Heart Healthy Beef Stew

February is National Heart Month and the Texas Beef Council is working with the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Go Red for Women initiative to celebrate! Reducing the risk of heart disease is about shifting to a healthier lifestyle for the long term which includes making sensible choices about the foods we eat. One step recommended by AHA is to enjoy a wide variety of foods from all food groups including whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat and non-fat dairy and lean meat such as beef.

Beef stew is not only a perfect recipe to warm up in the winter, but a recipe for a healthy living as well! Chef Tiffany showcases a heart-healthy beef stew recipe that includes hearty vegetables and lean beef -- Provencal Beef Stew

Ingredients
2 lbs. boneless beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups ready-to-serve beef broth
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained
1 Tbsp. herbes de Provence
1 lb. new potatoes, cut into quarters
2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 small yellow squash, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 cup niçoise olives, pitted and cut in half
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 tablespoon flour mixture. Lightly coat beef with remaining flour mixture.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in stockpot over medium heat until hot. Brown 1/2 of beef; remove from stockpot. Repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef. Remove beef from stockpot.

Add onion and garlic to stockpot; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add wine; increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until browned bits attached to stockpot are dissolved. Stir in broth, tomatoes, herbes de Provence and reserved flour mixture. Return beef to stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1-1/2 hours or until beef is fork-tender.

Add potatoes, zucchini and yellow squash to stockpot; continue simmering, covered, 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add olives and basil; cook, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes or until olives are heated through. Serve with cheese, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Nutrition information per serving: 358 calories; 11 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 6 g monounsaturated fat); 80 mg cholesterol; 1179 mg sodium; 31 g carbohydrate; 4.1 g fiber; 30 g protein; 4.4 mg niacin; 0.6 mg vitamin B6; 2.5 mcg vitamin B12; 6.0 mg iron; 28.9 mcg selenium; 7.3 mg zinc.

This recipe courtesy of The Healthy Beef Cookbook published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.