Another recipie from the Cooking for A Cure cookbook.

1/3 C Olive Oil
2 lbs. Lean braising steak, cut into small dice
1 Large onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, chopped
8 oz. Button mushrooms
1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and diced
1 Tbsp chopped Fresh Thyme
1 Tbsp chopped Fresh Rosemary
2 Tbsp Seasoned All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
2/3 C Beer
14 oz can Chopped Tomatoes
2 Bay Leaves
1 C Beef Stock
1/2 C Pine Nuts
1/3 C Raisins

Preheat slow cooker on High while peparing ingredients. Heat half the oil in a non-stick skillet and fry meat over a medium heat 4 or 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer beef to cooking pot. Heat remaining oil in pan and saute onion, garlic, mushrooms, bell pepper, thyme and rosemary for 5 minutes. Stir in flour, paprika, and cinnamon and cook 1 minute, stirring. Stir in beer, then add tomatoes, bay leaves, and stock and bring to a boil, stirring. Pour over beef in cooking pot and stir to mix. Cover, reduce the temperature to low and cook 7 to 9 hours. Stir in pine nuts and raisins, cover and cook on Low and additional 1 to 2 hours or until beef is cooked and tender.

Slow cooker recipes are always a plus in our book, because we can put it together in the morning, and come home to food that's ready to eat, and an apartment that smells fantastic. This recipe is no exception. In fact, while good, I think it smelled better than it tasted. I thought the beef was overcooked, but Nicole did not. (Of course, i tend to order meat rare... like chase-a-cow-past-a-grill-then-cut-it-up rare) It was not bad by any stretch, but not excellent. With as many recipies as we have, it has to be a little better than this to get many repeats. Also, the rosemary, thyme, and pine nuts make it more expensive than it deserves to be. That might be different if we grew our own herbs (something we're planning on trying to do soon).

Sorry, no picture for today.