Philipino Stew

For a few years, before the war, my friend's father worked as a professional painter & wallpaperer, assisting a fellow of Russian descent in these endeavors, which took them to the houses of Hollywood's elite. The Russian was a little erratic in producing paychecks, but made up for this (to an extent) by cooking beautiful feasts for my friend's parents occasionally. This is one of his recipes, and a perfect one it is: very few ingredients, fast to put together, and a complete meal along with some good bread. Oh, and by the way: we have no idea why it's called Filipino Stew.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs beef
• 3  leeks
• 1 1⁄2 lbs zucchini, trimmed, quartered lengthwise & sliced in 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 -3  large tomatoes, in 1/2-inch dice

Directions

1. Note: Salt and pepper can be added to each ingredient to taste as it cooks.
2. Trim the fat off the beef and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes.
3. Wash all vegetables thoroughly (especially the leeks).
4. Trim the leeks and slice into inch-long pieces.
5. Trim and quarter the zucchini lengthwise, then slice them into half-inch pieces.
6. Dice the tomatoes into half-inch chunks.
7. Melt 2 T. butter in a large skillet. Sauté leeks until almost tender. Remove.
8. Brown the steak cubes in the skillet.
9. Add the leeks and a small amount of water (just enough to keep it from sticking). Cook about 5 minutes.
10. Add the diced squash, spreading it over the top of the steak and leeks. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the squash is barely tender.
11. Spread the diced tomatoes over the squash, cover and cook another 5 minutes. Serve hot, with bread if you want.