Cookbook Countdown #14: Slow Cooker Beef Stew With Sweet Potatoes

        This month for Cookbook Countdown #14, I have chosen to use the cookbook Skinnytaste Fast and Slow by Gina Homolka, you can learn about it here. Each recipe has the calorie, fat, sat fat, cholesterol, carb, fiber, protein, sugars, and sodium counts listed.  The recipe that I have made for this week is Slow Cooker Beef Stew With Sweet Potatoes, on page 69.      
        Ingredient list: olive oil, onion, celery, tomato paste, beef chuck shoulder steak, salt, flour, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, sweet potato, mushrooms, carrots, thyme, bay leaves, pepper, and peas.
        This is soup/stew season without a doubt, crockpot season always as I love the idea of leaving the house and having my own little personal chef (aka the crockpot) cook the dinner while I am away so that when I return, everything is nicely done and the kitchen is filled with a comforting aroma.  I make a fair number of soups and stews so it is fun to find new ones to try and I can't remember ever having a beef stew recipe that called for sweet potatoes so I was eager to test this out and see the result.  Results are in and are very favorable.  The sweet potato is so tender and soft (the carrot retains a bit of solidness) and has just a touch of sweetness which compliments the acidity of the tomato paste and beef stock.  Such great colors in this stew, lovely flavors, and it felt like eating a bowl of fresh vegetables with a tasty piece of roast.  Definitely worthy of a repeat. 
        To see what the others have cooked this month, click here.  It is the policy on this blog not to publish recipes that are not mine, the people who publish recipes go to a lot of time, trouble, and expense to do so and I like to honor that by encouraging others to purchase the book or check it out from a lending library.  Thank you for understanding.  I do post the general ingredients for each recipe so perhaps you can have a go at it from that alone.