This hearty recipe for beef barley stew is not only low in fat, it's rich in other benefits, especially for diabetics.
The recipe is among about 140 featured in "Betty Crocker's Diabetes Cookbook" (Wiley, 2003, $24.95), with the promise that the book makes "everyday meals easy as 1-2-3." The book was written by Richard M. Bergenstal and Diane Reader, of the International Diabetes Center Park Nicollet Clinic, Minneapolis, and by Maureen Doran of the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition, Minneapolis.
They have compiled helpful introductory chapters on living and eating well with diabetes, with answers to general questions and details of resources to tap into. The recipes that follow offer dishes for every meal of the day, not forgetting desserts, and menu guides.
Recipes are presented clearly, with nutrition analysis to guide choices, and plenty of full-page color photos to show how good the food can look.
A note on barley with the following recipe points out that: "One cup of cooked barley packs about 6 grams of fiber. This virtually fat-free whole grain also contains complex carbohydrates, 8 vitamins and protein."
BEEF BARLEY STEW
Preparation 15 minutes, baking time 1 hour 10 minutes
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cups beef broth
2/3 cup uncooked barley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
14 1/2-ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, undrained
10-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables
Heat oven to 350 F. Spray 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Cook beef and onion in skillet over medium heat 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain.
Mix beef mixture and remaining ingredients, except frozen vegetables, in ungreased 3-quart casserole, breaking up tomatoes.
Cover and bake 30 minutes. Stir in frozen vegetables. Cover and bake 30 to 40 minutes longer or until barley is tender. Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 250 cal., 6 g fiber, 9 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 45 mg chol., 600 mg sodium, 20 g pro., 29 g carbo. Food exchanges: 1 starch, 2 lean meat, 2 vegetable.
A note on the book's jacket says: "A portion of the profits from this book will be donated to diabetes research and education."