Rustic Beef Stew

Perfect comfort on a snowy day.

1 lb beef stew meat or trimmed and diced beef rib meat
1/4 cup flour
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup of red wine - I like to use a California Pinot noir - nothing too pricy, it just needs to taste good
4 or 5 - 14 oz cans of beef stock or broth - See note
1 - 6 oz can of tomato paste
2 large yellow onions - diced
2 large carrots - diced
4 medium potatoes - diced
2 celery ribs diced
4 cloves of garlic - minced
1 tsp dry thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
8 oz of fresh sliced mushrooms
Salt & pepper to taste

*Toss beef and flour together in a large bowl until beef is coated. Heat a heavy large soup pot over medium heat with the oil in it. Add beef to pan and lightly season with salt and pepper. Brown meat on all sides. Deglaze pan using wine and 2 cans of beef stock. Be sure to scrape all of the flavorful brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 15 minutes to cook the alcohol flavor out of the wine. If this gets too thick you can add up to another can of stock a little at a time during this 15 minutes. Next, add another can of beef stock, the tomato paste, onion, carrots, potatoes, celery, garlic, thyme, bay and red pepper flakes. Bring to a low simmer and cook for one hour. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 30 minutes more. Remove the bay leaves. Serve.

~Note: have 5 cans of broth handy. I just add it a little at a time when it gets too thick for my taste. This is supposed to be a nice thick stew. Just make it as thick as you like it.

Serves 6-8

Spicy Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

If you like the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden, try this recipe I think it's pretty darn close.

6 links of hot Italian sausage - casings removed
1 small white onion - diced
4 cloves of garlic - minced
3 medium russet potatoes - scrubbed and quartered lengthwise, then sliced thin crosswise
3 - 14 oz cans of chicken broth
Kale - stems removed and shredded into thin ribbons about 2 cups
2 cups of 1 percent milk
Freshly grated Parmesan
Salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste

*Over medium heat in a large stock pot, cook sausage links while breaking up with a wooden spoon or spatula. When sausage is about half done add the onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent add the garlic and cook about a minute longer. De-glaze the sausage and onion mixture with the chicken broth. Be sure to scrape all of the nice brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes. Add kale and simmer for 10 minutes more. Add milk and heat thoroughly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. I like to add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes at the end because I like it spicy. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6