Made a beef stew yesterday, but instead of cooking it entirely on the stovetop, I threw most of the ingredients in the crock pot so I could spend less time in the kitchen and that way dinner was ready whenever I wanted it. I recomend putting this together before you go to work, or sometime during the morning while the kids are napping or at school.
Shopping list:
1 to 1.5 lbs beef stew meat (you can buy it in pre-cut chunks in the meat section at the grocery store)
olive oil
3-4 tbs butter
2-3 cups mushrooms (I use baby bella pre-sliced, more flavore and pre-sliced saves time in the kitchen)
2 cups sliced carrots (about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick, doesn't need to be perfect)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced celery (make this thin, 1/8 inch or less, celery doesn't soften as well in the crockpot as the other ingredients)
2 cloves garlic or 2 big tbs of pre-chopped garlic from the jar
1 cup water
1 cup cabernet sauvignon (I usually use whatever red wine is in the house, last night it was Pinot Noir)
1/2 tsp thyme (I was out of thyme, so I used poultry seasoning, because thyme was the first ingredient listed)
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt (regular salt works too, just use a little bit more)
1/4-1/2 tsp ground black pepper (get yourself a pepper grinder if you don't already have one, it makes a difference!)
28 oz can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
2-3 bay leaves (always good to have on hand if you like making flavorful stews and soups)
2.25 oz can sliced olives, drained (I didn't have any of these, so I chopped up a big handful of green olives that were in my fridge, worked great)
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1/4-1/2 cup flat-leaf/italian parsley (some recipes you can sub with dried herbs and spices, but fresh is a must in this case)
1. Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a large pan on medium high, throw the meat in and lightly salt and pepper it, brown it on the outside, maybe 3 minutes, then put the meat in the crock pot (the crock pot will finish cooking the meat, making it tender)
2. Put the butter in the pan, melt it, add the mushrooms and brown, about 3 minutes, then add the rest of the raw veggies, cook for a minute to absorb the butter, then throw in the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Either cook on Low setting in the crockpot 6-8 hours or you can cook on High for about 4 hours. Dinner is done, dude! The recipe suggested serving over mashed potatoes (I like Idahoian instant mashed potatoes, quick and easy) or another yummy suggestion is to serve it with some good bread or fresh rolls, which is what I did. This makes about 4-6 servings, depending on how big the bowls are that you put this in :-)
You can add a little more salt to the recipe, if you think it needs it. If you think you've put too much salt in the stew and it tastes like a salt lick, put a big chunk of raw, peeled potato in there for a half hour or so to cook. The potato will absorb the extra salt, just pull it out before serving the stew.
Stay tunned for future recipes. When I buy fresh herbs I usually end up making several recipes that call for the same ones so they don't go to waste. Flat-leaf parsley was the key in this recipe.
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