Dinner: Cinnamon and Orange Beef Stew

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Apple Cider Vinegar

Health benefits of Cinnamon and Orange Beef Stew

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Apple cider vinegar will improve your body's sensitivity to insulin (Reference: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full)

Ingredients

2 Pounds Beef
3 Cups Beef Broth
3 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
1 Medium Onion
Zest of 1 Orange
Juice of 1 Orange
2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme
2 1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic
2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
2 tsp. Erythritol
1 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Fish Sauce
1 tsp. Rosemary
1 tsp. Sage
2 Whole Bay Leaves

Instructions

1. The first thing we’re going to do is prep everything so we aren’t running around when the time comes. Remove your soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, onion, orange, beef broth, and spices from your refrigerator and cabinets.
2.Zest your lemon and cut it in half, ready to be squeezed. I highly suggest you get a microplane if you don’t have one. I used to use a fine cheese grater to zest my citrus and you never get anywhere near as much zest if you’re using a cheese grater.
3. Prep the vegetables by dicing the onion and mincing the garlic (2 cloves worth).
4. Prep your meat by cutting it up into 1″ cubes as best you can. Remove any grit if needed. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper.
5. In a cast iron skillet, heat up 3 Tbsp. Coconut Oil.
6. Once the coconut oil reaches the smoke point, add your beef. Do this in small batches.
7. As your beef cooks and is browned, remove it and store it on a separate plate. Continue to cook all pieces until finished.
8. Once your last batch of beef is finished, add your onions and garlic, stirring continuously. After 2 minutes, add your orange juice to de-glaze the pan.
9. Stir this continuously and then add all the rest of your ingredients – EXCEPT for the Thyme, Rosemary, and Sage.
10. Mix everything together and then transfer the ingredients in the cast iron, and the beef, to your crock pot.
11. Let this cook for 3 hours on high.
12. When it’s coming up to the 3 hour mark, chop up your thyme, and measure out your sage and rosemary.
13. Add your spices to the crock pot and continue to cook WITHOUT the lid for an additional 1-2 hours.
14. Let it reduce to the consistency you’d like and enjoy!