Beef and Bean Stew

 

This hearty but healthy stew comes from my brother in Arizona. The stew is made with a 15 bean soup mix, made up of Northern, Pinto, Large Lima, Black-eye, Garbanzo, Baby Lima, Green Split, Kidney, Cranberry, Small White, Pink, Small Red, Yellow Split, Lentil, Navy, White Kidney and Black Beans – like "Hurst's HamBeens"…but DON'T USE THE SEASONING IN THE PACKAGE!

Ingredients:  For four

2 cups of 15-bean soup dry beans (such as "Hurst's HamBeens" )
4 carrots, sliced
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 red onion, diced
1 ½ pounds lean top sirloin, cut in 1” cubes

1 cup whole-wheat spirelli pasta

½ teaspoon Turmeric
4 tablespoons Chile powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons oregano
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, reserved

Add the Turmeric, Chile powder, cayenne powder, and beans to a 2-quart saucepan.  Add water to cover the beans and set aside for at least 6 hours, stirring occasionally. 

An hour and a half prior to eating add sliced carrot to the beans and bring to a boil. After 20 minutes, test carrots for tenderness.  When softened, add pasta to the beans and place steamer of broccoli on top of saucepan, cover and steam for 10 minutes. (Or just steam separately)

Add the 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to a sauté pan and heat over medium flame. Add garlic and red onion and sauté, seasoning with the oregano. When onion has just started to caramelize (turn brown at edges), turn heat to low and add the beef.  Cook the beef for five to eight minutes, turning to ensure browning on all sides. 

 
Stir the beans, pasta, broccoli in a serving bowl and drizzle with one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Drain beef, onion and garlic of as much cooked oil as possible and loosely stir into bean, pasta and veggie mixture. Serve with your favorite whole wheat bread...enjoy!

Nutrition

Per serving: 283 calories; 6.4 g fat ( 1g sat fat); 30 mg cholesterol; 34g carbohydrates; 21g protein; 14g fiber; 400mg sodium; 900 mg potassium.

Linguine with Grilled Shrimp & Black Olives

A healthy, traditional Mediterranean pasta dish, using fresh shrimp, tomatoes, garlic and Kalamata olives…yummy!

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (for four)

• 1 pound medium shrimp, (30-40 per pound), peeled and de-veined
• 16 ounces whole wheat linguine
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 8 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1-1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Thread shrimp onto skewers. Grill 3 to 4 minutes per side.
3. While the shrimp is grilling, start cooking linguine al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain but don’t rinse.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until it just starts to go opaque, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Add olives, grilled shrimp and cooked linguine; cook, tossing, until heated through, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, mix in the basil and season with pepper. Top with Parmesan and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving: 522 calories; 11 g fat ( 2 g sat , 6 g mono ); 172 mg cholesterol; 74 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 37 g protein; 13 g fiber; 449 mg sodium; 788 mg potassium.