Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

Here's one I made the other day that I swear you guys will love. I substituted the potatoes in the stew for butternut squash. I admit I was pretty leery about it and thought it would give the stew a totally weird taste. But, the squash blends right in and you don't even realize you are eating a veggie in place of a starch.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (use 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary if you don't have fresh)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme)
2 pounds of stew meat cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup Marsala wine
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup chopped carrots
3 to 4 cups of beef broth

In a large stock pot heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Saute until the onions are tender, about 2 minutes. Toss the beef cubes in salt, pepper and flour. Turn up the heat to medium high and add the beef to the pot. Cook until the beef is browned and golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the marsala wine. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add enough beef broth just to cover whats in the pot. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours (you might need to add more broth during the cooking process if you would like to cook your stew longer to tenderize your meet more). Add carrots, and butternut squash and simmer until tender, about 20-30 min. Season the stew with additional salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!!! - J