Paleo Beef Stew

2 lbs Beef (I used cubed steak meat or “stew beef”)
Sea Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Adobo Seasoning (to dust the meat)
2 Tbs Olive Oil
*1 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder + 1/8 cup Water
*1 tsp Sugar (raw) or Coconut Crystals
½ diced Tomato
½ cup diced Onion
2 diced Carrots
2 diced Celery Stalks
½ cup sliced or whole Mushrooms (about 4 large mushrooms)
2 cloves Garlic (cut in half)
1 cup Dry Red Wine
4 cups Organic Beef Broth
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Bay Leaves
3 sprigs fresh Thyme (or 1/2 Tbsp dry)
2 Tbsp Herb de Provence (or 1 Tbsp dry)
* 2 fresh Basil leaves
*1 diced Sweet Potato (can be omitted if you serve over our Savory Sweet Potato Mash).
* Optional (we use all of the optionals, but it tastes great without as well)

In a large pot, add the broth, wine, balsamic, bay leaves, thyme, sugar and herbs and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium (about a 4 on my stove) and simmer until reduced by half. Sauce should be thicker, but still relatively liquid.
While the stock is simmering, coat the beef in salt, pepper, and seasoning. Heat a saucepan to high and brown each side, but do not cook all the way through. Drain the fat from the meat and set aside until the stock is ready.
When stock is ready, remove the sprigs and leaves. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. When boiling, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low (about a 3 on my stove).
Simmer until all is cooked through and tender. This may take a little while, so don’t panic. I usually leave mine on for a couple hours. If you like crunchier vegetables, then wait an hour until you put them in, let the beef simmer first.
About 5-10 minutes before serving, mix the water and the arrowroot until incorporated (this is called a slurry). Add the slurry to the stew. Heat until thick and bubbly. NOTE: The arrowroot is not necessary. It is only added to this recipe as a thickener. Omit if you like ;)
Serve over our Garlic Mashed Sweet Potatoes or Mashed No-Tatoes for the royal treatment!