Fair Trade Red Eye Beef Stew

Put some pep in your dinner! Before turkey steals the spotlight at Thanksgiving, give beef a chance. A few spoonfuls of this stew will perk you right up. Recipe tip: Caffeine does not “cook out”  like alcohol does, so use decaf coffee in your stew if you avoid caffeine in the evening.

Adapted from Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner. We added some of our favorite seasonal root vegetables and substituted fair trade ingredients.

Fair Trade Red Eye Beef Stew

Ingredients:
2-1/2 pounds beef Shoulder Roast Boneless or Bottom Round Roast , cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fair trade olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, chopped
2-1/2 cups brewed fair trade coffee
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons fair trade molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 softball-sized celery root, chopped + 4 small turnips, chopped
8 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, cut in half
1-1/2 cups baby carrots

How to make the stew:

• Combine flour, thyme and pepper. Reserve 3 tablespoons flour mixture. Lightly coat beef with remaining flour mixture.
• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Brown half of beef; remove from pot. Repeat with 2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef. Remove beef from pot. Season with salt.
• Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and onion to pot; cook and stir to 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add coffee; increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until browned bits attached to stockpot are dissolved. Stir in tomato paste, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and reserved flour mixture. Return beef and accumulated juices to pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1-1/2 hours.
• Add root vegetables, mushrooms, and carrots to stockpot; return to simmer. Continue simmering, covered, 25 to 30 minutes or until beef and vegetables are fork-tender.
• Serve with crusty bread, or over noodles or fair trade rice.