Dave's beef stew warms up a winter night

I haven't cooked a thing since Thanksgiving. We enjoyed turkey leftovers for several days, then we had takeout a couple nights last week and yesterday, Dave cooked up really good beef stew for supper. It was lovely to have a homecooked meal, even if I wasn't in a mood to cook anything myself.

This recipe is one Dave's had for years, from an Internet recipe that credits "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook."

2 pounds beef stew meat
Unbleached flour season with salt and pepper
1 tbsp. shortening
1 quart boiling water
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, diced
1 cup celery, sliced
2 cups potatoes, diced
2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 cup parsnips, peeled and diced
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme and parsley, chopped
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unbleached flour

Dredge beef chunks in flour and sear them in melted shortening in a heavy pot. Pour 1 quart boiling water over the meat, then add the garlic. Cover and simmer for two hours, adding more water as needed. Add the vegetables, bouillon cubes and herbs and season to taste. Simmer another hour until the vegetables are tender, adding a little red wine if you like or more water if necessary. Thicken with more flour, by adding some of the gravy to the flour and then stirring the thickener into the pot. Simmer a few more minutes before serving. Great with homemade bread.