Weekend Cookbook Challenge No. 12 - Stew!

Hi kids! My stars it feels like forever since I posted last. After the holidays, I took a few days rest from cooking anything new - and that few days lasted well.. much longer ;) I'm happy that my first post back from my lil blogging vay-kay is my submission to this month's WCC No. 12. This month the challenge is being hosted by Shaun of Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow - a very nice blog that's written quite well and is chock full of delicious recipes, pictures and stories. Shaun chose stew as this month's theme.. and what's better in winter than a warm, hearty stew? When I was trying to figure out which stew I was going to make, I pulled out my old tried and true beef stew recipe. Although I think it is one of the most delicious stews I've ever had, I really wanted to make something different - hopefully another type of stew that I could add to my repertoire. Well, I definitely found that new stew! Perusing the usual online haunts, I came across a recipe for Kielbasa Stew on Allrecipes.com, I read the ingredients and thought it might be okay. Then I read the reviews - a few did not like this recipe, but most did. It was a general consensus that the original tomato soup listed in the ingredients gave the stew a sweet flavor. As some of you know, I'm all about the sweet/savory thing - but yeah, not so much in my stew, yanno? I took the advice of some reviewers and subbed tomato sauce for the soup. I also added a diced potato to the mix because I guess I can't do stew without a lil tater. =) Also, this "stew" comes out a little more on the soupy side, which was fine with us. A little slurry of cornstarch and water would thicken it up nicely if you'd prefer it that way. Okay, seriously, this is one fabulous stew. It's quick to make, extremely flavorful and hearty. I was amazed. Tasting it as it cooked, I was thoroughly happy with my decision to try it - and then I added the sour cream at the end and it took an already yummy stew and put it right over the edge. That tang the sour cream has was just the right touch to make the cabbage taste sweeter and the kielbasa's smokey flavor shine through. You really have to try this recipe to believe that such simple ingredients can make such a delicious dinner - in under 60 minutes! =) Ohh.. one more thing - I wouldn't make this if I didn't have warm crusty bread or rolls to sop up the sauce! ;) Kielbasa Stew Courtesy of Jo and Allrecipes.com The above link for All Recipes will take you to the original recipe. Below is my take on it: 1 pound kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 TBS. butter 2 (10.75 ounce) cans beef consommé 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 cup water 3 cups shredded cabbage (a small head of cabbage works) 1 vidalia onion, chopped 1/2 cup diced red or green bell pepper 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 1/4 cup sour cream In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook sausage in butter until brown. Pour consommé, tomato sauce and water into pan with sausage. Stir in cabbage, onion and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, or until flavors are well blended. Stir in sour cream and heat through before serving. A big Thank You! to Shaun for picking a great theme and for hosting this month! And as always a big Thank You! to the lovely Sara of i like to cook for creating the Weekend Cookbook Challenge. :)