Mom always canned tomatoes in the summer and used the juice for chili, soups and sauces. I have been canning for 30 years myself and home made tomato juice makes every dish so much better. If you don't have access to home made, try Campbell's Tomato juice.
Use the Pepper encrusted beef roast from last night's dinner and save time. The meat is cooked, tender and full of great flavor.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 cups tomato juice
2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 cup carrots, sliced ¼ inch thick
3 red potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped
2 cups cooked beef roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup frozen green peas
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Sauté the onions in the oil for 5minutes, or until onion is tender, stirring often.
Add garlic and cook additional 1 minute. Add the carrots, potatoes, broth, tomato juice, water and bay leaf.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender.
Add tarragon, beef and peas and continue to cook 10 minutes. (Note: It may be necessary to add some water if the stew seems too thick.)
Remove bay leaf before serving.
Cooking Wiser:
Use low sodium tomato juice and beef broth to reduce salt
Add other ingredients that you like in stew like corn, okra, and/or green beans