KITCHEN: Fried Beef Stew

COLORS!! COLORS!! COLORS!!

The latest thing I am trying to do to improve our diet is to include more colorful foods more often.  I have been experimenting with purple potatoes.  They keep their pretty color fairly well when fried, so I decided to make some onion-fried purple and Yukon Gold potatoes (skins on) and smother with beef stew.  Purple potatoes contain the anti-oxidant ANTHOCYANIN.

In a skillet, I heated some olive oil and butter...olive oil keeps the butter from burning, but allows for good browning.
Using a half a purple onion--that was pretty strong--cooking 'til browned.

With skins intact, on both the purple and the Yukon Gold potatoes, fry 'til potatoes are well browned and a fork goes through easily.

As you can see from the photo, the golden potatoes set off the purple potatoes perfectly.

   Pot Roast, cut into bite-sized pieces, browned in small amount of oil with onions.
Cook the meat in water, broth, or stock with the spices and herbs you like, but I used bay leaf, celery seed, mustard seed, onion, garlic, and at least one whole clove (substitute pinch of ground cloves if you like).  When meat is done, add carrots.  When carrots are nearly done, add the green beans and peas...or whatever veggies you like.  Salt and pepper to taste. Thicken with flour and water  or cornstarch and water.   

Plate the onion-fried potatoes and smother with the beef stew.  Enjoy!

 For information concerning purple potatoes as an anti-oxident rich food, please read this April 2011 study.
 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-4549.2010.00502.x/full

  NAYAK, B., BERRIOS, J. D. J., POWERS, J. R., TANG, J. and JI, Y. (2011), COLORED POTATOES (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM L.) DRIED FOR ANTIOXIDANT-RICH VALUE-ADDED FOODS. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 35: no. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-4549.2010.00502.x