Spanish Purple Pepper Vegan Beef Stew

I used to dread the end of summer for a few soul-sucking reasons. I cringed at the thought of returning to school. I made the best of it by what is now called Retail Therapy -- convincing my mom that I needed new shoes & clothes. Mom, thank you. My mental health wouldn't be top-tier without you. Honestly, I haven't changed clothing or shoe size since age 12. I was destined for an acting career, and deserve an oscar nom for those performances. 

Secondly, I had to stow away my shorts, t-shirts and tank-tops in favor of sweaters and puffy jackets that made me look like a 5-foot-tall marshmallow. I would refuse to put away my Birkenstock sandals, and wore them with a thick pair of socks...even in the snow. What can I say? It's called fashion, people. The one joy during frigid NE Ohio winters was that my parents busted out of their comfort food recipe box. After a long day of snowboarding (*cough* smoking joints outside *cough*), I knew I could look forward to a steady rotation of mac-n-cheese, beef stew, casseroles, chili, etc. I was one lucky kid. 

Now that I'm older and live in a city minimal seasonal change, I've upped my tolerance of warm foods during extreme heat. It does chill down a little bit here, but when the temperature forecast for September 1st reads "91 F" and "Smokey" (I'm not kidding...check Google Weather), you push onward. I ate this Veganized version of Beef goodness when it was 95 degrees, and I loved every bite. Plus, my sweat did the job of adding extra salt! Not really. That joke was gross. I'm still not going to hit the backspace button ;) 

I made a 2nd episode of VeganizeItTV! I'll stop talking now because I certainly do enough in the video...

Have a great week!

Spanish Purple Pepper Vegan Beef Stew

For the "Beef" and Vegetable Pot...

• 1 batch Beef Style Seitan, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1/2 tsp Smoked Spanish Paprika
• A pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg (or Ground Nutmeg)
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, Roughly Chopped
• 2 Purple Bell Peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 small Russet Potatoes, cleaned and cubed with skins on
• 2 carrots, cleaned and sliced
• 2 large ribs Celery, sliced
• 1/4 cup Red Bordeaux Wine (or Cooking Sherry)
• 1 TBSP Sherry Vinegar
• 2 Tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
• Cayenne Pepper, to taste (optional)
• 2 TBSP Corn Starch mixed with 2 TBSP Cold Water (optional, for further thickening)
• 6 sprigs Fresh Parsley Leaves

For the Stock Pot...

• 6 TBSP Vegan Butter
• 6 TBSP Unbleached All Purpose White Flour
• 10 cup prepared Better Than Bouillon's No Beef Broth

Chef's Note: You'll need two very large stock pots for this recipe. You're going to be multi-tasking while working both pots simultaneously, but it's much easier than it sounds. Just be mindful when reading the directions to note when you're working with the "'Beef' and Vegetable Pot" or the "Stock Pot". 

Cube your beef style seitan and prep all of your vegetables and spices. It can be helpful to mix all of the spices together prior to beginning the cooking process to save time and chaos. 

In the "'Beef' and Vegetable Pot", warm the 3 TBSP of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic, cubed "beef" seitan, cumin, coriander, paprika, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well to mix all the spices in with the "beef". Saute until the "beef" just begins to brown, about 2-3 minutes. 

While the "beef" cubes are sauteing, take your other large "Stock Pot" and start melting the vegan butter over medium-low heat. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn. 

Add the onions, purple peppers, potatoes, carrots, and celery to the "'Beef' and Vegetable Pot", then add the sherry wine to deglaze. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. 

While the vegetables are sauteing, return to the "Stock Pot". Once the vegan butter has melted, stir in the flour until fully combined. Pour in the "beef" broth, and whisk all of the pot's contents well. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and cook, whisking occasionally, until the broth begins to thicken (about 15 minutes.)

Back to the "'Beef' and Vegetable Pot". Once the onions are translucent and the other veggies are softening, pour the thickened contents of the "Stock Pot" into the "'Beef' and Vegetable Pot." Stir well to mix everything together. Stir in the chopped fresh tomatoes, bay leaves, sprigs of fresh thyme. Add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. 

Turn the heat down to medium low, and allow to simmer until all the vegetables are soft and the stew has thickened, about 35 minutes. If the stew is not thickened to your liking, you can thicken more by adding the 2 TBSP corn starch mixed into 2 TBSP cold water, stir well and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes longer. 

Discard the thyme sprigs, mix in the flat leaf parsley, taste again for salt and pepper. Serve.