Italian Beef Stew AND . . . A Stylish Blogger Award!

This winter has me feeling a bit confused.  I go back and forth between craving comfort food and craving food that remind me of spring.  To be honest, I think my mood swings coincide with that of Mother Nature's.  One day, it's 45 degrees and brilliantly sunny, the next day - we are blessed with 18" of snow. 

I found this recipe from last month's edition of Cooking Light - I was pleasantly surprised at how good this recipe is.  My daughter had a few friends over, and they liked it, too.

Italian Beef Stew
Original Recipe by Cooking Light, Jan/ Feb 2011 edition
Yield: 8 servings
Hands-on time: 40 min.; Total time: 2 hr. 40 min.

7 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 C chopped carrot
1 T minced garlic
1/4 C all-purpose flour
2 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into cubes
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 C dry red wine
3 3/4 C chopped seeded & peeled plum tomato (about 2 lbs.)
1 1/2 C fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1/2 C water
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 (8 oz.) package of cremini mushrooms, quartered
3/4 C slices carrots (1/4" thick)
2 T chopped fresh basil
1 T chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tsp. oil to pan.  Add onion and chopped carrot; saute 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic, saute for 45 seconds, stirring constantly.  Remove from pan.

2. Add 1 T oil to pan.  Place 1/4 C flour in a shallow dish.  Sprinkle beef with 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper; dredge in flour.  Add half of beef to pan; saute 6 minutes, browning on all sides.  Remove from pan.  Repeat procedure.

3. Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan.  Cook until reduced to 1/3 C (about 5 minutes).  Return meat and the onion mixture to pan.  Add tomato and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Uncover, and stir in sliced carrot.  Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour or until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally.  Discard bay leaf.  Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, basil, and parsley. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

ALSO - I am very honored to announce that I have been chosen as the recipient of The Stylish Blogger Award.  Wow - this journey has been quite a ride and I am so honored to be recognized by a fellow blogger and to be a part of this new community! 

 

There are guidelines attached to an award like this and they are as follows:

1. List 7 things about myself
2. Pass this award to 10 other Stylish bloggers
3. Notify them that they have been recognized!

So - want to know 7 things about me?  Say Yes!  :-)
1. I cannot function without coffee, however, it MUST have vanilla creamer in it.  If it doesn't, I'll pass!
2. I have been on a train that has derailed.
3.  I do not like romance, scary, thrillers, or anything that makes me cry - books or movies.
4. I have an excellent sense of direction.
5. I feel as though I was born to be a mom, and I LOVE my job as a SAHM. 
6. I am an extreme extravert, but I am also a homebody.
7. Mornings, which require me to get out of my super comfy bed, are my nemesis.


So - I would love to recognize the following blogs.  I admit that I am new to blogging, but through my journey, I have stumbled across these blogs.  I follow them and enjoy seeing what they are cooking.  What I have found is that we all are in a different stage of life, a different part of the country (or the world for that matter), but we all share a love of cooking and baking.  I continue to be inspired by these truly, amazing individuals.


1. Roti n Rice
2. Flour Dusted
3. Sweet Veg-E
4. Mediterranean Inspired Food
5. Sandra's Easy Cooking
6. Ryan Bakes
7. The Mom Chef - Taking On Magazines One Recipe at a Time
8. Sweets by Sillianah
9. Squash Blossom Babies
10. Baking Junkie

Might I also give a very necessary shout out to Sabrina from Eat, Drink, Be Merry. She is the lovelie who gave me this award.  I love her blog as she posts recipes of meals that I would absolutely cook up in my own kitchen. 

Please check out all of these cooking blogs for great recipe ideas - they are tried and true and will tell you whether or not a recipe actually works and tastes great. 

As always, enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina