I love eating warm stews when the weather cools down, but I hate how the veggies get soft, mushy, and flavourless by the time the meat is cooked. I altered a simple stew recipe to keep my veggies more fresh and flavourful – and coincidentally more nutritious as well. Steaming veggies is the best way to preserve as much of their nutrition as possible! It is a bit more work, but well worth it.
This beef stew is colourful – and the more colour in your food, the better!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of stewing beef, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup flour (can use cornstarch for a gluten free option)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 medium onion
- 1 cup red wine (alternative: ¼ cup red wine vinegar + 1 cup beef broth)
- 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1 large sweet potato, chopped into ½ in pieces
- 3 carrots sliced
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- ½ cup frozen green peas
- ½ cup enoki mushrooms (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300F
2. Coat beef in flour. Over medium heat, brown beef on all sides in an oven-safe pot or roaster. Remove beef and drain fat.
3. In same pot, cook onion and garlic until browned, ~3-4 minutes.
4. Add tomato paste, red wine, balsamic vinegar. Simmer gently 4-5 minutes to reduce liquid.
5. Add browned beef back to the pot and cover with more beef broth. Add bay leaf, paprika, rosemary, and season with salt and pepper.
6. Cook beef in 300F oven for ~3.75 hours.
In the meantime:
On the stove, steam sweet potato pieces, carrot, celery, and green beans. Sweet potatoes will take 8-10minutes, other veggies less than 5 minutes – the goal is for them to be cooked but not mushy.
When beef is tender:
Add veggies into beef stew pot and cook another 20 minutes to blend flavours. Frozen peas and enoki mushrooms add another burst of colour, flavour, and texture – they can be added in the last 5 minutes to warm through without overcooking.
Optional Alterations:
- add ½ medium onion to the beef in the last 30-60mins of cooking for another flavour boost.
- mix 1 Tbsp cornstarch with enough water to dissolve it and stir into the stew when you add the veggies to make a thicker stew
Recipe compliments of Dr. Danielle Williamson, Naturopathic Doctor.
*** Photo Credit: julia.typepad.com
Remember…
“Life is meant to be embraced, enjoyed and fully lived, not merely endured!”
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Beginning with a degree in exercise science and kinesiology, Brent Haydey has evolved over thirty years as an entrepreneur; building four businesses, and as a health, executive, and life coach.