WILD MUSHROOM BEEF STEW WITH HERBED ZUCCHINI NOODLES

Steps:

• Bring beef broth to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn the heat off, and add the dried mushrooms. Set aside and allow mushrooms to absorb the moisture of the beef broth and the beef broth to absorb the flavor of the mushrooms, about 5 minutes.
• Heat a heavy bottom nonstick Dutch oven or stockpot with the canola oil over medium- high heat. Add the beef cubes, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Sear the cubes on all sides until well browned. (Take your time on this step, because if you skimp or rush here, the stews flavor will suffer). Once browned, remove cubes and set aside. Drain any excess oil.
• Return the Dutch oven to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrot, parsnip, celery, garlic, and thyme. Saute until onions begin to caramelize. Once the onions have taken on a caramel color, add the tomato paste and mix well. Allow tomato paste to caramelize slightly, about 2 minutes or until it slightly darkens in color.
• Remove mushrooms from beef broth, allowing any accumulated sand to settle to the bottom of the saucepan. Chop mushrooms roughly and set aside.
• Pour beef broth through a coffee filter into a measuring cup. This will separate any accumulated sand from our flavorful broth. Set aside.
• Once the tomato paste has caramelized, sprinkle flour over the mixture and mix well, scraping the bottom. Stir for about 1 minute to cook out the flour flavor. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any vegetables that may have stuck. Pour in the beef broth and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer for approximately 5 minutes or until stew thickens.
• Add the seared beef cubes and the mushrooms to the pot. Cover and simmer over medium-high heat until meat is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Serve with Herbed Zucchini Noodles, instructions below.
• Carefully drag a vegetable peeler the length of the zucchini to create long strands. Discard centers with the seeds.
• Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat with the butter. Add the zucchini and quickly toss to coat with the butter. Add parsley, thyme, oregano, and lemon pepper. Toss again and warm through, about 1 minute. Add the egg noodles. Toss once again until pasta is warmed through but zucchini remains crisp tender. Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Toss again and serve warm.