Vegetarian 'Beef' Stew with Red Wine ~ Meatless Monday

Earlier in the month, I shared my Vegetarian Irish Pub 'Beef' Stew recipe ~ perfect for a wintry night.  Well, I know it's now officially spring, but Old Man Winter refuses to go quietly.  Here in the Midwest, today we are set to break a 100 year old record for this forecasted  6"-9" of accumulating snow.  What a really late season snow storm!  So, I decided since the weather merits a warming meal, that I might as well share another way I enjoy making a meatless stew.  Sometimes, I serve this as just a 'beef' stew, along with a loaf of crusty french bread.  But, sometimes I serve it as... 

 ...a 'beef' stew with dumplings.  Comfort food at its meatless best.  For the dumplings I just follow the directions on the back of the Heart Healthy Bisquick box and then add a few extra spices to jazz it up.  (adding dumplings is also a great way to change up any leftover stew to make it into a slightly different meal for another night)  Either way its made, it's great for a cold and blustery night, no matter what time of year. 

Vegetarian 'Beef' Stew with Red Wine
makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups broth (veggie or vegetarian mock beef)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 4 cups large diced potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups TVP beef chunks (re-hydrated according to directions or prepackaged ready-to-eat)
•  1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tsps Kitchen Bouquet (adds additional rich brown color & flavor to the broth/gravy ~ optional)
• 1 tsp instant coffee, mixed in 1 Tbsp hot water (until dissolved)
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp cold water
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

In a large pot, bring first 13 ingredients (broth - bay leaf) to a boil, stirring well to incorporate all seasonings.  Once broth boils, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

After the veggies are soft, combine cornstarch and cold water until it forms a smooth slurry, pour into the stew and stir well.  Add the TVP 'beef' chunks, thawed frozen peas, instant coffee liquid and Kitchen Bouquet.  Bring back up to a boil, stirring constantly so broth will thicken into a smooth gravy.   Boil for one minute, then remove from heat. *  Taste, then add salt and pepper, as desired.  Enjoy!

*(if you want to serve the stew with dumplings, add the dumplings at this point & following box directions for mixing/cooking dumplings ~ add a little extra broth if needed to simmer the dumplings)