Beef and Vegetables Stew

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. butter, divided
• 1 lb. diced beef
• 1/2 cup pearl onions or chopped onions
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 8 oz. Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
• 1 cup diced turnips
• 1 tsp. gelatin powder
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/4 canned white beans, rinsed and drained (optional) 
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Makes 4 Servings

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. 
2. Pat the beef dry and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Add the beef to the pot and brown it for 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove the beef and set aside. 
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pot and melt.
4. Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
5. meanwhile, pour 1/4 cup of water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Set the mixture aside to soften for at least 5 minutes. 
6. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute, until golden. 
7. Add the lemon juice, tomato juice, and beef broth and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. 
8. Add the beef and beans (if using) to the pot and bring the stew to a boil. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. 
9. Whisk the gelatin into the water and blend to dissolve it; then add the mixture to the stew. Simmer the stew for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the broth is slightly thickened. 
10. When you are ready to serve, ladle the stew evenly into 4 bowls and garnish with the parsley. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 11 pts. with or without the beans

Note: This recipe appears in the New Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet book. Beef stew is an elegant and wonderful comfort food to enjoy. This version of beef stew is filled with tender beef, pearl onions, mushrooms and the options of white beans. If you want to make this stew with fewer carbs, make it without the beans and add a touch of diced tomatoes instead and the stew will be just as flavorful. 

Baked Portebello Caps with Melted Goat Cheese

Ingredients;

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 4 large portebello mushroom caps
• 4 oz. reduced-fat goat cheese
• 2 tbsp. pine nuts, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• basil sprig, for garnish

Makes 4 Servings (1 stuffed cap per serving)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Spread the sauce in the bottom of a 9" x 9" baking dish. Arrange the mushroom caps, grill side up, on top. Place the goat cheese on each mushroom. Sprinkle evenly with the pine nuts. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Top with the chopped basil. Garnish with the basil sprig.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Cookbook. This is a simple dish to either kick-start your healthy lifestyle or if your fell off the wagon and want to get back on track. You can enjoy cheese, tomato sauce and mushrooms when they are cooked the right way. These mushroom caps are like mini pizzas without the guilt. I highly recommend using homemade tomato sauce in this recipe because you know what is in the sauce and homemade sauce is more flavorful.