Polenta Meat Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Roast
2 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast, boneless (can use lamb or pork)
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1 teaspoon basil, dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
24 -30 baby carrots
8 ounces onions, frozen small whole onions
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon rosemary, fresh
1/4 teaspoon rosemary, dried
14 ounces beef broth, low sodium
1 cup water
1/2 cup red wine, dry
1/2 cup Italian parsley, flat leaf
1/4 cup tomato paste
Polenta
3 1/2 cups milk
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup water, cold
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Trim fat from meat and cut into 1-inch pieces.
In a plastic bag combine flour, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Add meat pieces a few at a time, shaking to coat. Place meat in a 3 1/2-4 quart slow cooker. Add carrots, onions, garlic and rosemary. Stir in water, broth and wine.
Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high.
Stir in fresh rosemary, parsley and tomato paste. Serve with a spoonful of polenta in each bowl.
Just prior to serving prepare polenta by bringing milk to simmer. In a bowl combine, cornmeal, water and salt. Slowly add to the warm milk, stirring constantly.
Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boiling. Reduce heat to low and cook 10-15 minutes until thick, stirring occasionally. (I sometimes add 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and a tablespoon of butter at this point.).