Common Cuisine |

Here’s a hearty old-fashioned fall stew recipe, just like grandma used to make. I made this for my family and they loved it! I pureed the cooked vegetables and added them back into the broth for added nutritional value. Also had to add more water because the broth got really thick after the puree was added. But the taste was heavenly! Oh, I also added a fistful of fresh thyme to the seasoned cooking water, which I think made this dish taste restaurant-special.

• 1 whole chicken
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• ½ cup milk

Place chicken in large stock pot and fill with water to cover. Season water with poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, onions, carrots and celery. Bring to a simmer, and cook on the stovetop for 2 to 3 hours until tender. Cool chicken, remove from bone and set aside. Strain broth, if desired. Return deboned chicken to broth.

For dumplings, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening. Add milk to make a stiff dough. Roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares, 1 to ½ inch strips, or diamonds. Sprinkle lightly with flour.

Bring chicken and broth to a boil. Drop dumplings into broth, cover and simmer about 8 to 10 mnutes. Adjust seasonings.

Serves 8.

• 2 ½ to 4 lb chuck roast, cut into 1″ squares
• 1 pkt dry brown gravy mix
• 4 potatoes, cut into chunks
• 6 carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, cut into thick slivers
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup water

Place meat pieces in slow cooker. Sprinkle gravy powder over meat and stir.

Add vegetables to pot. Stir gently.

Mix water and wine. Pour over contents of pot.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Serves 4 to 6.

• 1 lg butternut squash
• 1 med onion
• 3 med apples
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 5 cups broth
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup milk

Place whole squash in the microwave for 8 minutes.

Peel and cut squash in cubes. Place all ingredients (except milk) in a soup pot and cook for 45 minutes or longer. Adjust seasonings.

Stir in milk and ladle into bowls.

Serves 10.

Here is about the easiest way I’ve ever seen to make French Dip. It’s very tasty, too! You can also thicken the sauce with cornstarch and call it Roast Beef with Gravy. Serve with the kind of refrigerator biscuits that peel into thin layers.

• 2.5 to 4 pound chuck roast
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 can beef consomme
• 1 can french onion soup

Simply put the roast into your slow cooker, pour the three cans of soup over, cover and cook for 8 hours on low. The longer you cook it the more tender it becomes.

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 med onion, finely chopped
• 3 cups chicken, beef or vegetable broth
• 1 (32 oz) can pumpkin
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
• 1 (14½ oz) can ready cut tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup cream
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

In soup pot, saute onions in oil 5 minutes. Add broth, pumpkin, black beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and stir in cream, curry, cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Simmer 5 minutes; adjust seasonings and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.