I had a bunch of ‘odds and ends’ in the fridge, as we are coming to the end of another grocery cycle, and not a clue what to do or make with them. Then, I remembered I had some stew meat in the freezer! And, in no time I was chopping away – putting together, what I hoped would be, an excellent, off the cuff, beef stew. I’ve only attempted beef stew a handful of times and in those times it always came out bland and totally unexciting (which always confused me because the smells were so delicious!) Anyway, this time, I decided to abandon any sort of recipe and just go with my culinary intuition :) Here’s what I did:
To the Crockpot (set on low for at least 6 hours):
1 chopped onion
2 chopped green peppers
1 chopped bunch of celery
1 can of diced tomatoes with juice
1 can of beef broth
3 beef bouillon cubes
5 swirls around the pot of Worstishire Sauce
3 squeezes of ketchup
A healthy heap of chopped garlic
5 shakes of coarse ground black pepper
3 shakes of dried parsley
2 shakes of dried oregano
1 package of stew meat, browned
*some other ingredients you might have on hand to add: red wine or stout beer (like guinness), chopped green chilies, chopped red peppers or roasted red peppers, mushrooms, green onions*
To the Crockpot (set on low for at least 6 hours):
1 chopped onion
2 chopped green peppers
1 chopped bunch of celery
1 can of diced tomatoes with juice
1 can of beef broth
3 beef bouillon cubes
5 swirls around the pot of Worstishire Sauce
3 squeezes of ketchup
A healthy heap of chopped garlic
5 shakes of coarse ground black pepper
3 shakes of dried parsley
2 shakes of dried oregano
1 package of stew meat, browned
*some other ingredients you might have on hand to add: red wine or stout beer (like guinness), chopped green chilies, chopped red peppers or roasted red peppers, mushrooms, green onions*
Add 1 hour before serving:
2 chopped potatoes
1/2 bag baby carrots, cut in half
1 Tbs cornstarch or flour mixed with stew liquid (if you like your stew thicker...I do!)
PS: This is how I cook. And, it is also why I can never share family recipes with anyone…there is no exact recipe per-se just shakes, swirls, handfuls, etc. and then, always some adjusting at the end to get it ‘just right’ -- I think that is why I am a terrible baker… it’s too precise for me and there's no room for adjustments at the end! And, also, perhaps why I don’t use patterns for my quilt making???
The result was flavorful and filling (even more so the second day)! And, although the calendar says it’s summer, California apparently has not received the memo – up until yesterday it has been rainy and in the upper 60s!! So, this dinner definitely hit the mark for us!
2 chopped potatoes
1/2 bag baby carrots, cut in half
1 Tbs cornstarch or flour mixed with stew liquid (if you like your stew thicker...I do!)
PS: This is how I cook. And, it is also why I can never share family recipes with anyone…there is no exact recipe per-se just shakes, swirls, handfuls, etc. and then, always some adjusting at the end to get it ‘just right’ -- I think that is why I am a terrible baker… it’s too precise for me and there's no room for adjustments at the end! And, also, perhaps why I don’t use patterns for my quilt making???
The result was flavorful and filling (even more so the second day)! And, although the calendar says it’s summer, California apparently has not received the memo – up until yesterday it has been rainy and in the upper 60s!! So, this dinner definitely hit the mark for us!
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