North African Beef Stew

Serves 6 • Cooking Time 9 to 11 hours on Low or 6 to 8 hours on High • Slow Cooker Size 4 to 7 Quarts

Slug Icon WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: For a unique take on slow-cooker beef stew, this recipe matches rich beef with the intriguing flavors of Tunisia and Morocco. We created our own mixture of North African spices to serve as the heart of our stew. The traditional blend of warm spices can be challenging to find in a grocery store, and chances are you have coriander, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne in your pantry already. The addition of orange zest rounded out the deep flavor of the dish. The vibrant combination of spices allowed us to skip browning the meat, saving us time and mess without sacrificing any flavor. Swiss chard and sweet potatoes were delicious and traditional pairings with the stew, and better yet, both are nutritional powerhouses. To thicken the stew we mashed some of the sweet potatoes, which we had cooked separately in a foil packet. Removing the stems from the Swiss chard, and cutting the leaves into 1-inch pieces, allowed the leafy green to become tender when added for the last 20 minutes of the Cooking Time. After trimming the beef, you should have 1½ pounds of usable meat. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

2

onions, chopped fine

4

garlic cloves, minced

¾

teaspoon ground coriander

½

teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼

teaspoon ground cloves

⅛

teaspoon cayenne pepper

1

teaspoon canola oil

4

cups chicken broth

3

(2-inch) strips orange zest

Salt and pepper

2

pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed of all visible fat and cut into 1½-inch pieces

1½

pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

12

ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Microwave onions, garlic, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne, and oil in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.

2. Stir broth, orange zest, and ½ teaspoon salt into slow cooker, then stir in beef. Wrap potatoes in foil packet; lay packet on top of stew. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 6 to 8 hours on high.

3. Transfer foil packet to plate. Discard orange zest. Carefully open packet (watch for steam). Transfer 1½ cups potatoes to bowl and mash with potato masher until smooth. Gently stir remaining potatoes with any accumulated juice, mashed potatoes, and Swiss chard into stew. Cover and cook on high until chard is tender, about 20 minutes. (Adjust stew consistency with extra hot broth as needed.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Per 1⅔-cup serving:
Cal 270
Fat 6g
Sat Fat 2g
Chol 75mg
Carb 24g
Protein 30g
Fiber 5g
Sodium 730mg
*To reduce sodium level to 480mg, use unsalted broth.