The harvest season is upon us which means cold weather, seeming less time to get things done, and an overabundance of friends and relatives “stopping by.” The one thing we all have to do is eat, and usually feed all those that jump in and out of our homes during this hectic time. In order to help with this, I’ve put together a few easy, home-cooked meal recipes that are not only fitting for the cooler weather, but will definitely pack a punch to your taste buds.
Beef Stew with Red Wine
Most stew recipes call for an earthy beefy flavor with lots of vegetables. Although I don’t skew far from that, the wine and some of the other spices really kick this comfort meal into high gear. If you have a slow-cooker, it makes the job much easier. If not you can do it in a large pot, you just have to watch it. I recommend serving this with the wine you use to cook with and some crescent rolls.
Here’s what you need:
2 lbs. of stew meat
4-5 Red Potatoes (cut in 1” pieces)
4-5 carrots (sliced)
3 Pieces of celery (sliced)
1 can peas
1 can corn
1 sm. Container white mushrooms (sliced)
1 med. Onion (chopped)
2 cans beef gravy
¼ cup flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tbs. black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cups beef broth
2 cups of drinkable red wine
How to prepare:
–In a large bowl, combine the stew meat, flour, salt, and black pepper. Combine so the meat is somewhat evenly coated (the flour is used to thicken the gravy.)
–Place into pot (medium heat) or slow cooker (high heat). Add all of your liquids except the brown gravy and give a quick stir.
–If you are doing this recipe in a slow cooker, add in all other ingredients. For pot cooking, don’t add the brown gravy yet. If you are doing this recipe in a pot, keep the heat add medium, stirring every 15 minutes or so, for an hour. Then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for another hour or until the vegetables are tender. If you are doing it in a slow cooker, let it go for about 4 hours stirring a couple of times as you go.
–At this point, for the pot cooking, add the brown gravy and let it cook for an additional 15 minutes.
–Add salt and pepper to taste, serve, and enjoy!
Kielbasa with Roasted Veggies
As you will come to notice quite quickly, I am a fan of red potatoes. This recipe is no exception. Besides being very easy to make, this recipe is full of flavor. The sauerkraut is optional, but very much recommended. This is also a standalone dish, but feel free to serve whatever you want with it.
Here’s what you need:
4-5 pounds Kielbasa
1 bag of small red potatoes
2 large green bell peppers
2 large red bell peppers
2 pounds of sauerkraut
2 tbs. garlic powder
1 tbs. paprika
2 tbs. black pepper
Salt to taste
½ cup of Olive Oil
How to prepare:
–Chop potatoes into approx. 1 inch pieces. Slice all peppers into strips.
–Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take one large, or 2 small cookie sheets, and cover them in aluminum foil.
–Combine oil, and all spices. Toss potatoes with this mixture to coat. Place potatoes on cookie sheets reserving as much oil as possible for peppers. Put potatoes in oven for about 20 minutes.
–Toss peppers in the same mixture and place on top of the potatoes on the cookie sheets and return to oven until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and place into a large bowl.
–Put the kielbasa on a separate foil covered cookie sheet and place into the oven for approx. 10 minutes. Remove from oven and chop into ½” pieces. Combine kielbasa with potato/pepper mixture, and add in the sauerkraut. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and cook this mixture on the cookie sheets for 20 minutes.
–Remove, serve, and enjoy!
Apple Crisp
The perfect ending to any meal, or for breakfast … or whenever, to be honest!
Here’s what you need:
3 pounds tart apples
2 tbs. lemon juice
½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup sugar
4 tbs. cold butter
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
How to prepare:
–Peel, core, and chop the apples. Toss in a bowl with the lemon juice. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to the apples and toss to combine.
–In another bowl, combine flour, sugar and the oats. Cut butter into 8 smaller pieces and mix it into the flour with two forks until crumbly. You can also do this with your hands to save some time! Stir in the chopped nuts.
–Butter a 9” square baking dish. Spread the apple mixture into the bottom of the dish, and then sprinkle the flour mixture on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until the apples are tender and the topping is a little browned.
–Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. OM NOM NOM!!
Hopefully you will enjoy these few recipes and I look forward to sharing more with you in the future!
-Scott Merwede
Equal4all's World 
