Old-Fashioned Beef Stew with Winter Vegetables

There are few things more satisfying than a lusty beef stew to greet family or friends at the end of the day. This recipe had its origins in the good old-fashioned cooking that has come out of Bessie Babb's kitchen in Sebringville, Ont. This stew can be made in two stages: Brown and simmer the meat one day; add the vegetables a day or two later. Serve with a piquant cabbage, apple and cauliflower salad and a light dessert.

Ginger and Tomato Beef Short Rib Stew

Beef simmering short ribs make a flavourful stew when slow-cooked gently with root vegetables and aromatic Asian spices. You can replace the white turnips with about one-quarter of a small rutabaga, sliced thinly into bite-size pieces. Note: For this slow-cooker version, be sure to slice the turnips thinly.

Peter Gzowski's Favourite Beef Stew

Back in 1992, Ottawa-based Trillium Cooking School owner Pam Collacott and Canadian Living food editor Elizabeth Baird assisted Peter Gzowski at the Ottawa International Wine & Food Show where, as master teacher, he prepared Peter's Favourite Stew. Previous to the cooking class, The Canadian Living Test Kitchen has taken his charming instructions (no measurements) and converted them into the tested recipe you see below. Later, at the behest of one of Peter's fans, we also tried the recipe with caribou and found it worked exactly the same as beef, and, what is so important, was received with acclaim by members of the test kitchen and our guests. Of course Peter poo pooed the idea of measuring and suggested times, but when you want to reproduce the taste that won his stew so many fans, you can't go wrong with a well tested recipe.

Hearty Beef Stew

Cocoa powder might seem like an unusual ingredient to add to a savoury stew, but it adds an extra hit of toasty richness and colour, but without any of the sweetness you might associate with dessert. It’ll be your new favourite secret ingredient!

Southwestern Beef Stew

Serve this chili-inspired stew with baked white or sweet potatoes, crusty whole grain rolls, rice or couscous.

Korean Beef Stew

Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

Beef and Okra Stew

Khamisa Baya's saucy stew comes from Sudan in Africa. Serve it over cooked rice, cornmeal or creamy wheat cereal, or with Corn Bread on the side.

Roasted Garlic Beef Stew

Take the chill off Canada's chilly autumn nights with soups, stews and casseroles from the "Kitchen Comfort" collection of recipes in the November 2006 issue of Canadian Living magazine.

Slow Cooker Southwestern Beef Stew

You can treat this chili-inspired stew as a model for pork or lamb. Feel free to replace the lima beans with peas if they're handier or better liked.