Beef, Beer & Barley Stew

2 tsp olive oil
1 lb top sirloin, fat trimmed & cubed
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 large onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
2 Tbsp no salt added tomato paste
1 1/2 cups carrot, sliced
1 1/2 cups (3/4 lb) turnips, chopped & peeled
3/4 cup pearl barley, uncooked
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8oz) package mushrooms, sliced
3 cups water
3 cups reduced sodium beef broth
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 (12oz) can dark beer
3 small beets
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp thyme leaves
2 Tbsp horseradish

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt & pepper and add to pan. Cook 10 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan.

2. Add onion, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Uncover and stir in tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high. Add carrot, turnips, barley, 4 garlic cloves, and mushrooms. cook 3 minutes, or until garlic becomes fragrant. Add beef, water, broth, Worcestershire and beer and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

4. While stew is simmering, trim beets, leaving root and 1 inch stem on each and scrub with a brush. Place in a medium saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer 35 minutes, or until tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Set aside and allow to cool. Once cool, rub off skins. Cut each beet into 6 wedges.

5. Combine parsley, thyme leaves, and 1 garlic clove. Ladle about 2 cups stew into each of 6 bowls. Top each serving with 3 beet wedges, about 1 1/2 tsp parsley mixture, and 1 tsp horseradish.

Serving Size: Makes 6 servings

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user JSKASICK.