Beef Stew with Root Vegetables

Amazing Non-Traditional Beef Stew

 

Here is a beef stew that is easy to make and tastes GREAT.  My oven has a feature that allows me to set the time to begin cooking and turn off when the time is done.  This is a great feature especially with this meal.  I come home to a house that smells wonderful and a ready to eat meal! 

I was ‘forced’ to eat turnips as a kid.  We didn’t have them often, but when we did it was usually a battle of wills that normally ended with me going to bed right after dinner.  I don’t ‘force’ my kids to eat what I make, but I do require them to taste the dish.  Then they can go to their room… just kidding.  This meal was the first time my family was introduced to the root vegetable known as the turnip.  Turnips are really high in vitamin C.  Parsnips are also a new vegetable to the family – including myself.  These relatives of the carrot family actually have more vitamins than their orange cousins.  They’re very tasty!

Ingredients:
Salt & Pepper to taste
2-3 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into bite size pieces
1 large onions, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips (green is cheaper – red is prettier)
8oz. package of sliced mushrooms
3 medium turnips, peeled and cut in chunks
3-4 medium parsnips, peeled and cut in chunks
½ lb. baby carrots
4-5 small tomatoes quartered
½ cup of plain bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. instant tapioca (Kraft minute tapioca)
2 cups of red wine (Pinot Noir)
1 small bag of frozen pearl onions
 

How to-

Preheat oven to 325.

 

In a Dutch oven layer the ingredients in the following order: Beef, onions, pepper, parsnips, turnips, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots.

Next spread the bread crumbs over the top of the stew in the pot followed by sprinkling the tapioca over the stew.

 

Finally add the two cups of red wine.

Cover and cook for 4 hours.  DON’T PEEK!!

 

When the stew is done, remove from the oven and add the frozen pearl onions and stir into the stew.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.

Serve with a crusty bread!

ENJOY!!