Category Archives: Soups and Stews

Beef, Soups and Stews

Guinness Pot Roast is Grand

Photo: Pot Roast in Guinness broth

When you think of St. Patrick’s Day, your first thought probably isn’t a pot roast.  In many ways, it is similar to an Irish stew though. Beef, broth, vegetables, and Guinness Stout. So, I thought, why not? The stout not only brings flavor, but it is great to tenderize the beef. Add turnips and kohlrabi instead of potatoes, then throw in some baby carrots and onions, and you have a delicious low-carb meal in one pot.

Guinness Stout Pot Roast

3-1/2 to 4 lb. Pot Roast
1 16 oz.-can Guinness Draught Stout
2 cups Turnips, peeled and cubed
20-24 Baby Carrots
3 stalks Celery, medium-sized
1 Onion, peeled and quartered
2 cups Kohlrabi, peeled and cubed
1 packet LIPTON RECIPE SECRETS ONION Mix or other Onion Soup mix
1 tablespoon Garlic and Herb Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil

Heat oven to 325 degrees (F.)

Peel the turnips and kohlrabi and cut each into eighths. Remove the strings from the celery and cut into one-inch pieces. Cut the carrots in half or leave whole. Peel the onion and cut it into quarters.

In a Dutch oven or ovenproof deep pot, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Prepare the roast by rubbing it with seasoning on both sides. Sear the pot roast in the hot oil to get a brown char on one side, then flip over and repeat.

Remove the roast, add in the onions and sauté for about five minutes. Return the roast to the pan, then add the Guinness beer and 1/4 cup water along with the Onion Soup mix. Bring mixture to a simmer, then turn off heat. Cover with a lid or with a double layer of aluminum foil. Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the pot and cook for another 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours until the vegetables are fork tender.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To help sop up that flavorful sauce, serve slices of low carb Irish Soda Bread. Get the recipe here.

Beef, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Pork, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Hot Chile for Cold Days

Photo: Rene's Beef and Chorizo Chile

With a snowstorm arriving in Reno last weekend, my thoughts turned to warm comfort food. Weather like this calls for at least stew, soup, or chile. I went with the latter. Usually, I make my Tex-Mex chile, the variety that uses all meat chunks and carries a ton of heat. But I decided to try something a little different, so here’s my take on a meat and bean chile done low carb.

First, I added medium-hot chorizo in for a zap of spice and a different flavor, then mixed in ground beef. I chose black beans because they are a bit lower in carbohydrates than either pinto or red beans. The result is fabulous, tasty, and warming. Like many stews, soups, and curries, the longer the pot sits, the more flavorful it becomes. So if you want to make it a day ahead, you can cover it and put it in the ‘fridge for a day or so. Nonetheless, it is delicious on the first day.

Rene’s Beef and Chorizo Chile

1 Onion, diced
1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
2 pounds Ground Beef
1 pound Chorizo Sausage
1 can diced Green Peppers
1 packet Taco Seasoning or 2 tablespoons Spicy Seasoning
1 15-oz can Stewed Tomatoes, chopped
1 15-oz can Tomatoes with Chiles
1 can Black Beans, with juice
1 cup Pumpkin puree

In a 10 to 12 cup heavy pot, heat a teaspoon oil and add onions and garlic. Stir and cook for about five minutes until the onions are sweating. Add ground beef and chorizo, breaking it up as you stir it around. Cook until the meat is lightly browned.

Add green peppers, seasoning, and both cans of tomatoes. Add about a half-cup to each tomato can and swish them around to get the rest of the juice in the can, then add to the chile pot. Stir it together, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for an hour.

Taste the sauce to check the seasoning and adjust it if you want it spicier. Add the black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir well and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes until the chile thickens.

Serve in bowls with cheddar jack or Mexican cheese and sour cream if you wish.

Makes 8 to 10 servings, about 1 cup each.

Tip: You can make an excellent chile cheese omelet with this chile. Just add 1 cup of warmed chile in the middle of the partially cooked omelet and top with cheese. Fold the omelet over or cook the top in a broiler until the cheese is melted.

Recipes, Soups and Stews, Vegetarian

Warming Broccoli with Irish Cheddar Soup

Photo Broccoli Cheese Soup

Switching on a dime, the temperatures in Reno went from spring-like mid-50s to snowing today. Perfect time for delicious and warming soup. I ran across a recipe for broccoli cheese soup and made a couple of small changes to make this scrumptiously rich-tasting version using sharp Irish cheddar cheese.

