Beef Stew With Cheesy Croutons Food

CHEESE GARLIC CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Put bread cubes in a large bowl; drizzle with melted butter. Toss to evenly coat. Spread onto a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until croutons are crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Mix Parmesan, salt, paprika, and garlic powder into a bowl; sprinkle over croutons. Toss to coat.

TUSCAN BEEF STEW WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Make stew
• In heavy, large saucepan over moderately high heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add beef and sauté, stirring occasionally, until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add wine and thyme, stir well, and bring to boil. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper, then lower heat to moderately low, cover, and simmer, stirring every 15 minutes, until beef is tender, about 2 hours.
• While beef is simmering, make polenta
• Pour olive oil into large serving bowl and swirl to coat. Set aside.
• In heavy, large pot over moderately high heat, bring stock to boil. Lower heat to moderate and slowly add polenta, stirring constantly. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until polenta thickens and pulls away from sides of pan, about 10 minutes. Transfer to oil-coated serving bowl and keep warm.
• Serve
• When beef is tender, use tongs to remove tomato skins (if desired) and thyme sprigs. Transfer stew to large serving bowl. Serve polenta alongside.

CLASSIC BEEF STEW

Steps:

• In an oven-safe Dutch oven, brown beef in batches in oil; drain. Return all meat to the pan. Add onions, tomatoes, broth, tapioca, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. , Cover stew and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Stir in carrots, potatoes and celery. Bake, covered, 1 hour longer or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.

BEANY BEEF CHILLI STEW WITH CRUNCHY TORTILLA CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Tip in enough beef to cover the base of the pan in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Brown the beef on each side, turning until it has a deep brown crust all over - this will give the stew a deep, beefy flavour. Remove to a plate using a slotted spoon and continue cooking until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same pan, then tip in the onions, reduce the heat to low-medium and sizzle for 8-10 mins until soft, stirring and scraping the base of the pan to lift any browned bits.
• Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and tomato purée. Stir for 1-2 mins until the spices are sizzling and aromatic, then tip in the chopped tomatoes and chipotle paste, if using, and crumble in the stock cubes. Return the beef to the pan with any resting juices, pour in 1.2 litres water, season and bring to a simmer.
• Once bubbling, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hr 45 mins, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, tip the lentils into a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak. Drain, then add to the stew, cover again and continue to cook for 45 mins more, or until the beef and lentils are tender.
• Tip in all the beans, return to a simmer and bubble for 5 mins until the beans are warmed through. If your stew is soupy and you prefer it thicker, boil, uncovered, for a few minutes more until reduced to your liking. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or chipotle paste, if you like; it may also need some sugar depending on the tomatoes you've used (add up to 2 tsp). Will keep chilled for two days or frozen for two months. Leave to cool completely first.
• If making the tortilla croutons, cut the wraps into small triangles and heat enough oil to cover the base of a deep frying pan. Fry over a medium heat for 2-3 mins, tossing in the pan until crisp. Or, simply crumble tortilla chips to make a quick, crunchy topping.
• Serve the stew in bowls topped with your choice of feta, soured cream or yogurt, coriander, avocado and sliced chilli, lime wedges on the side for squeezing over and the tortilla croutons. Grind over some black pepper, if you like, before serving.