Here's a very easy and tasty beef stew with a southwestern twist. There are no potatoes in it, so it is low-carb for those of you who are cutting back on the starches! It's thinner than a typical beef stew, but chunkier than a soup. One could thicken the liquid at the end with some corn starch, but I've never bothered. Stirring in some sour cream to your bowl is highly recommended!

Ingredients:

• 3 T. olive or refined coconut oil
  
• 2-3 pounds beef stew meat
  
• 2 bell peppers, any color, cut into 1 inch pieces
  
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  
• 1 T. cumin, ground
  
• 1 quart beef broth
  
• 1 jar salsa, 16 oz.
  
• 4 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
  
• sour cream, cilantro, optional toppings
  

Directions:

Heat 1 T. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over med-high heat. Brown half of the beef cubes for several minutes, then place into the slow cooker. Repeat with more oil and the other half of the beef.

Heat the rest of the oil in the skillet, then add the peppers, carrots, and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, for a minute or two, then pour in about half of the broth. Bring to a simmer then cook for a minute or two, scraping the bottom of the pan. Pour the contents of the skillet over the beef in the slow cooker.

Add the remaining broth, salsa, and zucchini to the slow cooker. Cook on low for about 7 to 8 hours, until the beef is tender. (I haven't tried it, but would probably work on high for about 4 hours.)

Serve with cilantro and sour cream.

Notes:

Instead of buying already cut up stew meat, you could get chuck or round steaks and cut them into approximately 1 inch pieces yourself, trimming any excess fat off. Be sure to account for the trimmed-off excess in calculating the weight of the steaks you need to buy. Bison meat would also work fine in this recipe.