Great Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lb lean stew beef
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 Tbsp flour (I use Wondra)
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 3 cups hot water
• a few drops of Gravy Master
• 6 cups hot water
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• Old Bay Seasoning, salt, pepper, basil, thyme, rosemary, dill, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, and celery seed (start with 1/8 tsp, and add more after a test taste)
• 2 lb carrots, peeled, cut in chunks
• 1 turnip, peeled, cut in chunks
• parsnips, peeled, cut in chunks
• sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
• 3-4 onions, peeled, quartered
• cabbage wedge, sliced in shreds
• celery, chopped in chunks
• 2 Tbsp dry barley

Steps:

1. Start by heating olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot. Coat the meat in a little bit of flour and drop into the oil. Flip the meat around and getting it browned on all sides.
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2. Have ready a 3 cup measuring cup of hot water, onion soup and gravy master to pour right in, so your meat does not get too brown. Now your broth is started!
3. Add the remainder of hot water. Bring this to a rapid boil. Add the tomatoes.
4. Add all your seasonings. Stirring well.
5. Now, take 1 small piece of each vegetable, 1 potato, 1 piece of the turnip, 1 stalk of celery, 1 onion, etc. Using "Oscar" you will pulverize one of each piece, and put it in the pot. By doing this, it cooks into the soup and gives the stew a terrific flavor.



6. Then you can start peeling and cutting all the rest of your vegetables and putting them in bowls for when you are ready to put them in the stew. I put all my vegetables in about 1- 1 and 1/2 hours before serving.


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7. This helps give your stew a nice thick broth. Stirring at all times as the barley sticks to the bottom easily. I sometimes will take it off the burner, keep the lid on tight and let it stand and it continues to cook.
8. My stew takes about an hour prep time and about 4 hours cooking time! Feeds 4-8 people or more. Enjoy!