Goulash vs. stew: You decide the best

A friend asked me about the difference between goulash and stew. The only thing I could think of was the addition of tomatoes and some vegetables to it to make a stew. The following is my interruption of stew vs. goulash. Have a great week and I’ll be seeing you around … Agnes.

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Goulash

3 tablespoons cooking oil

2 large onions, finely sliced

2 and ½ pounds stew beef or round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons good paprika

2 tablespoons good wine vinegar

Water

1 can beef broth

2 tablespoons flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir beef, wine vinegar, and paprika into onions. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add water to broth to make 2 and ½ cups liquid, whisk in flour and add to pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until meat is done and sauce is thick. (1 to 1 and ½ hours) Adjust salt and pepper if needed.

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My Beef Stew

2 and ½ to 3 pounds boneless, lean stew beef cut in 1 inch cubes

¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Mix the dry ingredients in a re-sealable plastic bag. Add the prepared beef, seal bag and work to coat each piece with the flour mixture. Remove from bag and set aside.

In a large Dutch oven heat 4 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil. Brown meat on all sides. This will have to be done in batches. Put all meat in pot and add:

1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary, or a dash of crumbled dried rosemary

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans beef broth

2 cups dry red wine

2 cups canned, crushed or diced tomatoes

2 medium onions, diced

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until meat is tender.

Toss the following with any of the remaining flour mixture, add all to the pot and continue cooking until vegetables are done:

3 medium carrots, sliced

2 ribs celery, sliced

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch cubes

1 to 1 and ½ cups cooked green butter beans (If you use canned beans, wash them.)

2 – 3 tablespoons tomato paste

Serve hot with corn bread, rolls, biscuit, or crackers.

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Recipe for Laughter:

National Senior Mental Health Week is coming soon

• An elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant and resumed their trip.

When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table, and she didn’t miss them until they had been driving for about 40 minutes. By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around in order to return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses.

All the way back, the elderly husband became the classic grouchy old man. He

fussed and complained and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just wouldn’t let up for a single minute. To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant.

As the woman got out of their car and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her:

“While you’re in there, you might as well get my hat and the credit card.”

(Does this remind you of someone you know?)

• Elderly gentleman to a female friend: “I don’t like to be the one to have to tell you this, Sadie, but there’s a rumor going around that your husband Max is chasing women … and him over 89!”

Sadie replied, “Yeah, so let he is 82, so what? Let him chase girls. Dogs chase cars but when they catch one, can they drive it?”

• Remember … “Inside every older person is a younger person wondering … What just happened?”

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