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BEEF & BARLEY CASSEROLE

Cholesterol: Food, Facts and Recipes
by Juliette Kellow & Sara Lewis
Slowly baked with red wine and garlic, this comforting beef supper dish is packed with fiber. It's perfect served with baby Brussels sprouts and mashed rutabaga. Instead of using garlic and red wine, you could try adding some beer or extra stock.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time : about 2¼ hours
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Ib lean diced stewing beef, any fat trimmed away
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 4 cups low-salt vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 10 oz carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 bouquet garni
• pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole, add the beef a few pieces at a time, then stir in the onion and fry over a high heat for 5 minutes or until evenly browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

2. Stir in the flour, then mix in the wine and 2½ cups stock. Add the pearl barley, carrots, tomato paste, bouquet garni, and a little pepper and mix well.

3. Add the lid and cook in a preheated oven, 350°F, for 2 hours until the beef and barley are tender and much of the stock has been absorbed by the barley. Check 30 minutes before the end of cooking, stir, and mix in the remaining stock to taste.

4. Spoon into shallow bowls and serve as it is, or with steamed baby Brussels sprouts or green beans and mashed rutabaga.
 

Nutritional Tip: Barley is a good source of soluble fiber, which helps not only to lower cholesterol but also to keep blood sugar levels steady, so that we're less likely to feel hungry between meals and resort to fatty and sugary snacks.

Nutritional values: Kcals 381; fat 8.6 g; saturates 2.8 g; sugars 8.4 g; salt 0.5 g