Comfort Food ala Quatre

01/25/2011 I have edited this post to link up with Randi for the Recipe Box Swap.

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Really this should be part five, because this is the fifth Friday this month, but I was a slacker sick last week and didn't link up with FringeGirl, actually she didn't put up a linky thing because apparently blogland is full of slackers and I was almost the only one who participated in her Comfort Food carnival.

Anyhoo.

It has snowed twice this week and been really cold so we have been having a lot of soup, tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, etc.  I'll spare you the recipe on those, besides I think you all know how to use a can opener.  We did make potato soup with bacon from scratch, but that's a recipe for another post.

Here's today's recipe.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

1 1/2 to 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces if needed
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices (2 cups)
3 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (3 cups)
1 large onion, cut into 1 inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
1 medium stalk celery, cut into 1 inch pieces (1 cup)
2 1/2 to 3 cups water*
1 package McCormick's Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew Seasoning
1/3 cup uncooked pearl barley (optional)
Splash of Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper

 1. Prepare all your ingredients, chop all your vegs, put meat in ziploc baggie sprinkle with salt, pepper then coat with seasoning packet.

2. Dump everything in the crock pot along with the water and a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce, cover with lid, set crock pot on low then walk away.

3.  Come back 8 to 10 hours later stir, serve and enjoy.

Now wasn't that easy.  Delicious even, oh and the aroma, to die for.

*If you want your stew a little thicker than mine, more like a gravy use 2 1/2 cups of water and add 3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca.  "Because tapioca is one of the few thickeners that does not break down during long, slow cooking, it can be added at the beginning of the cooking time.  Thickeners such as flour and cornstarch are best added at the end of the cooking time."  I picked up this little tidbit from a slow cooker recipe book, that I got from our local grocer.

If you need more comfort hop on over to the domestic fringe and see what else is cookin'.