Azorean Beef Stew

I have a sentimental attachment to beef stew.  My mom used to make a steak soup (a favorite of my dad's) when I was a kid, my father-in-law makes the most delicious beef stew and when I got married I spent many winter Sunday afternoons and evenings making beef stew. Nostalgia at it's finest!  Last winter I found this recipe for Azorean beef stew on a blog I follow and I knew I needed to try a new twist on a classic! If you have never heard of the Azores it is a group of islands about 850 miles west of Portugal and is known for it's livestock ranching, dairy farming (particularly for cheese and butter) and fishing. Azorean food is characterized by it's rich, hearty and peasant based style of cuisine, like this spicy beef stew. The spicy characteristics of this stew include crushed red pepper, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg.  Each one brings it own flavor profile to the stew.  The crushed red pepper being the hot spicy element, the cinnamon sticks are warm spicy and the allspice is pungent and sweet! You'll find all the familiar elements that you love in beef stew here as well; beef, carrots, potatoes, garlic, onion and bay leaves.  The best part is, as this simmers in your crock pot all day your house is overwhelmed with the most amazing aroma. Cinnamon, beef, garlic! It all works and is worth the wait! I serve this with crusty bread and butter for dipping in the stew (and for sopping up every last bit of broth). Leftovers of this stew will sit and taste even better the next day, your house will still smell amazing and you will have a day off from cooking!  That, my friends, is the mark of a good recipe!

Azorean Beef Stew (adapted from crockpot365.blogspot.com)

2 lb. cubed beef stew meat
1 lb. baby carrots
1 1/2 lb. yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
4 green onions, sliced
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
3 T. salt (I know it sounds like a lot but this is a lot of stew!)
1 t. crushed red pepper
2 t. cumin
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 t. allspice
6 c. low sodium beef broth

Place all ingredients in a 6 qt. slow cooker and stir to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.  

8 servings (232 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com