It’s cold outside and that means soup and stew weather! It has really chilled off here in Arizona, which is great because we don’t really have a winter here. It’s been unusually “chilled” this winter season and I love it! I found this recipe from Jillian over at Simple, Sassy and Scrumptious and I thought it would be perfect for my post workouts. During the week, I’m either kickboxing or weightlifting and I always go at night. I’m just not a morning person so it makes no sense to get up early and get my workout in. Plus, after I workout I want to refuel my body and feed my muscles. I typically do this with a protein shake and a banana but it’s been really COLD outside and I want something a little hearty post workout! My kickboxing class literally kicks my butt, so I feel famished after my class. It’s always freezing during class too, so when I head home I need about 20 minutes to thaw out. So, when I ran into this recipe I thought it was perfect because 1. it’s warm 2. it’s FULL of protein 3. It’s hearty 4. it’s a crock-pot recipe! WINNER WINNER!
This one is not Gluten Free because the Guinness is wheat based. But you know what…there are plenty of Gluten Free dark ales out there so if you are Gluten Free, add in your favorite Gluten Free dark ale as a substitute. Easy Peasy…problem solved. Enjoy this one! Oh - and I added a piece of cornbread in my stew. I crumbled it up, mixed it in and man…it was so filling and exactly what I needed post workout. Stay warm out there and happy eats!
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons olive oil 3 lbs beef stew meat ½ teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste 4 cloves garlic, minced ⅓ cup tomato paste 2 cups beef broth 1 bottle Guinness Draught ½ teaspoons dried thyme 2 bay leaves 3 large carrots, sliced (I used rainbow carrots) 1 large yellow onion, diced 5 baby yellow potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes 1 large parsnip, cut in ¾-inch pieces
Directions
Heat 2 Tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add beef in batches to pan and brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining beef. Place beef and all of the remaining ingredients into a slow cooker. Stir to incorporate all ingredients and ensure that the meat and vegetables are covered with the broth. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove Bay leaves and serve.
Recipe source: inspired by Simple, Sassy and Scrumptious
