Fall Beef Stew

I have the breeze blowing in my house, fall spiced candles on and the scent of stew permeating the air. My husband would say there is no better day, and I would have to agree. As i have said in previous posts, I love fall!! I love Pumpkin Spiced coffee (the brewed one, not the syrup; forever the dietitian), I love apple picking and all the soups and stews that come along with the cooler weather. I know many people feel that spring is the season of renewal but I feel that fall has a touch of that as well.

Fall brings with it soups and stews and one of my favorite stews is a classic beef stew. Of course it is gluten free in my house. By just changing the flour you can make it non-gluten free or paleo by adding coconut flour instead and using a different thickening agent.

Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 3 pounds stew meat
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• ¼ cup Gluten free flour
• 4 stalks celery
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion diced
• 1 parsnip diced
• 4 potatoes diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 bunch thyme
• 4 sage leaves

First things first lets brown the meat!I Add ¼ cup GF flour to a ziplock bag and place the stew meat in. You could get the meat already chopped up but most of the time I find it cheaper to get your own steak and chop it up yourself.

Once meat is in the bag, shake shake shake! Have your kiddies help! I like to brown the meat because it will prevent it from just falling apart in the pot. Next, while the meat is browning chop those veggies! I add parsnips for an additional flavor (I really love the taste of parsnips!).

After meat is browned remove and set aside. Next, add your veggies to the pot, and saute for about 5 minutes. After veggies have been cooked, add 4 cups of beef broth and meat back to pot. Cook on medium to low heat for 1 ½ hours. Add fresh sage and thyme and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Lastly make a cornstarch slurry with equal part liquid from stew and corn starch. Add that to the pot and let thicken about 2-5 minutes. Serve and Enjoy.

My son loved this dish so much he asked to bring it to school the next day! This is best served around the dinner table with family let them soak in the aroma, taste the deliciousness of the dish and let the conversation flow.