Tracy's Vegetable Beef Stew Recipe

Let me start by saying that it is really, really, really cold here and it's supposed to be colder, in the middle of the night, when we leave for work.  This inspired me to make a soup or a stew for supper tonight and something that would warm us up for the next few nights.

"Honey, how about beef stew?" Honey replied, "ooo YES!"

I used to enjoy my mom's stew but the trick here... how did she make it (another recipe gone to Heaven with mom)?  Ha ha... well, this is where I picked up too many things at the grocery to make stew but in the long run, I think I have dinner for the next 3 nights and maybe some lunches too!  Basically, I have no idea how to make mom's stew or any stew, so I'll make Tracy's stew.  Of course this means it will be easy and fairly simple too!

Photo by Tracy Hilbun

Tracy's Vegetable Beef Stew

Ingredients:  This looks like 6-8 servings (maybe more depending on your bowls or honey's appetite)
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (mine had peas, carrots, butter beans, green beans, and corn in it)
3-4 carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, sliced (peeled or unpeeled)
1 small onion, cut up in smaller pieces
10 (about) radishes, ends removed (I didn't go too heavy on these because I wasn't sure if they'd go over okay)
1 package of stew beef
8 cups of water
4-6 low sodium beef bullion packets
various spices and ingredients to taste:  garlic powder, pink himalayan salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce, rosemary, *red wine cubes, half and half


Go ahead and get your 8 cups of water in a stock pot, add the bullion and start heating on medium high to mix the bullion.  After you get this set up, brown your meat slightly on medium heat with a small amount of olive oil.  While the meat is browning, add the dry seasonings to the meat.

photo by Tracy Hilbun

When the pot of bullion starts getting rumbly, add the bag of frozen vegetables, the rest of the fresh vegetable ingredients and the stew beef.  Gently stir it up and add 4 frozen *wine cubes (not quite a half a glass of red wine) and a little half and half to make a pretty color (maybe 1/4 of a cup?)

Photo by Tracy Hilbun

Put a lid on the pot and let this simmering on a medium low setting for about 4 hours.  We cleaned up the basement and moved boxes around while mine cooked.

Photo by Tracy Hilbun

Honey said this was really good and enjoyed this served with crusty sourdough bread with grassfed butter.  It was pretty good.  Although I took a chance with the radishes, they really were nice blended with all of the vegetables and flavors.  

Note:  You may prefer a thickened broth and I think that would be awesome too, but I went for the thinner broth this time.  

Enjoy!

*Wine Cubes

Okay.. every now and then, honey and I have a glass of wine and for some reason, he doesn't always finish his.  I don't always want to finish his too, so I freeze the leftover wine in an ice cube tray to use in my spaghetti sauce or whatever I want to add it to, like tonight's stew.  You can also do this with your leftover coffee!  I've seen those used in mixed drinks, like with Irish Cream!  I'm thinking white wine cubes with small pieces of fruit would make a lovely compliment to a glass of white this summer.  Just thinkin'

Photo by Tracy Hilbun