Before I get to this fabulous Beef Stew… Ok, well lets just say its been an interesting few days! Hurricane Sandy came in with a bang on Monday night and left me without power, hence the few days absence. So needless to say cooking has been very basic around here! Tonight I get to get on the computer at my mother in-laws, yay, warmth and power! I won’t complain though, we are so fortunate that all we lost was power and spoiled food! The Jersey Shore was hit hard and its going to take a long time to recover from this one! Check out Red Cross to see what you can do to help those in desperate need of it.

So this recipe that I’ve got for you was one I made last week and let me tell you, I impressed myself on this one, it came out fantastic! This hearty dish has amazing flavor, the meat tender, the vegetables perfect! Beef Stew is not only a fabulously comforting meal but its also great because once you’re all done prepping, it comes together easily! This makes a big ole pot so invite the fam and friends over and pop open some wine!

2 lbs beef chuck, cubed

1 large onion, chopped

1 lb baby carrots

2 green bell peppers, diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 lb red potatoes, cubed

2 parsnips, diced

1 Tbsp thyme

1 Tbsp garlic powder

4 cups vegetable or beef broth

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

2 tsp gravy master

1 can tomato puree

flour for dusting

olive oil

Make sure you have all your vegetables prepped. Grab a heavy duty giant pot, like my trusty Le Creuset Dutch Oven, and heat it over medium high heat.  Add enough olive oil to just coat the bottom of the pan.

In a dish, add the beef, season with salt and pepper and toss it in just enough flour to coat it lightly. In small batches brown the beef on the two largest sides of the meat. Set aside until all the meat is browned.

To the pot, with all the fabulous bits of flavor, add in the onions. Using a spoon, scrap up those yummy bits and work them into the onions.  Add in the remaining vegetables. Stir in the garlic powder and thyme.

Add in the tomato puree, broth, gravy master and worcestershire sauce. Stir to incorporate. Add the beef back into the pot.

Ok, we’ve got everything in there now! Cook on low, with the lid on, for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Take the lid off and simmer for another 2 hours. The meat will be fork tender, the sauce will have thickened a bit and become a rich color, the vegetables perfect.

Serve with a hunk of garlic bread and some of your favorite wine… enjoy!