Here's a twist on your average "run of the mill" beef stew. I like to spice it up with chili powder, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. I like to make garlic mashed red potatoes and serve the stew over them. Or, you could serve over rice. This is a great meal to make on the weekend and then just have to reheat on a busy week night.
Ingredients:
2 ½ lbs stew meat
4 heaping spoons of flour, I used a soup spoon for measuring
1 soup spoon of dried oregano, crumbled between your palms
4 level soup spoons of chili powder
2 level soup spoons of smoked paprika
1 ½ onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Olive Oil
¾ cup wine
3 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp salt
½ - 1 tsp cayenne pepper, depending upon how spicy you like it
6 – 7 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb baby carrots
½ lbs mushroom caps cut into quarters
3 – 4 zucchini’s cut into 1”rounds
Directions:
Start by cutting the stew meat into smaller pieces. Some of the pieces come rather large. I like them all to be approximately 1” pieces.
In a large bowl combine the flour, oregano, chili powder and paprika. Use your hands to mix really well. Add the meat to the bowl and toss well to completely cover the pieces of meat with the flour mixture. (reserve left over flour mixture)
Drizzle olive oil into a pot with a heavy bottom. Shake excess flour off the meat and place into pot, a few pieces at a time, to brown. Don’t over crowd the pan, otherwise the meat will steam rather than brown. Remove meat from the pan to a plate; repeat until all the meat has been browned using olive oil as needed.
If needed, drizzle a bit more olive oil in pan. Add onions and garlic; sauté until translucent. Add wine to pan to deglaze; scrap up brown bits from pan. Add reserved flour mixture, cook for just a few seconds. Slowly add water to pan, mixing as you go. Add meat, bouillon cubes, celery, carrots and cayenne pepper to pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for about 1 hour.
Add mushrooms and zucchini to pot; recover and cook for approx 30 -45 minutes.
Serve stew over garlic roasted mashed potatoes.
