Best. Stew. EVER!

I have had a subscription to Cooking Light off and on for years now.  Not necessarily for the Light part but because of their somewhat simple, mostly healthy, delicious recipes over the years and their reasonable subscription price.  I have made so many of their recipes and they are always amazing.  The Pumpkin Torte recipe I posted recently was out of the magazine from last fall.  I think I made 4 of the recipes out of their Thanksgiving issue last year.  So this year when it came time to renew our subscription I thought I would try something different. Why? Not quite sure but BIG mistake.  We got a subscription to Bon Appetit instead.  Nothing wrong with the magazine BUT I have yet to see anything in the 4 issues I've received so far that I even want to attempt to make.  A lot of their recipes are extensive with ingredients you have to send out a search party to even find. Which works for some people, not me. I want simple ingredients, easy and YUMMY! So if something is working why mess with it.  I know, I know...duh. 

I made this recipe one chilly Fall weekend when I lived in Nashville.  I have made it a few times since and it is my favorite stew recipe ever.  It is a little heavy on the ingredient side BUT I found it was worth it!  A lot of time I will do one of those throw everything in the pot Sunday stews but if you want to go get all the ingredients and spend the time to make it IT IS WORTH IT!!!  So so good. 

Time to pull out the Halloween decorations, rake the leaves, throw on the sweats and hoodies, bake some goodies and cook a yummy soup or stew! Fall is here!

Well not yet for us in Florida, it's still in the 80's but I can feel Fall coming! Today has been the first cool morning!

http://www.cookinglight.com/

They have good recipe resources online also...now on to the stew.

Hearty Beef & Tomato Stew

2 Teaspoons Olive Oil

2 Lbs Sirloin Steak, cubed

1 Cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium)

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

11/2 cups fat free less sodium beef broth

4 cups (11/2 Lbs) cubed Red Potato

2 cups slices carrots

3/4 cup pinot noir or spicy dry red wine

2 Teaspoons chopped fresh Thyme

1 (16 oz) package frozen pearl onions

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomato's, undrained

1 Rosemary sprig

1 Bay leaf

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp Pepper

1/2 cup chopped Parsley

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add beef, cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently.  Remove beef from pan, reserving 1 Tablespoon of drippings in pan.  Add onion and garlic to pan, saute 2 minutes or until onion begins to brown.  Add tomato paste, cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add broth, bring to a boil.  Return meat to pan.  Add potato and next 7 ingredients (through Bay Leaf) bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook 1 hour 15 minutes or until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.  Discard Rosemary and Bay leaf.  Stir in Salt and Pepper.  Top with Parsley!

Enjoy!!!