Monday, September 21, 2009

Recipe for a Hearty Beef Stew

With today being the last day of summer, many of us are starting to pulling together some of our favorite fall and winter recipes.

For me, a hearty beef stew certainly provides a great family meal. The other great thing is that you can use your slow cooker.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lb. beef for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. medium potato, cut into cubes (about 2 1/2 cups)
4 medium carrots, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/4 cups beef broth (regular, 50% Less Sodium or Certified Organic)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 cup frozen peas

DIRECTIONS
Sprinkle the beef with black pepper and coat it with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until it's well browned, stirring often.

Place the potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic into a 5-quart slow cooker. Top with the beef. Add 3 cups of the broth, Worcestershire, thyme and bay leaf.

Cover and cook on LOW for 10 to 11 hours* or until the beef is fork-tender. Remove the bay leaf.

Mix the remaining flour and broth. Stir the flour mixture and the peas into the cooker. Turn the heat to HIGH. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens.

*Or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours.

No comments: