Healthy comfort food - beef steef

January is an interesting month with a double personality,...

First of all, after the holiday season filled with rich, indulgent foods, most people are looking for healthy, nutritious light recipes.

But January is also one of the coldest months,…so everybody is craving comfort food.

This next recipe does the job for me,…and kids like it too!

Beef tagine with plenty of vegetables

Ingredients (8 people)

-1 kg stewing beef, cut in cubes (ask for lean cut of beef)

-olive oil

-1 onion, peeled and chopped

-600 g chickpeas, drained

-600 g chopped tomatoes (canned is ok)

-500 g carrots, chopped

-1 squash, cut into 5 cm chunks

-1 liter vegetable stock (low sodium vegetable stock)

-100 g dates, take stones out and chop in 2-4 pieces

-2 tablespoons flaked almonds, toasted

-handful fresh coriander leaves

-250 g cooked quinoa or couscous

-Spice mix: 1 tablespoon ras el hanout, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon

ground ginger, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cinnamon

(this looks like a lot of spices for it’s actually not a spicy stew)

Directions

1.  Prepare spice mix and mix it with the beef. If you have time let it sit in your refrigerated for several hours so spices can mix well.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the meat over medium heat for 5 minutes in a casserole-type pan or a tagine. Add the chopped onion and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock  and bring to a boil. Put lid on the pan and continue cooking (simmer) for another 1 ½ hours.
3. Add the vegetables: chickpeas, carrots, dates and squash and let stir for another 15’ or until the meat is soft. The beef should be really tender and flaking apart.
4. Add some salt and pepper (cayenne pepper for a spicier version) and serve with some toasted almonds and fresh coriander leaves.
5. Serve with couscous or quinoa if you like a gluten-free option

Tips & Tricks:
-Great make-ahead dish and freezes well. I always prepare more than needed and freeze a portion to have an extra meal available when I don’t have time or a desire to cook.

-Easy to make this dish vegetarian, just leave out the meat and add some extra veggies if needed. Other great options: cauliflower, parsnips.

-Make sure the stew simmers and does not cook vigorously.