Beef stew with potatoes and carrot

Stew beef is one of the cheaper cut of beef and it's easy to cook. It's already cut into chunk when it's sold in the store so it is easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of stew beef

2 medium potatoes or 3 small ones, cut into chunks (I like the German butter potatoes which are soft, creamy and slightly sweet)

1 large carrot, cut into small pieces

1 clove of garlic, minced

(optional) 1 tablespoon of red wine

Beef marinate:

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon of poultry rub or mixed herb

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of oil

Steps:

1. Marinate the stew beef overnight so all the flavour can be soaked into the beef
2. Cook the minced garlic in the pan until golden brown
3. Add the beef in and brown the outside for a few minutes
4. Add the potatoes and carrot into the pan
5. Add the red wine, 1/3 cup of water
6. Season the potatoes and carrot with a bit of salt and pepper
7. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes 
8. The beef should be about cooked now, remove the beef when cooked so it does get tough and dry
9. Continue to cook the potatoes for another 5 to 6 minutes until potatoes are soft, the carrot is tender, and the sauce thickens. 
10. Mix the beef back in

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Nutritional Info:

Beef is high in iron, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, and B vitamins, and it is a good source of carnitine (an antioxidant). It is also the only meat with creatine, good for building muscles. Red meat is a bit more difficult to digest, and there's some health concern when it is consumed too much (more than 500 g per week). But there's definitely health benefits when consumed moderately. 

Potato is high in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Potassium.  Carrot is high in B-carotene, dietary fibre, and antioxidants.

Note: Potato contains toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids, which affects the nervous system, causing confusion and weakness. Stems, sprouts and fruits contains high concentration of the toxin. Potato that has turned green also has high concentration of the toxin. So avoid eating any potato that has sprouted or turned green

Whole wheat broccoli and zucchini pannekoek

Panekoek is a savory Dutch pancake. It is usually much bigger and thinner than traditional pancakes. You might ask how anything made from whole wheat, broccoli and zucchini be tasty but trust me, this is a very tasty dish! Whole wheat is good for health but it can sometimes taste rough and dry. Not one to compromise taste for health, I rarely make whole wheat bread or eat whole wheat pasta. But whole wheat pancake is surprisingly tasty. It adds a nice texture without tasting rough. I now prefer it over the too smooth regular white flour pancake.


Ingredients:

Pancake batter
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk or water
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon oil

Pancake filling:
1 cup of broccoli cut into small pieces
1 cup of zucchini cut into small pieces
Note: you can substitute the filling with other vegetables you like such as mushroom and onions

Steps:

1. Mix all the dried pancake ingredients together
2. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and half of the water or milk into the batter mix
3. Mix well with a whisk until a thick batter is formed and no lumps remain
4. Add in the rest of the water or milk and whisk until a thin batter is formed
5. Add in the broccoli and the zucchini. Mix well
6. Heat up a frying pan a bit of oil, just enough to coat the pan
7. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the frying pan
8. Let the pancake batter cook for a few minutes until bubbles are formed and the batter is almost cooked through, as seen in the picture above
9. Turn the pancake and cook for another minute or two
10. Makes 8 large pannekoek

Nutritional info:

Broccoli is high in Vitamin C, K, and A, as well as dietary fiber. It is also high in anti-oxidants. Zucchini  is a source of Vitamin A, Maganese, and Potassium. Whole wheat flour is a good source of Calcium, Iron, and fiber