Happy New Year All!
It is cold here in New York, folks. Like really cold. You would be surprised how many people out here on the East Coast ask me, “It must get so cold in Idaho in the winter!” And I just look at them like they must be some special kind of crazy. Since moving out here, I’ve never experienced such intense weather patterns (i.e. hurricanes, heavy blizzards, vortex’s, bomb cyclones, etc.), so yes, it does get cold in Idaho, but it’s a different kind of cold out here. With that said, at least I don’t have to dig my car out of the snow, since I don’t have one!
This brings me to my next recipe, which is perfect for a cold, wintry evening. It’s my Tia Gorette’s beef stew. I hope you all enjoy and stay warm out there!
Yields: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons pepper
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound beef, cut into chunks
2 bay leaves
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
3/4 cup dry white or red wine
1/2 cup water, and add as needed
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, mix all the spices together and set aside.
2) In a large pot or Dutch Oven, lightly brown onion in olive oil for five minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, two minutes more. Add beef to the pot, and cook until meat is browned on all sides.
3) Add spice mixture and bay leaves to the meat, and stir until the spices are all well incorporated into one another. Add tomato sauce, wine, water and potatoes, and stir. Cover pot and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Lower temperature to 350°, and cook for an additional 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
The Five Marias 