Italian Beef Stew

Olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion 

1/2 cup chopped carrot 

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 pound stewing beef, trimmed and cut into cubes

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup dry red wine 

1 - 14 oz can diced Italian tomatoes

1 (8-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 - 14 oz can beef broth

1/2 cup water

1 T Italian seasoning

2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

3/4 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot 

2 tablespoons each chopped fresh basil and chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add onion and chopped carrot; sauté 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté for 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from pan.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Add half of beef to pan; sauté 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan and repeat with the remaining beef.

Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping up all the brown flavorful bits. Cook until reduced, about 5 minutes. Return meat and the onion mixture to pan. Add tomatoes, mushrooms broth, seasoning and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, and stir in sliced carrot. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour or until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. Before serving, discard bay leaf.

Fresh herbs can be sprinkled on top for serving.

Recipe adapted from one published by Cooking Light (2011)

A Grapefruit Duo

2 great recipes from one grapefruit!

Broiled Grapefruit

½  ruby red grapefruit

½  tsp pure cane sugar or brown sugar

Grapefruit Cooler

½ ruby red grapefruit, juiced

1 ½ oz quality gin, preferably Hendricks

Grapefruit flavored soda, such as Fresca or La Croix Pamplemousse 

To prepare the broiled grapefruit, line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil. In an oven, place a rack two levels from the top and set the broiler to high. Slice your grapefruit in half; for this recipe you’ll use the ½ that has the flattest bottom, so it won’t roll around on your pan. Using a sharp paring knife or grapefruit knife, slice each section of grapefruit . This will help you scoop out your grapefruit later. See below for a tutorial. Place the grapefruit on the pan and sprinkle with sugar. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes or until the top starts to char slightly. Let cool while you make your drink!

To prepare the grapefruit cooler, fill a small glass with ice. In a shaker filled with ice, add gin and grapefruit juice and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into the glass and top with grapefruit soda.

 Cutting a grapefruit:

(from Living Well Kitchen)

1. Start with a serrated knife

2. Cut the grapefruit in half horizontally

3. Put it in a bowl

4. If it’s not sitting up right by itself turn it over and slice a small piece of the bottom off to give it a flat surface to sit on

5. Now it sits up straight without wobbling

6. Using the serrated knife, cut around the edges of the grapefruit insides and the skin

7. Go around the entire diameter of the grapefruit

8. Now cut out each section of the grapefruit

9. Try to cut each piece on the inside part of each section – use the “lines” as guides and cut on the inside part of them for each section

10. Repeat with the entire grapefruit and you’re done!