Winter Comfort Food- Peasant Stew & Beer Bread

 Now that the holidays are over and all the rich foods that went with it and winter is still in full swing with its frosty temperatures, I am craving warm hearty comfort food.  Being a Kansas girl, I have learned many simple, but tasty recipes (also known as “rules”), that call for bacon grease, butter and heavy cream. Our “rules” are simple around here and coming together around the dinner table is what it’s all about for us. These two recipes are perfect for a cold, windy winter’s day and will bring instant comfort to those you serve them to.

 

Peasant Beef Stew

Prep Time: 25 Min           Cook Time: 1 hour 45 min             Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. bottom round roast, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1-3/4 cups low sodium beef broth
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 (16 oz.) package frozen pearl onions
• 1 (10 oz.) package of white button mushrooms
• 1 lb baby carrots
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Toss beef and flour in a medium blow until coated evenly. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium to high heat. Add the beef and turn occasionally until a nice brown crust forms. You can do this in batches if you need to, you don’t want to crowd the pan. Transfer beef to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Add beef broth, red wine, pearl onions, mushrooms, carrots, tomato paste, garlic, thyme and bay leaf, then salt and pepper all items.  Make sure you scrape up the brown beef bits from the bottom of the pan. That’s where the flavor lies. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, then check to see if the vegetables are tender. If they are not fork tender, cook for up to 30 minutes more.  When the stew is finished serve in a soup bowl and garnish with fresh parsley with a slice of Beer Bread.

Beer Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 can of beer

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl; make sure to pour the beer in slowly while you stir. Spray a bread pan with cooking spray and then pour ingredients in. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

 

I hope you find these recipes to be as comforting as we do. If you have a Winter Comfort Food recipe that you would like to share, please email me at meadowlarkprairie@gmail.com