Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

When I felt like having beef stew for dinner, I was surprised to not find a blogpost with the recipe already here. Time to rectify that! Inspiration comes from here, but this is really a "from memory" recipe. I would have added celery if there was any in the refrigerator, but there wasn't, and that's okay. Sometimes I add green beans at the end, but this time it's green peas. If I knew our guests liked mushrooms, I would probably add some of those as well. However, you make it, enjoy!

Beef Stew

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds beef stew meat
• 3-4 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, and garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 onions, chopped
• 1/4-1/2 cup red wine, optional
• 6 cups beef broth
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (other seasonings as desired)
• 4-6 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4-6 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• Cornstarch slurry to thicken, if desired (2-3 tablespoons each cornstarch and water)
• 1 cup frozen green peas

Cut the beef into desired sized pieces. In a large bag or bowl, combine flour with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat oil in large pot. Dredge beef in flour mixture, then brown in oil. Add onions and cook for a few minutes. If desired, use red wine to deglaze the pan. Stir in beef broth, tomato paste and rosemary; simmer for an hour or so until the meat is tender. Add carrots and potatoes and cook until soft. Thicken with cornstarch slurry if desired, then stir in frozen peas. Heat through and serve warm.