Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour (or 6 to 8 hours in a slow cooker)

• Hearty Beef Stew

Beef stew is comforting, and it reminds me of home. The recipe starts from scratch, but if you have cooked meat, potatoes, and vegetables on hand, the stew comes together in a snap; I often make this stew as a way to use up leftovers from a roast beef dinner. Each serving is a meal in itself and only needs a gluten-free muffin or a piece of Cornbread (see recipe) to be complete.

makes 2 servings (about 1½ cups each)

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• ½ pound lean beef stew meat, cut into ½-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup gluten-free low-sodium beef broth
• 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped with scissors or a knife
• 2 small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• ½ small white onion, chopped
• 1 cup peeled baby carrots
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried, or to taste
• 1½ teaspoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 small bay leaf (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. In a medium (3-quart) soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Season the stew meat with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon (dash) pepper, add to the pot, and cook until all sides are deeply browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the broth and tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, to scrape all the browned bits from the bottom.

2. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the parsley; stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, until the potatoes and vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf.

3. For a thicker stew: Just before serving transfer about ¼ cup of the cooked potatoes to a small bowl and mash them thoroughly with a fork; stir back into the stew and bring to serving temperature. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve hot, garnished with the parsley.

SLOW-COOKER METHOD This stew cooks up beautifully in a slow cooker. Simply brown the meat as in Step 1, and then combine the browned meat and all ingredients (except the parsley) in a 2-quart slow cooker. Cook for 6 to 8 hours on Low.

Per serving: 500 calories; 28g protein; 28g total fat; 5g fiber; 34g carbohydrates; 85mg cholesterol; 430mg sodium

Beef and “Barley” Soup To make a delicious gluten-free “barley” soup, replace the potatoes with ½ cup cooked sorghum, a gluten-free grain that replicates the chewiness of cooked barley.

Per serving: 490 calories; 28g protein; 29g total fat; 6g fiber; 30g carbohydrates; 85mg cholesterol; 424mg sodium