Nothing better then introducing a little foreign spice and food to warm our children’s inners and expand their knowledge of the world and cuisine!

Today is a cold bitter day so try this little recipe that I found from Barbara Barnes of ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen.  As she quotes on the little Calgary Herald recipe clipping, a few statements that we all would agree upon:  ”Always glad to get home from work and be greeted by the welcoming aroma of a simmering beefy ragout” &  ”Rush-hour drive home is also more relaxed knowing there will be no panic to get dinner on the table”

Ideas for some learning opportunities:

• Map exploration:  Where is Morocco?
• Animals that you would find in Africa
• Smell the spices that are in the stew
• Play moroccan music during dinner time
• Make some crafts – make some wind chimes, finger painting on material painting (batik), decorate a cardboard magic carpet, pictures using the triangles (pyramid shapes), make a picture by using recycled little bathroom tiles, picture collage of old national geographic magazines (animals, desert, africa), glue painting with couscous grains
• Build a tent
• Introduce vibrant colours, silks and materials (batik) ie. decorate the table with bright colours
• Food texture discussions: Figs, dates, chickpeas, couscous, spices
• Dance to some Moroccan music

This is not a difficult recipe and I have played around with it by adding different vegetables like carrots, turnip, throw in a handful of frozen peas or edamame beans.  A nice addition is a can of chickpeas or lentils for increasing the fibre content.  I have even added curry and coriander for a spice-flare.  Serve this with fluffy white rice or couscous so the delicious gravy can be soaked up and enjoyed.

• 3 pounds (1.5 kg) boneless beef chuck steak, cubed
• 3 cups cubed peeled yams
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• 1 cup pitted prunes (I have used 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries if I didn’t have any prunes in my pantry)
• 4 cloves chopped garlic or 2 tbsps jarred chopped garlic
• 1 – 1/2 cups beef broth
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup cold water

Combine first 12 ingredients (beef through to pepper) in a 4-5 quart (4-5litre) slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for  6-7 hours or until meat is tender.

Increase to high heat setting.  Whisk together flour and water until smooth.  Stir into stew.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until stew is thickened.

Here is a easy recipe to prepare, have cooking slow and steady until the end of the day when little tummies are growling.

• 3lbs (1.5 kg) beef cut in stewing chunks
• 2 onions, sliced thin
• Sliced mushrooms (be adventurous and try different kinds of mushrooms or a mix – white, brown, crimini, shiitake ) Here is a great link from Mushroom Canada that has everything about mushrooms and even learning  resources
• 2 cups beef stock (can use chicken stock if you don’t have beef stock)
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce

Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and brown in frying pan over stovetop using olive oil.  Place into slow cooker.  Add sliced mushrooms and onions, garlic, thyme, worchestershire sauce, paprika and beef stock into slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

30 mins before serving, mix into slowcooker and continue cooking while preparing side dishes:

• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen baby peas
• 1 cup sour cream

This is great over hot buttered egg noodles or fluffy rice.  It is also great over boiled German Spaetzle (Traditional German Egg Pasta).

I found this on www.legourmet.tv website…one of my favourite sites to browse with a glass of wine in hand when the kids are fast asleep.  Amazing cooking tips, entertaining ideas, recipes.  This is a hit with hungry men.  Rich and delicious.  Kids like it as it shreds into nice pieces of meat to pick at.  Serve with egg noodles, smashed potatoes, rice, etc.

Slowly braising is an incredible way to unlock the big beefy flavour that can be found in short ribs. This combination here is a little bit out of the norm, but we think that the zip from the chile combined with the earthy flavour from the coffee & shiraz really brings this to life. A heavy cast iron dutch oven is really the way to cook this, low and slow in the oven lets all the flavour develop.

• 4-6 short ribs
• 2 onions cut in half
• 3 cloves of garlic smashed
• 1 chipotle chile finely chopped
• 1 cup of coffee
• 1 cup of shiraz
• Salt & Pepper to taste

On a stovetop, pre-heat your dutch oven on high, pour in a couple Tbsp’s of olive oil.  Pat all the ribs dry with paper towels.  Brown the ribs, careful not to let them burn but make sure you build up a good solid brown coating on all sides.  Remove ribs to a plate, turn down heat and toss in onions. You don’t want to brown the onions, just soften them up.  Once onions are translucent, turn heat back up to high and place garlic, chile, coffee, and wine in dutchoven. Simmer this until reduced by about half.  Once reduced, place the ribs back in dutch oven cover and then place dutch oven in a pre heated 300ºf  oven.

Cook for 2.5 – 3 hours.