Beef Stew Mash Up

Here's an old favorite that I like to make in the fall.  It's basically beef stew but instead of putting chunks of potatoes in the stew, you serve it over bread and mashed potatoes.  Try it - it's delicious!

Beef Stew

2 lbs chuck roast (or other stew meat)

1/2 tsp thyme, plus more for later

1/2 tsp oregano, plus more for later

1/2 tsp basil, plus more for later

1/2 tsp salt, plus more for later

1/2 tsp pepper, plus more for later

1/2 cup flour

2-4 Tbs oil

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 Tbs Better than Bouillon

2-3 cups stock

2-3 carrots, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

Cut meat into bitesize pieces, about 1"x1" cubes. Sprinkled cubed meat with 1/2 tsp each thyme, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.  Dredge seasoned meat in flour to thoroughly coat.  

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Drop meat into hot oil in batches, don't crowd the pan.  Let meat brown on one side and flip to brown the other side but don't cook the meat all the way through.   Remove browned meat to a bowl and continue to cook all meat, adding more oil as needed. 

Reserve 2 Tbs oil in the dutch oven, adding more if needed, and cook the onion, carrot, celery and garlic for about 5 min, or until onion is tender being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the browned meat, bay leaves, bouillon and stock to cover meat.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered for 1 1/2 hours.  Add carrots and 1/2 tsp each thyme, oregano, basil, salt and pepper and cook 30 min.  Add frozen peas and cook 15 min or until carrots are fork tender. 

To serve, butter a piece of white bread and put it in the bottom of the bowl.  Top bread with mashed potatoes and then cover with stew.  Enjoy!

Mashed Potatoes

3-4 potatoes

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

Peel potatoes and cut into uniform chunks.  Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water, add 1 Tbs salt and boil for 15 minutes.  When potatoes are fork tender, drain and return to the hot pan.  Add butter and milk and mash potatoes with a potato masher or with a hand mixer.

Better Than Takeout

I love Yan-Kit's Classic Chinese Cookbook. Although there are many recipes that have hard-to-find ingredients, I have culled the book and found my favorites that are fairly simple and always delicious.  Here's one of my favorites.

PHOTO COMING SOON

Hoisin Chicken 

1 lb. boneless and skinless chicken breasts

6 Tbs peanut oil

6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

5 scallions, sliced in 1 inch sections, white and green parts separated

1 1/2 Tbs medium-dry sherry

3 Tbs hoisin sauce

2 oz. roasted cashew nuts

Marinade:

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp sherry

1 tsp cornstarch

1 egg white, lightly beaten

2 tsp sesame oil

1.  Dice chicken into 1 inch cubes and put into bowl.

2.  Prepare marinade - Add salt, pepper and sherry to the chicken.  Sprinkle with cornstarch and stir in the egg white to coat. Let marinate 15-30 minutes.  Blend in the sesame oil.

3.  Heat wok over high heat.  Pour in 5 Tbs oil.  Add 2/3 of the garlic and the white scallions.  Stir with spatula a few times and then add chicken.  Toss and turn 2 minutes, lowering heat so chicken doesn't burn.  Splash in the sherry and when sizzling dies down, transfer slightly undercooked chicken to a clean bowl.

4.  Increase heat and add remaining 1 Tbs oil.  Add remaining garlic and as it sizzles, add hoisin sauce and stir.  Return chicken to wok and stir until just cooked.  Mix in the cashew nuts and green scallions.