BEEF DANUBE

I have no idea what 'danube' refers to/what it means, but what I do know is that this danube in particular was mighty delicious.

Several weeks ago, I made this dish for R and I and it was exactly what we needed: warm, hearty, and loaded with veggies.

It's no beef bourguignon (my boyfriend's dad makes a mean one of these), but in the same way that Julia Child's classic dish may have really hit the spot (om nom, I'm salivating just thinking about it), this stew is the perfect end to a long, hard day. Loaded with beef, potatoes and veggies, this one is definitely a keeper.

Beef Danube
recipe adapted from Clean Eating

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. lean top round steak, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 tsp. each sea salt and ground pepper
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 medium white potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
4 bay leaves
2 tsp. dried rosemary
3/4 cup red wine
1 cup frozen peas

1. Heat oil in a large, deep, straight-sided sauté pan on medium-high. Sprinkle steak with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, then brown in pan for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add onion, carrots and garlic. Cook until beginning to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Add potatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.  

2. Mix flour into pan, reduce heat to medium and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly so mixture doesn’t burn. Add tomato, broth and 2 cups water, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add bay leaves and rosemary. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or until meat is tender.

3. Add red wine, remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and artichokes. Re-cover and simmer for 15 more minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender. Stir in peas, remove pan from heat and re-cover. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Try This: Make this recipe gluten-free by substituting the whole wheat flour with corn flour or starch (or any other favourite wheat-free flour).

image via clean eating