D-Feast Friday - Beef Stew

Fall is here, fall is here! Time to get out the jackets, scarves and hats!

Okay, seriously, we've had one cool-ish (mid-60s) day here in Texas and it's supposed to go back up to the high-70s next week, but one hint of cool weather was enough for me to break out my stock pot and make my all-time favourite Beef Stew! This recipe is courtesy of my sweet friend, Liz.

Old Tyme Beef Stew

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. cubed stewing beef
1 small onion
3 - 6 cloves garlic
1 1/2 C beef stock (sometimes I double the amount of liquid, just remember to double the amounts of all the following ingredients, except veggies, if you do)
1/2 C water
dash pepper
dash salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 large bay leaf

This is the best part of this meal, you can pretty much use any veggies you have in your crisper that need to be used! This is what I usually throw in the pot:
3 med. carrots
2 stalks celery
potatoes (amount depends on what kind you use, I like red potatoes)
about 1 C of frozen peas (I do this with about 10 mins left)

At the end you will also need about 1/4 C of broth and 1 tbsp of flour to thicken (you can also leave this out to make this into a soup instead of a stew).

Directions:
-Heat up oil (med. heat) in stock pot, add beef. Cook until brown on the outside, then add onions and garlic.
-Saute, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add broth and water (you can use all broth if you want).
-Add all the rest of the ingredients (except veggies), cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
-Add veggies, cook for another 30-45 minutes
-Bring to a boil.
-Mix 1/4 C of broth and 1 tsbp of flour together (remember to double if you doubled the liquid), and add to pot
-Boil until thickened, then turn down heat, add peas and simmer for another 10 minutes.
-Serve with a lovely, crusty bread and ENJOY!

***I would love to give you a carb count on this, but of course it depends on what (and how much) you put into your stew. My carb factor usually comes out to .05 to .08.