Beef Stew and Focaccia Corn Bread

Beef Stew
beef stewing meat, trimmed of fat
potatoes, cubed skins on
carrots, cubed
turnip, cubed
parsnips, cubed
onions, chopped
frozen peas
bay leaf
pot herbs
1 cup of water
2 tbs. flour
2 tsp. or more of beef bullion
oil for frying if the meat is lean.

I like to make my stew in a cast iron frying pan. I brown the beef and add the onions, then add the veggies. I take a large glass and add around 2 tbs. of flour, along with the beef bullion, and then I fill the glass with water. Pour the mixture into the pan with the beef then add the veggies. Add the bay leaf and allow the stew to simmer until the gravy has thickened. Then add the pot herbs and frozen peas lastly.


Focaccia Corn Bread

Add focaccia bread spices to your favorite corn bread recipe, you won't be disappointed. Here's my recipe that I got from a Better Homes and Gardens bread cookbook. I picked the cook book up at a yard sale several years ago, when we first moved into our house.

1 cup of flour
1 cup of yellow corn meal
1/4 cup of sugar
4 tsp. of baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt (reduce if you like, the focaccia spices with add flavor, you won't miss the salt)
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of oil or shortening (I use olive oil or canola oil)
focaccia bread spices (around 1 to 1 1/2 tbs. is my best guess.)

Stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, bp, and salt. Add eggs, milk, focaccia bread spices, and oil. Beat just until smooth. Turn into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake at 425 F for 20 to 25 minutes. Tip: if you have time, I would suggest adding the bread spices to the oil for a while prior to mixing all of the ingredients together. It softens the spices and your bread will be more moist.