Baby It's Cold Outside!

It was a cold and rainy day, perfect for some stew! I made a big pot of this stew to pack for lunch the rest of the week.

Beef & Vegetable Stew

1 lb lean beef for stew
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 (15 ounce) cans beef broth
8 ounces fresh green beans
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium zucchini, peeled and diced
1/4 cup frozen corn
bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
2 Tablespoons corn starch

In a medium to large pot, heat 1/2 tsp olive oil; brown beef, onion and garlic. Add broth, tomatoes, veggies and seasonings. Bring to a boil; simmer, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to 30 minutes. Mix corn starch with small amount of cold water and add to pot. Let boil for a few minutes until thickened. Discard bay leaf, serve.

Cheatin' Slow Cooker Cacciatore

Another long Monday for both of us was wrapped up with a hot bowl of a cacciatore-like slow cooked chicken stew. Scott even brought home and heated up some crusty, roasted garlic-stuffed artisan bread, which was great to soak up the left over broth and juice.

Super Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in half)
2 14.5 oz cans of Italian style stewed tomatoes (w/garlic, onion, & oregano)
1 lb mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

Toss everything in the crock pot and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Voila!

Verly Loosely Adapted from Martha Stewart