Beef Stew

It's finally raining!  Oh how I've waited so long for some rain!  I didn't get very much of it though.  Darn clouds are just teasing me.  A little storm with some thunder and lightening would make me a happy girl but alas I must be grateful for what I can get.  Summer in the foothills of California are hot hot hot and dry dry dry!  And they last FOREVER!  So when fall does finally make an appearance I am more than ready!

These cold rainy cloudy days make me want to cook hearty stews and soups and bake breads and other delectable treats.  Nothing makes me happier than lighting some candles, playing a little Paganini, drinking hot tea and creating magick in the kitchen!  Well I guess there are other things in life that make me happy too, like a good hair cut and color and french manicured toes!! 

So today my kitchen smells of homemade bread and raspberry blueberry scones, mmmmmmm.  And for dinner how about a hearty beef stew?  Double mmmmmmm.  And how about dipping that homemade bread into the delicious sauce!  Triple mmmmmm!!!

Beef Stew

• 3# beef chuck, cut into cubes
• olive oil
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp flour or arrowroot powder
• salt and pepper
• 1# medium onions, cut into chunks
• 1# small white or red new potatoes, halved if small, quartered if large
• 1# carrots, cut into 1 1/2 in lengths
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp dried thyme
• 3 cups water or beef broth

1. Place beef and onions in a large pot with a little olive oil and saute on medium-high heat.  Once beef is almost brown, add garlic and continue cooking until all the beef is browned and the onion is translucent.
2. Add tomato paste, vinegar, and flour or arrowroot powder.  Season with salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. 
3. Add 2 cups water or beef broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours until beef becomes very tender.
4. Add potatoes and carrots to pot with rest of water or broth.  Bring back to a boil and simmer for another hour until potatoes and carrots are cooked through.  Remove bay leaf before serving.



A delicious bowl of beef stew makes me warm and happy inside



I always like to make more sauce, so I'll add another cup of water or broth into the pot that I've mixed with a tbsp of arrowroot powder.  Feel free to add more spices or even more vegetables ~ for example this last pot of stew I made, I added cut up acorn squash that I roasted and peeled ahead of time.  Stews are great with lots of various root vegetables, so get creative!

If you don't have that much time to make this stew, go ahead and throw everything into a crockpot in the morning, turn onto low and in the evening you'll have a pot full of yummy goodness!

So I welcome fall with great relish and appreciation!  And I will continue to cook delicious meals made with the treasures of the season.  Now to find myself some persimmons!

What rituals and foods do you love to create in your home when fall arrives?

***************************************

Still have some zuchinni leftover from the summer harvest?  Check out my notes section at Kitchen Witch Coaching Facebook page for a wheat-free gluten-free Zuchinni Bread that'll knock your socks off!


Kitchen Witch Coaching website has been updated!  Have a peek!


November Newsletter is coming!  I know you won't want to miss a single issue, so if I don't have your email, post it here in the comments section and I'll be sure to put you in my contacts list.