the salt here because there are other salty elements joining the party.

For the perfect caramelized onion, see my how-to post!

While the onions are caramelizing, a small shallot and a glove of garlic are diced. Once the onions are browned and tender, add the shallots and garlic.

A full-bodied red wine deglazes the pan and helps pick up bits of onion on the bottom. I used a good Pinot Noir, but a Marsala is also an obvious choice.

Once some of the alcohol cooks out, mix in beef broth. Bring to a boil, stir in a packet of onion soup mix (try Lipton) then simmer on low until thickened.

A tablespoon or so of fresh parsley and cracked black pepper brightens up the sauce.

A touch of flour and a couple of tablespoons of milk make this sauce ready for the pasta.

Everything is transferred to a baking dish and gets topped with shredded mozzarella cheese. Then under the broiler it goes until perfectly melted and browned and crispy. YUM!

I am posting this as my first "Meatless Monday"--many thanks to my friend for the suggestion! If you would prefer to not use the beef broth, vegetable stock would also taste great with this dish.

The sweetness of the caramelized onions adds a great compliment to the salty onion soup mix. The wine gives the sauce body and richness, while the parsley adds freshness throughout. Melted mozzarella cheese is simply perfect. This is a real winner!