It is the inevitable question I hear each day... "Hon, what's for dinner?" So I have decided to help out a few lost souls with some ideas! I will post what I made for dinner each night. Even if I gave up and got take out. I think this will be FUN!
Day one: Beef Stew

Emeril's Beef Stew

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's Food of Love Productions, 2008

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound button mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cups roughly chopped yellow onions
• 2 cups sliced carrots, (1-inch slices cut crosswise on a diagonal)
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 1/2 cups veal or beef stock, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 to 4 cups 1-inch dice russet potatoes
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Steamed white rice or buttered egg noodles, for serving

Directions

Set a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pot and season the beef with the salt, Essence and black pepper, being sure to toss the meat well to evenly cover with the spices. Add 1/3 of the beef to the pot and cook until browned on all sides, 2 or 3 minutes per side. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil to the pot along with half of the remaining meat and cook again until browned. Set aside and repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and remaining beef. Set aside.

Add the butter and mushrooms to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and saute until onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the stock, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, allspice and browned beef and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 1 hour. Add the potatoes to the stew and partially cover the pot with a lid. Continue cooking until the potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the lid and discard the thyme and rosemary stems. Add the peas and parsley to the stew, stir well to combine, then remove from the heat. Serve hot, with either steamed white rice or buttered egg noodles.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup