Beef Stew with Bacon & Vegetables

I’ve known for a few days that it was going to be cold today. And by cold, I don’t mean “Waaahhh, a coat ruins this outfit,” I mean “I am legitimately concerned for my extremities.”

As much as I complain about the cold, I can’t help but love the excuse to spend a day next to the stove. Yesterday, when the weather wasn’t so frostbitey, I planned in advance and bought the ingredients I needed to make a lovely slow-cooked beef stew.

This recipe makes a lot—and by “a lot,” I mean “Hey, East Coast, I’ve got enough for all of you!” Nah, just kidding—but this recipe definitely yields enough for 8-10 cold, hungry people! And it has plenty of healthy vegetables, which I think makes up for the fact that bacon fat is the key to the best flavor.


Beef Stew with Bacon & Vegetables

4-5 slices of thick-cut streaky bacon, sliced into ½” pieces
1.5 lbs. chuck steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, diced
3 leafy stalks celery, diced, leaves set aside
3-4 carrots, diced
3 juicy tomatoes, diced
2-3 c. dry red wine
1 32-oz. box organic low-sodium beef broth*
1-2 turnips, diced
3-4 red potatoes, diced
1 large bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves torn into pieces
1 t. dried thyme (or half the amount fresh)
1 t. crumbled dried sage leaves (or 3 fresh leaves, minced)
½ t. ground ginger
½ t. garlic powder
1 lb. green beans, sliced into 1-inch lengths
Smoked sea salt, to taste
Cracked black pepper, to taste


Before you even start chopping, make sure you have a huge pot (I used my 6.75 quart Le Creuset risotto pot). Otherwise, you’re screwed.

Just before adding the liquid

Once your pot is ready, add the bacon over medium heat and cook it until the fat is melted away and the meaty bits are cooked but not burnt. Then, add the beef chunks and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the beef chunks are mostly browned. Then, add the onion, carrots, and celery stalk (make sure to keep the leaves separate and set them aside—they will be added later). Cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened a bit.

Next, add the tomatoes (I added a few yellow cherry tomatoes, as you can see in the photo) and 1 cup of the wine. Turn the heat to high, and cook until the wine has reduced and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Now, add one more cup of wine and the beef broth, the turnips, potatoes, and kale, and the thyme, sage, ginger, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the kale is completely wilted, add the green beans. If it seems dry, add the remaining wine (if you don’t need to add it, you should probably drink it). Cook for about 5 minutes until the green beans are cooked, then add the smoked sea salt and the cracked pepper. Give it a few good stirs until it is well-blended, then serve piping hot. This dish will stick to your bones!


* If you use pre-made beef broth, make sure to use low-sodium, and preferably organic. Of course, if you have your own beef broth, even better!

Not the prettiest, but it's wicked good!

Chicken, Carrot, and Bok Choy Coconut Curry

This recipe came about when I wanted to use a bunch of fresh, young carrots that I picked up at the farmers’ market. It goes together quickly, uses easy-to-find ingredients, and it’s loaded with vitamins, minerals, and crunch. Depending on the chiles you use, this can be made hot or mild. Give this recipe a try when you have limited cooking time but want to create something healthy.


Chicken, Carrot, and Bok Choy Coconut Curry

1 T. coconut oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch young carrots, sliced into thin rounds
1-3 chiles, chopped*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz can coconut milk
1 T. freshly grated ginger
1 T. coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 t. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 t. coarsely ground black pepper
1 bunch bok choy, chopped
Sea salt to taste
Sesame oil

Heat the coconut oil over high heat in a large pan. Once it has melted, add the chicken pieces and begin to cook, stirring occasionally. When the chicken pieces are barely showing any pink, add the carrots and chiles. Keep stirring until no more pink shows in the chicken.

Next, add the coconut milk, ginger, coriander, cumin, and black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots have lost their crunch but are still firm.

Add the bok choy. Cover and cook until the green tops are barely wilted. Add sea salt to taste and blend, then serve over cooked rice with a drizzle of sesame oil.


