Simple Supper Friday: Mandarin Beef Stir Fry
Mandarin beef stir fry.
Whew, it’s been a busy day so far! I slept in until a little after 7 and then got up, changed, gathered my goods and drove to the food cart to replenish my treats. I was there about 90 minutes, then came home for a cup of green tea and a short bit of downtime before heading to Recreate for a 10 a.m. workout. I foam rolled and chatted with Jesse after the workout, and it was about 11:30 when I got home. Then, I cooked a big breakfast/brunch/lunch, whatever you want to call it (my first meal of the day) and enjoyed it in solitude. Now, it’s blogging and doing some other work at home. Then, after I finish my work, it’s on to studying exercise science and working on my homework. That class is really hard and complex, and I often feel lost when the teacher is lecturing. That equates to a lot of outside studying time to understand and know it!
Regarding the recipe, I’ve been getting a lot of citrus in my CSA boxes lately (grapefruit, oranges, mandarin oranges, etc.) and sometimes it ends up going bad before I use it. Jesse and I aren’t big citrus fruit eaters, so even if we do eat it, it takes effort and time to get through it. We like it, but it’s just not our preferred fruit that we would pick out ourselves. I actually don’t like grapefruit period, so Jesse is always responsible for those.
Anyway, as a means to use up some of the mandarin oranges we recently got in our box, I added some fresh-squeezed mandarin juice to this stir fry. I figured it would work well and boy, did it ever! I know it sounds generic, but the stir fry tasted so good with the mandarin juice. It really helped bring all the flavors together, and added a nice subtle sweetness. We ate our stir fry over scallion cauliflower rice (recipe below), but zucchini noodles or leafy greens would work as well. Heck, you can even eat it by itself.
For the stir fry:
- 1/2 Tbsp US Wellness Meats grass-fed tallow
- 1/2 lb skirt steak, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 3-4 Tbsp coconut aminos
- Splash of low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 mandarin orange, juiced
- Splash of rice vinegar (yes, it’s okay!)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Melt the tallow in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and celery and let saute a couple minutes. Then, add the skirt steak and season with a little sea salt and pepper.
- Continue to cook a couple minutes, then add the mushrooms and carrots. Saute one minute more, then add the coconut aminos, mandarin orange juice, rice vinegar and red pepper flakes. Stir well, then after a minute or so, add the broccoli.
- Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Once sauce has thickened up a little bit, after about 3-5 minutes, remove from heat and serve over scallion cauliflower rice (recipe below).
Yields: 2-3 servings
For the scallion cauliflower rice:
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- 2-3 scallions (green onion), chopped
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Add cauliflower to the food processor and pulse until it’s completely riced. If need be, you can do this in batches, depending on the size of your food processor.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, add the cauliflower rice and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Continue to cook a few minutes until cauliflower is heated through. If you like your cauli rice a little browned, you can cook it a bit longer.
- Stir in the chopped scallions and serve.
Yields: 4-5 servings
Simple Supper Friday: Mustard Apple Pulled Pork
Mustard apple pulled pork topped with caraway kraut.
I’ve really had a thing for mustard lately, specifically Dijon. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been using Dijon nearly every chance I get. I think it’s safe to say I’m definitely in a mustard phase. It adds such a nice flavor and when something seems like it’s missing from a recipe, Dijon seems to take care of that. It’s easy to find good quality Dijon mustard that doesn’t have any sugar or junk ingredients in it either. Sorry, Grey Poupon won’t cut it.
On another note, I’m going to a healthy fats demo at Whole Foods this weekend. Remember my friend, Ashley at Craving4more? Well, you may recall that she hosted the sauerkraut tasting I went to last weekend, and invited me to the fats presentation this weekend. I believe the healthy fats she’s including are coconut oil, ghee, avocado and grass-fed tallow (house-made from the Whole Foods meat dept). I imagine it’ll be pretty great.
I’m not really sure what else I’ll be doing this weekend, other than grocery shopping and working Sunday morning, but I like not having much of an agenda. What I really need to be doing is reading/studying for my exercise science class, but I’m still waiting for my book to arrive in the mail. Hopefully, it’ll get here soon because that class moves fast and the material is complex, so I don’t want to get too behind!
What are your plans for the weekend? Anything fun?
