Beef Stew and More Beef Stew

Today you get two recipes. I've never been a huge fan of beef stew with the typical gravy-like broth. So I was happy when I discovered this recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that was my standard for many many years. It has a tomato-based broth.

Beef Stew
2 T flour
1 lb. stew beef
2 T oil
3 1/2 c vegetable juice cocktail
1/2 c chopped onion
2 t beef bouillion (except I usually use chicken because that is what I have around)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t basil
1/2 t thyme
2 c potatoes, cubed and peeled
2 c sliced carrots
1 c sliced celery

Shake flour over meat cubes to coat. In a large saucepan, brown meat half at a time, in hot oil. Add vegetable juice, onion, bouillion, garlic, basil, and thyme. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover, simmer 1 hour or til meat is nearly tender. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery. Cover and simmer 30 minutes more.

As I type this I am realizing I have only ever made this in the crockpot. Those instructions are to prepare and brown meat as above (sometimes I skip the browning). In the bottom of the crockpot layer onion, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Sprinkle with bouillion, garlic, basic, and thyme, add meat. Pour 2 1/2 c vegetable juice cocktail over meat. Cover, cook on low for 10-12 hours or until everything is tender. (I'm pretty sure I cook on high for probably half the time.)

Then about a year ago I had dinner at my friend Kaija's house and she made an AMAZING beef stew. Not your typical beef and potatoes, and nothing like brown gravy anywhere here. Seriously yum. I spent months drooling over my memories of this stew, and finally asked her for the recipe. When I made it, it didn't taste as good as hers, but probably because I'm not good at following recipes. I will never learn.

PROVENCALE BEEF STEW
2 lbs beef stew meat
6 TBSP olive oil/butter
31/2 TBSP flour
2 cups red cooking wine (I substituted grape juice since I didn't have wine, it worked pretty well)
1 cup beef broth
salt and pepper
1 onion -- diced
3 cloves garlic
1 16 oz can of tomatoes (or fresh)
pinch thyme
bay leaf (I omitted this since I'm not a huge fan)
3 red peppers, in strips
2 cans artichoke hearts (in water)
1/2 cup black olives (drained)
serve with (buttered and breaded) egg noodles

Brown meat in 2 TBSP butter/oil. Sprinkle with flour and cook for a few minutes to blend in the flour. Add 1 cup wine and beef broth. Add salt and pepper. Dislodge brown bits in pan and pour into crockpot.
In same pan, saute the onion and garlic in 2 TBSP butter/oil. Add tomatoes. Season with thyme and bay leaf. Put in crock pot.
In same pan, heat remaining 2 TBSP butter/oil. Saute red pepper strips, sprinkle with flour and cook 2 minutes. Add red wine (1 cup) slowly until thickens and blends. Add to crock pot.
Add artichokes and olives. Cover and cook!