Paleo Beef Stew

Well, stew weather has arrived! In fact, it hit with such urgency that I made a special trip to the store for just stew ingredients. It was as delicious as I remembered and made lots of leftovers! What a way to welcome the cooler weather! I think I'll be keeping the crock pot out for awhile!

Comfort food is only a crock pot away!

Recipe: I like to keep my stew vegetables and meat on the larger, chunky side!

2 pkg. stew meat (about 1 lb. each)

2 carrots, sliced thick

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 large rutabaga, chopped in big chunks

2 turnips, chopped in chunks

1 parsnip, sliced thick

10 boiler onions, whole, peeled

32 oz. organic beef broth

1 C almond meal

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp garlic powder

1 T oregano

pinch sea salt

1 bay leaf

1 T olive oil

Heat olive oil in a skillet. In a ziplock bag add almond meal and all seasonings (except bay leaf). Place stew meat in bag and thoroughly coat. Brown stew meat... (you may have to do this in batches, depending on how large your skillet is), add to crock pot (include all almond meal-spice bits). Add all vegetables to crock pot (except boiler onions). Cover meat and vegetables with beef broth, add bay leaf, and cook on low for 4-6 hours. About 20 minutes before serving, add boiler onions - cook until tender.

Serve and enjoy this cool weather friend!

Chinese-Style Beef, Sweet Potato & Bok Choy Stew

This recipe was recommended to me by our own sweet Annie! It's actually a recipe she tried from Sunset magazine (January 2010). It took very little tweaking to make Paleo.... VERY little! It calls for beef rib-eye steaks (which can be a little pricey). You could probably substitute a less expensive meat, but OH MAN, I have to say.... that rib-eye was outstanding! I also loved the Chinese five-spice powder in this dish! (Which should absolutely be a pantry "must-have"). It adds such a warm, savory, comforting flavor with Asian pizazz! This was a scrumptious meal, and I highly recommend... Hope you enjoy! :-)

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic

1 piece fresh ginger (1 inch square)

1 1/4 lbs. Beef rib-eye steaks (about 2 steaks)

1 T olive oil

2 tsp. Chinese Five-spice powder (Yum... a pantry "must-have")

3 C beef broth (organic, low sodium)

2 T coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)

1 good-sized Japanese yam (or sweet potato)

12 oz. baby bok choy (about 4-5)

2 green onions

Whirl garlic and ginger in a food processor (or just mince together well). Trim fat from steaks and cut across grain into 1/4-inch slices. Coat meat with half the garlic mixture (add a pinch of sea salt, if desired). Heat oil in a 5 quart sauce pan over high-ish heat. Brown the meat, stirring occasionally for about 4-6 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining garlic/ginger mixture. Cook until softened. Add five-spice powder, broth, and aminos.

Peal Japanese yams, halve lengthwise, and cut in thick slices. Add to both, cover and bring to a boil for about 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat and continue to simmer. Cut bok choy in wide slices. Add to pot and cook until wilted (about 2-3 minutes). Add beef back to the pot, and cook until hot. Ladle into bowls and garnish with finely chopped green onions!

OH SO Delicious! :-)

Thanks, Annie! :-)

Paleo Chicken & Vegetable Stew

Well, it might be mid-April and it might be spring, but it still felt like stew weather to me! Maybe I'm still trying to warm up after yesterday's half marathon in the wind and rain! I know I definitely needed a little comfort food to help with my aching body! But... we did it! My friend Neile and I accomplished our goal yesterday and it felt great!!! :-))

I'll tell you what!? Thanks to CrossFit, healthy Paleo eating, and good friends... anything is possible! So, keep those goals in site, no matter how impossible they might seem!

This is a great crock pot recipe! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2-4 tsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

3 C zucchini, halved and chopped

1/2 C celery, chopped

1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes (no added salt)

1 tsp of each:

dried thyme

dried oregano

1 bay leaf

black pepper

grey sea salt (optional)

Cut chicken into about 1 inch cubes. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown chicken. Transfer to the crock pot. In the same skillet, saute onion, garlic and pepper. Add the remaining vegetables and a little more olive oil, if needed. Cook until crisp-tender, and add to crock pot. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Yum!