CrockPot Azorean Spiced Beef Stew

When I think of beef stew I think of fall/winter, cold nights, fires roaring, snuggle blankets, movies, my mom.......but I digress.  I suppose what I'm trying to tell you is I love me some beef stew.  When I came upon this recipe, it sounded familiar yet so different...I had to try it.



Yet again, here is how I changed it up

• 1-2 lb beef chuck stew meat
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
• 2 potatoes, chopped in 1 inch chunks ( I used our homegrown red potatoes, yay!)
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters, or 2 large chopped tomatoes (more stuff from our garden!)
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 T kosher salt
• 1/2 T red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp all spice
• 1 bay leaf
•  1 tsp cumin
• 2 cinnamon sticks

1. Put the meat into your crockpot. Frozen meat works, just will take a little longer to cook.
2. Add the broth.
3. Chop up the tomatoes, potatoes, green onion, and garlic. Throw it in.
4. Stir in the salt, red pepper, all spice and cumin. Float the bay leaf on top and add 2 cinnamon sticks.
5. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for about 6.

Serve in big bowls while sitting near the fire and enjoying some quality couch time.
Also good over egg noodles!