Monday, February 17, 2014

Great cooking show!

On Saturday morning, I stumbled upon a great cooking show.  Not sure if they show it everywhere or not?
It was on the local CBS station.  It's a show done by Everyday Health ( who by the way, also has a great calorie counter app that I use on my IPhone.) where they swap a regular recipe for a healthier version.
This past Saturday they did a healthy version of Beef Stew that looked yummy :)  And if you're interested in learning more about the program, check them out at: http://www.everydayhealth.com/reciperehab/index.aspx

Beef Stew with Barley
Serves 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
Stew:
2.5 lbs. Certified Angus Beef sirloin, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
¼ teaspoon or large pinch of kosher salt
3 cloves garlic
1 lb. crimini or button mushrooms, cleaned
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cups fresh spinach, rough chopped
3 cups low sodium beef stock
1½ cups of pinot noir, or half a bottle 
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
Barley:
½ cup quick cooking barley (Trader Joe’s brand)
2 cups water

Garnish:
½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

For the stew:
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Cut the certified Angus sirloin into 1.5-inch chunks and set aside. 

In a food processor, add the mushrooms, spinach, garlic, tomato paste, thyme and oregano. Pulse lightly until vegetables are roughly diced and the mixture comes together. 

Pat the cubed meat with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture; this will help the beef brown when it is seared. Season the beef with the kosher salt. In a large Dutch oven or pot on medium high heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pot, brown the beef, a few minutes on each side. With a slotted spoon, remove the browned beef from the pot and reserve.

Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven, and add the diced onion, carrots and celery, sauté for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and add the mushroom mixture to the pan. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Place the meat back in the pan and add the wine and stock. The liquid should cover the mixture. Add 1 large bay leaf, and cover the pot and place it in the lower part of the oven to cook for 40 minutes. 

For the barley:
While the beef is stewing, in a medium pot add the barley and water. Bring the barley and water to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the barley for 10 minutes or until the grain is tender. Strain any excess liquid.
After 40 minutes, remove the pot from the oven and add the cooked barley to the stew. Return the pot to the oven so that the stew can continue to cook for 20 more minutes, or even up to an hour. The longer the stew cooks, the more tender the beef becomes. If time permits, after an hour turn off the oven, and allow the stew to sit in the warmth for a few more hours. In fact, the beef stew will taste even better the next day. 

Serve the stew in a shallow bowl with freshly chopped parsley on top. Enjoy this healthy, hearty meal with your family and friends!

Nutritional information (Per serving: 1/6th of recipe): Calories: 552, Total Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 142 mg, Protein: 45.5 g, Carbohydrate: 25g, Dietary Fiber: 4.5g, Total Sugars: 4g, Magnesium: 86mg, Potassium: 1375 mg, Sodium: 367mg

 ENJOY!!!

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