VAL'S CROCKPOT BEEF STEW Recipe; Coalinga-CA

I like stew - it doesn't matter what season it is 😊 And I like no-fuss cooking: my slow cooker crockpot is my best friend in the kitchen 👌

Today, I added some extra's … the Lowry's seasoning packet, because my husband is partial to it; I added purslane for the healthy benefits imparted, and bacon grease & dried orange peel for an interesting flavor 😉

This stew is very easy to pull together, and cooked in the slow cooker crockpot, will fill your home with a warm and cozy atmosphere. I like my stew "as is" - but it also pairs well with cornbread, biscuits, butter horns, or slices of buttered bread 👍

Val's Crockpot Beef Stew ~makes 5 or 6 servings

1 pound Beef cubes * 2 TBSP Bacon Grease * 3 med. Potatoes, cut into 1½ -inch pieces * 2 large Carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces * 1 medium Green Bell Pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces * 2 medium stalks Celery, cut into 1-inch * 1 c. Peas * handful of small Bulb Onions, sliced from green stems & left whole * about 4 stems of leafy Purslane, sliced * ½ teaspoon Himalayan Salt * 1/8 teaspoon ground Black Pepper * 1 tsp. Orange peel, grated & dried * 1 Bay Leaf * 1 pkt. Lawry's Beef Stew Spices & Seasonings dry mix * 3 cup hot Water * 2 TBSP Butter * 1 Lrg. Crockpot (8-10 qt., oval) * 1 Lrg. Skillet * 1 Lrg. Cooking Spoon, slotted * 1 Lrg. Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup

Bay Leaf, broken & placed into a tea ball; Orange Peel; small grated & dried.

Stew Ingredients.

1) Prepare vegetables & purslane; place in the slow cooker crockpot.

Vegetables ready for the crockpot …

2) In a large skillet, cook and stir beef cubes in bacon grease, until beef is browned.

Bacon grease - with nicely browned pieces.

Searing the beef cubes, in the bacon grease.

Add browned beef - with accumulated drippings, to the vegetable medley.

Add beef cubes … with accumulated drippings, to veggies in crockpot.

3) Slice butter & add to crockpot.

Add butter slices to crockpot mixture.

4) In the Pyrex measuring cup, blend together the water, seasoning packet, salt, pepper, & orange peel: blend well and pour over mixture in crockpot. Add tea ball with bay leaf.

Blend water with the stew seasoning pkt. & pour over crockpot mixture.

Stir to blend thoroughly; add bay leaf in tea ball.

5) Place lid over crockpot - set temperature at HIGH until mixture boils (about 1-1/2 hrs.) … then reduce heat to LOW, and continue cooking for an additional 4 or 5 hours (or until veggies are fork tender).

Place lid over crockpot; cook for 6 hours.

YUM!