What's Love Got To Stew With It?

First of all I would like to give a shout out to my mom who was awarded a very special honor at her work (she is a nurse). My dad and I went to her award ceremony this afternoon and it was such a wonderful experience - my mom is awesome and I am so happy to see her recognized for all that she is including an exceptional nurse who always goes the extra mile for her patients, a fabulous friend who is always there to make you laugh, give you the straight truth, and listen to your problems (and offer sage advice) and most of all the best mom a girl could ask for. Highlights of the ceremony included a video tribute during which some of her past patients spoke about their experiences with her. One lady began "She was not only my nurse but also my husband's who has since passed on" to which my mom quipped out loud "IT WASN'T ME!". Ha!

Ok down to brass tax (or is it tacks?). In any case since I was home early tonight I figured, what the hey, I would make something Adam and I had both been craving for a few weeks but not had any time to make; Provencal Beef Stew. I made this once before earlier in the year and since that time have always believed it to be an arduous process but you know what? It's really not. It's relatively simple, superbly tasty and the perfect meal for a cold almost winter's night. You will need about three hours from start to serving to accomodate the slow cooked awesomeness that is Beef Stew. So read on for my last post on I Look Good that should really be over at I Cook Good (all in the name of NaBloPoMo, people!).

Provencal Beef Stew

2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 can of whole tomatoes (14-19 oz)
2 cups red wine
4 tsp oilve oil
The peel from one small orange
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp dried parsley

First pour yourself a glass of wine because you know when you are cooking with wine, it makes your food come out better if you drink some of it.



Heat a dutch oven or any nice big soup-friendly pot over medium high heat with half of the olive oil. Throw in half of the beef pieces and brown.



I like to get it brown all the way around but if some pieces have some hints of pink that is okay.



Remove the beef from the pot and place into a bowl and then repeat with the beef and the rest of the olive oil.



Set the bowl of cooked beef aside.

Add carrots and onions to the pot and cook until tender (about 5-10 minutes).



Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds). Add tomatoes and liquid (breaking tomatoes up with a spoon).



Stir for a minute or two.

Add in wine



Then add in beef, herbs and orange peel.



Stir a few times and then heat over high heat to boiling.



Cover and reduce heat to low then simmer for 2 to 2.5 hours. This will make your house smell SO amazing you might not be able to stand it. Do not be alarmed.

When time is up - remove the beef and heat the liquid over high until boiling again. Boil for 10 minutes to reduce. Remove peel and bay leaf.

Serve the delicious wine/vegetable/beefy broth over the beef and with LOTS of crusty bread. The stew is delicious and so satisfying but just as delicious is a piece of nice crusty bread soaked in some of the broth. Oh. My. God.


Mmmmmmmm.