Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs

This round of A Taste of Home Cooking's recipe swap had a slightly different set up than usual; rather than being assigned a recipe, we were each given a blog to pick a recipe from.  Yes, that's right, a whole blog's worth of recipes to narrow down to one choice.  I was given The Jey of Cooking, one I already follow and pull recipes from quite often, and let me tell you, it was really hard to choose.  I checked what I already had outlined for our weekly meal plans, and found that what I really needed was an awesome weekend breakfast. 

As I scrolled through Jey's breakfast tag, I saw corned beef hash and how to poach an egg.  It was like the stars aligned- I knew I'd have corned beef leftover from St. Patrick's Day, and I've been looking for an excuse to try poaching eggs.  Perfect!  I didn't change much, just added some bell pepper since I had it, and used thawed bagged shredded potatoes. 

Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs

What's in it:

1 c frozen hash browns, thawed
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp chopped chives
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 c chopped or shredded corned beef
white vinegar for poaching
2 eggs

How to make it:

Mix potatoes, onion, bell pepper, chives, salt (go light on this, the corned beef will add a lot) and pepper to the potatoes and mix well to combine.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high.   Add potato-onion mixture and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.   Add the corned beef and stir to combine.   Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10-12 minutes, until potatoes are golden and beginning to crisp.  Keep warm in the skillet until the eggs are ready.

To poach the eggs, fill a saucepan with water, a little more than halfway full.   Add a splash of white vinegar.   Bring to a boil.  Break each egg into separate small dishes.   Swirl the water to create a tornado and carefully guide one egg at a time into the vortex.   Reduce heat to medium high.  Repeat with the second egg.  As each egg cooks, serve the corned beef hash onto a plate or into a shallow bowl so that it's ready to go when the egg is done.

For a soft center, cook for 2 minutes.   For a medium center, cook for 3 minutes.   For a hard center, cook for 4 minutes.  When the egg reaches your desired doneness, carefully remove with a slotted spoon and allow water to drip off.   Gently place on the hash and serve immediately.

Beef Wellington Hand Pies

These hand pies were not what I intended to make for dinner the other night.  I had seen a recipe for steak and mushroom pot pies on Pinterest a few weeks ago, and really meant to make those.  But then I realized the day before that I didn’t have enough of an appropriate cut of beef in the freezer, and it was too late to retrieve more from the freezer of the friend that we split the cow with all those months ago.  Thinking to just increase the mushrooms to round things out, I continued rounding up ingredients, but found that I had used up the last of the beef stock I had made, and was now missing two pretty key ingredients.  It was starting to look like take-out night.

But then Vince and I started talking about separate trips to London we had made a few years ago, and I remembered some really good hand pies I’d had, including and ground beef and mushroom one.  With that, the ground beef, mushrooms and puff pastry I had started to sound a lot like Beef Wellington.  A quick visit to Google confirmed that the addition of wine, cream, thyme and onions (all things I already had in the house) would get me all of the flavors of traditional Beef Wellington.  And they turned out wonderfully.  Surprisingly quick to put together, and absolutely delicious, these made a really fun twist on Beef Wellington.

Beef Wellington Hand Pies

What’s in them:

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 lb. ground beef

1 Tbsp butter

1 c sliced cremini mushrooms

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp dried thyme

¼ c red wine

2 Tbsp heavy cream

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

How to make them:

Heat oven to 400°.

Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan.  Crumble the ground beef into the pan to brown, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside the beef, discard the drippings, and wipe out the pan.

Heat butter and the remaining oil in the pan, and add onions and cook until they begin to soften.  Add the mushrooms, continuing to cook until vegetables are browned.  Add garlic and thyme, and deglaze the pan with the red wine.  Stir in the cream and Worcestershire sauce, then add the beef back to the pan, gently stirring to combine.

Roll the thawed puff pastry into a 1/8” thick sheet, and cut into 4 equal portions.  Spoon the beef mixture onto the puff pastry, being careful to not over fill each and to leave a ½” border.  (You'll probably have extra filling; I used the leftovers to top some egg noodles for a quick lunch).  Whisk the egg with a little water, and brush the egg mixture onto the edges of the pastry.  Fold the pastry over and seal, using a fork to crimp the edges.

