It's been rainy and miserable here, so I made beef stew last night. I filled a ziploc bag with cubes of beef, some flour, salt and pepper, and shook it up. I browned the meat in olive oil, then added four cups of water, two beef bullion cubes, some red wine, a bay leaf, onion and celery. I let that simmer for a few hours, then added green beans, carrots and cubed potatoes. I cooked it another 45 minutes, removed the onion, celery and bay leaf, then added a little cornstarch to thicken it. It was delicious, and perfect for a cold, damp March night.