"Beefless" Stew

One of dishes I love to do whenever it gets chilly outside is beef stew. It tastes even better the next day but this time I made mine with Gardein Beefless Tips.  Its a vegetarian product. I got this at frozen section in Whole Foods market.  Read about it and had wonderful review on it.  The vegetarian protein tastes almost like the actual thing.  Its super easy to prepare.

Source: The Conscious Cook

Ingredients

8 small red potatoes, cut into 1″ cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered (halved then quartered, if large)
2 large carrots, sliced thick
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup red wine — (optional)
Gardein Beefless Tips or 1 cup TVP Chunks(Textured Vegetable Protein)
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons cornstarch


Method

• Fill a 5-quart saucepan or dutch oven 2/3 full of water (about 10-11 cups). Add the first 13 ingredients, potatoes through pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the onions are cooked and the potatoes start to soften.
• Add the red wine (if desired), TVP chunks. Add peas.
• Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water (or additional red wine, if desired). Stir the mixture into the stew and cook until the stew thickens slightly. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.
• Serve in bowls with lots of fresh bread.