Beef Stew with Beets and Cabbage

It's been a rainy day today, beef stew has been calling me. Here we go!

You could use any vegetables you like or have in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

2 lbs of stew meat (I only had chuck roast in my freezer and it turned out very tender)
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 beets (cubed)
4 carrots (diced)
2 potatoes (cubed)- may substitute for sweet potato to make this meal paleo :)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 onion (diced)
2 bay leaves
1/2 cabbage (diced)

Directions

1. Sauté stew meat in a large pot over high, stirring frequently for about 15 min. Salt and pepper to taste (adding salt directly to cooked meat before adding veggies will enhance its' flavor).
2. Add beets, carrots, potatoes, garlic, onion, and bay leaves; cover with a lid; cook for 15 min.
3. Add cabbage and continue cooking for another 10 min or until all vegetables are cooked through.

Do not forget to discard bay leaves before serving.
I served my stew with sweet green onion, perfect addition and great for you in the flu season.

Kale Soup with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Sausage

Let's start 2015 with some soup! Make a big pot of this soup to last all week. Rich, crispy, full of vibrant colors and flavor. 

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut in 1 inch cubes

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb sausage, sliced

1 large onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, diced

1 tsp fresh thyme

10 cups of homemade chicken broth 

Salt to taste

White pepper to taste

1 bunch kale, stock removed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toss sweet potatoes in 1 Tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a cooking sheet. Cook for about 20 min or until almost done.

2. In a large pot saute sausage in 1 Tbsp of olive oil for about 7 min; add onion and garlic, continue cooking for another 5 min. Add thyme, cook for about 1 min to open up flavors.

3. Add chicken broth to the pot, bring to a boil; salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add kale and sweet potatoes, continue cooking for 5 min.