Hearty Beef Stew

Sometimes, cooking in the winter is hard around here. I would eat soup for dinner several times a week, but a couple of times a month is stretching it for Weston. He prefers heavier fair like steak and pork chops. This is a great way for us to compromise. I get soup and bread, he gets his steak and potatoes. (And it's a sneaky way for me to force him to eat his veggies. But don't tell him I told you that.)

I like to serve this with savory rosemary bread or crusty rustic rolls. If you don't go with the rosemary bread, add a dash of rosemary to the stew. It just brightens it up a little more.

1 pound sirloin tip steak, cubed (see note)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons olive oil (see note)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 cups beef stock

2 cups water

1 onion, finely diced

1/4 teaspoon paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

3 carrots, chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup frozen peas

Note: Choose whole sirloin tip steaks over ones that have been cut into small pieces for stir-fries. If sirloin tip steaks are unavailable, substitute blade or flank steak, removing any hard gristle or excess fat. Also, use regular olive oil over evoo when browning the meat. It has a higher smoking point than evoo.

1. Dredge beef in flour and then, in a medium stock pot, brown beef on all sides in oil. Add salt, pepper, water, stock, onion, paprika, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until meat is tender.

2. Add carrots and potatoes and simmer for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

3. Add 1 tablespoon flour and mix to thicken the stew. After mixing, let sit for a few minutes to thicken. If not to desired thickness, add more flour or cornstarch and repeat.

4. Once thickened, add corn and peas to stew. Heat for 5 minutes more and serve.