No matter where you travel, you will likely find a local variation on a hearty stew with a mix of meat and vegetables. Stews are basically the same as soups where the solid ingredients outweigh the broth. One of the nice things about stews is that they are very economical as stewing meats are inexpensive and the meat and vegetables can be substituted for whatever is in season at the time. This meal uses ground beef as its base, but it would be equally delicious with beef, pork, or lamb chunks or you can leave out the meat completely to make it vegetarian. This particular stew is meant to be a little bit lighter, but if you wanted to make it even heartier, you could use beef stock and a thickener to create an almost gravy-like consistency. It is one of our Autumn, “go-to”, meals and we always enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb Lean Ground Beef (or any other stew meat)
• 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 2 cups of Baby Carrots – quartered
• 3 Medium Potatoes – cubed
• 2 cups Green Beans – cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup Frozen Corn Kernels
• 1/2 Small Onion – diced
• 1 Stalk Celery – diced
• 3 Small Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary
• 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 5 cups Water (may need to be adjusted)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat with vegetable oil.  Add the ground beef and start to brown.  Add the celery and onion when the beef is halfway browned.  Add water and bring to a simmer.  Add remaining vegetables and seasonings, simmer until the vegetables are fork tender (approximately 45 minutes).  Serve with your favorite fresh bread and butter.