Falling for Cozy Meals

    Falling for Cozy Meals

    By: Jacqueline Gomes, RD, MBA

    As we begin to trade t-shirts for sweatshirts and feel the chill of cool Autumn mornings, you may start to crave cozy comfort meals to satisfy the chill.

    Comfort foods come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. For instance, some may find sweets like chocolate chip cookies to be comforting, while someone else might prefer the heartiness of beef stew.

    While comfort foods are often perceived as higher fat or higher sugar alternatives to healthier dishes, with a few simple adjustments this may not always be the case!
    • Add in more veggies to bulk up the nutrition factor such as sweet potatoes, carrots, squash and apples.
    • Swap out a higher fat ingredient like sour cream for low fat Greek yogurt.
    • Change the portion size. Enjoy your comfort food as is, simply reduce your portion size and enjoy.

    Beef stew is a fall and winter favorite, try adding root vegetables like carrots and parsnips to enhance both the nutrition and cozy comfort food factor of this classic dish!

    Hearty & Healthy Beef Stew

    beef stew

    Prep: 15 minutes

    Cook 2 hours, 30 minutes

    Makes: 6 Servings

    Ingredients:

    • 2 Pounds Rancher’s Legend Bottom Round Roast, cut into chunks
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (can sub gluten free flour)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
    • 2 large carrots, cut into 2 -inch chunks
    • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 2 white potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces
    • 2 cups Beef Broth
    • ¼ cup tomato paste
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 bay leaves
    • One bunch fresh thyme
    • 2 teaspoons chopped parsley

    Directions:

    • Preheat oven to 325° F.
    • Season the beef with kosher salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with the flour and toss to coat.
    • Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown all sides of the beef, about 4 minutes. Continue working in batches until all beef is browned. Remove beef and set aside.
    • To the same Dutch oven, add the onion, garlic and carrots. Cooking for about 2 to 3 minutes.
    • Add the potatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, bay leave, fresh thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Stir using a wooden spoon and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
    • Bring to a simmer, add in beef, cover and place in preheated oven.
    • Cook for about 2 to 2.5 hours. Remove bay leaf and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Top with parsley before serving.

    Notes: You may add 1-2 cups of water or more broth halfway through or 30 minutes before the dish is done if you want more broth on your stew.

    Nutrition information: 383 Calories; 14g carbohydrate; 32g protein; 22g fat; 3g fiber