Steak and Ale Stew

Steak and ale pie is one of the British classics. It's my fiance's favorite food. Having a dish reminds him of home.

British food, like American, doesn't have a reputation for being top tier cuisine. If you said you were going out for "Fine British Dining" they would joke you were going to a French or Indian restaurant.

Celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Olivier have made a lot of progress in recent years. Even they haven't completely broken the stigma.

British and American food have reputations for being fatty, poor nutrition, and heavy calories. I bristle at the stereotype that American 'cuisine' is burgers and fries. We do actually have regional cuisine that is healthy and delicious. Similarly, my fiance bristles that every American asks him if England has good fish and chips.

Those are topics for another blog. Today, I'm breaking the diet stereotype that you can't have your favorite foods when trying to lose or maintain weight. Even ones that are traditionally thought of as high calorie beasts.

Taking the idea of steak and ale pie, I made the steak and ale in a crockpot. Super easy. Just throw everything in the pot. Stew meat, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, beef stock, thyme and a pint of beer.



Instead of making a pie, I served it with a slice of multigrain bread.



The verdict from a British native? Delicious! Tastes just like steak and ale pie! Except with more veggies! I guess steak and ale pie doesn't usually have so much veg, so I made it healthier. It has a serving of vegetables in each bowl.

The nutrition information for each serving:
Calories: 250
Fat: 4.8g
Carbohydrates: 18.2g
Protein: 29.0g

Grand total with bread and a pint of beer: 470 calories.

Cheers!

Steak and Ale Stew recipe: recipes.sparkpeople.com/
recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1
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