Sometimes I have these lucky days where dinner is ready in no time, although I had no clue what I was going to cook 30 minutes earlier.

I love stews!   …and so do my kids!

The other day I had 3 top sirloin steaks which I had planned for dinner but they looked quite fibrous. That worried me because my children and my husband are extremely finicky about meat, its taste, and consistency. (No wonder the jaws of our future generations are becoming smaller and smaller when nobody wants to use their teeth for proper chewing anymore.)

All I knew 30 minutes before dinner time was that I have to use the pressure cooker to hopefully get that tough meat tender. So I started dicing the meat and cut out all the fibrous parts. I had homemade chicken broth in the freezer, a can of chickpeas and organic strained tomatoes. All came together pretty quickly.

How to increase nutrients?

Stews are the perfect dish to be packed with nourishing ingredients.

Beef, grass-fed

is a great protein source, contains anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats, B-vitamins, and minerals such as zinc, selenium, potassium, magnesium, and iron.

Buying organic and grass-fed is important because you are not only what you eat, you are also what your food ate.

Meat with the organic label isn’t produced with growth-promoting drugs and the cow’s feed is GMO-free and free of synthetic chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides.

Meat with the “Non-GMO Project” label indicates that a product is GMO-free but the production process might still have included the chemicals and drugs which I mentioned before.

Meat, produce, and any other product in your supermarket with the organic label on it is better and preferable than products with a GMO-free label only.

In terms of meat, another factor is very important. Grass-fed.

In regards to grass-fed, you want to find the meat of a cow which has never eaten the standard corn feed. Also called “grass-finished”. It is always best to get the meat from a source which can answer the question trustfully if the cow was grass-fed and grass-finished. As the Alliance for Natural Health points out, corn-fed beef has over 20 times more omega-6 fatty acids (inflammatory) than omega-3 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory). But grass-fed beef has seven times more omega-3s than omega-6s. Try to find local small farms, where cows graze in pasture year-round rather than being fed a processed diet for the majority of their life which makes them sick and us as well.

Chickpeas

Up to 75% of the fiber found in chickpeas is insoluble fiber. This type of fiber remains undigested all the way down to our large intestine. Studies have shown that chickpea fiber can be metabolized by bacteria in the colon to produce relatively large amounts of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetic, propionic, and butyric acid. These SCFAs provide fuel to the cells that line your intestinal wall. By supporting the energy needs of our intestinal cells, the SCFAs made from chickpea fiber can help lower the risk of colon problems. Besides the benefits for the digestive tract, the fiber and protein content supports blood glucose balance and satiety after eating.  Chickpeas have also a high content of antioxidant phytonutrients which protect our cells from oxidative damage.

Chinese Mushroom Blend

is my absolute favorite taste and nutrient enhancer for soups, stews, sauces, shakes, and drinks!

Chinese mushrooms are well studied for their immune boosting properties. Each kind of mushroom has its own health benefits. For instance, Reishi is very therapeutic for lung conditions like asthma and bronchitis and Lion’s Mane improves significantly brain function and memory.

Bone Broth and Collagen Powder

Most of us eat lot’s of muscle meat, like chicken breast and beef tenderloin. As this article points out why, it creates an imbalance when we skip the organ meats, skins, and bones. Adding collagen powder to meat stews or meat sauces balances the amino acid composition.

Amino acids in collagen help to form the connective tissue that lines the stomach and intestines. This supports healing and sealing the protective lining of our gastrointestinal tract, which improves conditions like leaky gut, allergies, or inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Improving our digestive function does enhance overall immune health. By adding collagen powder to stews, sauces, smoothies, and drinks my children benefit from blood glucose control, increased protein intake, healthy joints/bones, and improved gut health. The amino acid glycine does even improve sleep quality.

Cumin Seeds

have shown in studies to improve digestive disorders. Cumin seeds are a source of minerals, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and they contain many phytonutrients with antioxidant and anti-flatulent properties.

Beef Chickpea Stew

Serves: 6 servings

Cooking Time: 15 minutes prep + 30 minutes cooking

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 top sirloin steaks or around 900g of stew meat
• 1 small white onion, optional
• 1 - 2 tbsp ghee for frying, or coconut/avocado oil
• 2 tbsp ground paprika powder
• 1 - 2 tsp cumin seeds, crush the seeds in a mortar
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• a pinch of dried chili flakes
• 340ml strained tomatoes (I use an organic brand without any other ingredients, in a 680ml glass jar)
• 500ml broth or water, I like to use chicken broth because it balances the strong taste of beef
• 1 can chickpeas (398ml can, BPA-free) or soak overnight
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 2 tbsp collagen powder
• 2 tbsp mushroom blend
• 2-3 spring onions, or chopped parsley to sprinkle on each plate.

Instructions

1

Dice meat to your preferred size.

2

Cut the onion or grate if your kids are picky about onion pieces in their food.

3

On medium to high heat, fry the meat and onions in ghee until meat is browned.

4

Add spices, turmeric, ground pepper, crushed cumin seeds, paprika powder, and chili flakes. (I usually add salt, herbs, and other sensitive ingredients at the end)

5

Pour in the strained tomatoes and stir until combined, then add the broth or water. (Usually, I have broth in the freezer ready to use. I add it frozen, and heat it up until melted.)

6

Turn your stove to medium heat, put the lid on your pressure cooker and wait until the plug in the lid rises to release excess steam. (I have an old model, kind of inherited from my mother...)

7

Let it steam for 5-10 minutes, then turn off your stove and leave the pot on the hot but turned off plate for another 10-15 minutes. (or until you are ready to eat)

8

Release the steam and add drained chickpeas, oregano, marjoram, stir in collagen and mushroom powder, and add salt to taste.

9

Turn on the stove to medium heat and let it simmer until it starts to thicken.

10

Combine with sweet/white potato (mashed) or enjoy as it is. Sprinkle with parsley or chopped spring onions.

11

Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is not time sensitive. Usually, 20 minutes are sufficient to soften the pre-fried meat but it doesn't harm to cook, steam or keep warm for longer.