Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Source: NY Times by Molly O'Neill

(Featured in: A Simmer Of Hope)
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Notes: This classic stick-to-your-ribs stew is the ideal project for a chilly weekend. Beef, onion, carrots, potatoes and red wine come together in cozy harmony. If you are feeding a crowd, good news: It doubles (or triples) beautifully.

Lisa add-ons: A nice splash of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, and half a bag of peas. 

Ingredients:

1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 pound beef stewing meat, trimmed and cut into inch cubes

5 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cup red wine

3 1⁄2 cups beef broth, homemade or low-sodium canned

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

Step 1

Combine the flour and pepper in a bowl, add the beef and toss to coat well.

Heat 3 teaspoons of the oil in a large pot.

Add the beef a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd.

Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch.

Add more oil as needed between batches.

Step 2

Remove the beef from the pot and add the vinegar and wine.

Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.

Add the beef, beef broth and bay leaves.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.

Step 3

Cover and cook, skimming broth from time to time, until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Add the onions and carrots and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more.

Add broth or water if the stew is dry.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle among 4 bowls and serve.

Step 4

Stir in "Lisa add-ons" to punch up the flavor!

Save leftovers because it tastes better tomorrow.

Then freeze the rest to have a meal next week.

Recipes to try!

01

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
https://www.oven.ly/recipes/salted-peanut-butter

02

Brussels Sprouts With Roasted Jalapeño Vinaigrette

By Chef Aarón Sánchez

Source: heard on NPR:

https://www.npr.org/2020/11/23/937201604/3-recipes-for-cooking-up-a-scaled-down-low-key-thanksgiving-meal

(scroll down)

Roasted Jalapeño Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 to 2 jalapeños

2 green onions

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup (200 ml) grapeseed or vegetable oil

¼ cup (60 ml) rice vinegar

1 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp agave nectar

1 cup (40 g) fresh cilantro

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your grill to medium-high or place a metal grate directly atop a gas burner on medium-high heat. Set the jalapeños and green onions over the flame and roast, turning occasionally, until they're soft and charred all over. When they're cool enough to handle, peel any papery char from the jalapeño, then remove its stem, seeds, and membranes.

Confit the garlic by covering the cloves with the oil in a small saucepan or skillet and gently warming over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until it's soft but hasn't built too much color. Remove the garlic when cooked and reserve the oil.

Chop the roasted jalapeños and green onions and puree in a blender with the confit garlic, rice vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, agave nectar and cilantro. With the blender still going, stream in the reserved garlic oil and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Use right away or store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Makes about 1½ cups (360 ml)

Good on anything, but really good on:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Squash

This dish comes from Johnny Sánchez, chef Aarón Sánchez's New Orleans restaurant. It features fried brussels sprouts, sweet butternut squash and tart pomegranate seeds dressed in a bracing roasted jalapeno vinaigrette. Feel free to roast the sprouts instead of frying them. And if all that peeling and dicing and chopping feels overwhelming, Sanchez understands. "I'm all about convenience," he says. "You know the chef's saying: 'work smarter, not harder.' " Buy the vegetables pre-chopped, and you'll save a lot of time.

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp dried Mexican oregano

¼ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground fennel

¼ tsp ground yellow mustard

¼ tsp sweet paprika

1/8 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp garlic powder

8 cups (about 790 g) Brussels sprouts

2 quarts (2 liters) canola or vegetable oil for frying

1 cup (120 ml) Roasted Jalapeño Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

½ cup (15 g) cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving

1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced

½ cup (60 g) crumbled cotija cheese

¼ cup (45 g) pomegranate seeds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with cooking parchment. Peel and seed the squash, then cut it into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Toss with the olive oil, salt, and all the spices, then spread on the sheet in a single layer. Roast until tender with lightly browned edges, 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, halve the Brussels sprouts and trim their tough outer leaves. (If you prefer to roast the Brussels sprouts instead of deep-frying them, see Note.) Pour the canola oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot and clip a thermometer to the side. Line a plate or wire rack with paper towels.

