The Stew Pot

I was hungry for pot roast, not the kind my mom used to make - well kind of but without the roast part. As a kid I loved the carrots, onion and potatoes that come with a pot roast especially after they have soaked up the juices from the meat and have a nice brown color. 

I knew there had to be an another way to get all the goodness from the veggies without cooking a big roast. And since book club was on the horizon and we were gathering at my house I decided to give it a try - I mean what’s a little experimentation among friends right? 

I scoured Pinterest for a while and then decided to go it on my own - I turned out pretty well and I got 2 requests for the recipe so I take that as an endorsement of the end result. 

Ingredients:

2 medium onions - chopped

3 - 4 stalks of celery - cut into 3/4 inch pieces

4 - 5 medium carrots - cut into 3/4 inch pieces

2 lbs of yukon gold potatoes - cut into 1 inch cubes

16 ounces baby portabella mushrooms - quartered

1 1/2 cups green peas (I used frozen - thaw before using)

6 cloves garlic

6 cups water

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 Tbsp Italian herb mixture

1 Tbsp paprika

2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

handful of chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large soup pot on high with 1 tablespoon of water. When the water begins to sputter, add the onion, celery, and carrot, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently as the edges of the onion browns slightly, and adding a little water as needed to prevent sticking.

Stir in the mushrooms and garlic, and continue to cook while stirring for an additional 5 minutes, adding water as needed.

Add the 6 cups of water, potatoes, tomato paste, dried Italian herbs, and paprika. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a low boil. Stir in the rosemary and cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peas, and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the carrots and potatoes are tender.

Place 2 cups of the stew (broth and vegetables) into a blender, and blend under very smooth. Stir this back into the pot to thicken the stew, and stir in the parsley. Serve with a few twists of ground black pepper.

We enjoyed the leftovers for dinner the next evening and I made a loaf of Guinness and honey bread the recipe is here. We cooked up an additional onion, more mushrooms and tossed in some Gardein “beef” strips - it was fabulous. 

My next attempt will be for movie night but I’m planning to decrease the yukon gold potatoes to 1 pound and add turnips and since it will be St Paddy’s Day I’ll most likely include the Guinness bread - can’t wait.