Homemade Beef Stew

Making beef stew from scratch is easier than it looks, and it tastes a heck of a lot better than anything that comes in a cup with a peel-off lid and/or anything that rhymes with Schminty Door. Here's a recipe for a homemade beef stew that has so many nutrients, you may actually think it's too healthy.

Homemade Vegetable Beef Stew

2 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt /1 tsp. black pepper or seasoned salt to taste
1 lb. stew-cut beef
1/4 cup flour
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup beef stock or beef broth 
2 cups vegetable juice
2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 potatoes, cut into wedges (no peeling necessary)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
1 cup fresh corn, removed from the cob - do not discard cob
1-2 cups vegetables of your choice (suggestions: frozen spinach thawed, cut zucchini/yellow squash, or trimmed and cut green beans)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 8 oz. can stewed tomatoes or 1 large fresh tomato, chopped
1 bay leaf

Heat olive oil in a soup pot or stock pot over medium heat. Season beef with salt/pepper mixture or seasoned salt. Place beef in plastic freezer bag and add flour, shaking to coat thoroughly. Add flour-dredged beef to heated oil; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until browned. Add beef stock to deglaze, stir. Add vegetable juice and Worcestershire sauce.

Cover and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 3 minutes to encourage thickening. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, corn, spinach/zucchini/green beans, peas and tomatoes. Return pot to a boil. Place corn cob directly in center of pot (this will act as a thickening agent and add flavor). Add bay leaf. Reduce heat and simmer with lid tilted for 2 hours or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Remove corn cob and bay leaf.

Then, enjoy the vitamin-packed goodness of your homemade vegetable beef stew.