Broccoli Soup with Irish Sharp Cheddar Cheese

3 tablespoon Butter, melted
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
3 tablespoons All Purpose Low Carb Flour
1 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Water
2 cups Chicken Stock
2 1/2 to 3 cups Broccoli, chopped
1 Carrot, peeled and chopped
2 Celery stalk, cleaned and diced
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Spicy Seasoning
7 oz. Kerry Gold Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt butter and sauté onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir to make a paste. Add the chicken stock and stir or whisk to blend the flour in, then add the cream and water. Stir together over medium heat.

Add the vegetables and stir together. Add the spicy seasoning and stir, then lower the heat to a simmer. Let cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Add cheese, reserving about 1/4 cup for topping, then stir until it melts. Add the nutmeg, if desired.

Serve in one cup bowls and top with a pinch of reserved cheese.

Makes 4 to 6 servings depending on appetite.

Image: Nutrition Information Broccoli with Irish Cheddar Soup

Asian Recipes, Recipes, Seafood, Soups and Stews

Thai Coconut Soup Bring the Flavor

Photo: Thai Coconut Soup

This week’s “Meatless Monday” recipe isn’t entirely without “meat,” but as I understand it, seafood isn’t included in the ban. I’m using shrimp in this tasty and slightly-spiced soup, but if you’re vegetarian or don’t want to eat seafood, then you can leave it out or replace it with cubes of firm tofu.

The base recipe came from the Atkins web site; however, I added more to it to make it a heartier soup. While it is delicious, it isn’t completely filling, so maybe you can add a salad and/or a low carb roll or even make a grilled cheese sandwich to accompany. Although the recipe makes six one-cup servings, it is low enough in carbs that you can make four servings and gain another half cup of yum. You can also increase the amount of shrimp in it.

Thai Coconut Soup

3 cups Chicken Broth
13.5-ounce can Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 piece fresh Ginger, 1-inch, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1/2 cup Spinach or Bok Choy, chopped
2 tablespoons Fish Sauce or Worcestershire Sauce
1 Jalapeño Pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated Lime Zest
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute
1/2 pound medium Shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 ounces Mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup Daikon Radish, cubed
2 Green Onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Cilantro (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh Lime Juice

Peel and chop or slice all the vegetables before you begin to cook. Cut the daikon into  small cubes so it will cook quicker.

In an eight cup pot, add the chicken broth, coconut milk, ginger, jalapeño, fish or Worcester Sauce, lime zest, and sugar substitute. Cook on medium heat until it comes to a boil, stirring a few times, then reduce the heat to low, partly cover the top, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the ginger slices and discard. Add the daikon and cook another 10 minutes to soften the daikon.

Add shrimp, mushrooms, and bok choy or spinach, Stir well and cook until shrimp are cooked, about four minutes. Stir in the green onions, cilantro if using, and the lime juice.

Spoon into bowls and enjoy.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Info: Thai Coconut Soup with Shrimp

Nutrition Info for Thai Coconut Soup

 

Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes, Soups and Stews, Vegetarian

Delicious Turkey Ragout feeds the soul

Photo: Turkey & Vegetables Ragout

A rainy night or two ago, I pulled a package of frozen turkey from the freezer and pondered what I could throw together with it that suited this chilly night. I had canned tomatoes, an eggplant that needed to be used, and some of the mini-peppers in my fridge. So I threw this saucy dish together. It’s not quite a ragu nor is it a ragout exactly, but it’s closer to the latter, so that’s what I decided to call it. It’s a lovely combination of meat, vegetables, and sauce with Italian seasonings.

For my seasoning salt, I used Emeril’s Essence, but any seasoning salt will work. I also used red onion, which brings a bit more sweetness than a white or yellow onion, but any of them will work. In fact, this is a versatile recipe, so if you don’t care for eggplant, substitute in another vegetable, such as summer squash or mushrooms. Of course, you can also use ground beef in place of the turkey. For a vegetarian option, omit the meat and add in more vegetables, like the aforementioned mushrooms or chopped kohlrabi. Be aware that replacing the turkey with additional vegetables will increase the carb count a little.

Turkey and Vegetable Ragout

1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 15-oz. can Diced Tomatoes
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Onion, chopped
1 cup Eggplant, cubed
3 Mini-Peppers, sliced
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup Water or White Wine
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon ground Pepper

In a large saucepan, brown the ground turkey, chopping into small pieces as it cooks. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent.

Add the eggplant and peppers and continue to cook another few minutes, stirring a few times, then add the canned tomatoes and 1/4 cup of water (or white wine). Add all the seasonings and stir the whole pan together.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for about 20 to 30 minutes until the liquid is reduced to a delicious sauce and the vegetables are tender. Taste the sauce and adjust any seasonings.

Serve with cooked zucchini noodles. You can either buy these in the frozen food section or make your own with a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler. Or you can do a wide shred with a food grater.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Info for Turkey Vegetable Ragout