Beef & Beer Stew

I love this stew because it only takes an hour to make, start to finish, and I am a big fan of anything that can easily incorporate green veggies into the mix.

You will need:

12 oz lean beef (find a cheap cut or stewing beef)

1 medium onion

1 green pepper

2 garlic cloves

2 medium potatoes

8 oz carrots, so either 24 baby carrots or 2 large

16 oz fat-free beef broth

8 oz beer

1/4 c evaporated skim milk or 2 Tbsp homo milk, if you don't have an open can

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp paprika

Salt

Pepper

Thyme leaves

First, prep! Cut your beef and potatoes into bite-size chunks. You could also use stewing beef and / or these adorable little mini potatoes, about 375g worth. Is that helpful? Almost a pound. They cost more but you would only have to cut them in half or quarters, depending on the size of your chompers. I would recommend red potatoes. Always season your meat with salt and pepper before cooking!

Cut your carrots into coins, or if using baby-cut carrots, cut in half. Chop your onions and green pepper into small pieces and mince your garlic. Done!

Spray a non-stick pot with oil, heat and add the beef, onion and green peppers. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the garlic for one minute. Just one! 

Well, as browned as it can be in a non-stick pan with hardly any fat. Maillard would be weeping

Dump in your potatoes, carrots, broth and beer; bring to a boil and reduce heat. Season with salt, pepper and thyme, cover and let cook simmer for about 30 minutes.

 Mix the milk with the cornstarch and paprika, stir into the stew. Cook for about 5 minutes more, until thick and bubbly. Stir and let simmer for another couple of minutes. 

I made this into 4 portions and came up with a calorie count of 293 per serving. I am going to add a salad with dressing, half a whole wheat bun, some milk and here we are under 500 calories. Yay us!

Enjoy!