One-Pot Hearty Grass-Fed Beef Stew

• 3 tablespoons whole grain flour
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• 8-10 ounces grass-fed stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into thick wedges
• 4 carrots, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 3 small red potatoes, quartered
• 2 celery stalks, in ½ inch dice
• 3-4 button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 cup string beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 cups beef or chicken stock (can use water)
• ½ cup red wine
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Preparation:

• Put flour into a large plastic baggie
• Season with a couple of pinches of sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper
• Drop the beef chunks into the baggie and coat evenly with flour
• In a soup pot, heat oil and sauté beef 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned
• Add onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, mushrooms, stringbeans, stock, wine, thyme and ½ teaspoon seal salt
• Bring to a boil
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 45-50 minutes

Slow Cooker Preparation:

• Put all ingredients, except seasoned flour into slow cooker, using 1½ cups of stock instead of 3
• Cover and cook on low temperature for 9 hours, or high temperature for 4½ hours
• One half hour before cooking finishes, combine seasoned flour with a small amount of water (2-3 tablespoons) and add to the liquid in the slow cooker
• Cover and finish cooking until the liquid thickens

Seasonal Recommendation:

During the winter months or in colder weather, replace celery with chopped parsnips, and replace stringbeans with one or two turnips or rutabaga, diced