Beef, Quinoa, and Root Vegetable Stew.
I hope that winter has been kicked to the curb but here is one last hearty recipe as my farewell to my least favourite season. I like winter at Christmas but when that is over it wears out its welcome in a hurry.
As part of the swag for the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference, we received a 3 quart Dutch Oven, a Braiser and a Chicken Leg griller. As part of this, the attendees can review the products we received and by doing so we are entered in a draw to win a Grand Prize of lots of other Nordic Ware products.
I love my cast iron enamelled pots and I will continue to use them but these Nordic Ware pots are a nice addition to my kitchen armoury. I have only used the 3 quart Dutch Oven so far and I have mixed feelings about it. As part of my review I will give a short list of pros and cons and let you decide. Like I said though, I do like it but there are a couple things about the pot that I don’t like.
Pros:
- Very light-weight which was a nice contrast to the cast iron pots
- I love the look of these pots, very stylish but with a classic aesthetic
- Lovely, even heat
Cons:
- I wish it didn’t have a non-stick coating. If it happens to get scratched and starts to come off then I will have to throw the pot out since non-stick coatings are not healthy once they break down. I like the ceramic enamel on my cast iron pots.
- When the lid was on and the stew was cooking, the steam escaped in little spatters and made a big mess on my stovetop. This is something that does not happen with my cast iron pots. This was the biggest disappointment when using the pot.
I will continue to happily use the Nordic Ware pots but I do find the splatter quite annoying. Cooking is messy though, so I will get over it. Would I have bought the pot knowing about the cons I’ve listed? I honestly don’t know. The weight, even cooking heat and aesthetics of the pot are very attractive. I leave it to you, gentle reader, to decide.
Yields 4
A hearty beef stew with root vegetables and quinoa.
30 minPrep Time
2 hr, 30 Cook Time
3 hrTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/2 lb stewing beef (about 1" cubes)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 1/2 cup beef stock
- 1/2 cup tomato puree
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled and cubed
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 1 small celeriac, peeled and cubed
- 1/3 cup quinoa (less if you want the stew looser)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Herbe de Provence
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a 3 quart Dutch Oven.
- Sprinkle the stewing beef with some salt and pepper and brown the beef in batches in the Dutch Oven and set the browned beef aside on a plate.
- When the beef is browned, add the onion and garlic and cook until it is softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the red wine and cook it down for 1-2 minutes.
- Return the beef back to the pot, add the Herbes de Provence and some more salt and pepper.
- Add the beef stock, tomato puree, cubed parsnip, cubed sweet potato and cubed celeriac.
- Reduce the heat to low and put the lid on the pot and let it simmer for 2 hours or until beef is fork tender. Stir several times during the cooking and check the seasoning for salt and pepper. Add some if you feel it is necessary.
- When the beef is fork tender, add the quinoa and put the lid back on for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley
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