Boxcar Children Stew

From: Divine Hostess

If you read my personal blog you know that our family just finished reading the first book in The Boxcar Children series. We really enjoyed it, and then I found this recipe for the stew that the children make. I knew I had to try this out! My kids begged me to make it and then didn't even try it! (Actually I do think my 3-year old ate the carrots). But my husband ate it and told me he would rather I make this recipe than any other stew beef recipe I've made. Wow! Okay... definitely a keeper! (Him AND the recipe!)

Ingredients:

• 4 stalks of celery minced
• 3 carrots roughly chopped
• 1.5 cups of potatoes in 1 inch cubes
• 2 to 3 vegetarian or chicken bouillon cubes (Veggie or chicken broth as substitute)
• Black Pepper
• Cumin
• 21 seasoning salute
• 2 TBSP chopped Parsley fresh or freeze dried
• 1/4 minced white onion
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup lentils (Can also be made with chicken breast pieces or steak. If meat is used, it will need to be added after step 1 and allowed to cook  a little while longer)

Place large dutch oven over medium high heat and brown 1 Tbsp garlic and minced onions in 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil for about 2 minutes.

Add bouillon cubes to water once it is boiling. Use 5 to 6 cups of water and appropriate cubes, or about 40oz of broth. Add celery, carrots and potatoes and stir. Add 1 tsp of all seasonings except parsley. Add 2 tbsp of parsley.

Lower heat to simmer. Since lentils only take about 20 minutes to cook add these about halfway through the process. Leave at a slow simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until carrots and potatoes are nice and tender. Top with a few sprigs of parsley or minced chives and serve with french baguette.

I did change a few things in the recipe based on what I had available:

I browned the garlic and onion in oil. For liquid, I added two cups of water, two cups of beef broth (I used bouillon cubes to make it) and then I poured some vegetable broth in. I didn't have any celery, so I just added the carrots, potatoes, and some venison tenderloin that I chopped up. I added a small amount of salt and pepper and garlic powder. I added the parsley as well. Then I just cooked until the meat was done. I think it took about 45 minutes to an hour.

Simple and very tasty!!