Flakey

I think I just went into cardiac arrest. I looked at the forecast for this weekend and saw that it is supposed to SNOW. Snow….that is a swear word in my world. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a total grinch when it comes to snow…I love snow just as much as the next guy. Snow is great!….in the mountains, where I don’t have to shovel it. It is not so appealing in my driveway. ((Sigh)) I am sooooo not ready for winter. I want fall until 2 days before Christmas, then snow a bunch, then melt again 2 days after Christmas. Last year we had snow piled so high I couldn’t throw the snow high enough to land on them! The dang snowpiles were taller than me! But the worst thing was backing out of the drive…I couldn’t see over the piles so I was always afraid some car, or worse – a kid, would be in the road. Even though I was diligent about surveying the street before getting into the car, you never know who or what can come down the road while you’re getting belted in and beginning to back out. Scary. So with a little luck, we won’t get but a skiff. Good weekend to make some comfort food :0) Like the following beef stew recepie (please note that this needs to refrigerate overnight before cooking) that I got from Paula Deen’s show on the Food Network…enjoy!!


Parker's Beef Stew

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 24 hours
Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings


2 1/2 pounds good quality chuck beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 (750-ml bottle) good red wine
2 whole garlic cloves, smashed
3 bay leaves
2 cups all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Good olive oil
2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 pound white mushrooms, stems discarded and cut in 1/2
1 pound small potatoes, halved or quartered
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 cups or 1 (14 1/2-ounce can) chicken stock or broth
1 large (or 2 small) branch fresh rosemary
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

Place the beef in a bowl with red wine, garlic, and bay leaves. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade. In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Place the beef in a large oven-proof Dutch oven and continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. (If the beef is very lean, you'll need more oil.) Place all the beef in the Dutch oven.

Heat another 2 tablespoons of oil to the large pot and add the onions, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven over the beef. Add 2 1/2 cups of the reserved marinade to the empty pot and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 or 275 degrees F.

Before serving, stir in the frozen peas, season to taste, and serve hot.