Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs lean beef stew meat
• 1 large onion – thinly sliced
• 2 medium shallots – thinly sliced
• 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 to 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 to 5 whole garlic cloves
• 7 carrots – chopped 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 turnips – chopped 1/2 inch pieces
• 10 oz cremini mushrooms- sliced
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 7 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 14oz can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 qt beef broth
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 bag frozen peas

1. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Add onions and shallots, lightly salt and saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Move onions and shallots to the slow cooker pot.
2. Salt and pepper the stew meat, add to cast iron skillet and sear on all sides. This takes about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove meat to slow cooker pot.
3. Add the tomato paste to the cast iron skillet and cook for about 3 minutes and then add to slow cooker pot.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker pot, give the ingredients a stir to combine.
5. Cover and set the slow cooker on high for 5 hours. Add the peas to the stew.