Beef Stew

I’m a lazy cheat when it comes to beef stew, not really starting from scratch, but using prepared mixes instead. Here’s my recipe for a dutch oven-ful of delicious beef stew (which tastes even better the next day, you should know).

I get a nice and fatty chuck roast with lots of marbling and connective tissue. Or, a big 7-bone roast is even better. As for the carrots and potatoes, I don’t peel them, but scrub them well under running water with a brush.

Ingredients

·         BEEF STEW MIX, Lawry’s, 2 packages

·         CHUCK (or 7-BONE) ROAST, 4-5 pounds cut into 1-2-inch cubes

·         CANOLA OIL, 2 tablespoons

·         FLOUR, ¼-cup for dredging

·         GARLIC SALT and PEPPER, freshly ground

·         BURGUNDY WINE, 1 cup

·         CARROTS, 3, cut into 1-inch pieces

·         POTATOES, 10-12 small red potatoes, scrubbed

·         ONIONS, 15-20 small white boiling, peeled

·         MUSHROOMS, 8 ounces, halved

·         DAIKON, 1 medium, cut into bite-sized chunks

·         CELERY, 2 stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces

·         GARLIC, 2 cloves, smashed

·         MIXED VEGETABLES, frozen, ¾ cup

Directions

1.       Dredge the meat in flour flavored with a little garlic salt and ground pepper.

2.       Brown the meat in the oil in a large dutch oven. Remove and set aside.

3.       Drain out the excess oil, then add in five cups of water and the wine.

4.       Add the meat back in, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for an hour or until the meat is tender.

5.       Add the vegetables, recover, and simmer for 1-2 hours.

6.       Heat the mixed vegetables and sprinkle on the stew for color.

7.       Serve over steamed rice with a side of pickled onions.

Tuna Melt

I’m almost embarrassed to post this. Almost, but not quite.

You know how to make a tuna sandwich, right? Open a can of tuna, drain it, add some mayonnaise and pickle relish, maybe some chopped onions, and voila! Tuna salad. Put it between two slices of bread and there you have it – a tuna sandwich.

Next time, try this: Butter a slice of sourdough bread, heat it up for a minute or so in a toaster oven, slather on the tuna salad mix, top with some slices of tomato and American cheese, then put it under the broiler.

Keep an eye on it and when the cheese starts to bubble, take it out.

You now have an open-faced tuna sandwich with melted cheese on top – a tuna melt. Enjoy!