* You can make this as mild or as hot as you prefer. If you like it mild, use chiles such as cubanelles or poblanos; if you prefer hot, use a cayenne, Serrano, or even a habanero or scotch bonnet.

Baked Haddock Fillets with Dill Pesto, Polenta Cakes, Oyster Mushrooms, and Roasted Carrots

Face it.  If it wasn't for the fact that I post photos on this blog, much of the food I cook would end up haphazardly mushed together in a bowl - all function, no form.  But sometimes, human beings are inclined to make the world a prettier place.  Much like the way we decorate our homes, create works of art, or put on makeup for special events, sometimes I like to take my everyday glasses-and-ponytail plates and turn them into prom queens. 


oyster mushrooms

In the recipe below, I've taken three very simple dishes - baked haddock, polenta, and baked carrots - and I've given them a special presentation with a bit of elegance.  Fresh dill is the glue that holds the recipe together.  Originally, I bought a large bunch of fresh dill for use in another recipe, but there was so much of it left that I needed to put the rest to use.  What better way than to transform it into a garlicky pesto?  The dill pesto's flavor complements each element of the dish, especially the oyster mushrooms, whose mild flavor and delightful texture add an earthy element that keeps this presentation grounded.  Try this recipe sometime when you're feeling artistic!




Dill Pesto

2 cups fresh dill (fronds only - discard the stems)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil*, plus more if necessary
pinch salt

Combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Blend until the mixture is consistent and creamy. 


* This is probably the only instance in which I will ever encourage you to NOT use an extra-virgin olive oil.  Oils labeled "pure olive oil" or simply "olive oil" will work best with this recipe; flavorful virgin olive oils will overpower the other flavors in this recipe. 


Polenta Cakes with Dill

1 cup instant polenta (I prefer Pastene brand)
5 cups water
2 t. salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 T. butter
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, bring the water, salt, and dill to a rolling boil.  Next, add the polenta in a steady stream, stirring quickly and constantly (this prevents lumps from forming).  Continue stirring, and once the polenta has thickened up considerably, add the butter and the pecorino.  Stir until they have melted into the polenta. 

Pour the polenta into a buttered 9x13 baking dish.  Set the polenta aside to cool for about 20 minutes, then using a round cookie cutter or the lip of a pint glass or tumbler, cut the polenta into round cakes.  Serve the extra polenta as leftovers. 


Baked Haddock Fillets with Dill Pesto, Polenta Cakes, Oyster Mushrooms, and Roasted Carrots

4 3-oz. haddock fillets
4 slices fresh lemon
4 T. butter
4 sprigs fresh dill
4 polenta cakes will dill (see recipe above)
4 very thin carrots with tops, tops trimmed to 1", halved lengthwise
1 bunch fresh oyster mushrooms, divided at base into 4 portions
1/4 c. dill pesto (see recipe above)
2 T. olive oil
splash lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350.  Place the haddock fillets skin-side down in a baking dish lined with foil (the foil doesn't aid the cooking, it just makes cleanup much easier).  On each fillet, place 1 T of butter and a sprig of dill, and top each with a slice of lemon.  Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. 

Once the fillets have baked for 10 minutes, add the carrots to the dish.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes.  In the meantime, place 4 polenta cakes in a separate baking dish.  Once the carrots have baked for 5 minutes, add the polenta cakes to the oven to warm them.  Bake for 5 more minutes, adding the oyster mushroom portions to the dish alongside the polenta rounds for the last two minutes of cooking. 

While the fish, polenta, carrots, and mushrooms are baking, thin the dill pesto with the olive oil and a splash of lemon juice. 

When you are ready to plate the recipe, spoon the thinned pesto into the center of each plate in equal proportions, reserving about a teaspoonful.  Place a polenta round in the center of the pesto.  Next to each polenta round, place one of the oyster mushroom portions, and finally, top the polenta cake with a fish fillet.  Use two of the carrot halves to border the polenta and fish.  Finally, dot the edge of the plate with the remaining pesto.  Serve with a chilled white wine.