Bring the canola oil to 375°F (190°C) over medium-high heat and fry the sprouts in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per batch. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer them to the lined plate, season with salt, and continue with the rest.

Pour the vinaigrette into a large mixing bowl, then gently fold in the squash, Brussels sprouts, cilantro, and serrano pepper to coat. Scatter the cheese and a handful of pomegranate seeds over the top for serving.

Note: To roast the Brussels sprouts, line another baking sheet with cooking parchment and adjust the oven to 400°F (205°C). Prep the sprouts as described in Step 2, then toss them in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt, and roast until deeply golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

And?!?!?!!??

Lemonade!

Source: Real Simple Lemonade concentrate
15 minutes
5 cups of syrup is 16 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2.5 cups fresh lemon juice (about 15 lemons)
1.25 water

Make syrup:
01. Bring sugar and water to a boil.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat & let cool.
02. Combine sugar syrup and lemon juice in air tight container.
 *Can store in fridge up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 5 months

To serve:
Mix 1 part syrup with 1 part water.
Pour over ice.

Bagels

Source: Secrets of a Jewish Baker by George Greenstein

Notes: I have converted the recipe to grams for easy measuring with a scale.
The original measurements are the cups & teaspoons.

Ingredients:
475g (2 cups) warm water (100º to 108º)
5g (1/2 packet, 1.5 tsp) active dry yeast
42g (2 Tbsp) malt syrup (or maple syrup)
14g (1 Tbsp) Oil (Vegetable or Olive)
720G (6 cups to 8 cups) bread flour
17g (1Tbsp) salt
Plus:
Flour for dusting work top
Oil for greasing bowl
21g (1Tbsp) malt syrup (maple syrup) to add to boiling water


Directions:
In large bowl sprinkle the yeast over the warm water; stir to dissolve.
Let that sit for 5-10 minutes to proof.
While waiting measure out everything else.
When yeast is proofed add to that large bowl: Syrup & Oil (mix it together).
Then add: Flour & Salt.
Mix until a rough dough forms.

Turn out dough onto floured surface & knead for 12-15 minutes.
When smooth & elastic, roll into a ball and place in oiled bowl.
(Flip the dough around in that oiled bowl to cover it in oil too.)
Cover the bowl, find a warm safe little place and let it rest.
Let it double in size, about 1-2 hours.

When doubled, turn dough out of bowl and punch it down.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a little ball.
Then with a floured finger, poke a hole through the middle of the ball and form it into a bagel.
Feel free to stretch it and make the hole bigger than you want to end up with because it will puff up and grow, so you want to leave room for that.

Cover 2 baking sheets lightly with oil or parchment papeter.
Place 6 bagels per sheet, cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
(They should get puffy in that time.)

WHILE WAITING:

01. Start a large saucepan (4-quart) of water boiling.
Add in the 21g of syrup to the water, as it boils, so it dissolves.

02. Prepare toppings:
Fill a plate or small bowl with the toppings you want to use.
Sesame, Poppy, Onion flakes, Salt, your own version of everything?!? Have at it!
(note: soaking the onion flakes in water before, helps them from burning)

03. Pre-heat oven to 500º

04. (Optional) Place roasting pan in bottom of oven.
Boil tea kettle of water, that will be poured into roasting pan.
You will pour the boiling water into the very hot roasting pan, just before putting the bagels into the oven.
This is to make the oven steamy and give you a better crust on the bagels.



When bagels have rested and water is in full boil, drop bagels into the water.
You can drop in 3 or 4 at a time.
Let them float for 30 seconds per side.
Then use a slotted spoon, or skimmer to pull  them out and plop them into your toppings.
Then flip it over in the toppings, so both sides are covered.

Carefully lift them out and put them back on the baking sheets.
When baking sheets have been reloaded with now boiled and topped bagels, bake!

Baking time:
(pour the boiling water into the roasting pan just before putting in bagels (see above))
Total 20 minutes
After 10 minutes, take the bagels out and flip them over so the bottom is now the top.
Let them bake another 10 minutes, until they are all golden.

Let them cool (try hard to wait) for a full 30 minutes before eating.

Enjoy!