Mad Props Beef Stew

Dr. Disenchanted’s Mad Props Beef Stew: Buy a big ass slow cooker, take it home, wash it, and turn it on high. Be sure to plug it in. Put 1/2 stick butter in the bottom of the pot so it can start to melt. Put in beef tips to cover the bottom of the pot. I use a family pak, but then The Coach eats my slower cooker meals all week for lunch, so this will make about 8-10 servings, give or take. Apply a little sea salt and a lot of cracked black pepper (as fresh as possible). Rough chop a bunch of sweet bell peppers; I had small/mini peppers so I used three green peppers, two orange peppers, two red peppers, and three yellow peppers. I suspect that two good sized peppers would do for most people. Add the peppers to the pot. Then, chop up a couple of sweet onions; I make them really chunky because a stew is supposed to be chunky. Add the peppers to the pot. Next, you add some carrots to the pot. Now, I am lazy, so I buy organic carrot chips and put a thick layer over the top of everything that’s already in the pot. Next up: potatoes. Again, I’m lazy, so I use red or fingerling potatoes because you don’t have to peel them and they don’t get all mushy in the slow cooker. I used 10 medium sized red potatoes because that’s what fit in my pot.

Now, you need to add some liquid. I added a quart of Swanson’s organic vegetable broth and a big container of Red Gold Tomato Juice. I threw in 3 organic bay leaves (pick these out before you serve) and some dried Greek oregano that I picked a few weeks ago. I added more cracked black pepper then I went outside and cut a handful of sweet marjoram to add to the pot because marjoram goes well with tomato flavors.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and be prepared for your house to smell amazing. Let it cook until the meat is tender and the potatoes are fork-friendly. The timing depends on your slow cooker. Oh, and if you want it to be a little thicker, add some tomato paste to the pot about an hour before serving. I use a squirt of this sun-dried tomato paste that comes in a tube (and that I have to drive 90 minutes to buy at Whole Foods, so I use it sparingly!)

Eat with crusty bread and a pretty dessert. We’re having coconut cream pie. Wanta’ know how I made that? It’s below the break …

Dr. Disenchanted’s Coconut Cream Pie: Go to grocery store. Buy frozen coconut cream pie. Thaw. Eat. {Snort!}