Old Fashioned Beef Stew

In less than two hours you can have a wonderful stew that is packed with protein and iron. Pull together the following ingredients for this recipe:

• 1 pound beef chuck
• 1/4 cup of flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• Pinch of paprika
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 large onions (about 3 cups)
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 cups beef broth
• 4 cups sliced carrots
• 2 medium russet potatoes (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup cut green beans
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water

Cut the beef chuck into one-inch cubes. Place the flour into a paper sack with salt, pepper and paprika. Then place the beef cubes into the paper sack and shake. (This coats the beef cubes with the dry mixture.)

Pour the oil into a large pot on the stove. Heat the oil on medium high, and then place the beef cubes into the oil and saute them until they are browned. (Once the oil is hot, this should take about five to seven minutes.) Remove the browned beef from the pot and place it into a bowl. Set the bowl to the side; you will use it shortly.

Cut up the onions and mushrooms. Place them into the pot (which should still contain hot oil) and saute them for about six minutes. Now add the minced garlic. Saute the garlic with the onions and mushrooms for only one minute, stirring constantly. Be careful that you don't cook the garlic at too high of a temperature or for too long. Garlic is easy to burn if cooked too long or at a temperature that is too high.

Drain the oil out of the pot. Add the sauteed beef (that you placed aside earlier) to the pot. Stir into the mixture your tomato paste and beef broth. Add enough water to just cover the beef. Bring the mixture to a boil. After it has come to a full boil, reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer it until the meat becomes tender. This should take about an hour and fifteen minutes.

While your stew is simmering, peel and slice the potatoes and carrots. If you finish peeling and slicing them before the meat is tender, place the potatoes and carrots into a bowl of cold water with a pinch of salt. This will keep the potatoes from turning brown. Set them aside until the beef is fully tender.

When the meat is ready to add the potatoes and carrots, slice the green beans. Add the potatoes, carrots, and green beans to the pot. You may need to add a little more water to keep all the food partially covered. Simmer the stew for about fifteen minutes or until the vegetables are tender. (You can tell that the vegetables are tender when you can easily cut the potatoes with a spoon.)

Mix the cornstarch and cold water into a mixing bowl. (The cornstarch and water will thicken the stew without any lumps.) Stir the cornstarch and water into the stew. Turn up the heat so that the stew will boil. Boil the stew uncovered for about a minute, stirring the entire time so that you will not scorch the stew in the bottom of the pot.

This recipe will serve approximately six servings. Serve with biscuits, rolls, or corn bread.