Arrange pastries on a baking sheet, brush each with the egg wash, and cut two small slits in the top of each.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

French Onion Soup

Just in time for real fall weather, the theme for this week's recipe swap on A Taste of Home Cooking was soups and stews.  I was happy to get Hezzi-D's recipe for French onion soup.  I love it, from the rich caramelized onions in it to the gooey, crusty cheese and bread on top.  But sadly, I'm the only person in the house willing to touch it, so I rarely bother to make it for myself.

Since I am the only person who would eat it, I only made a third of the original recipe, and so simmered it stovetop rather than trying to get it to work in such a small quantity in the slow cooker.  Normally, I'd just use a smaller dish in the insert, but I was going to be home to keep an eye on the soup.  It was delicious, tons of onion flavor, with just a hint of sweetness from the caramelization.  I also really liked the addition of seared steak for a little extra beef flavor.  I used a skirt steak, and then sliced it up for sandwiches and quesadillas later in the week rather than leaving it in the soup.

French Onion Soup
adapted from a Paula Deen recipe via Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

What's in it:

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp butter, divided
2 tsp sugar
1 steak of your choice, cut into 1/2" dice if you plan to leave it in the soup
¼ c dry white wine
2 c beef broth
1 c. water
1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I used 2 tsp because I love how it brings out the beef flavor)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
baguette slices, for topping and serving
3/4 c Gruyere cheese, grated

How to make it:

In a medium soup pot, melt one tablespoon of the butter. Add the steak, cooking to desired doneness if leaving whole for another purpose.  Remove steak, and set aside or store as desired.

 

Add another tablespoon of butter to the pot.  Once it is melted, add the sliced onions. Sprinkle the sugar on top and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized, about 20 minutes.  Add wine, and bring to a boil, making sure to scrape up all of the brown bits off the bottom.

 

Add the beef (if including in the soup), broth, water, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf to the pot.  Simmer for 2-3 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving, butter the baguette slices with the remaining tablespoon of butter, sprinkle with a little extra black pepper, and broil until golden brown, 5-10 minutes depending on your oven and where the rack is.

Turn on the broiler. Ladle the soup into oven proof bowls or mugs. Top with toasted bread and grated Gruyere cheese.  Broil 6 inches from heat for about 3 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browned.  Serve immediately.

Chipotle Beef Enchiladas

I have to admit, this is a little new for me.  There are a number of meals that go on the menu at our house regularly that aren't from a recipe, and how I make them depends on what's in the house and how I feel that day.  But every once in a while, the meal surpasses the usual results and turns out to be amazing.  I always think I should write them down before I forget how I got there, and then get distracted and it's gone.  But this time, I'm not forgetting.

The parts of these enchiladas are each pretty simple- spicy shredded beef, sauteed veggies and rich sauce with some heat.  But together they were really something special, the perfect combination of chewy, melty, crunchy and saucy. 

Chipotle Beef Enchiladas

What's in them:
For the beef
3-4 lb beef roast
1 thinly sliced onion
2 chipotles in adobo, roughly chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
12 oz beer

For the enchilada sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
15 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 -1/2 c water
salt and pepper to taste

For the enchiladas
2 tsp olive oil
1 bell pepper, diced (I used a mix of red, yellow and orange)
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 12-15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used Rotel), drained
2-3 c chipotle beef
2 c enchilada sauce, divided
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 c shredded cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, Mexican blend), divided
8 10" tortillas

How to make them:

For the beef  (Note: I had originally made the beef for burrito bowls, and had portioned it out into freezer bags to use for sandwiches, tacos, or these enchiladas.  If you're making it for the enchiladas, cook the beef the day before you need it.)

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker, and cook for 8-10 hours on low.  Remove beef from the slow cooker and shred.  Add some of the liquid from the slow cooker to prevent drying.  Use for enchiladas, sandwiches or anything else you want.

For the enchilada sauce

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan until shimmering.  Add onions and cook until soft, then add garlic.  When garlic becomes fragrant, add the spices, and stir to combine.  Pour in the tomato sauce, and thin with water to desired consistency.  Check for seasonings, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

For the enchiladas (FINALLY!)

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat olive oil in a sautee pan and add the peppers, onions and garlic.  While they cook, combine the beef, 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, sour cream and 1/2 cup of the cheese.  When the vegetables have just started to brown, add the drained tomatoes.  Cool slightly, then add to the beef mixture.

Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce in a 9x13" baking dish.  Divide the beef mixture equally between the tortillas, rolling each as you fill them and lining them up in the baking dish.  Spread the remaining sauce on top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake for 25 minutes, until bubbling and beginning to brown on top.

Burgers with Gorgonzola and Port-Glazed Onions

I just can't leave well enough alone when it comes to food.  If something can be made more complicated, I'll do it.  This burger is one of those things.  Burgers are delicious as is, so do they really need to be dressed up?  No, but it's a fun and tasty thing to do anyway. 

The idea for this burger started with the June issue of Food & Wine's cover recipe.  But it seemed to need something else texturally along with the melted cheese and chewy beef, and maybe some sweetness to balance the salty cheese as well, so I pulled some elements from Josie's fig-glazed burger with red onion jam.  The resulting burger has a lot of strong flavors, but they all work together and make a weeknight burger seem a lot fancier than it is.

Burgers with Gorgonzola and Port-Glazed Onions

What's in them:

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced into half-rounds
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 c port
1 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp ground pepper
3-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c fig jam
1/2 c crumbled gorgonzola cheese (or bleu cheese or Stilton)
4 hamburger buns

How to make them:

Heat a pan over medium high heat, and add oil when pan is hot.  Once oil is hot as well, add onions and 1/2 tsp salt, stirring to coat the onions.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and let onions cook until soft and brown, about 15 minutes.  Turn heat back up until the onions are sizzling, then pour in the port, stirring and scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer until port thickly coats the onions.  Set aside, keeping the onions warm.

Mix beef, remaining salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce lightly, being careful to not overwork the beef.  Form four patties, then grill to desired doneness.  When burgers are almost done, brush each with fig jam, then top with gorgonzola. 

Serve on buns, topped with the port-glazed onions.

Cranberry Bean Salad with Dill Dressing and Steak "Croutons"

As you might have guessed from my post on buying part of a cow, I like meat.  But as much as I like it, I also realize that consuming large quantities of it isn't really good for my health or the environment.  For this reason, Mark Bittman's recipes often appeal to me, as meat is often used almost as a garnish, rather than the main attraction.  You can taste it, but it's not the focus of the meal.  When I saw his recipe for an edamame salad in Cooking Light, I loved how the crispy steak bits looked like croutons on top of a colorful mix of fresh vegetables and beans.

Unfortunately, I'm not really a fan of edamame.  But, I do like most beans, and had some dried heirloom cranberry beans in the pantry.  I changed up the dressing for a more summery taste, and added some avocado because it makes even the healthiest meal feel more indulgent.  This is really more a method than a recipe, because there are a lot of variations to try: radishes and thinly sliced carrots would add some crunch, or use black beans and lime juice for a southwestern combo.  Any kind of bean would work, dried, canned or fresh.

Cranberry Bean Salad with Dill Dressing and Steak "Croutons"

For the salad:

1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper
1 c dried cranberry beans, soaked and cooked according to package directions, cooled
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved, seeds removed if making this more than a few hours in advance
1 chopped and seeded English cucumber
4 green onions, thinly sliced 

For the "croutons":
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 ounces flank steak, cut into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

How to make it:

Combine mayonnaise through dill in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  If you used canned beans, you may not need as much salt.  Add beans, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and onions; stir gently to combine and coat with dressing.

Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Combine steak, salt, and pepper, coating steak. Add steak mixture to pan; cook 5 minutes or until well browned and crisp, stirring frequently.

Divide salad into four shallow bowls and top with portions of the steak bits.

Friday Food for Thought: How Much Beef Do You Eat?

This isn't in the same vein as my usual Friday posts, but I had to share.  We recently went in on half a cow from a local farmer with friends again, and picked up the vacuum-packed, flash-frozen beef this week.  The cow we got this time was nearly twice as large as last time, with two families splitting it instead of four.  Since we only eat beef once a week on average, our share last time lasted us about six months, so we're expecting to get at least eighteen month out of this order.

I think the best example of the scale of the amount of meat here is the amount of ground beef: 77 lbs.  That's all of the meat in the door in the photo, some on the middle shelf, and what's in the small cooler in front of the freezer.  The rest is broken up into steaks and roasts (our share is on the top shelf), and bones for soups and stocks (on the bottom shelf).

