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What's Your All-Time Favorite Soup or Stew? Vote for Your Favorite ITKWD Moment!

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Hello, foodies…

Foodies, we've had such a tremendous 2012. So many unforgettable moments happened during the year and we want to celebrate them! We started a fun tradition right around Academy Awards season: the Golden Spatula Awards…where some of your favorite guests from ITKWD got a golden spatula for their recipes, personality, and more. We'd like to do that again this year. But, this time, we've pre-selected some of our favorite ITKWD moments and we'd like you to vote on your favorite. Check out the video below and then reply to this blog with "the moment" of 2012. We'll announce the winner on our awards night, February 24.

We're about mid-way through our Healthy Winter Warm-ups month. What do you think so far? Have you been treating your family to my tasty recipes? I've loved making big batches of the soups and stews we've made so far on In the Kitchen with David…and I've even stocked my freezer with some soup for a snowy day! Don't forget you can easily do that. The best soups for freezing are those that aren't made with a lot of milk or cheese. So my Gazpacho, Seafood Stew, Chicken & Quinoa Soup, and Black Bean Soups are ideal. As is Sunday's recipe…my Lamb Stew!

Lamb Stew

This recipe is prepared with the Everyday Kitchen 10-Piece Hard Anodized Dishwasher Safe Cookware Set (K37215).

Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.

Ingredients:

2 lbs lamb stew meat

1 Tbsp oil

2 cups onion, thinly sliced

2 carrots, peeled and diced into 1" pieces

2 stalks of celery, diced into 1" pieces

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup red wine

1-1/2 cups beef broth

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1-1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced

1-1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1-1/2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in an 5-qt soup pot or Dutch oven. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and add it to the pot in batches. Sear the meat until brown, then set it aside.

Add the onions and garlic to the pot. Sauté until the onions begin to soften, about 3–4 minutes, and then add the carrots and celery. Sauté for a few more minutes.

Add the red wine, beef broth, rosemary, and lamb. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cover. Continue to simmer for 90 minutes, or until the lamb becomes fork tender.

Add the butternut squash and simmer until it's cooked through, about 8–10 minutes. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and water and stir it into the stew. Return the stew to a simmer and add the balsamic vinegar.

I just love how different lamb tastes. If you're in the mood for something new, this recipe will wake your taste buds right up. But, in case you're feeling uneasy about cooking with lamb, you can always substitute another kind of meat like beef or pork. Just don't skimp on that butternut squash. It adds a smoothness to the soup as well as a rich, buttery flavor….without all the fat and calories!

We've got a special treat for you this Sunday in "Cookbook Corner." The Blue Jean Chef is back with her amazing pressure cooking cookbook, Comfortable Under Pressure (F09871) which sold out in its last presentation. AND—we're also welcoming Bobby Deen with his brand-new title, From Mama's Table to Mine (F09956)! Cooking seems to run in the Deen family, but Bobby doesn't cook quite the way Paula does. Bobby's book contains 120 Southerncomfort food classics that are all 350 calories or less. I'm excited to try his "Yes, You Can Mac & Cheese," "Crispy, Oven-Fried Chicken," and this recipe…"Cajun Sliders!"

Here's your blog question for today. What's your all-time favorite soup or stew? Chicken noodle? Creamy tomato? Italian wedding? Chili? Don't forget to include your favorite moment when you reply…just the number of the clip will do! I'll see you on Sunday at Noon ET.

Keep it flavorful!

—David

P.S. I'm very excited about a brand-new Dyson TSV coming this Sunday…the DC35 Digital Slim. It's the most powerful CORDLESS vacuum you can buy. Plus, it's ideal for the kitchen because it doubles as a floor and hand-held unit. I'll be giving a special presentation of this in our kitchen on Sunday. I hope you can join us!