Beef Stew with Orzo or Stroganoff Stew

2 cups cut up beef – could be chuck steak or stew meat

1 cup flour

Salt

Pepper

Beef bouillon

Carrots

Parsnips

1 Onion

3 cloves garlic

¼ cup safflower or olive oil

1 cup sour cream

Thyme

Parsley

½ cup orzo

Step 1 - Put 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons pepper and 1 cup flour into a flat baking dish and mix until the salt and pepper are evenly distributed. Pour in cubed beef and coat the cubes with the flour mixture; then put them in a skillet with about 3 tablespoons of oil. (Save the remaining flour in a glass container.) Sauté until the beef cubes are slightly golden on the outside. They do not have to be cooked through.

Step 2 – Put the sautéed beef cubes into cooking pot with about 3 quarts of water and the beef bouillon. Bring to a boil; then simmer for 2 – 3 hours or until the beef is tender and flaky.

Step 3 - While the beef is simmering, sauté the onion and garlic and add them to the beef.

Cut up the potatoes, parsnips, and carrots into approximately half inch cubes.

Add a cup of water and 1 cup sour cream to the remaining flour and mix together. This can sit in the refrigerator until needed.

Step 4 – When the beef is thoroughly cooked, add the cut up vegetables and continue to simmer for about ½ hour. Add seasonings: parsley, thyme, salt, pepper. Add water if neeeded. 

Step 5 – Add the orzo and continue to simmer slowly until the orzo is soft.

Step 6 – Add the flour and sour cream mixture, and stir until the stew is an even consistency.

Add more spices if necessary. If the stew is too pale for you, add some browning liquid, such as Kitchen Bouquet to get it back to a brown color. You may also need to add more water, depending on how thick you want your stew.

Serve with bread and salad for dinner or all by itself for a hearty lunch. Worry about calories some other day!

The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.   Blaise Pascal