We are now officially past the two week mark – the point in time when most people have already ditched their well-meaning New Year’s resolutions. How are you doing? Still hanging strong or back to favoring twinkies and wine over rice cakes and yoga? Well, in case you need a kick in the admittedly tighter pants, we’re continuing our Resolutions for the Real You series with another Eat Better entry today: Mediterranean Beef Stew.

Beef Stew and I have a somewhat dicey history, the name alone conjures memories of chewy meat that sat in the crock pot all day and is pretty much the last thing I’d invite to my dinner table. I’m guessing you can see where this is going, much like the last time I posted about how I disliked butternut squash but was willing to start a new religion over this soup, beef stew finally won me over with the inspired addition of some red wine. I first made this recipe several years ago and it’s since become a staple in our house in the winter, the simmering wine smells amazing and even the kids love it which is the sure sign of a winner.

One tip I always make sure to pass on if you want to avoid chewy meat, be sure to trim the pieces into 1″ cubes before you start cooking. The stew meat you buy from the store is usually about triple the size you want it to be, and if you skip this step the results will not be the same at all. Also, a great rule of thumb when adding wine (or any alcohol) to a recipe is to always cook with something that you know tastes good and that you would drink outside of the dish. You certainly don’t need to open a $50 bottle for this recipe, but there are lots of tasty alternatives in the $10 to $12 range and since you only need a cup, it would be wasteful to not drink the rest anyway. What else are you going to do for the hour and a half it takes for the stew to finish cooking?

Be sure to trim your stew meat to 1″ to get the best results.

Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.

Red wine, fresh veggies, organic meat and herbs – can’t go wrong with this combo!

Mom-tested, baby-approved.

Mediterranean Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups halved mushrooms (about 8 ounces)
• 2 cups diagonally cut carrot
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups sliced celery
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained (I am not a fan of oiliness so I’ve never added this ingredient. If you’re not into them, you can leave them out as well with no effect on the finished product.)
• 3.5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper, to taste

*If serving the finished stew over mashed potatoes, which I highly recommend, add potatoes to your shopping list as well.

Preparation

Heat oil in a large Dutch or stew pot oven over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Add mushrooms and next 4 ingredients (mushrooms through garlic) to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return beef to pan. Stir in water and next 6 ingredients (water through bay leaves); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in olives, and cook for 20-30 minutes or until beef is tender (check on the beef at the 20 minute mark, some pots heat faster than others and you don’t want to overcook it). Discard bay leaves. Stir in vinegar. Sprinkle with parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

Originally adapted from Cooking Light.