Inadvertently, this week ended up being a soup/stew week. I'm really excited to end this week with this stew which part of a recipe swap I participated in. I was lucky enough to get this unique Mahogany Beef Stew submitted by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations. After reading the ingredient list I was intrigued by one ingredient, hoisin sauce.  This is a staple in our house, generally used for a grilled steak marinade, but I never thought about using it in beef stew.

As I started cooking I realized the directions said simmer on low 2-3 hours (when will I learn to read all the way through before starting!).  After saying something explicit under my breath, I went back to the original recipe on Epicurious. The instructions didn't appear to take as long to cook, so I opted to follow their method. I didn't end up needing cornstarch for thickening, but you may depending on how thick you want the gravy.

Mary Ellen mentioned serving with mashed potatoes, so I went ahead and served it that way, a first for me. I'm so glad I followed her lead, because the stew gravy was amazing over the potatoes. Even JR said to make sure Mary Ellen knows how much we liked it, so a big shout out goes to Mary Ellen for submitting this recipe!

For more soup and stews from the recipe swap, be sure to check out A Taste of Home Cooking for an upcoming Recipe Swap Round-up of Soups.

Here is what you'll need:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, sliced
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 lb stew meat
• 2 tsp flour
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup red wine, divided (I used Malbec)
• 17 oz chopped tomatoes
• 3 oz hoisin sauce
• 3 carrots, cut into rounds
• 1/2 cup beef stock

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil, onions, mushrooms and bay leaf. Season with pepper, and saute 8-10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Season stew meat with flour, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Heat a medium skillet over high heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and meat. Sear meat on all sides until browned.

Add meat to Dutch oven. Pour 1/4 cup red wine to skillet, simmer and stir to remove brown bits from pan. Pour wine into Dutch oven.

Add 1/4 cup wine, tomatoes and hoisin sauce to Dutch oven. Stir well, cover and turn heat to low. Simmer on low heat 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Add carrots, remaining wine and stock to Dutch oven. Turn to medium and bring to boil. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes until carrots are tender. Simmer uncovered another 15 minutes to thicken. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Source: Epicurious as seen on Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations