A quicker way to get the same delicious French flavor in this dish.  Many thanks to my brother for the inspiration and guidance in this recipe - based on what he enjoyed eating during his two recent years spent in France.  The more traditional method is to boil a whole chicken on the bone in a broth first, before adding the vegetables, then serving with the bechamel sauce over rice.  This method is faster, and tastes very similar, since the same spices are used in the broth.  Yum. 

A delicious meal - vegetables, chicken over rice with the tasty bechamel sauce on top. 

Poule au Pot

In a large pot, place the following: 

3 carrots, peeled & coarsely chopped

1 parsnip, peeled & coarsely chopped

1 lb. red, thin-skinned potatoes, coarsely diced (if small, just slice each in half)

1 celery root & stalks, peel bulb, dice (I prefer to use only 1/2 the tops/stalks/leaves)

1 onion, coarsely diced with 3 whole cloves pressed into the onion

2 tsp freeze-dried diced garlic, diced OR 2 cloves garlic, each sliced in half

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried ground thyme

1 Tbsp freeze dried parsley OR 2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried rosemary

~10 whole peppercorns

Cover with water, about 1" above all the ingredients.  Heat over medium-high heat to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for ~90 minutes.  

Add and simmer for the last 15 minutes of cooking: 

1-2 cups roast chicken, coarsely diced

While the vegetables are simmering, cook rice of your choice to serve.  I love a nice brown jasmine rice.  The long simmer time in this recipe makes it easy to make a brown rice which requires ~45 minutes to simmer and 15 minutes to rest before serving.  

Whip together an easy bechamel sauce after you add the chicken.  This will be served over the vegetables and chicken. 

Bechamel sauce:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt: 

3-4 Tbsp butter

Add: 

1 cup broth from vegetables above

3/4 cup milk

pinch salt

pinch fresh ground pepper

In a separate bowl, mix together: 

1-2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup cold milk

Once broth/milk is bubbling, add the cornstarch mixture, whisking/stirring constantly until mixture thickens slightly and bubbles for a minute.  Adjust salt and pepper, to taste.  Remove from heat. 

To serve your poule au pot: 

In a wide, low-sided bowl place a scoop of cooked rice.  Use a slotted spoon to serve a mixture of vegetables and chicken from your large pot.  Remove any bay leaves or cloves that end up in the bowl.  Top with a spoonful of Bechamel sauce.  Enjoy! 

Each bowl looks beautiful - and different. 

Rich Beef Stew

A perfect dish for the time of year when things are cooling down, and fall vegetables are plentiful and fresh.  I chopped everything coarsely in my stew, but you could make things smaller if you want to speed up the cooking time a bit.  However, the meat does need over an hour to simmer to allow it to soften and gain a lovely flavor and texture, so make this when you have a couple hours on a chilly afternoon or evening.  All the kids enjoyed this stew, happily digging into over-sized chunks of vegetables, too!  Delicious with homemade sourdough rolls, biscuits, wholesome bread, or crackers. Enjoy!

Delicious Vegetable-filled Beef Stew

Colorful organic vegetables fill this beef stew. 

Rich Beef Stew
Serves 6

Heat over medium-high heat:
2 Tbsp olive oil

Add and cook until meat is browned on all sides:
1-2 lbs stew beef (large pieces) (I tend to use closer to 1 lb, because I like less meat/more veggies)

Add, then simmer, covered, 1 1/2 hours: you'll need to bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat to a simmer)
2 cups water
1 onion, diced
1 - 2 cloves garlic, diced
1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt

Add and simmer, covered, ~35-45 minutes, until vegetables have softened:  (you'll need to bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat to a simmer)
2 cups hot water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp beef bouillon paste (make sure it's GF)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
4-5 small potatoes (thin peeled), chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 parsnip, diced
1-2 stalks celery, sliced
1/8 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Beautiful veggies - potatoes, carrots, parsnips, celery

Colorful tomatoes & parsley

Once vegetables are softened, if you want a thicker stew, mix together in a small bowl:
1-2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Mix into simmering stew, and allow to cook 1-2 minutes, until thickened, stirring regularly.  You can adjust at this point if it's still not as thick as you'd like it.  Serve & Enjoy!