Portuguese Beef Stew (Carne Guisada)

This beef stew has made regular appearances at the dinner table for as long as I can remember. It is an adaptation of the Portuguese carne guisada. It has some additions such as the pasta and the vegetables that are not commonly found in a traditional carne guisada, but make it a heartier meal. This is a great stew; broth is slightly spicy, the potatoes fall apart when you poke them with a fork and the meat is tender. This is a great dish on a chilly day in the winter or on any day that you just want a fairly quick but filling meal. I suggest serving the dish with a piece of bread for dunking in the broth.

Cubed Steak Sandwiches

These sandwiches were adapted from The Pioneer Woman's recipe Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich. The great thing about these sandwiches is that you can add thing or remove things to make the sandwich as you would prefer it. I found the recipe in her book The Pioneer Woman Cooks where she lists the ingredients without measurements so the recipe here is approximately how I make it. I like to serve the sandwich on toasted French rolls, but you can use whatever sandwich roll you prefer.