Inspired by
Diana Rattray
Recently I have been really
inspired by sweet potatoes. Unfortunately, though, most of my sweet potato
creations will not make it on my blog due to lack of pictures on my part (these
secret recipes included a Quiche with shredded sweet potato and sweet potato
latkes J).
This beef stew recipe uses sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, which is
better for a few reasons. First, sweet potatoes have more antioxidants and have
a lower glycemic index when compared to regular potatoes. What this means is
that the sweet potato does not cause a surge in blood sugar, which makes them
better for diabetics to eat, and they also help you to feel more full for
longer periods of time.
Aside from their healthy benefits,
they also make this stew sweeter and works great with the cinnamon. When I
first made this stew it seemed like it was lacking something. It tasted good,
but seemed unfinished. I decided to research many stew recipes and think I
found the culprit: bay leaves. The original recipe did not have these leaves,
and after adding them to the recipe it gave it more of the desired beef stew
flavor. I also increased the amount of black pepper, which helped too. Any type
of beef could be used, and I’ve made this recipe with both chicken and beef
stock and think that the flavor is still great. This time I added some low
sodium beef bouillon when I used the chicken stock.
This recipe was so easy, as many
slow cooker recipes are. I prepared everything the night before, put it in the slow
cooker and then in the fridge over night. The next morning I took it out,
plugged it in for 10 hours and went about my day. When I got home the stew was
done, and the aroma was amazing!
Without the bay leaves, the stew smelled better than it was though, so
don’t forget them!
Ingredients
2 lbs of beef roast (cut up into about 1 inch pieces)
2 Tbs. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 large onion (chopped)
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 sweet potatoes (cut into medium cubes)
1 cup beef stock (reduced sodium)
1 can of corn
1 can of green beans
Directions
1. Put
beef cubes, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, bay leaves, salt and pepper in a
Ziploc bag and toss until beef is completely coated.
2. Put
olive oil in a large skillet and heat on medium high heat, add onion and beef
and cook until beef is browned and onions are soft.
3. Add
sweet potato, beef stock and beef/onion mixture in the crock-pot. Cover and
cook on low for between 8 to 10 hours.
4. In
the last 15 minutes add drained corn and drained green beans.
5. Once vegetables are hot, serve the stew.
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| I served the stew with triangles of toast. |
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| Greta is questioning my spice use... |
