Live Small and Prosper PT 3: It’s time for Frontier Stew

[“George Weston Ltd., one of Canada’s biggest bakers and owner of the Loblaw grocery chain, recently announced it would increase prices by 5%, effective April 1, 2011. The United Nations reports that average global food prices have soared 40% since June 2010.” - Mar. 21, London Free Press]

I make darn fine lasagna. Not the world’s best, maybe (chefs get paid big money to make stuff better than my homemade, and occasionally they succeed), but darn fine nonetheless.

I also save money by making it myself, even compared to the $9.99 frozen lasagna (Equity brand; the kind that lays in the pan like a pair of wet socks) from local grocery stores.

I know this for a fact. I’m the guy who challenged the CEO of Equity to a lasagna cook-off and won. I made much finer lasagna for less money per pound. My wife and mother-in-law gave it the thumbs up. Big sloppy smiles all ‘round. I wrote a column about the feat years ago. Talk about the street cred - and kitchen kudos - I got out of that one.

Due to the inevitability of higher grocery prices, I believe it’s time for another cook-off challenge to inspire Dads and Moms and kids over 14 to learn how to make great Frontier Stew - and save money - all by their lonesomes. With no help from a CEO or processed frozen foods or anything.


What’s Frontier Stew?

Well, according to the photo on a ‘no name’ label, the stew consists of preformed chunks of meat, potatoes, carrots, corn niblets, peas, green beans and gravy.


[Photos by GH]

I tried a can two weeks ago. It was no taste treat. A chilling memory of wet socks came to mind while I supped. If I was already heading toward the frontier, this would make me go west.

I think Frontier Stew can be a lot of things. Get creative. My own slow cooker stew recipe consists of the following:

half of a small beef roast cut into bite-sized chunks, cooked in covered fry pan with butter and olive oil

lots of potatoes, carrots, green beans

1 can brown beans ‘maple-flavoured’

large Spanish onion, 2 bay leaves

gravy: 1/2 beef Oxo cube, 1 cup water, 1/2 can of Guinness and 1/2 cup of red wine per batch

(Note: Make two batches back to back to use the whole roast and so the remainder of the Guinness doesn’t go flat. Or... freeze the beef and bottoms up!)

Two slow cooker batches fills 3 - 4 large casserole dishes or large plastic containers. The smell, taste and price are all definitely in the ‘super supper’ category. (The gravy kicks!)


["A small roast can even be stretched into three batches. I love taters."]

Yes, it’s a new frontier out there with rising food and fuel prices, etc., but there are so many ways to survive, while eating better stews and soups and sandwiches, and getting healthier all at the same time.

Live small and prosper.

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Do you like slow cooker or other homemade stews? Got a favourite recipe? Let me know.

Please click here to read Frontier Stew PT 2.

http://itstrikesmefunny.blogspot.com/2011/03/live-small-and-prosper-pt-2-its-time.html

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