• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot; brown the meat half at a time, adding garlic to the second half of the browning.
• Drain off excess fat and return all meat to the Dutch oven.
• Add remaining ingredients except for the parsley.
• Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Uncover and simmer for another 30 minutes or so until desired consistency.
• Stir in parsley just before serving.

• In a saucepan, place cubed sweet potatoes and cover with water; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sweet potatoes are almost tender.
• Drain sweet potatoes and set aside for now.
• In a stockpot, heat the olive oil and brown the pieces of chicken on all sides.
• Add the chicken broth and half-cooked sweet potato cubes and bring to a boil; reduce heat, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the sweet potatoes are tender.

• In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat oil; add chicken pieces and brown on all sides.
• Add remaining ingredients except for parsley, cover pot, and cook on a low simmer until chicken is done and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.
• To serve, ladle into individual bowls and garnish with a bit of parsley.

• Boil the chicken in water to cover until tender, about 2½ hours.
• Remove chicken from the broth so both can cool faster.
• When cool, remove the meat from the skin and bones and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces; strain off as much fat from the broth as you can.
• Return the meat to the strained broth, add remaining ingredients except for the sour cream, and simmer for 1 hour.
• Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
• To serve, ladle into individual bowls and top each with a dollop of sour cream.

• Pour broth into a pot, add the lentils and barley, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
• Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for at least another 30 minutes, or until barley, lentils, and vegetables are tender.
• Add more broth or water if stew starts looking too dry.

If making homemade Alfredo sauce:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan; add flour while stirring constantly.
• Continuing to stir constantly, gradually add the milk and keep stirring until mixture begins to bubble and thicken.
• Add the water, basil leaves, and salt and stir to mix well.
• Taste and adjust seasonings; you might need a bit more salt and you can add some pepper if you desire.

To make stew:

• In a large pot, heat the oil; add the chicken pieces and brown lightly on all sides.
• Add the homemade Alfredo sauce, or, if you are using the store-bought sauce, add that to the pot along with water, basil, and salt.
• Stir to mix.
• Next, add the potatoes and carrots and bring to a slow simmer; cover the pot and cook the stew until the potatoes and carrots are tender and the chicken is cooked thoroughly, about 20-25 minutes.
• Add the corn and peas and cook for about 5-10 minutes longer or until done.
• Serve with Parmesan cheese to taste.

• In a gallon-sized plastic bag, add the meat cubes and flour and shake well to coat the meat.
• In a heavy stewpot (enamel-coated cast iron works well for this recipe), melt the shortening and then add the meat; brown on all sides.
• Mix together the remaining ingredients, except the uncooked noodles, and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours or until the beef is tender and the sauce is thick like gravy.
• Stir often to prevent sticking.
• When close to mealtime, cook the egg noodles in enough water to cover (boil them according to the package directions); drain noodles and add to the stew or put some noodles on serving dishes and ladle the stew over the top.

To make the stew:

• In a large pot, heat the oil and add the pork.
• Brown all sides and then add the garlic, onion, tomatoes, rinsed beans, and enough broth or water to barely cover.
• Cover the pot with a lid and cook on low heat for several hours so the stew has a chance to thicken a bit. (Although you can eat it much sooner than that, say, after an hour of cook time. )

To make citrus sauce:

• Mix together all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
• Shake hard.
• Sometimes the spices want to float on top and the minced garlic likes to drop to the bottom, so I usually take a spoon and mix and scoop when I’m ready to use it.
• To serve, place some hot cooked rice in the bottom of individual bowls.
• Add the stew and then spoon some citrus sauce on top.
• Don’t be shy with the sauce because it’s delicious!