How much beef do you eat?  Have any good recipes using ground beef?

Rosemary-Lemon Beef Kebabs

When I first saw this recipe at the Kitchn, I was a little surprised to see that it was for beef, not chicken.  For some reason, the familiar combination of garlic, rosemary and lemon seemed too delicate for beef.  But letting the tender chunks of beef sit in the marinade for a bit, the flavors definitely become strong enough to show through.

Better yet, this whole meal came together on the grill.  We tossed asparagus and leftover pepper pieces with some reserved marinade and sauteed them in a grill basket, warmed a couple of tortillas on the top rack, and everything was ready to go.  I didn't follow the original recipe's suggestion for grilled pita this time, but I think that it would be a great addition to the meal.  

Rosemary-Lemon Beef Kebabs

What's in them:

2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped finely
1 tsp salt
zest and juice of half a lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb. sirloin, cut into 1" chunks
1 bell pepper, any color

How to make them:

Mix garlic through olive oil, then toss beef and bell pepper with it to evenly coat.  Let sit for 1-2 hours.

Thread beef and bell peppers onto metal skewers, alternating each.  Grill over medium-high heat, for about 15 minutes, turning the skewers every three or four minutes.

BBQ Cheddar Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking is hosting another great recipe swap.  The theme for this round was sandwiches and burgers, and I got a fantastic burger recipe from Jey at The Jey of Cooking just in time for grilling season.  Now if you follow the link, you'll see that this was originally a meatloaf recipe, but Jey has used this as a burger too.  And what a great idea- all of the flavors of cheese, barbeque sauce and caramelized onions, but without the mess.

I did adapt a little.  Since I don't usually use egg or other binders in beef burgers, I left out the oatmeal and egg from the original recipe, and didn't have any problems with them falling apart on the grill.  I also skipped the extra cheese and sauce on top, since we had plenty of other burger add-ons like pickles, lettuce and tomato.  They were flavorful, juicy, and just all around a nice way to end the weekend.

BBQ Cheddar Burgers with Caramelized Onions

What's in them:

1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c barbeque sauce

How to make them:

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.  When hot, Add the onions and let cook until golden and soft, about 35 minutes, stirring just a few times.

Meanwhile, add the ground beef, cheddar cheese, and barbeque sauce to a large bowl and, using your hands, mix until combined.  When onions are finished, add to the bowl and, with a wooden spoon, fold in until well mixed.

Form mixture into 4-6 patties, and cook on a preheated grill, about 10-12 minutes for medium-well, depending on the size of your patties.  Serve with buns and your favorite burger toppings.

Italian Beef Stew with Gnocchi

With another cold snap making spring feel further away than ever, I'm back to making my winter standbys.  For Sunday night's dinner, I was planning on slow-cooked pot roast when I saw a package of mini gnocchi peeking out from behind the row of pasta boxes in the pantry.  Since my thoughts on pot roast were already leaning Italian, the gnocchi seemed like the perfect thing to turn it into a stew, and cut down on the number of pots used.

I was so glad when the stew turned out really well.  The beef practically fell apart on its own, and the gnocchi absorbed the subtle spice of the sauce.  And even better, its quick prep time before putting everything in the slow cooker meant that this didn't cut into my weekend.

Italian Beef Stew with Gnocchi

2 Tbsp. olive oil, bacon fat or butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 large carrots, diced
Salt & pepper, to taste
2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup red or white wine
1 28-oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
1-2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3-5 lb. chuck roast
1 16-oz. package mini or regular gnocchi, or homemade

How to make it:

Heat olive oil (or other fat) in a deep saucepan or stovetop-safe slow-cooker insert.  Add onions and carrots, stir to coat with oil, and saute until starting to brown.  Season with salt and pepper, and add garlic, oregano, cinnamon and nutmeg, and cook until fragrant.  Pour in wine, scraping pan to get the brown bits.  If using a saucepan, pour the contents into the slow cooker insert now.

Add tomatoes, 1 cup of the broth and the balsamic vinegar, and stir to combine.  Place the meat into the sauce, adding enough broth for the sauce to come halfway up the meat.  Cook in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.

