Dick and I are spending the weekend at our daughter Jessie's, so I made a pot of beef stew and baked a loaf of honey whole wheat oatmeal bread to bring along. My friend Sheila gave me the idea when she posted a stew recipe on her blog recently. I hadn't made stew in quite a long time and her photo sealed the deal. It can be reheated and in no time at all you're enjoying a hearty meal. My recipe that I've used for years is basically the same as Sheila's but with some additional seasonings and beef broth instead of water. In the summer, it's the perfect opportunity to use in-season veggies from your garden or farmers market, as well as a variety of whatever veggies you have hanging around in your fridge.
Old-Time Beef Stew
3/4 lb stew meat, cut into very small cubes
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp flour + 1 tsp paprika
32 oz. beef broth (or stock)
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp each dried marjoram, thyme, & rosemary
2 tsp. Worcestershire or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
fresh or frozen peas
In a soup pot, brown meat in 1 tbsp olive oil until you have good caramelization in bottom of pan. Sauté onion until just barely translucent then stir in garlic, flour, and paprika. Add beef broth (or stock), bay leaves, seasonings, and Worcestershire or Bragg’s then heat. Simmer covered for 1 hour. Add veggies except peas. Cover and cook approximately 30 minutes until vegetables are fork tender but not mushy. Add peas the final 5 minutes of cooking time. Adjust taste by adding your favorite seasoning. Try it in your crock pot, too.
April 11, 2009 Today's mileage: 2-mile walk + 5.5 mile bike ride Total mileage for April: 38.75 miles Bible reading? Yes.