There are few things I love more in this world than produce. The Lord, my family, friends, etc…of course I love them more than produce…that goes without saying.
What I mean is, I'd rather have a freezer full of beef than a nice Cashmere coat.
I'd rather have a pickup load of potatoes than a new Lexus.
I'd rather have a giant bag of fresh herbs than a new pair of shoes.
It's true.
That make define me as ‘clinically insane' by today's standards. But it's still true.
I see God in produce – in the details and goodness of His Creation. The smell of rosemary…
The scent of freshly harvested basil…
Or thyme…
He created these herbs! He created their scents and tastes! Isn't that incredible to think about?
I am very thankful that this past weekend, my dear friend Lisa saved these herbs for me. We enjoyed a fellowship meal at their house on Friday night and she sent me home with a giant bag of sweet smelling goodness. I was giddy like a five year old the whole way home. The world of herb-scented possibilities that lay before me was tantalizing!
Saturday, I decided to use the last of our potatoes to make a slow-cooking beef stew. It was just one of those perfect stew days. I had a loaf of homemade baguette left over from our Friday night dinner – the perfect addition to any stew. Couple that with the wonderful platter of fresh herbs I had sitting on my kitchen counter and you're in stew heaven, baby.
At least this stew allows me to pretend like it's fall outside. I'll roll with it.
Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
You will need:
– 1 pound of grass-fed ground beef
– 1/2 pound of potatoes, diced (however big or small you like 'em)
– 2 carrots, peeled and diced
– 1 onion, chopped
– 1 large tomato, chopped
– 1/2 cup of millet, optional (I used this because I didn't have quite enough potatoes…by all means, omit if you have enough potatoes. It is quite lovely in the stew, though)
– 1 cup of red wine
– 1/2 cup of tomato sauce or 3 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
– 2 tablespoons of high-quality dijon mustard
– 6-8 cups of homemade chicken broth or beef broth (use enough to cover all the veggies)
– Salt and pepper, to taste
– A bundle of fresh herbs (I used a large stem of rosemary and a large stem of thyme) OR 1-2 teaspoons each of dried
Step One: Throw all of this together in a crock-pot. Allow it to simmer slowly for 6-8 hours on high or 4 hours on low. I find it easiest to throw it together after breakfast. That way, I can have the kitchen cleaned and enjoy the savory smell all day long. Yes, please!
You could also throw it all together in a Dutch oven, bring it to a simmer, cover, and keep on low until you're ready to enjoy it. Same results.
How cool is it that this recipe only has one step?
And sorry I didn't take any pictures. It was just that sort of day.
I do love browning my meat and softening my vegetables before allowing a stew to simmer – building a base, if you will – but again, some days just aren't that type of day. Some days, it's more important to get food on the table.
And seriously, this stew is fantastic. Especially with the fresh herbs.
Lastly, if you don't have red wine, you can sub half a beer instead. It really adds a wonderful flavor – don't skip it.
I wish we ate more beef. I love it. Red meat = yum.
Alas, we have a grocery budget we must adhere to. And since we sold our quarter-steer before we moved down to Alabama, red meat is a rare treat on the homestead.
Maybe that's why this stew tasted so dang good.
Either way, I hope you enjoy it!
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
For those busy days, make some hearty slow cooker beef stew
- 1 pound of grass-fed ground beef
- 1/2 pound of potatoes (diced (however big or small you like ’em))
- 2 carrots (peeled and diced)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 large tomato (chopped)
- 1/2 cup of millet (optional (I used this because I didn’t have quite enough potatoes…by all means, omit if you have enough potatoes. It is quite lovely in the stew, though))
- 1 cup of red wine
- 1/2 cup of tomato sauce or 3 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of high-quality dijon mustard
- 6-8 cups of homemade chicken broth or beef broth (use enough to cover all the veggies)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- A bundle of fresh herbs (I used a large stem of rosemary and a large stem of thyme OR 1-2 teaspoons each of dried)
- Throw all of this together in a crock-pot. Allow it to simmer slowly for 6-8 hours on high or 4 hours on low.
For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.
LeslieWms
Good Morning — I love your website. Your writing draws me in to your family and your routine and I feel blessed. Oh — started the “no poo” thing and love it. The baking soda makes my gray hair sparkly — great idea! And thanks for the reminder about stew — one tiny correction: think you mean 4 hrs on high, 6-8 on low, but people reading should know that. Blessing for a wonderful week.
Becky Elmuccio
My sister and I were just looking for good slow cooker meals this morning. Happy to have come across yours! Thanks for posting it!
Kathy Shea Mormino
I appreciate the simplicity of this dish and it’s just in time for the cooler weather! Thanks for sharing.
I would love to have you link up with my Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week!
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/10/upcycled-chicken-coop-clever-chicks.html
I hope to see you there!
Cheers!
Kathy
The Chicken Chick
Jeana Lipscomb
First, thank you for being you and sharing your life with all of us – I feel like you are one of my girlfriends just from reading your blog and fb posts, only you have better ideas and recipes than the rest of them. 🙂
Question: This beef stew sounds amazing but I – being new to the world of cooking with venison – was wondering if you have ever/would ever substitute venison for the beef without changing anything else in the recipe? My hubby has packed our freezer with venison stew cuts and I foresee plenty of it being cooked up and I’d love to try this recipe with the deer meat but I don’t want to risk screwing it up and losing all of the ingredients to poor cooking and lack of knowledge in this arena. *I do know to soak the venison in milk for 30 min. prior to cooking to knock down the gaminess. But that’s about it.
Audrey Hollatz
Funny thing… I had planned on looking for a Crockpot Beef Stew recipe this morning, and saw your post on Facebook! I think it was “meant to be” that we have your stew for supper tonight!