The main difference between a beef stew and soup is the thickener. In stew flour and mashed potatoes are used to thicken it and also stews usually add tomato, not in this

Ingredients for this Recipe

Beef
• 1 ½ Lb. beef stew meat (I used chuck)
• 1 TBSP Olive oil

Mirepoix
• 1 small yellow onion (chopped in 1 inch chunks)
• 2 carrots – chopped
• 2 celery stalks – chopped
• 2 cloves garlic – minced

Broth/Stock
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth
• 1 cup dry white wine

Herbs
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• (or 1 TBSP of Herbs de le Ron)
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire

Vegies
• 1 Russet potato – chopped into squares
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 ½ cup fresh broccoli
• Napa Cabbage

Salt and pepper
1 TBSP brown sugar

Chopped beef in bite size squares. Season the beef with salt and pepper.

Brown Beef in olive oil

Remove beef and add the mirepoix and sauté. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.

Add the vegies and return the beef. Add the herbs, salt and pepper to taste, add the sugar. Mix.

Bring to a boil, simmer with the lid off 3 hours.

I have this tried-and-true dish I’ve made for a long time.

Sauté veggies, in this case equal sliced red onion, Napa cabbage, radicchio and spinach in olive oil for a couple of minutes, always add dry white wine, capers, shiitake mushrooms and a little chicken broth, use any kind of fish, always sliced lemon and serve over rice or in this case couscous. Steam until the fish is cooked.

It always works. I used Pollock filet here and sprinkled a dash of turmeric on top.

This recipe is many years in the making taking from several recipes of famous restaurants in New Orleans. I call it a New Orleans style b/c I deviate a little in certain places with the meat. The dish usually requires ham hock and salt pork, and with Cajuns maybe even Cajun tasso ham. Instead I use a pork shoulder and cut away as much fat as I can. I use Andouille sausage which has its own level of cayenne pepper so I don’t add anymore. This recipe has a bus load of flavor.

Traditionally, New Orleanians eat this dish pretty much every Monday. So typically it is made with the cheapest most flavorful pork meats or pork bones from leftovers but more meat such as sausage appear in it as a highlight. The center flavor starts with bell pepper, onion, and celery as do most Creole dishes like Gumbo and Jambalaya.

• 1 Lb. red beans soaked in water for 16 hours.
• 1 Lb. of pork shoulder (fat cut away) (cut into small pieces)
• 1 half stick of Andouille Sausage (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 1 Bottle of local brew (I used Potosi Ale Red Label, local in Wisconsin not far – 2 cups)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ green bell pepper chopped
• 1 celery stalk chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• ½ tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf cut in two
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire
• 3 cups chicken stock
• Extra chicken stock if needed as you cook

Add all ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a slight simmer 3 hours. Check every hour and adjust as you go. By the time it finishes cooking most of the liquid stock should have evaporated.  Cool, Refrigerate. Serve the next day.

For you Vegans: Instead of pork, make sure you add 3 TBSP olive oil or a garlic olive oil prep. (Heat olive oil and garlic together) Also, just use water and no stock. I wouldn’t use a veggie stock b/c the New Orleans affect is centered around the onion, green bell and celery. That trio is called a New Orleans Mirepoix or in the New Orleans colloquial a Trinity.

Also, New Orleans is pronounced NuWaLens, or NewOrLens, or NewOrlee-ins, not Nu Orleens. If you travel to San Francisco and call it Frisco, you will get corrected!  It’s San-Fran-cis-co.

This is nothing short of spectacular.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• Several fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup chopped green onions
• 4 tomatoes peeled and sliced
• 1 – 9” deep dish pie crust
• 1 garlic clove chopped
• 1 ¼ slice of black forest ham, browned on both sides and cut into pieces
• Salt pepper

Preheat oven to 350ᵒ

Mix cheeses and mayo with salt and pepper in a bowl

In the pie crust layer first the ham, garlic, green onions, tomatoes, basil and then the cheeses mixture.

Bake 30 minutes

Serve