Mediterranean Beef Stew

This is an entirely homemade recipe made with left-overs and overlooked veggies I found in my fridge.

                                                You will need:

250-300g of Beef

(Chuck or Round as you want a nicely marbled piece, if you don't know these terms feel free to look them up here: "Cuts of Beef" .)

1 piece of tail  

(LOL! basically you want to add a bone to the mix to give it more flavor).

1 Fennel root

2 Garlic cloves

2 Yellow onions

1 zucchini

4-5 Brown mushrooms (Big ones!)

1 Leek
1/2 Vegetable bouillon cube

1 big can of whole marzano tomatoes in their juice

1 Twig of fresh rosmary

2 tbsp. of Extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. of brown sugar

Salt

Pepper

Ok you got everything? Can we start?

Wonderful, let's get cookin'!

First you want to get out one of your medium to big sized sauce/soup pot. Is it out? Good.

Then get out the chopping board, knives, hankerchief cause you might shed some tears on that one.

Crush your two garlic cloves and put them in your pot on medium heat with the two table spoons of EVOO.

Then cut your two onion in half inch wedges and throw them uncaringly in the pot.

(I told you this recipe is EASY!) Add to that the twig of fresh rosmary to let all the wonderful flavors mix together. Add your fennel root chopped in half inch wedges as well. Make those onions and fennel wedges sweat and glisten but don't let them burn.

Add the piece of beef tail and the beef piece WHOLE in the pot. Add to that 1 1/2 cup of water and your 1/2 veggie bouillon cube. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes on medium heat. Ok, now it's time to add the leek which you have cut in 1 inch pieces right? No? Well it doesn't matter, you can do it now.

Keep in mind, easyyy...

You've added the leek now? Ok. Next we're going to add the chopped zucchini to the pot.

Cover and let simmer on low heat for a good 5-8 minutes again with the added vegetables.

Go check on your meat, pull it, and it alone, out of the pot and onto your chopping board.

With a big knife slice a big cut in the middle of your piece of meat,WITHOUT cutting it into two seperate pieces! Ok now put it all back in the pot. Open your can of tomatoes and add those as is, in the pot.

Add to this some pepper and salt to taste, as well as the table spoon of sugar to remove some of the acidity of the tomatoes. Cover partially and let simmer quietly for about 10 minutes.

You can serve this dish with rice, wheat, quinoa, polenta and many other sides like potatoes or even a salad.

As a last step which is optional, I personally cut my stew in bite sized pieces as it makes it easier to serve it in plates.

Bon Appétit!