About a half hour from the end of the cooking time, remove any large pieces of fat, gristle or connective tissue from the beef, and shred the meat into large chunks.  Add the gnocchi to the stew.  When gnocchi is done, serve in wide bowls.

Tangy Spiced Brisket

Crockpots and the like often get a bad rap, with people assuming that all slow cooker recipe are going to have cream of some unidentifiable substance soup involved, or that their food is going to dry out, or that the slow cooker is going to burn down the house while they're at work.  But I love my slow cooker.  How else can I come home to dinner mostly ready after a long day at work?

One of my favorite uses for my slow cooker is to cook meat.  Even the cheapest, toughest cuts come out tender, and practically melt in your mouth.  Chicken, pork, beef, all of it can be good in the slow cooker.

A particular favorite in my house is slow-cooked brisket.  It can feed a crowd, or leftovers can be frozen for a quick meal on another busy weeknight, turned into quesadillas or sandwiches, or used to top pasta or gnocchi.

Adapted just a bit from Smitten Kitchen, this is everything its name promises.  Tangy from the acidity of the ketchup and chili sauce, slightly spicy from the cayenne, cumin and paprika, this did not disappoint.  Like Deb urges, I set this to cook overnight, then popped it into the fridge to chill while I was at work.  Then a quick reheat in the oven while I made the rest of the sides stovetop, and dinner was ready.  The only hard part was not eating it for breakfast!

Tangy Spiced Brisket

What's in it:

2 large onions, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
pinch cayenne (adjust to your heat preference)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup beef stock (unsalted or low salt)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce (I used Heinz)
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
4-5 pound brisket

How to make it:

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté onions in vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and most of liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add halved garlic cloves and saute for 3 minutes more. Stir in spices and seasoning and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the beef stock, ketchup, chili sauce and brown sugar.

Place brisket in a slow cooker, spread onion mixture over the top, then pour sauce mixture over the entire dish. Cover with the lid and cook it on LOW for 8-10 hours. 

When the brisket is cooked but still hot, use a spoon to scrape off any large fat deposits adhered to the top and bottom of the brisket. (The fat will be removed from the sauce  after it has chilled.)

Transfer the brisket and all of its sauce to a baking dish.  Chill entire dish in the fridge for several hours and up to one day; this resting time will significantly enhance the flavor and texture of the meat.

An hour before you’re ready to serve it, preheat your oven to 300°F, and remove the dish from the fridge. Remove all of the fat that has solidified with a slotted spoon for a less oily finish.

Carefully remove the meat from its sauce and place on a large cutting board. Cut the brisket into 1/2-inch slices.  If you like a smoother sauce this is a good time to run it through a blender or literally just smash up the onion and garlic strands with a wooden spoon. 

Carefully place the sliced meat (moving it in large sections with a spatula helps keep it together) back into the sauce and spoon the sauce over the meat. Replace the lid or cover the dish tightly with foil and reheat in the oven until it is bubbling at the edges — this usually takes up to to 30 minutes.

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

I can usually be sucked in by anything even remotely Moroccan-inspired.  Growing up, one of my favorite parts of Disney World was dinner at the restaurant in Epcot's Moroccan pavilion.  I just cannot resist the spiced, slightly sweet combinations so prevalent in these dishes.  So when I saw this Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash in the January issue of Cooking Light, I immediately put it on the menu for the next week.  It even gave me a decent cover for butternut squash, which is not one of Vince's favorites, since he will eat just about anything that involves beef.

Basically an amped up beef stew, this tagine is a little spicy, a little sweet, and hearty without relying on fatty meat and heavy potatoes.  I made a double batch, and the leftovers we ate for lunch later in the week were just as good as the fresh stew, if not better.  I also simmered a little longer at lower heat, with more chicken stock, than the original recipe, with no ill effects. 

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

What's in it:

2  teaspoons  paprika

1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

3/4  teaspoon  salt

1/2  teaspoon  ground ginger

1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper

1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

1  (1-pound) beef shoulder roast or petite tender roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

1  tablespoon  olive oil

4  shallots, quartered

4  garlic cloves, chopped

1-1 1/2  cups  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1  (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

3  cups  (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)

How to make it:

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef; toss well to coat.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and shallots; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Add butternut squash, and return stew to a simmer.  Continue to simmer for about 30 min, until squash is soft and flavors have developed.