Don't Stew About It!!!

Is it really Fall? Is that cool air I'm feeling? It could just be that we might, just might, get a little cool weather here in sweltering California! Today I made a heart warming, sweater weather, gramma approved beef & mushroom stew! It was even more delicious that I thought it would be!!!! Break out your best soup pot and get cooking people! You can thank me later!!!

Mushroom & Beef Stew
Serves 4-6

1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1.5 lb. stewing beef
1 lg onion, diced
2 stalk celery, diced
1 lb. button mushrooms, quartered
2 portobello mushroom heads, rough chopped
1/2 c. cabernet sauvignon
4 lg carrots, peeled and sliced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried rosemary
pinch of saffron
4 c. beef broth
salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium high heat in a large soup pot. Salt & pepper the beef and brown it on both sides. Remove from pan & set aside. Saute onions & celery in soup pot until tender. Remove from pan & set aside. Add a bit more oil and then cook the mushrooms all at once until reduced by about half the volume. Remove from pan (keep the juice too!!!) & set aside.
2. Pour wine into pan and deglaze but scrapping up all the delicious brown bits!
3. Add everything, including any drippings that have accumulated, back into the pot! Add in your beef broth, bay leaf, rosemary and saffron. Bring to a boil. Add carrots. Stir and bring to a boil once more. Reduce heat to simmer and simmer for at least an hour. I let mine simmer away all day and it was glorious! Taste for salt & pepper and add what you need.
4. Serve over a bed of warm grits or polenta or bake up a bunch of mile high biscuits! Enjoy!!!