What a mouthful!  OK that was a stupid bad pun...

Potato Celeriac Mash... sounds so pretentious too.  So unlike me... I think... well, there's some food for thought.
Lately, we've been doing our best to limit our meat intake and are doing well with it I think.  There are entire weeks that can go by without us downing some kinda meat for our main meal.  That makes me proud.  Truth be told I'm a veggie deep down but let's keep it a secret for now.  I don't think that D, kid #1 or kid #2 would be terribly happy if I announced that we were becoming a 100% veggie household.


So that will be my own little pipe dream for now.  However, I can seem to talk the carnivores in my house off the ledge when we have long stints without big hunks of anything red (or pink).  I will gladly acknowledge that they've done very well...
So, with some stewing beef from Cumbrae's needing to be saved from freezer death, I decided that it was time to make some beef stew.  It's hearty, stick to your bones kind of winter fare.  The only thing that would have made this meal better would have been fresh bread.  I would love to have obliged but for God's sake, it's a weeknight people!  I just haven't mastered enough space in my brain to execute bread making along with all the other crap that goes on during my work day.
Bread crisis averted though.  I got some celeriac in the food box this week.  I know... CELERIAC.  Trust me, a year ago I didn't know what it was either.  I ended up though, making some potato and celeriac mash (think cheesy mashed potato's)


and it was just as good as fresh bread and more nutritious at the end of the day.  It feels posh too.  I had visions of the restaurant order I would place using '... celeriac and heirloom potato mash'.  You know, it just sounds right, rolls off the tongue kinda.  Plus, it's super good for you and it's beautifully seasonal.  As a side bonus, I got through my food box veggies a little more quickly too.  I love that feeling.  The food box comes in and I'm already cooking through it 2 hrs later.  As little waste as possible.  Great!


Wanda's Beef Stew
serves 6 - 8

2 lb of stewing beef, cut into bite sized pieces
2 small or 1 med onion cut into chunks
2 lg or 3 med carrots cut into chunks
2 lg ribs of celery sliced thick
7 or 8 brussel sprouts cut in half (I had these on hand and they needed to be used)
2 med potatoes cut into chunks
15 (or so) button mushrooms halved
4 lg cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 - 3/4 cup red wine
2 beef bouillion cubes (low salt)
3 - 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water reserved
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup ketchup
3 tsp salt
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp marjoram
dash of cinnamon and cumin (just a dash)
4 tbsp muscovado sugar or honey
pepper sauce (to taste ;-)

In a large dutch oven heat some oil until over medium'ish' heat.  Add in the stewing beef and swish around until the pieces are looking well browned (let's say about 7 min).  Add in the onion, carrot, celery, brussel sprouts, potatoes and mushrooms.  Swish all this stuff around for another 7 - 10 min.  If the heat is too high then turn things down to med/low.
Add in the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.


Add in the red wine, and Worcestershire and Soy sauce.  Swish everything around to get all the sticky bits off the bottom of the pan.  Add in the bouillion cubes and let them disintegrate in the liquid.  Add in the salt, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, cinnamon and cumin.  Let that simmer gently.
In a small bowl mix together the flour and the water until it forms a kind of paste and doesn't have any lumps in it.
Add the flour mixture and the ketchup to the stew.  Add in the sugar or honey and any pepper sauce.  Check the tastes and adjust as necessary.  Let the stew simmer on low heat for about 45 min.
Serve on a bed of potato and celeriac mash or with homemade bread (but I hate you if you do that)


Potato and Celeriac Mash
serves 6

6 med potatoes cut into large chunks
2 sm - med celeriac, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/4 - 1/3 cup of butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk or cream
3/4 cup shredded cheese
salt to taste

In a large pot, cover the potatoes and celeriac chunks with water and bring to a boil.  Boil for about 12 - 15 min. or until the celeriac seems soft and mashable.
Remove from heat and drain the water (you could use this water in the stew if you're super organised).  Add the butter and mash the whole mixture - you could use a potato masher or a ricer, either will work well.
Add in the milk until it gets to the consistency that you are looking for.  Add in the cheese and mix it in until it melts.  Add the salt to taste.