Winter Warmers (and some thoughts on stew!)
At the time of writing, Old Man Winter certainly has us in his grip here in Eastern Ontario, and family in Western Canada report extremely low bone-chilling temperatures and nasty weather; even Britain is suffering through its coldest winter in decades. My grandmother, true to her generation, believed that the best way to combat cold weather, winter blues and seasonal ailments was to make a good, hot rib-sticking stew! To this day, I find that stews are true comfort food, and a good way to get your strength back if you've been laid low by a severe cold or the flu. Leftovers are easily frozen for future use or to be made into a pie, and stew is one dish where you can substitute ingredients to suit your own taste or whatever you have on hand, and produce an excellent result.
Pictured above: Storm Mountain Stew Back in the seventies, we were camping in the Rockies and on a stormy night we were driven from our rain-soaked tent to find a meal at nearby Storm Mountain Lodge, high atop the pass into the Kootenay Valley. The rustic surroundings and the excellent meal have stayed in our memories all these years and inspired this great stew that has long been a family favourite.
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Suggested Recipes
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Hearty Beef Stew with Dumplings A stew my Nanna would recognise; beef, pearl barley, potatoes and other veggies topped with fluffy dumplings. Good old-fashioned comfort food! |
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A 'designer' look stew that is none the less quite hearty - the phyllo topping is fabulous and so easy to do. |
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Essentially chili is a type of stew and the warmth of the spices and rich flavours make it a great winter dish too. |
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This is more like a meal than a soup. Mulligatawny is great at any time of year and I am sure that the curry flavourings help combat winter sniffles! |
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What list of stews and winter warm-ups would be complete without the perennial classic Irish Stew! My Irish ancestors probably used fewer herbs and spices, but this is our family's favourite version of this recipe. |
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This is not your Mama's Minestrone Soup! I wanted something that would stand on its own as a hearty meal with beef and lots of vegetables and pasta. |
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Another spicy one with some great curry ingredients to warm you up. |
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A sure-fire hot and spicy dish, pork loin chops with potatoes and peas. A complete meal in one dish! |
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A beautiful beefy stew with pearl onions and lots of vegetables! Make this in your slow-cooker or 'Crockpot' for best results. |
