Do Ahead Tuesday: Winter Stew with Corn Bread Topping

On Tuesday's I have a night class and we have a sitter come in to watch the girls between when I have to leave for class and when my husband gets home from work. Soon my work schedule will shift and I will leave the house at 10am and not return until after my children are in bed. Since my husband regularly gets home late this time a year some creative dinner planning is needed. One of the toughest problems in a gluten free house is that I can't just have the sitter order pizza but need to prepare a dinner each night so I know it's gluten free. Bring in the crock pot. It allows me to have a hot dinner waiting for the sitter and my girls and still leave the kitchen clean!

This recipe is an adaption from several sources.

Ingredients

Winter Stew:
1 Medium Onion
Black Eye Peas ~ heaping 1/2 c dried or 1 can drained
Kidney Beans ~ heaping 1/2 c dried or 1 can drained
1 Bay Leaf
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Marjoram
1 14oz. can Diced Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Water/ Broth
1-1 1/2 lbs Root Vegetables (Carrots, Potatoes, Parsnips, Celery etc)

Corn Bread
1 c Corn Meal
1 c Gluten Free Baking Flour
4 teaspoons Baking Soda
1/4 c Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 c Milk
2 eggs
1/4 c Melted Butter or Margarine

Directions:
Soak Bean overnight if using dried. Mince onion and saute in olive oil for 7-8 minutes until beginning to brown. Add dried spices and cook for 1 minute. Toss into crock pot with beans and 2-3c of water or broth. Chop root vegetables into 1-2 inch pieces and add to crock pot. Cook on low for 3 hours. Add diced tomatoes and stir. Add corn bread topping if doing so. Cook for ~30 minutes or until hot enough.

Corn Bread:
Mix dry ingredients. Beat egg slightly. Add wet ingredients and mix until just combined. In the oven, bake at 400 degrees in a 9x9 lightly greased pan for 25-28 minutes. In the crock pot, spoon over stew, bake on high for 1 hour.

Evaluation:
When I am home I make the corn bread in the crock pot. It makes a crust about 3 inches deep that mixes in to the stew when you serve it in the bowl. My daughters love it that way. When I have to work I make the corn bread ahead of time and serve on the side. The stew is a very gentle flavor. If you like spicy food I recommend doubling the spices. Overall, it is a great stew for a cold night and holds up well on the warm setting for several hours!