Hi all! I’ve been hearing the cry for some healthy meals and I’m here to try to help.
It’s that time of year again – cool weather means the end of the salad cravings and the start of the warm comfort foods. Growing up, beef stew (or meat, potatoes, and carrots it was called) was a staple in our house. It was quick and easy, and was always filling. It’s always been a near, dear, go to recipe for fall and winter months. Going Paleo didn’t mean giving it up, just simply altering it a bit.
The recipe below is mine, with a bit of a nod from Mark’s Daily Apple recipe. His addition of the rosemary and vinegar was amazing! It definitely works well to replace the Worcestershire sauce and other gluten-y, non Paleo flavorings I used to add. Feel free to adjust for your own dietary restrictions/preferences.
Paleo Beef Stew – Slow cooker version (yields 8-10 one cup servings depending on amount of meat and water)
- 3lbs pot roast (chuck, shoulder, whatever isn’t too fatty or grisly)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3-4 carrots, chopped
- 3-4 stalks celery, chopped
- handful chopped kale (stems removed) or spinach
- 8oz shitake mushrooms (you can use button or baby bellas, but shitakes are specifically anti-inflammatory)
- 2 cups beef stock (homemade if possible, but Kitchen Basic Unsalted is a great gluten free option)
- 4″ sprig fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Place the onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the meat on top. I don’t brown it off, I simply chuck it in there. Pour in the stock and vinegar. Drop in the rosemary. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Notice the lack of salt? This is on purpose. I personally don’t add salt or pepper til the very end of the cooking cycle of stews and soups because the soup/stew can over-reduce leading to a very salty taste. You can always add salt but you can’t take it back out. *grin*I also don’t bother browning the meat. In this case it doesn’t really do much for the texture and only marginally affects taste. It’s also a major time saver. But feel free to brown the meat if you have the time/inclination.
This stew freezes amazingly well and can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. So this is one that you can certainly cook 8-10 portions and keep back for those days when you are too busy or too tired to cook and need something fast.
