So we send the kids out with their Aunt overnight and she takes them out to a place I won’t name other than to say the title could also mean, more than one owl.  The next day, one of them has a bad stomach ache, and all that goes with what you would expect if you ate something bad.

He couldn’t keep anything down that day so the next I decided to brew up some medicine.  You see, I have been there before and I know what my stomach needed then, so I decided to make my beef and noodle stew.

Most of your beef stews do not contain any type of pasta.  I have no idea why, because it really makes the dish for me.  I add all types to my recipe.

Yes, the stew was a hit and he ate two bowls of it and it would appear he is going to make it to school tomorrow.  Whether my stew can take credit for this or it was just a twenty four hour bug is uncertain, but here it is anyway:

• 2 lbs. cubed beef (chuck, etc.), cut into bitesize pieces.
• 1 small white onion, chopped.
• 1 small red onion, chopped.
• 5 stalks of celery, cleaned.
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed, minced.
• 2 cups of chopped baby carrots.
• About 8-9 small red baby potatoes, cut small (about 8 pieces each).
• 1 15 oz. can of sweet corn.
• 1 15 oz. can of green beans.
• 1 8 oz can of tomato paste.
• 1 1/2 cups red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon is what I use).
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 4 cups of water.
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour.
• Salt (kosher is better) and pepper.
• 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil.
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley.
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro.
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary.
• 1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper.
• 2 tablespoons paprika (smoked is preferred).
• Assorted pastas (Example, I use bow-tie, fiori (honeycomb), and miniature egg noodles).  About 3 handfuls.

Take the cayenne and paprika and add to the flour, mix.  Sprinkle in some pepper to taste.  Put the flour in a big piece of Tupperware that has a lid.  Divide the meat in two, and season both batches liberally with salt and pepper. Put the first batch in the flour, close the lid and shake until all is coated.

In a large sauce pan, put the olive oil in.  There should be enough to coat the bottom liberally.   Turn the heat on medium high until the oil gets wavy and starts to smoke slightly.  Add the meat one piece at a time (shaking excess flour off) until the first floured batch is in.  If you run out of space in the pot, do not crowd!  Just cook what you have now, transfer to a plate and cook the rest.  You will be cooking BOTH batches this way.  You may need to add olive oil to the pan after each batch.  Cook until browned on all sides.  The idea here is to sear the meat but not fully cook it.  The meat should be rare when you take it out.

After the meat is cooked and out of the pan, add a little more olive oil and add the garlic.  Let cook for about 30 seconds and then add both onions.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the onions look like their ALMOST ready to go clear.  Add the wine and de-glaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  You want to get all of the burnt on bits off as that is where a lot of flavor is bound.

Add the stock and the water.  Add the meat, celery, and carrots, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and let cook for about 40 minutes.

Add the potatoes, and corn to the stock and bring back to a boil.  Reduce the heat to simmer and let cook for another 15 minutes.

Add the chopped parsley, cilantro and rosemary.  Add the tomato paste and stir all together.  Let simmer another 10 -15 minutes to let the herbs infuse into the stew.

While you wait, in a separate pot or kettle, heat some water to boiling and then remove from heat.

Add the green beans and pasta.  Here you need to check the water level.  You will have to add some stock and water to make sure there is enough liquid to cook the pasta.  A good ratio would be about 2 cups of water for every half cup of stock.  Use the hot water that you boiled so as to not drop the temperature of the stew drastically.  Wait about 10-15 minutes and check the pasta to make sure it is done.  Add salt or pepper if you think it needs it.  Since you have diluted the stew a bit when you added the water, chances are, it will at least need some more salt.

The stew should have a thick consistency from the flour and the pasta.  You do not want a large amount of broth but enough for a sauce like consistency.  Enjoy!