Decadence without Indulging

Good evening everyone!  Fall has finally arrived here in the greater Des Moines metro:  the leaves on the trees are changing and falling as soon as they change and cooler temperatures have come to stay.  I, personally, LOVE fall!  The changing between summer and fall is a beautiful sight, plus warm beverages to drink, warmer clothes to wear, and hearty meals to share make this season the best.  Tonight, I'll be presenting one of those dishes that showcases fall in its hearty goodness, but won't overdo it on the calorie scale.

The Recipe:  Beef Bourguignon
Original Recipe Found In:  25 Dinners on a Diet, a Relish Recipe Collection

What You'll Need:
1 1/2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 Pounds lean Beef Stew Meat
2 Cups vertically sliced Onions
2 Cups sliced Carrots
1 Cup diced Green or Red Bell Peper
1 (14 ounce) can diced Tomates, undrained
1 (12 ounce) package Button Mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 (14 ounce) can reduced-sodium Beef Broth
1 1/2 Cups dry Red Wine
2 Garlic cloves, pressed
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 Teaspoon dried Thyme leaves
1/2 Teaspoon coarse Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Butter, softened

To start, add the oil to a Dutch oven and bring to heat over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is warmed, but not to a smoking point, add the beef in batches and cook until the meat to browned, about five to ten minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces of meat.  Once the beef is browned, pour the beef and juices into a deep bowl and set aside.

Next, add the onion, carrot, mushrooms, and bell pepper to the pan.  Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is lightly browned and the rest of the ingredients are softened, about ten minutes.  Add the beef and the juices back to the pan and stir to combine.  Next, add the tomatoes, beef broth, red wine, garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and black pepper, to the Dutch oven.  Bring the heat of the pan to a simmer, just until the liquid begins to bubble.  Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and cook for two hours, or until the beef and vegetables are tender.  After this, discard the bay leaf.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and butter with a fork until the mixture becomes a paste.  Ladle 1/4 cup of the pan juices to the bowl and whisk until very smooth.  Add the flour mixture back to the pan and stir very well.  Sprinkle with parsley, serve in a soup bowl, and enjoy!

The End Result:

This French-style soup is incredibly delicious.  Letting the beef and the vegetables sit in a broth and wine bath for two hours soaked up a lot of their flavor.  The ingredients almost just melt in your mouth because of how long everything was cooked.  If you want, you can add a bread element, a simple biscuit or a baguette, will soak in that yummy broth and create more of a tasty dish.  The best of all?  A serving is 335 calories, so you won't feel like you're overindulging.  Overall, a great fall dish that will leave you wanting more.

That's all we have for you tonight.  Check back tomorrow as Tyler presents another (soon-to-be) fall classic.  Until then,

~Cheers!