Beef Stew with Red Wine Gravy

This is a take on the traditional beef stew. Tasty and freezes well.

Ingredients:
2-2.5 LBS cubed beef for stew
2 TBLS olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef stock
2 cups frozen pearl onions
1 cup celery, cut into 1″ pieces
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1″ pieces
2 TBLS tomato paste
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
1 TBLS corn starch
1 TSP Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master seasoning

Directions:
In a sauce pot heat the oil to med and add the beef. Brown for 10 minutes. Turn up the heat to high and add the red wine. Stir to deglaze the scrapings for a few minutes. Pour into a crock pot or stove top pot to cook. Add the ingredients except water, corn starch and gravy seasoning. Simmer on low stove top for 2 1/2 hours or in the crock pot on the high setting for four hours or until the meat is fork tender. Once just about done stir the corn starch and gravy seasoning into the water. Pour into the crock pot /stove top pot and stir. This will thicken the gravy slightly. Heat on high for 5 minutes and serve with a side starch such as mashed potatoes or cooked egg noodles.