Peas and Carrots go so well together like cookies and cream or hummus and pita!!! This stew can be prepared in stages especially cooking the meat. I usually buy tender stew meat from Costco (family size) and cook all of it at once then distribute the meat into different freezer containers. Whenever I want to prepare any kind of stew, my meal will not take more than 20 minutes from beginning to end. This makes life easier and more organized! I like to prepare this recipe with stew meat rather than minced meat. It is what you prefer and the process is the same. If you can find fresh peas, by all means go for it otherwise use frozen ones like I did here. For vegetarians, just omit the meat altogether. Serve with rice and enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound stew meat
- 1 pound fresh ripe tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)
- 2 pounds frozen peas
- 1 pound frozen carrots
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 3 cups boiling water for the tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil to cook the cilantro and garlic in
- 1 cup boiling water
Method:
- Boil 3 cups of water and place in a bowl.
- Make an “X” sign on the bottom of each fresh tomato piece and drop all of them in hot water. Keep them for 1 minute.
- With a slotted spoon, get the fresh tomatoes out of the hot water bowl, one at a time, and with the tip of your knife take the skin off that will come off easily. Repeat the process with the remaining tomatoes. Dice and set aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent.
- Drop the meat over the onion and stir fry till browned. Add enough boiling water to cover the meat, cover the pot and cook till it is tender. (I use a pressure cooker at this stage to save time).
- Once the meat is fully cooked, add 1 cup boiling water and drop the frozen peas, carrots, chopped tomatoes, salt and spices. Adjust seasonings to your liking.
- In a saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the minced garlic and chopped cilantro.
- Saute for a couple minutes then drop this mixture over the stew pot.
- Cover the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes or till the peas and carrots are tender.
- Serve with white rice with vermicelli. (Recipe to follow)
Bon Appetit