Hearty and Healthy Autumn Stew Recipes

This is an easy, delicious one-dish microwave marvel that's low-fat, high-fiber, quick and delicious.

Chicken, Wild Rice and Mushroom Stew

8 servings

2/3 c pearl barley

1 c wild rice

4 c low-fat chicken broth

2 c cooked chicken pieces

½ lb. shiitake mushrooms, cut into ½-inch pieces

Combine all ingredients in a large microwave-safe coverable casserole dish. Cover and microwave on high for 20 minutes. Remove, stir and re-cover, cooking on high for another 25 minutes. Let stand for five minutes before serving.

Oven-Baked Irish Lamb Stew

Long on vegetables and spices, short on meat, this hearty stew is great with a Guinness on a cold autumn night.

6 servings

2 lbs. stewing lamb, sliced

6 red potatoes, skins on, quartered

4 medium yellow onions, quartered

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1 t garlic salt

1 t thyme

½ t sage

¼ t ground black pepper

1 ½ c low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth

2 T parsley, chopped

mint jelly

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a coverable casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Mix the garlic salt, thyme, sage and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Place a layer the sliced potatoes on the bottom of the dish. Top the potatoes with a layer of quartered onions. Top that with a layer of lamb. Sprinkle the lamb with a bit of the mixed spices. Repeat the three-layer system, sprinkling each lamb layer with spices until the casserole is full.

Cover the top with a layer of sliced onions. Pour the broth over all.

Cover the casserole and cook for 90 minutes or until the meat is tender.

Stir, garnish with parsley and serve with a side of mint jelly.

Slow-Cooked Beef Stew

A slow-cooker's favorite dish. Turn it on in the morning before work, and have dinner ready when you arrive home.

6 servings

2 lbs. boneless stew meat, cubed

6 potatoes, peels intact, cut into chunks

3 c carrots, cut into chunks

1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion

1 c celery, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ c minced garlic

2 15 oz. cans stewed tomatoes

2 T quick-cooking tapioca

1 T sugar

½ t salt

¼ t garlic pepper

Combine everything into a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Pour it into a 3-quart slow cooker. Cook on low heat for six hours, or until meat is tender. Mix well. Add ½ cup water as needed.