Mac’s Hearty Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons whole wheat unbleached flour
• ½ teaspoon each, dried rosemary, sage and thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces lean beef steak in ¾-inch cubes
• 1 cup beef broth, low-sodium
• 3 medium carrots, sliced ½-inch thick
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, sliced ½ inch-thick with leaves
• 1 medium potato in ¾-inch cubes
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, quartered
• 1 14½-ounce can diced tomatoes, low-sodium
• ¼ cup nonfat milk
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Method

• Combine flour, rosemary, sage, thyme and pepper in a plastic bag. Add beef and shake to coat. Reserve any excess flour mixture.
• Heat oil in stew pot at medium heat and brown beef on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove beef from pot.
• Deglaze pot with ¼ cup of beef stock. Add carrots, onions, celery, potato, garlic, mushrooms and remainder of stock. Simmer 15 minutes.
• Return beef to pot with vegetables, add tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are cooked, but still firm.
• Combine milk, reserved flour and cornstarch. Add mixture to pot and simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Serve.

Per serving: 319 calories, 26g protein, 34g carbohydrate (6g fiber), 9g fat (3g sat, 6g mono/poly), 211mg sodium