Ingredients:
- 2 lb pork shoulder roast
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed ghee
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pink lady apple, chopped
- 1.5 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Firefly Kitchens Caraway Kraut for serving, optional
Directions:
- Melt ghee in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and celery and stir. Allow to cook a few minutes, until slightly softened. Then, add to the slow cooker.
- Season the roast with sea salt and pepper. Then, in the same pan, add the pork shoulder roast. Add a little more ghee if necessary. Brown the roast about 2-3 minutes each side and then place inside the slow cooker. Add the chopped apple as well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, mustard, parsley, marjoram and thyme. Add a dash of sea salt and pepper, if desired. Pour on top of the roast and place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Let cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5. Once done, cut string off of pork roast, if need be, and shred with two forks.
- Serve with caraway sauerkraut on top, if desired.
Simple Supper Friday: Skirt Steak Stir Fry
Skirt steak stir fry.
It’s been a really long time since I made stir fry, and this recipe really hit the spot. I remember trying a stir fry variation a while back, but it was only okay. I think it’s because it was missing the salty flavor of soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos. Soy sauce and tamari are both out for me because of the wheat and soy, and I avoided coconut aminos up until recently because they’re considered questionable on the SCD. Since I’m 1-1/2 years in on my healing process, I thought I’d give the coconut aminos a shot. Lucky for me, I had no problems. I used to cook with coconut aminos prior to eating SCD/paleo, because I learned a long time ago that wheat/gluten was not okay for me. Needless to say, I’m happy to have a bottle back in my refrigerator.
This recipe is flexible in the sense that you can use any protein or veggies that you like. I definitely recommend trying it with the skirt steak though. It works great for stir fry and cooks up quickly because of its thin nature. Plus, it’s oh so flavorful. I think I’ve said this before, but it’s one of my favorite cuts of beef.
This is great served with chopped raw cashews and/or green onion, and with an extra drizzle of coconut aminos. I’m not a sesame seed fan, but that would work well as a garnish too.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil, plus extra for eggs
- 1 lb grass-fed skirt steak, sliced into strips
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 1 medium broccoli crown, chopped
- 1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos, plus extra if needed
- 1-2 Tbsp rice vinegar (yes, rice vinegar is okay!)
- Splash of low-sodium chicken broth
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 3 pastured eggs, beaten
Directions:
- Melt coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and celery, and saute about 1 minute. Then add the skirt steak strips and season with a little sea salt and pepper. Continue to saute for a couple minutes.
- Then, add the carrots, broccoli and mushrooms. Add the coconut aminos, rice vinegar, chicken broth and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook over medium-low heat.
- Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add a little coconut oil to the pan and once melted, add the beaten eggs. Allow to cook for a few minutes. Once it starts to set, lift the edges of the omelet with a spatula to allow some of the egg liquid to get underneath. When the omelet is stable enough, flip and allow to cook an additional minute. Remove from pan and place on cutting board to cool.
- Add the water chestnuts to the stir fry and stir. Turn heat down to low. Slice the cooled omelet into strips, then chop into small pieces. Add to the stir fry.
- Once everything is heated through and veggies are softened, but still slightly crisp, remove from heat. Serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles (use a julienne peeler to make noodles). If desired, you can mix the cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles into the stir fry and then serve. Top with garnishes of choice and extra coconut aminos, if desired.
Yields: 4 servings
Slow Cooked Shredded Pork with Creamy Applesauce
Slow cooked shredded pork with creamy applesauce.
Props to me … I had success with another pork recipe. Slow cooked, well seasoned and shredded is the way to go, otherwise, I don’t care for it. Bacon is the exception.
My main inspiration for this recipe? The Brady Bunch. Anyone remember the, “pork chops and applesauce” episode? Peter was the one who coined the phrase, but he was trying to mock someone’s voice. I don’t remember whose though. Anyone remember? I was a big Brady Bunch fan growing up and always watched it after school on TBS. It was The Brady Bunch followed by Saved by the Bell, which I also loved. Oh, the good ol’ days. Funny, but I still enjoy both of these shows today and occasionally watch an episode on Hulu or Netflix.
Ingredients:
- 2.5 lb pork shoulder roast
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 1/4 cup bone broth
Directions:
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and saute a few minutes, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Mix in the tomato paste and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or so, and then add to your slow cooker.
- Use the same pan, over medium heat, to brown the roast. First, season it with sea salt and pepper on both sides. Then, add to the pan and sear for 4 minutes per side. Next, add the roast to the slow cooker and sprinkle the ground sage all over. Pour in the bone broth and cover the slow cooker with the lid.
- Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 6-7. Once done, shred the meat with two forks and stir. Serve with creamy applesauce (recipe below) and a green veggie of your choosing (I recommend kale or broccoli).
For the creamy applesauce:
- 4 organic braeburn apples, cored and chopped (skins on)
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, plus extra if needed
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples and water, and stir.
- After a few minutes, add the coconut milk and stir. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little more coconut milk if necessary.
- Once apples have softened into applesauce (chunks are fine and welcomed), remove from heat and serve with the pork.
Yields: 4-5 servings
Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder
Shredded pork shoulder, served atop of sauteed cabbage.
Some of you already know this by now, but I don’t care for pork. I’m just not fond of the taste, unless it’s bacon. You may recall though, that on New Year’s Eve, I ordered a shredded pork dish for dinner. I mainly ordered it because it was the least complicated thing for me to paleoize, but also thought I might like it since I love shredded meat, specifically chicken and beef. Well, I did like it … a lot! Since then, I’ve been thinking about trying out a shredded pork recipe myself. This past weekend, it finally happened.
It was a spur of the moment decision and completely unplanned. I really value moments like that. Anyway, I was in Food Front Co-op in NW Portland after work on Sunday, and spotted one small and lonely pork shoulder roast. At that moment, I decided it was time, and threw it in my basket. For the recipe, I flew by the seat of my pants and used what I had on hand.
The recipe turned out phenomenal. It tasted so good, that I didn’t want the last bite to come. To compensate, I very slowly savored every last morsel. I usually do well with eating slowly, but I especially did well this time.
If you’re not much of a pork person, like me, this recipe may surprise you. I can’t wait to make it again.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb pork shoulder roast
- 2 tsp grass-fed ghee
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 4 large carrots, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 head cabbage, chopped (use more if serving more than 2 people)
- Avocado slices, optional
Directions:
- Combine spices, sea salt and pepper, and coat all sides of the roast. If you have extra spice mixture leftover, set it aside. You will use it later. If you use it all, that’s fine too.
- Melt 1 tsp of ghee (or fat of choice) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork shoulder, and brown a couple minutes on each side. Once all sides are browned, remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tsp of ghee (add more if needed) over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes, until softened. Once done, pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
- Add carrots to the slow cooker and place the roast on top of the veggies. Add the chicken broth, lime juice and any remaining spice mixture.
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 8-10.
- Once done, turn the slow cooker off or to warm. Then, remove the pork roast and cut off the twine. Shred meat with two forks and add back to the slow cooker. Give everything a stir.
- In a pan over medium heat, melt a little fat of choice. Add the chopped cabbage and season with sea salt and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes, or until softened.
- Serve the shredded pork mixture over the cabbage and serve with avocado slices, if desired.
Yields: 3-4 servings
Simple Supper Friday: Chicken Spaghetti Soup
Chicken spaghetti soup.
The night I made this soup, I asked Jesse what he wanted for dinner. He suggested spaghetti squash with meat sauce, but I told him I didn’t feel like spaghetti. We’d been having it for dinner quite a bit and I felt like I needed a break. What’s funny, is that the recipe I whipped up is basically a thinner and soupier spaghetti sauce with squash noodles mixed in. Hence the name, spaghetti soup. So, I ended up eating a variation of spaghetti anyway. I guess I must have wanted it unconsciously.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed ghee
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, grated
- 1.5 cups frozen kale
- 2 cups no-sugar added marinara sauce (I used Monte Bene Spicy Marinara)
- 1 26.4 oz box Pomi chopped tomatoes (or a 28 oz can)
- 2-3 cups bone broth (or decent store bought broth/stock)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- Red pepper flakes to taste, optional
- 1/2 large cooked spaghetti squash, scraped into strands with fork
- Italian herb-infused olive oil for drizzling, optional, but highly recommended
Directions:
- Melt the ghee in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and ground chicken. Saute a few minutes, breaking up the ground chicken with a spatula. Then, add the celery and mushrooms and continue to cook, until the meat is fully browned.
- Add the marinara sauce, tomatoes, frozen kale, grated carrots, broth and seasonings, and mix well. Bring soup to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and let cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cooked spaghetti squash strands and adjust seasonings if need be. Serve with Italian herb-infused olive oil drizzled on top, if desired.
