SLOW-COOKER MEATY
BEEF AND VEGETABLE STEW
The aromas filling the kitchen will draw you there as this beef stew cooks in a cozy, delicious gravy. I could hardly wait to taste it! This is a hearty stew that will make everyone's taste buds and tummy happy.
Plenty of vegetables make this a nutritious meal. The spices add tremendous flavor and there is a secret ingredient that complements the tomato flavor in the stew - mustard!
You can use either chicken stock/broth or beef stock/broth. I always have homemade chicken stock in the freezer. I included the slow-cooker recipe below for you if you are interested. It is so easy to make from a leftover rotisserie chicken carcass. I don't find that it is a problem to use chicken broth when I am making beef. It is just a flavorful broth and the beef will overpower it in any case.
I used a mix of vegetables, but you can change it up to use whatever you have on hand. Instead of carrot, for instance, you could use celery. You can add onions. I never mix cooked onions and tomatoes for my husband as it does not agree with him. His mother was the same.
Always sear the meat first to get that nice brown color. Grey meat is not appetizing.
Serve with low-carb bread on the side and pour the stew over a bed of cooked, plain cauli-rice or mashed cauli (if in maintenance add a cooked sweet potato or potato for more authenticity without the full carb load.).
Although I give directions to cook the stew on high, it will be even better if you cook it on low overnight.
Do not skip the veggies. They add such wonderful nutrition to this stew. If you wanted to you could toss the diced meat in bake mix before frying them in light-tasting olive oil. Slow-cooker beef stew like this is such a wonderful, homey meal that is particularly good during the winter time, but since I live in the tropics, I make beef stew year round. You could add other veggies like frozen peas depending on your level of low-carbing. Leftover stew can just be heated in the microwave oven. You can change up the spices a bit to suit your tastes or what you have in your pantry.
Since this meal is high in protein, you will feel energized after eating this slow-cooker beef stew. Even although I mention using a cornstarch slurry, it is oftentimes not necessary. Some people add a bit of cream cheese and stir that in to thicken the gravy. Instead of cornstarch, one could use arrowroot powder. 2 tsp or cornstarch will only add 0.6 g carbs to each serving.
It is true that one could also make this meal in a dutch oven, but since I have a large slow-cooker, I always opt to use my slow-cooker for beef stew. I intend to make quite a number of new slow-cooker meals, as I realize there are many people who don't have a lot of time to cook, and the slow-cooker can be a lifesaver or time saver when it comes to food preparation - even while one is away at work, the stew can be cooking away. What could be more convenient than that?
Another reason I like to use homemade chicken stock is that it is lower in sodium than store bought, plus healthier as you will use normal ingredients, plus there will be no sugar in it, which really should not be in there in any case.
This crockpot beef stew recipe is one of my favorites. I hope you will try it sometime.
INGREDIENTS:
2.2 lbs lean diced rump roast steak, OR (1 kg)
any other meat suitable for the
crockpot
2 tbsp light olive oil (30 mL)
Seasoning salt, to taste
1 tbsp minced garlic (15 mL)
1 carrot, chopped (optional)
2 large bell peppers, chopped
6 oz can tomato paste (180 g)
2 tbsp honey substitute, OR sweetener (30 mL)
2 tbsp yellow mustard, any kind (30 mL)
21/2 cups chicken stock/broth, OR beef stock/broth (625 mL)
2 tsp arrowroot powder, OR cornstarch (10 mL)
Spices, etc.:
2 tsp dried rosemary (10 mL)
11/2 tsp salt (7 mL)
1 tsp dried parsley (5 mL)
1/2
tsp thyme (2 mL)
1/2
tsp Montreal steak seasoning (2 mL)
1/2
tsp black pepper (2 mL)
2 bay leaves (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Cut
steak into small pieces. In large nonstick frying pan, in olive oil and over
high heat, sear half the steak pieces on both sides. Sprinkle with seasoning
salt. Repeat with remaining steak. Place steak in slow cooker. Top with minced garlic, carrot (if using),
bell peppers, tomato paste, honey substitute, OR sweetener and yellow
mustard. Pour chicken stock, OR beef stock over
all. Sprinkle rosemary, salt, parsley,
thyme, Montreal steak seasoning and pepper over top. Stir well to combine. Stick 2 bay leaves in upright (if
using). Set slow cooker for 5 hours on
high. Check if the steak is getting
tender after 4 hours. You can also set
it on low for 8 hours, which is what I tend to do. You want the meat to be lovely and tender.
Helpful Hints: If the sauce is a bit thin, use up to 2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch (mix in some of the liquid in slow-cooker in small bowl, then add back to slow-cooker) and place slow-cooker on high and cook a few minutes until the sauce is thicker. 2 tsp cornstarch equals 5 g carbs, which means it adds 0.6 g carbs to the net carbs.
Commercial chicken stock is no doubt very salty-tasting, so you could reduce the salt in the recipe if you are using that. *To make homemade chicken stock, place rotisserie chicken carcass in slow-cooker. Add water to cover. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) salt, 1 tsp parsley (1 mL), 1/2 tsp (2 mL) thyme (optional) and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) black pepper. Place slow-cooker on low and cook overnight. Strain and either refrigerate or freeze the chicken stock in an airtight container. This chicken stock makes a wonderful base for soups and gravies.
Yield: 8 servings
1
serving
353.4
calories
41.6
g protein
15.3
g fat
1.7 g fiber
8.3
g net carbs
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