Spicy Braised Beef Stew

Cold, rainy nights always make me want to curl up and read a book. Ok, who am I kidding. I haven't read a book in who knows how long (something that I am ashamed of and am planning to rectify with a new library card soon), but this type of weather does make me want to curl up on the couch and play a video game or watch a movie and enjoy a big hearty bowl of soup.

This recipe is very chunky and made for those who want a warm, hearty meal on a cold night. The spicy flavor will be sure to keep you toasty and warm while the meat and vegetables will fill you right up. Serve with some sour cream and grated cheese on top and a bread roll for dipping. Enjoy!

• 7 ounces Rib-eye Steak (cubed)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper (diced)
• 1 package French Onion Soup Mix
• 1/4 cup diced Onion
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 cups Beef Broth
• 10 ounce can Diced Tomatoes with Chilies
• 1 Poblano Pepper
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper (diced)
• 1 Potato (peeled and diced)
• 1 Carrot (sliced)
• 1 cup Water
• 1/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne
• 1 Tbsp Garlic
• 1 tsp Cilantro
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Crushed Red Peppers
• 1 cup Corn (you can use canned corn or cut it straight off from the cob yourself)
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• 1 tsp Cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp Cream Cheese

Step 1: First, char the poblano by either placing it on a grill, over a gas stove, or broiling it in the oven. Once the skin is black, set aside to let cool for a minute. As soon as you can handle the pepper, place it under cool running water and wash away the blackened skin. Once the skin has been washed off, slice open the pepper, remove the seeds, and then dice the pepper. Set aside.

Step 2: Over medium heat, place the butter and olive oil and cook in a saucepan until butter has melted. Then place the onions in the pan and saute until soft however not quite translucent in color yet. Place beef in the pan and cook until all sides of the cubes are brown.

Step 3: Once steak is browned, add in the beef broth, water, soup mix, garlic, jalapeno, and poblano to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

Step 4: After 30 minutes, uncover the saucepan, return heat to medium heat, and stir. Then add in the potato, bell pepper, corn, carrot, cream cheese, diced tomatoes with chilies, paprika, flour, cornstarch, cilantro, black pepper, chili powder, and crushed red pepper. Stir until everything is evenly mixed and mixture is bubbling. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every so often to keep food from sticking to a pan.

Step 5: Cook until time has passed, turn off heat, let sit for a minute or two to let things thicken up, then serve! Enjoy!

Yield: 4-6 servings, depending on your portions.