Beef Stew **

From marthastewart.com

It's a beef stew night!  I used this recipe from Martha Stewert in my slow cooker.  

Ingredients

3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1/3 cup tomato paste

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound medium onions (about 2), cut into 1-inch chunks

1 pound small white or red new potatoes (about 6), well scrubbed, halved if large

1 pound carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths

6 garlic cloves, smashed

2 bay leaves

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a Dutch oven (5-quart) with a tight-fitting lid, combine beef, tomato paste, vinegar, and flour; season with salt and pepper.

2.  Add onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and, if desired, season with salt and pepper before serving.

* I just put everything in my slow cooker on high in the morning.  By the time I got home it was done.