Beef Stew

A part of my hardcore hobbit process. In game the Beef stew is made with a hearty stock and a cut of beef…I can easily say I take mine a bit further. This is a bit of an indulgence dish but still won’t bust your day. Filling and comforting. I love to prepare this in the morning and let it slow cook all day long. I once prepared a huge amount of stew based on my recipe but with tofu instead of beef and veggie broth instead of beef broth. Even a strict meat lover (he pushes any sort of green garnish away) enjoyed it so much he ate seconds…we are convinced this is either a sign of the apocalypse or a good stew.

• 1 lb of steak ends or stewing beef
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, smooshed and minced
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 red potatoes, quartered
• 1 cup beef broth
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tbl flour
• 1/8 tsp red chili pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the beef into nice bite sized cubes. Toss the cubes in a mixture of flour, paprika, and salt and pepper.
2. Spray your pan, heat to medium. Cook the coated meat in the pan for just a couple of minutes to sear it and place in the crockpot. Put the garlic and onions into the pan and cook them until softened or carmelized, your choice.
3. Use the wine to deglaze the pan and pour into crockpot.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serves four. 434 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of fiber per serving. Great served with a couple of biscuits.

Now I must run off and find some candles and such for our earth hour which we are actually making into earth night. It all gets turned off over here in just a couple of hours for the whole night!