I made this a few days before Thanksgiving so we could have something warm and easy to reheat, without a lot of fuss. Yes, there are potatoes in this recipe. There is some discussion about whether white potatoes are paleo in the paleo-sphere (see here), but my take is that they are a plant-based, whole food. If a sweet potato is OK, an organic white potato should be equally OK, especially when consumed with protein and good fats in the same meal. Also, my kiddos seem to need the carbs for energy. The little guys are super lean and burn hot. Yes, they prefer their potatoes a la pomme frites, but I’m trying to persuade them to try them in new dishes.

Besides, an Irishman needs his ‘taters. (After taking my grandfather, Bobby O’Connor, out for really good Chinese food one night, we asked him what he thought. “Not bad for no potatoes.” Truth.)

If you’re not a potato eater, substitute parsnips and rutabagas.

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 lbs grass-fed beef stew meat

2 Tbsp sweet potato flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp Penzy’s Forward spice blend

1/2 tsp paprika

2 Tbsp olive oil or ghee

1 large onion, sliced thin

4 cloves garlic, mashed

Optional: 1 c quartered crimini mushrooms

2-3 large carrots, cut in 1″ pieces

3 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 – 15 oz can organic tomato sauce

1/4 c red wine

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300F.
• In bowl, toss stew meat with sweet potato flour and spices, coating thoroughly.
• On stove top: In a large Dutch oven, heat oil or ghee, add sliced onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. If using mushrooms, add them now and cook until you cook off any additional liquid released from mushrooms.
• Add stew meat to the pan, brown on all sides.
• Add remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly.
• Cover pot and put in center of oven. Cook for 2.5-3 hours, or until meat is tender. Or throw it in a crock pot for 6-8 hours on low.

Here’s your art du jour. The Potato Eaters by Vincent Van Gogh