Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of beef stew meat or beef chuck cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of beef broth
• 1/4 cup red wine (yes!!!!!!)
• 2 tsp steak sauce (I used A1 sauce)
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 2 tsp of dried thyme
• 1 pound small potatoes (I used small red potatoes)
• 2 carrots (I used 4 because I love carrots in stews!)
• 1 small onion cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 cups of green beans (I forgot them, oops, but I’m sure they would have been great! hehe)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (Since my black thumb killed my parsley plant, I went without, LOL)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Lightly salt meat and dredge in flour, shaking off excess (omit flour for gluten-free recipe). Sear meat in hot oil until browned, about 1 minute per side. Browning meat seals in juices, for more tender meat. Don’t overcrowd the pot or you’ll steam rather than brown the meat. Cook in 2-3 batches.

I added TJ’s 21 seasoning Salute to the flour before dredging

2. Return seared meat to pot. Add remaining ingredients (except green beans and parsley) and stir. When liquid is boiling, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours. If you prefer to bake, place covered pot in oven for 1.5-2 hours, making sure to use an oven-proof pot.

3. Add green beans during last 15 minutes of cooking to preserve crispness. For softer green beans, add during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

4. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Sprinkle on fresh parsley right before serving.

See all those green tags on my TJ cookbook? Eventually stopped marking pages because I want to make everything. haha

Ref: Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook Companion

First recipe out of my Trader Joe’s cookbook companion and it was UH-MAZE-ING. Nice thick hearty stew full of flavor and hits the spot after a long day on a chilly night. Few things I tweaked because you all know how well I listen and follow directions… hehe. Dredging the beef through just flour seemed boring to me so I added the Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning Salute blend to the flour to coat the meat. The seasoning just smelled so good! I totally smoked out the kitchen searing the meat… Maybe I’ll get that kitchen remodel sooner than later with a new fan vent. 😀 It was worth it though in the end and nothing a few table fans couldn’t remedy. I was of course, super excited about the red wine ingredient. Not that I need an excuse to open a bottle of wine, but its just more fun. 😀 The only other thing I added was a a little cornstarch diluted in water at the end to thicken up the sauce. Probably about a teaspoon of cornstarch and 3 teaspoons of water. No idea where I got that combo, I just winged it. I taste tested it from there adding a little salt and pepper and 21 seasonings salute till I was happy with it. Didn’t need much, just a little bit

I’m dedicated this year to taking pictures as I go so enjoy. Now that I Mike and I live together I’m finally publicly expressing my dislike for his ugly chili pepper dish set you see in the photos and I’m currently looking for new pretty ones. I’ll keep you posted.