The Betty Crocker Project : Beef (less) Stew

Dear Soup Season, You are always welcome at our house! OX - Annie

What can I say about this stew? Well, in no particular order :

• This stew is the perfect Fall dinner, and makes a lot, so you can have leftovers for a few days.
• It's hearty and has warm flavors without getting too spicy. It has a nice rustic charm to it that made me wish the leaves outside were a little more red and orange.
• Like regular old "meaty" stew, this stew is even better the next day. The onion and "beefy" flavors really come out after the stew gets to sit for a bit, so I really suggest not eating it all in one meal. The next day you'll see what I mean. I was genuinely sad to see the bottom of my bowl the first night, but the next day it was like saying good-bye to a friend. OK I'm being dramatic today - but man it was good.
• You can get the same flavor from this stew in an hour that you would find in a pot of "beefy" stew that takes 4 hours to make, and no one was hurt in the making of this stew.
• Don't forget your bread! Soup just isn't soup without some good bread. Our Sunflower Seed Herb Whole Wheat Bread is just about perfect.

That should pretty much cover it... I mean, do you need to hear more? Go make some stew! Chop - chop! (That's soup making humor)


Beef Stew

• 1 Package Gardein Beef-Less Tips or Vegan Beef Flavored Seitan
• 1 Red Onion (sliced)
• 1 Bag Baby Carrots (8oz)
• 8 Red Potatoes (cut into chunks about the size of the Gardein Beef-less Tips)
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas
• 1 Can Diced Tomaotes
• 2 Cups Better Than Bouillon - Vegetable (made per instructions on the package)
• 1 Can Tomato Sauce (8oz)
• 1/3 Cup Nutritional Yeast or Whole Wheat Flour (the WWFlour will make it thicker; I like more broth so I went with the NY)
• 2 Tablespoon Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Teaspoon Braggs
• 1 Teaspoon Agave Nectar
• 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Marjoram Leaves
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Thyme Leaves
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Celery Seed
• 1 Teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
• Olive Oil Cooking Spray
• Black Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 325.

Spray a glass baking dish with Olive Oil Cooking Spray. Place the Potatoes in the dish skin-down. Then a layer of Baby Carrots, then Gardein, and then last layer should be Onion Slices. Then spray with more Olive Oil Cooking Spray. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the Onions and Gardein are brown. When you remove dish from the oven, separate the Gardein and Onions into a bowl and the Potatoes and Carrots into a Dutch oven.

Mix the remaining ingredients into the Dutch oven. Keep the Gardein and Onions separate for now. Be sure and stir it a few times to make sure the Herbs are mixed in. Put your Dutch oven with the lid on back into the oven and let simmer for another 30 minutes. Check on it and stir during that time once. Remove from heat and taste. This is when you can check to see if your vegetables are tender, and add more Braggs for salt or pepper if it's too bland. I add a few dashes of Black Pepper and put my Dutch oven back in for another 10 minutes because my Potatoes weren't right yet.

Then, mix in Onions and let simmer on your stove top for 10 minutes on a medium heat. This pot should make around 5-6 bowls of Stew. Separate your Gardein into how many servings you think you will want/have. I based mine our soup bowl size. To serve, put one serving of Gardein into your soup bowl and then with a ladle fill the bowl with Stew over the Gardein. This will reheat your Gardein and keep it from getting mushy in the broth.

When you go to out away your leftover Stew, store the Gardein separately.

Don't forget to enter our Shannons @ The Movies Contest! I mean, can you think of a easier way to win a Meet The Shannons Apron and a bunch of Vegan Goodies? I can't.