Whole Foods meats are the ultimate in food porn. When I opened up my bag of stew beef I almost swooned. No wonder everything costs $200 a pound there. It’s gorgeous! The ruby red cubes were almost too pretty to put into a messy stew, but let’s be realistic people — a girl has to eat. This simple recipe was a big hit when our friends joined us to watch the Patriots beat The Chargers. In fact, my anti-vegetable cousin was totally duped into eating squash. She was shocked when I told her it wasn’t a potato that she was happily munching away on. So keep the lights dim and trick your kids the old fashioned way, without any of that ridiculous pureed carrot brownie junk. You might just get away with it. PS: if you live near a Whole Foods pick up a loaf of their phenomenal “Seeduction” bread to go along with your secret squash stew. It’s my favorite.

Herb Line-Up	Beef is Beautiful
Peel	Butternut Bites
Dust	Sun-Dried Bits
Saute	Brown
Add to the Pot	Pour, Cover & Simmer

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew (Originally published by Giada De Laurentiis)
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 pounds stew beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup Marsala wine (Note: I used a Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 to 4 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley (which I forgot to add)
Crusty bread, for serving

In a large soup pot heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and saute until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes. Toss the beef cubes in salt and pepper and flour. Turn up the heat to med-high and add the beef to the pot. Cook until the beef is browned and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the wine. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the butternut squash and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine. Add enough beef broth to just cover the beef and squash. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Season the stew with additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread alongside.