Yields: 5-6 servings
Simple Supper Friday: Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie with a squash topping.
There’s something so comforting about one-dish meals — maybe because they tend to be hearty and are often served during the winter months. Casseroles, stews, soups … they’re all good for sticking to your ribs and keeping your body warm and satisfied.
I’ve made shepherd’s pie with mashed cauliflower on top many times, and it’s always delicious, but I thought I’d switch it up and try it with winter squash. I knew it would work just fine and taste great, in addition to being heartier (since squash is more filling than cauliflower). This recipe is a great way to use up leftover squash, but alternatively, you can cook one in the oven earlier in the day or while prepping everything else. If you’re really pressed for time and don’t have leftover squash, you can cook your squash in the microwave. Canned pumpkin or butternut squash puree would probably work too. What I’m telling you, is that you have options!
By the way, this recipe proved to be much more filling with squash, as I suspected.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked winter squash (buttercup, butternut, red kuri, kabocha, pumpkin)
- 2 Tbsp grass-fed butter, plus more for dotting the pie
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed tallow or fat of choice
- 1-4 Tbsp full-fat coconut milk
- 1 lb ground turkey breast (or beef)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup fresh broccoli florets
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp coconut flour
- 3/4 cup chicken broth (I used Imagine Organics Low Sodium Chicken Broth)
Ha, look at that pile o’ squash!
That is some thick squash!
Directions:
- Melt tallow over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and celery and sauté for a couple minutes. Then, add the ground turkey and break up the meat with a spatula. Cook for about five minutes.
- Add carrots and broccoli and cook another five minutes. Next, add the thyme, oregano, sea salt, pepper and peas. Continue to cook for a couple more minutes.
- Pour in the broth and coconut flour, and mix well. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and let cook for about five minutes.
- While mixture is simmering, mash the cooked squash with 2 Tbsp butter and 1-4 Tbsp coconut milk. Add a pinch of sea salt, if desired.
- Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter and add meat/veggie mixture. Spread mashed squash evenly over the top. Dot some butter on top of the squash, if desired.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.
Yields: 4-5 servings
One-dish meals — like this one — are Jesse’s absolute favorite.
As if this isn’t hearty enough, I ate it with avocado slices on top. Why not?
Simple Supper Friday: Chicken Turkey “Noodle” Soup
Chicken turkey “noodle” soup.
It turns out, I had a little more leftover Thanksgiving turkey than I thought (yay!), and since I wanted to make soup with it, that’s what I did. I added chicken as well to make the soup go further. I had half of a spaghetti squash leftover in the fridge and thought I’d see how it’d fare as noodles in the soup. I was hesitant because I didn’t want a bunch of soggy squash stands, but it worked great. Actually, this turned out to be the best variation of a chicken soup I have ever made. Seriously. I didn’t want to stop eating it because it tasted so satisfying, flavorful and delicious. I admit though, making soup with bone broth makes it that much richer and more flavorful, and makes a huge difference.
In fact, this soup is so delicious, I couldn’t stop thinking about it in yoga the next morning and made up my mind right then and there that I was having it for breakfast. And I did. And then I had some again at dinner. It is that good. I would’ve eaten up the rest this morning, but I told Jesse I’d save it for him.
- 2 cups leftover Thanksgiving turkey meat, chopped
- 1 lb cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
- 8 cups broth (I used a combo of bone broth & Imagine Organics Low Sodium Chicken Broth)
- 2 Tbsp grass-fed ghee or fat of choice
- 1 leek, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped (add the leaves too!)
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Pepper to taste
- Pinch of cayenne
- 2 cups cooked spaghetti squash strands (about 1/2 of a large squash)
- Chives for garnish, optional
The soup is ready for the “noodles!”
Directions:
- In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the ghee. Add the chopped leek, celery and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes. Then, add the chopped carrots.
- Mix in the spices, sea salt, pepper, turkey, chicken and broth (note, if you need more broth than the recommended 8 cups, feel free to add a bit more). Bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and continue to simmer for at least 20 minutes or longer if you have the time (up to 60 minutes). This allows the flavors to meld together.
- Finally, add in the spaghetti squash strands and mix until heated through.
- Serve with chopped fresh chives, if using.
Yields: 5-6 servings
The best medicine.
Meatloaf Plus with Homemade Ketchup
Meatloaf plus with homemade ketchup.
