Beef Stew

from Weight Watcher New Complete Cookbook

4 tsp. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. finely chopped carrot
1 Tbsp. finely chopped celery
1 pound beef round, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes, with juices
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 frozen pearl onions
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup hot water
1 cup thawed frozen peas
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano or marjoram

1. In a medium nonstick Dutch oven or heavy saucepan, heat the oil. Saute the finely chopped onion, celery, and carrot until translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add the beef and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, partially covered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

2. Add the pearl onions, carrot chunks, potatoes and water. Cook, covered, 40 minutes.

3. Stir in the peas; cook 4 minutes, then add the parsley and oregano and cook 1 minute longer. Discard the bay leaf.

1/4 of stew = 1 serving
4 servings at 356 calories per serving
7 points per serving
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What I changed:
-Instead of beef round that I had to cut up, I bought stew meat that was already cut into chunks. I did have to cut some of them to make them smaller.
-Used 1 small can of diced tomatoes b/c I couldn't find chopped plum tomatoes
-Instead of wine, I used beef broth...and used about 3/4 of the can.
-I added more salt (to our taste) during the 2nd step.
-None of my herbs were fresh...they were all dried.
-I added one celery stalk, sliced into 1-inch chunks and added them at step 2.
-Used 2 large potatoes instead of the 4 medium
-Added 1.5 cups of canned green beans at the same time as I added the peas in step 3.

I also didn't realize the time commitment of this recipe, so I made a few adjustments:
Step 1: After reducing heat, I only turned the heat to medium-low and simmered for 10-15 minutes, partially covered.
Step 2: Covered and let it boil SLIGHTLY (stirring occasionally) for 20 minutes...or until potatoes are soft.
Step 3 stayed the same.
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Will I make this again?
YES!!! It was really good...even with all the changes I made. Loved it!! So did Ken! :)