Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 cups beef broth
• 4 cups sliced carrots
• 2 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 cup chopped fresh green beans
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

Coat beef with flour, shaking off excess. In a large nonstick stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat, add beef and saute until brown, approximately 6 minutes. Remove beef from stock pot and set aside.

Add onions and mushrooms to stock pot and saute for 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute, continually stirring.

Skim off fat any fat from the stock pot and return cooked beef to pot; stir in tomato paste and broth. Add enough water to just cover ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Skim off any foam that has accumulated on the surface of stew and add carrots, potatoes and green beans. Cover partially and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water. Stir mixture into stew. Increase heat and boil uncovered for 1 minute. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.