One Hour Beef Stew

Ever come home from work and want the comforting taste of a good old-fashioned stew? You don't have to wait for the weekend. A good quality meat is important so the stew cooks quickly. Of course, it's better when simmered for three hours but even one hour's cooking will produce a satisfying stew when prepared this way.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  cloves garlic
• 1  medium onion
• 2  stalks celery
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 lbs beef round steak or 1 1⁄2 lbs  sirloin
• 2  teaspoons tomato paste
• 1  teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped or 1⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  tablespoon fresh parsley, roughly chopped
•  salt and pepper
• 2  cups  beef stock
• 1  cup red wine
• 1 1⁄2 cups  sliced carrots
• 10  small  new baby red potatoes, whole,unpeeled
• 1  cup  frozen peas
• 2  teaspoons potato starch or 2  teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Roughly chop garlic, onion and celery and then chop in a food processor; cut beef into small, 3/4 inch cubes or cut into strips, the size of index finger; heat oil in a Dutch oven and saute beef until browned.
2. Add chopped vegetables from food processor, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper; stir well to mix; add stock and wine and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.
3. While meat is simmering, boil carrots and potatoes until tender-crisp, 5-10 minutes; drain and add to stew; add peas; the entire cooking time for the stew is 45 minutes; if stew is too thin, dissolve starch in 1 T cold water and whisk into stew; simmer 2-3 minutes and serve.