Beef stew and memories.

It is now almost September which means fall is just around the corner and I'm starting to get so excited for warm hearty meals. This beef stew is one of my family's favorites and each bite reminds me fondly of Eveline, my mother in law, who passed away 4 years ago. I remember going over to her house in the morning before we had kids and she would be sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee and book in hand. I would notice that the house was clean and smell that supper was already on the stove. If it was beef stew I would always find a way to invite myself and her son over for dinner that night. It always had a delicate spice to it and it had FLAVOR!! I unfortunately was never able to get the recipe from her so I worked on my own version for a few months until I got it pretty spot on. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. 

Beef Stew with beans & veggies:

1-1 1/2 lbs of beef stew meat cut in cubes

3-4 medium Yukon gold potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes

3 medium carrots sliced to same size as potatoes

3-4 celery stalks cut up

1/2 onion or more if you like, roughly chopped

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

1 can low sodium beef broth

1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed 

Flour of choice (gluten free, if needed for your family)

salt & pepper

Favorite beef seasoning

hot sauce (optional)

Instructions:

Season beef with salt a pepper or I use my favorite steak/beef seasoning and dust meat with a few tablespoons of flour this will help thicken the stew. Preheat a frying pan w/ a little oil on high heat, add onion and cook for a minute, then add beef and cook just until brown. Add the beef & onions to the crock pot, then add all the veggies, beans, broth, and tomatoes. Set your slow cooker to low and walk away for about 7-8 hours. Check seasoning before serving and add desired salt, pepper and hot sauce. We like just a little kick of heat that's not overpowering.