Needing a little comfort food? Well, here’s a healthy recipe that’s sure to please your tummy and nourish your body. Grass Fed Beef Goulash, from our good friend, Heather Short at Comfort Food Made Healthy.
This recipe makes a large crock pot size amount – enough for 8-10 servings. I cook mine in a Dutch Oven which easily transfers from the stove top to the oven and reduces cooking time to two hours vs. 4-6. If you plan to use a Dutch Oven, pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. If you want to use a crock-pot this also works, however cooking time will be 4-6 hours on high.
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or oil that has a high smoking point)
1 large onion, diced
1 T chili powder
1 T onion powder
1 T dried thyme
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 lbs grass fed ground beef
4-5 stalks celery, sliced chunky
6 large carrots, cut in chunks
2 red or green peppers, seeded and cut in chunks
1 bag Trader Joes riced Cauliflower (equivalent to one head of cauliflower that is ground up fine)
1 can tomato paste
2 cans black or white beans (do not drain)
1 carton organic beef stock or 4 cups home made beef stock
3-4 T Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour mixed with 1/2 cup cold water
1 handful of fresh chopped parsley leaves
DIRECTIONS:
1) Heat the grapeseed oil in a very large stock pot or Dutch oven. If you are going to transfer this to a large crock pot, plug the crock pot in and set it on high to get it warming up. Saute the onion until it begins to sweat, then add the garlic and all dry spices including salt and pepper. Saute for 1-2 minutes to cook the spices, then add the ground beef. Continue sauteing and break up the ground beef as you go. Cook on medium high heat until beef is cooked through. Next, add all remaining vegetables and continue to saute for another few minutes until the veggies begin to release their liquid slightly. Add the entire can of tomato paste and stir these ingredients together so that everything is coated with tomato paste. Cook this mixture for 5 minutes to cook out the acidity of the tomato paste. Next, add the entire carton (or 4 cups) of beef stock to completely cover this mixture. Add a little more water to cover if necessary. Add both cans of black or white beans and their liquid. Stir everything together well. Transfer to a large crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours, or, transfer the Dutch Oven to the oven that has been pre-heated to 325 degrees. Cook in the oven for minimum 2 hours and check it once during cooking time. Stir if necessary. After two hours, bring the Dutch Oven out of the oven. Put it on the stovetop burner at medium heat and slowly add in the gluten-free flour & water mixture. This will act as a thickening agent for the goulash. Mix in well and stir on medium heat until goulash comes to a low boil and the liquid thickens slightly. Lastly, add the handful of fresh chopped parsley leaves. Keep on low heat until ready to serve. If you are using a crock pot, thicken goulash the same way (only if it needs it). Sometimes the addition of tomato paste gives this goulash enough body when you slow cook it in a crock pot so just use your own judgement.
Please follow and like us:
