Easy Stew Recipes

Everyone loves a good stew. Every culture has their own version. They’re easy to make, although they take some time.

These are standard styles for Chicken, Beef, Lamb and Fish. Plus, as promised… Fesenjan. As always, add the ingredients that you like and omit the ones you don’t. It’s pretty hard to go wrong. 

 Ingredients

These delicious treats can go on top of any stew. Just skip the potatoes.

• 2 c flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 8 Tbsp butter at room temp
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 c milk

Instructions

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. We just do the whole thing by hand.
2. Add in sliced butter and milk.  And mix it in. Just squeeze it and squish the butter through your fingers with handfuls of the flour mix until it feels like dough.
3. Take spoonfuls and plop them on to the top of the stew.
4. Cover and simmer for about 10-12 min. The dumplings will blow up when they’re ready.

That’s it. Easy and Delicious

 Ingredients

• 2 lbs stewing beef (chuck-eye)
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 handful baby carrots
• 1 clove garlic
• 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2Tbsp flour
• 1/4-1/2 c red wine
• 2 c beef stock
• 1 Tbsp Demi glacé
• 2oz pancetta (optional)
• Parsley for garnish
• Serve on wide noodles or with dumplings or add potatoes

Instructions

1. If you are using pancetta, brown that first in a Dutch oven. When it looks crispy, remove the meat.
2. Toss the beef cubes in the flour and sear them in the fat.
3. Sauté the carrots and onions until soft.
4. Add garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Sauté for a minute or 2.
5. Add the wine and scrape the brown bits off the bottom.
6. Add stock and Demi glacé, beef and pancetta
7. Simmer for 2 hours
8. We like it thick. If you prefer more liquid, check the consistency at 90 min.
9. Remove the stems and bay leaf and serve

If you choose to add dumpling, follow the directions from the chicken stew recipe

Chestnuts are a great addition to beef stew.

 Ingredients

• 2lbs boneless lamb shoulder, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 parsnip, chopped
• 4 c water or stock
• 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 c chopped leeks

Options

• Bacon
• 2-3 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp light or dark brown sugar
• Thyme instead of rosemary
• 1 c white wine
• Bay leaf
• Garlic

Instructions

1. If you are using bacon, brown it first, then remove the bacon but leave the fat
2. If you are using flour, dust the meat with flour and brown it in the bacon fat. If not, just brown the plain meat. If you don’t use the bacon, brown it in butter or oil.
3. Add onion, carrots and parsnips. Sauté until soft. If you are adding garlic, add that now too
4. If you used flour, add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the crumbled bacon and sugar
6. Cover in water or stock and simmer for 2 hrs
7. Then add potatoes and simmer for 20 min more
8. Add leeks and rosemary or thyme and simmer until the potatoes are soft but still whole.
9. Remove the stems

Then serve

 Ingredients

• 1-3 cloves Garlic chopped
• 1 Onion  chopped
• 16 oz Crushed tomatoes
• 6 c water or fish stock
• Parsley or cilantro
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire
• Dash of cinnamon
• Dash of paprika
• 1 1-2 lbs cod fillet cut into bite sized pieces ( you can use any non- flakey fish, you just want one that can hold up to 30 min of simmering)
• Handful of uncooked pasta

Instructions

1. Sauté the onion and garlic
2. Add tomato, parsley or cilantro and water or stock
3. Boil 20 min
4. Add cinnamon ,Worcestershire, paprika and fish.
5. Simmer 10 min
6. Add handful of pasta and simmer until pasta is cooked. About 10 min.

Serve

 Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups walnuts, chopped to bits in a food processor
• 2 c pomegranate syrup
• 3-4 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Veg oil
• 2 c water

Instructions

1. Heat the ground nuts in a pan until they start to smell toasted. Be careful not to burn them
2. Add pomegranate syrup and 2 c water.
3. Simmer on low heat for about 40 min
4. While that’s cooking, sauté the onions until golden brown.
5. Add turmeric and stir.
6. Add chicken and sauté until the chicken is golden
7. Stir in cinnamon
8. Add the pomegranate, walnut mixture and simmer for about 2 hrs. Until it’s thick.
9. Add the sugar at the end
10. Fesenjan is usually served over basmati rice.

Don’t get too creative with the Fesenjan until you’ve tried it this way. With the other stews, let your taste buds be your guide. Okra is a perfect addition to fish stew. Spring vegetables are terrific with chicken. Try Brussel sprouts in your beef stew or some cabbage with your lamb.

Enjoy your stew