Change is hard period. With change it’s easier to try baby steps instead of a complete overhaul all at once. While beef is a staple in American dining, it’s good to introduce alternatives such as lamb or bison. Both tend to be leaner and offer a different flavor to a dish. I made what I’m calling lamb stoup. As I learned from many episodes of Rachel Ray’s 30 minute meals “stoup” is a cross between stew and soup. The great thing is you can reinvent leftovers. I had the stoup version with parsley pepper rice for a couple meals and then transformed some into a meat sauce for pesto ravioli by adding more tomato paste and seasoning to thicken up the sauce. Many of the veggies and herbs I used can be found in any traditional meat sauce. I hope this is one change you may find easy.
Ingredients:
1.25 lbs of lean ground lamb
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups of rough chopped mushrooms
1 large onion diced (1 1/2-2 cups)
2 tbsp. fresh chopped garlic (6-8 cloves)
4 cups shredded Swiss chard
1 6oz can of hunts tomato paste (basil, garlic, oregano)
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. fresh mint
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. coarse black pepper
1/2 tbsp. sea salt
4 cups of water
Directions:
1. Heat pot and add ground lamb.
2. Dice onion by cutting off ends, then cutting onion in half. Cut each have into thin strips, then cut into small cubes/squares. Add to pot.
3. Smash each garlic clove with the flat part of the knife to remove skin, cut off tough end then chop into large pieces. Add to pot.
4. Peel and chop carrots and dice mushrooms and add to pot. Stir until meat has browned, then stir in the whole can of tomato paste and add liquid and seasonings.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
6. If serving with rice, prepare rice for boil. Let steam for 15-18 minutes.
7. Rinse a bundle of Swiss chard. Remove leaves from the stems and tear into small, bite-sized pieces. With 5 minutes remaining, add the Swiss chard to the pot and let wilt.
8. Turn off stove, remove from heat and enjoy.