Lazy person's quick and easy Winter Low-Carb Beef Stew

It's getting cold out and the shorter sunlight hours are wreaking havoc with my regular habits. By the time I get home from work -- after trudging down the hill from the subway station in the dark -- I just want to eat something, do an errand or two, and SLEEP.

To that end, I've been trying to prepare food early in the week that will be ready when I get home. Because I'm basically pathologically lazy. I prepared this recipe last night. I'm looking forward to eating this hearty stew when I get home tonight (and probably for the rest of the week!).

Winter Low-Carb Beef Stew

• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
• 8 large "button shaped" portabella mushrooms
• 1 bunch celery hearts
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 large onion
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 packets Goya beef boullion
• 8 cups water
• salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, cumin to taste

1.) Chop all vegetables into chunks and place in crockpot.

2.) Sprinkle boullion on top of vegetables.  
                 

3.) Using kitchen scissors (my favorite cooking implement!), cut the stew meat into chunks.  Remember, the beef will shrink as it cooks, so you don't want to make the chunks too small.

 

4.) Add water and spices and stir well. (You might be asking of the below photo -- where's the beef? Well, before the stew is cooked completely, the vegetables float and the meat sinks in the water!)



This whole process literally took 15 minutes. After I assembled the stew, I just put the lid on my crockpot and put it in the fridge.  Note: my crockpot base separates from the ceramic bowl, so I don't have to put the part of my crockpot that plugs into the wall into the refridgerator!

 

This morning before work, I took the stew out of the fridge, put the ceramic bowl ino the crockpot base, plugged it in and turned the dial to "Low."  When I come home (about 9 hours or so later), baby, I'll have a stew going!

I'll post pictures of the final product tomorrow.  [Edit- here it is!  Hearty, meaty and filling. The mushrooms are especially savory. I'm having leftovers for lunch today!]

I make this recipe fairly frequently in the winter.  It tastes better on the 3rd or 4th day, too!

Enjoy and stay warm!

-Alex