With winter on its way, you're going to want to shift gears in the kitchen and start preparing heartier meals that will keep your family cozy throughout the colder months.

Some of the best and most effective meals for this purpose are also some of the simplest. A stew, for one, is a great way in which to keep the chill at bay.

So, if you're looking for a few quick and easy recipes to keep your family from falling victim to Jack Frost, then you're in luck. Here are two quick and easy recipes for you to try out.

Super speedy stew

For the cook who's pressed for time, this recipe is ideal. In just 30 minutes or less, you'll be serving a delicious meal for four made with the help of a pressure cooker.

- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 1kg of beef steak, cut into cubes
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 6 potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
- 6 carrots, cut into chunks
- 2 onions, cut into wedges
- 1¾ cups of beef broth
- 1½ cups of water
- ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon of browning and seasoning sauce

1. In your pressure cooker, heat the vegetable oil on a high heat.
2. Then add the beef, salt and pepper, and brown for 10 minutes with the lid off.
3. Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and add the potatoes, carrots, onions, beef broth, and 1 cup of water.
4. Lock the pressure cooker lid in place and bring to full pressure over a high heat.
5. When the pressure regulator begins to rock, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 8 minutes.
6. Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and allow the pressure to drop slowly until there is no longer steam escaping from the vent.

1. In a small bowl, mix the remaining water, flour, and browning and seasoning sauce.
2. Then remove the lid from the pressure cooker and stir the mixture into the stew. Cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, uncovered, over a medium heat. Serve and enjoy!

Hearty beef stew

If you don't own a pressure cooker and have more than 30 minutes to spare, this beef stew recipe is equally delicious and not too complicated to make either. This recipe takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to make and serves up to four people.

For this recipe, you will need:

- 1kg of beef steak, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tub or sachet of beef stock
- 2 cups of water
- 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups of baby potatoes, halved
- 3 carrots, sliced

And here's what you do:

1. In a dish, mix the beef cubes with the flour.
2. Heat up the vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat, and brown the beef. Remove and set aside.
3. Then, place the onions and garlic into the same pot and stir for about 4 minutes. Mix in the beef stock, water, Worcestershire sauce and beef cubes.
4. Bring the mix to a boil on high heat and stir until the beef stock has melted. Then, reduce the heat and cover the pot.

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