So, I’ve been MIA lately. Daylight is not on my side right now, which means not-so-great food pictures. The lack of good pictures has deterred me from posting, but that is a shallow, not great excuse for dropping off the face of the earth. Please forgive me.

Hopefully this dish will make up for the error of my ways.

Y’all. It’s delicious.

As usual, I have to confess something. I freaking hate carrots.

I am a 28 year old woman and I will legitimately gag hardcore if you try to make me eat cooked carrots. It’s a sad reality, but one I have accepted. I have tried. Believe me. I am a veggie lover, but I’ve tried the carrots every way they could possibly be prepared, and it always results in me gagging like I’m a 5 year old trying to get out of eating her vegetables. It’s just not worth it at this point.

But parsnips, on the other hand. Oh my lanta, they are amazing. They are the carrot’s cousin, but they’re better in every way. They’re sweeter and they don’t have whatever flavor it is in a carrot that makes me puke on command. Not to mention they make an AWESOME puree.

The beef tips are a Crock Pot/slow cooker/ whatever you want to call it recipe. The perfect dish for a Sunday dinner. HOWEVER, this is not your momma’s dump-and-go Crock Pot recipe. It requires a little extra work, but trust me, it’s worth it.

First of all, you have to sear the meat. As Chef Anne Burrell says, “brown food tastes good”! It’s true. You want your meat to taste good on its own, and seasoning and searing it before adding it to the slow cooker is a great way to lock in flavor.

Second of all, you are going to make your own gravy. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am NOT pro-prepackaged food. Processed foods have lots of added unpronounceable  ingredients that are not great for you. So if you can make something from scratch, why not do it? Sorry not sorry. You won’t regret the extra work.

So without further ado- tastebuds, meet your soulmate. Garlic beef tips with parsnip puree and roasted sprouts. Bon appétit!

Garlic Beef Tips with Parsnip Purée and Roasted Sprouts

Serves 4-6

For the beef tips:

1 1/2 lbs stew meat

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the gravy:

1 tbsp butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

4 cups beef stock

1 beef bullion cube

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp paprika

A pinch of dried oregano

A pinch of dried thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the parsnip purée:

1 lb parsnips, peeled and sliced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup milk (or possibly more)

Salt and pepper, to taste.

For the roasted sprouts:

1 package of brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

Olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a skillet and heat on high heat until oil shimmers. Add stew meat and sear on one side for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir meat and cook until lightly browned on all sides, but do not cook through.

2. Add meat, diced onions, and minced garlic to a greased slow cooker.

3. In the same pan that you seared the meat in, add the flour and butter. Cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in the stock, bullion, soy sauce, mustard, paprika, dried spices, and salt and pepper.

4. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the gravy has thickened; about 10 minutes. Add to crock pot.

5. Cook beef tips on low for 4 hours.

6. Near the end of the cook time for the beef tips, preheat the oven to 375.

7. Toss the halved brussels sprouts in olive oil, salt and pepper, and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

8. While brussels sprouts are roasting, boil parsnips, garlic, chicken stock, bay leaf and thyme sprig in a saucepan for about 15 minutes, or until parsnips are tender.

9. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig. Ladle the cooked parsnips and 1/2 of the cooking liquid to a food processor. Add milk, half and half, and salt and pepper to mixture. Blend on low until smooth. Taste and add more salt and/or milk if necessary.

10. Serve and enjoy!