Provençal Beef Stew

Chuck roast, a tough cut of meat, grows tender in the slow cooker. Serve this rustic stew with crusty bread and red wine—perhaps a Côtes du Rhône or Chateauneuf-du-Pâpe from southern France.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1 1/2  pounds  boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  kosher salt, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 2  medium onions, each cut into 8 wedges
• 8  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4  cup  dry red wine
• 1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 2  tablespoons  tomato paste
• 3  bay leaves
• 3  fresh thyme sprigs
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 3  cups  (1-inch) slices zucchini
• 2  cups  (1-inch) slices carrots

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; dredge in flour. Add beef to pan; sauté 2 minutes, browning on all sides. Place beef in an electric slow cooker. Add onions and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Place onion mixture in cooker. Add broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, and tomatoes to cooker; top with zucchini and carrots. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or until beef is tender. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

271

Fat:

8.9g (sat 2.8g,mono 4.1g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

31.1g

Carbohydrate:

16.5g

Fiber:

3.5g

Cholesterol:

86mg

Iron:

4.2mg

Sodium:

739mg

Calcium:

57mg