Hearty Beef Stew

Here it is everyone: my first recipe post. It has started to get cold here in Wisconsin, and on a chilly fall day it's nice to sit down with a bowl of something warm. I love using a crock pot, so beef stew seemed to be a perfect fit. I can set it in the morning when I leave and come back to mouthwatering aromas wafting through the house.

I have to admit, this first recipe blog was a little bit of a challenge for me. I don't usually measure things, so getting an idea of how much of my ingredients I was putting in was different than what I'm used to. Nevertheless, it turned out delicious so I must have done something right.

Beef stew is great because not only is it easy to make, but it's also your body's friend. It's low fat, packed with nutrients, and filling. I used venison for this recipe, but beef is perfectly fine and a little easier to find. I also added in edamame. I saw it at the store when I was there earlier and had heard a lot about it recently, so I decided to try it. If you don't have it, feel free to omit it.

Growing up, my mom always served stew over cheddar biscuits, so I had to do the same. I got the biscuit recipe from my all-time favorite cooking site, Skinnytaste. You can get the recipe by following the link.

 Skinnytaste Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

(Please bear with my terrible pictures. I'm still figuring out this food photography thing and using an iPhone.)

Hearty Beef Stew
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups stew beef, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 packet dry french onion soup
• 1 medium onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/s tsp ground black pepper
• 3 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup green beans
• I cup whole kernel corn
• 3 large carrots
• 1/2 cup edamame, shelled
• 1-2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Place the beef, onion, and garlic in a crock pot. Stir in the french onion soup and water, and let cook on low for 6-8 hours. Note: your cooking times will vary by crock pot.

Add the potatoes, beans, corn, carrots, and edamame. Pour about half the liquid from the crock pot into a bowl, whisk in the flour and salt, and add back to the crock. This mixture should be like slightly watery gravy and will help thicken the stew as the veggies cook. Let cook 1 hour on high or until vegetables are tender.