Beefless Beef Stew

One of my many memories of cooking with my mother included her advice to always have things mise en place (put in place). She would get everything ready in small bowls, dishes, and then when she was ready for that ingredient, things would be there. This recipe definitely is one that benefits from such a setup.

It was cold and rainy last week, so it was perfect weather for a stew. We definitely needed something warming and this sounded like it would hit the spot. This recipe is easy and takes about 30-40 minutes to cook, non-inclusive of the chopping and prep time.
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 package Gardein Beefless Tips
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped/crushed
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon Braggs Liquid Aminos
3 cups vegan "beef" broth (I used Better Than Bouillon vegetable stock)
1 cup red wine
5-6 small  potatoes, 1/2 diced
salt and pepper to taste

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat. Sauté the beefless tips until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from the saucepan and set aside.

Add the remaining oil,onions, garlic and celery to saucepan and cook for 3 minutes , or until the onions begin to become translucent.

Add the carrots, thyme, and rosemary and continue to cook for 3 minutes.

Add the nutritional yeast, liquid aminos and slowly add broth and wine while stirring.

Add the diced potatoes and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add beefless tips back to the stew and cook for an additional 5 minutes or so.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve over some white rice (or not).