Beef Stew with Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef from the flatiron part of the shoulder
1 tablespoon butter (could substitute to make CF)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon flour (I used rice flour)
1 bottle of red wine
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
15 cipollini or pearl onions
15 cremini mushrooms
15 baby carrots
5-ounce piece of pancetta (I could only find pre-sliced pancetta)
1/4 cup water
Dash of sugar
Chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

- Buy about 2 pounds of beef from the flatiron part of the shoulder. Remove the skin or sinew from the top. Alternatively, use lean beef chuck in the same manner.
- Cut the meat into 8 pieces.
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron pot that is attractive enough for the table.
- Arrange the meat in one layer in the pot, and season it with salt and pepper. Cook on top of the stove over high heat for about 8 minutes, browning the meat on all sides.
- Add 1 cup of finely chopped onion and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic.
- Cook over moderate heat for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Mix in well so that the flour doesn’t form lumps. Stir in 1 bottle of red wine. Add 2 bay leaves, a sprig of fresh thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir well and cover.
- Place the pot in the oven and continue to cook for about 1 1/2 hours; the meat should be soft and tender and the liquid properly reduced.

(The recipe can be prepared to this point up to a day ahead.)

- Bring the pancetta and 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan and simmer for about 30 minutes; drain. (I skipped this step because I had pre-sliced pancetta and it didn’t seem like it would work well.)
- Cut the pancetta into 1/2-inch slices and then cut the slices into 1-inch-wide lardons. (I just sliced up the pancetta in to small strips.)
- Combine the onions, mushrooms, carrots and pancetta in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 cup of water and a good dash each of sugar, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes; at this point, there should be practically no water left.
- Uncover and cook over high heat, sautéing the vegetables until nicely browned on all sides, about 4 minutes.
To serve, mix some of the vegetables and lardons into the stew and sprinkle the rest on top as a garnish.
- Add a little chopped fresh parsley and serve.

From Gluten-Free Sox Fan blog.

Herbed Fish and Red Potato Chowder

If you can't find halibut, substitute cod or other flaky white fish. Serve with bread.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Ingredients

• 2 bacon slices
• 3 cups diced red potato (about 1 pound)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
• 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces skinless halibut fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; discard remaining drippings. Cool bacon, and crumble. Set bacon aside. Add potato and onion to drippings in pan; sauté 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add flour to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in clam juice; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring constantly (do not boil). Stir in thyme, salt, pepper, and fish; cook 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Stir in parsley. Sprinkle with bacon.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 307 (24% from fat)

Fat: 8.1g (sat 3.5g,mono 3g,poly 0.9g)

Protein: 24.4g

Carbohydrate: 33.9g

Fiber: 2.5g

Cholesterol: 57mg

Iron: 2.2mg

Sodium: 611mg

Calcium: 198mg

Melanie Barnard, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2006

Basic Beef Stew with Carrots and Mushrooms

A crowd-pleaser, this recipe is justifiably a classic. Purchase precut lean stew beef, or cut lean beef sirloin or chuck into bite-sized pieces. White potatoes, not to be confused with baking potatoes, are waxy in texture and hold up well in soups and stews; you can substitute red potatoes. Halve any mushrooms that are larger than 1 1/2 inches.

Yield 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1 pound small cremini mushrooms
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled white potato (about 1 pound)
• 1 1/2 cups (1-inch) slices carrot (about 12 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and sauté for 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown. Spoon mushrooms into a large bowl. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add onion mixture to mushroom mixture.

Place flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned beef to mushroom mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining beef mixture and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Add 1 cup wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add thyme, broth, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Stir in beef mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is just tender.

Stir in potato and carrot. Simmer, uncovered, 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beef and vegetables are very tender and sauce is thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 303 (29% from fat)

Fat: 9.8g (sat 3.2g,mono 4.7g,poly 0.6g)

Protein: 26.4g

Carbohydrate: 26.8g

Fiber: 2.3g

Cholesterol: 71mg

Iron: 3.9mg

Sodium: 494mg

Calcium: 54mg

Jeanne Kelley, Cooking Light, JANUARY 2006

Golden Winter Soup

Leeks and potatoes provide the base for this hearty vegetable soup, and butternut squash adds a hint of sweetness. Gruyère toasts add a salty note.

Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
* 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 ounces)
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)
* 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 12 ounces baguette, cut into 16 slices
* 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
* 3 tablespoons chopped chives
* Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add leek; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Place half of potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.

Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil bread slices 2 minutes or until golden. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 teaspoon chives. Serve 2 bread slices with each serving. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Wine note: This is one vegetable soup that can easily handle a lighter red wine. Stick with the French theme and look for bargains from Burgundy, like Louis Jadot Pinot Noir 2005 ($20). This wine has pretty red berry fruit, great balance, and gentle tannins that make it ideal for lower-fat dishes. The underlying earthy, leathery flavors bring out the rustic nuances of the potatoes and squash. —Jeffery Lindenmuth

Nutritional Information

Calories: 329 (30% from fat)
Fat: 10.9g (sat 6.2g,mono 3g,poly 0.9g)
Protein: 12.8g
Carbohydrate: 46.7g
Fiber: 4.8g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Iron: 3.2mg
Sodium: 813mg
Calcium: 217mg

Barbara Kafka, Cooking Light, JANUARY 2008