Since I made a whole turkey this year for Thanksgiving, I inherited all the giblets that came with it. As you know from my Thanksgiving recap post, I used the neck and gizzard to make a delicious and nutritious gravy. Therefore, I was left with the liver and heart from my petite 8.42 pound local, pasture-raised bird. The experience of cooking organ meats is completely new and foreign to me, and honestly, something I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be doing. At every holiday meal growing up, I turned up my nose when my dad would eat the giblets (my mom always cooked them for him & she would’ve never heard the end of it if she didn’t), and seeing my grandma eat liver n’ onions in a restaurant was enough to make me get sick to my stomach. Well, after a lot of research, reading and exposure to the traditional foods and paleo world, I’ve come around and am now open to the idea of organ meats. Granted, I cannot eat them on their own, but rather, they need to be disguised. If it’s distinguishable, it won’t work for me. That’s why I figured a meatloaf would be the perfect way to go. The worst part was cutting up the heart and liver. The liver cut easily and almost melted in my hands, but the heart was tough and fibrous in spots. I say this was the worst part because I felt nauseous while doing it, and didn’t even know if I’d be able to eat the meatloaf. Thankfully, the nausea wave and lump in the back of my throat passed.
If you have a hard time chopping things fine, feel free to do so in the food processor. I ended up using mine because I had too big of pieces and really wanted the organs to be ground up well. Feel free to do this after sautéing everything or before — either will work. If you’re wondering, I did it after.
This meatloaf turned out wonderfully and the organ meats are not recognizable or distinguishable at all! Also, this meatloaf recipe was inspired and adapted from here. Feel free to serve the meatloaf with any vegetable of your choosing. We ate ours with steamed kale and topped the meatloaf with a little extra ketchup.
Also, plus = heart + liver.
Turkey liver and heart.
Meatloaf ingredients:
- 2 lbs grass-fed ground beef
- 1 pasture-raised turkey liver, finely chopped
- 1 pasture-raised turkey heart, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed ghee or fat of choice
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1/2 cup homemade ketchup (see below)
Homemade ketchup:
- 1 tube or can of tomato paste (tube is 5.3 oz, can is 6 oz)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Pinch ground cloves
- Pinch ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
For the ketchup, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and whisk well to combine. Store in the refrigerator.
Homemade ketchup.
Meatloaf, post baking.
Meatloaf directions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, melt the ghee. Next, add the mushrooms, onion, celery, heart and liver. Sauté for a few minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, salt, pepper, egg, heart/liver/veggie mixture, chili flakes, thyme, oregano and garlic. Mix well, makng sure to break up the meat.
- Lightly grease a large loaf pan and fill it with the meatloaf mixture. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make the ketchup for the top of the meatloaf.
- After baking for 15 minutes, gently spread the ketchup on top of the loaf.
- Continue to bake for another 40-45 minutes.
Yields: 6-8 servings, depending on how thick you cut your slices (2 piece servings)
Total time: 60 minutes
Sweet and Smokey Beef Stew
Sweet and smokey beef stew.
Meanwhile, go make this stew! I can’t tell you how amazing this concoction tastes. I threw ingredients in the pot that I thought would work well together, and the result kind of blew my mind. My only regret is that I didn’t make a bigger batch. Jesse and I gobbled it all up and didn’t have any leftovers. It is SO good!
Ingredients:
- 4 pieces bacon, chopped (I used US Wellness Meats’s sugar-free beef bacon)
- 1/2 lb grass-fed beef stew meat
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup bone broth
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable mixture.
Directions:
- Heat large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and stew meat (no need for oil b/c of the bacon) and allow to cook and brown, stirring frequently.
- Once meat is done, remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside (if don’t have a slotted spoon, use a regular spoon and try to keep the bacon grease in the pan for sautéing the vegetables).
- Add the onion, celery, and garlic to the pan and stir. After a couple minutes, add the carrots and mushrooms.
- Stir frequently until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Then, add the tomato paste, bone broth, apple cider vinegar, spices, and sea salt and pepper. Add the stew meat back to the pot. Mix well and bring to a simmer.
- Turn heat to low and cover the pot with a lid (may need to tilt lid slightly, so it’s not sealed). Let simmer for 2-3 hours. Enjoy!
Hearty (from everything!), sweet (from the tomato paste), smokey (from the bacon).
