January 2018 Family Fitnews

Boone County Cooperative Extension Service

1800 Extension Lane • Harrison, AR 72601 • (870) 741-6168 • www.uaex.edu

Family FitNews January 2018

In This Stew - Hearty, Nourishing and Nutritious Issue . . . It’s FREEZING out! When cold temperatures hit, have something hot and nutritious to warm Stew – Hearty, you up! This is the time when I think of a hearty, nutritious bowl of stew simmering on the stove. Stews Nourishing are comfort food. What is more comforting than a steaming hot bowl of thick sauce, chunks of meat and & vegetables infused with flavor? Nutritious Stews are any dish made by stewing, a method of cooking by which food is barely covered with liquid and simmered slowly for a long period of time in a tightly covered pot. Stewing not only Beef Stew With a Kick tenderizes tough pieces of meat but also allows the flavors of the ingredients to blend. Lean cuts of meat can mean you may end up with tough meat in your stew. Cheaper cuts of The Best meat are best, since most of them cook better in liquid. I purchase beef stew meat for my beef stew. The Care butcher has taken chunks of beef from the tougher parts of the cow such as the shoulder, leg, and butt,

New and cubed them. As tougher cuts of meat simmer, they become tender and add great flavor to the stew. Extension Sauté any fresh onions, garlic or shallots to add a rich caramelized flavor and smell to the GetFit stew. Remove them from the pan once caramelized or they will continue to cook. If your recipe asks you to dredge the meat in flout, it means to coat the meat pieces in a flour crust which, when seared, will seal the juices inside the meat and provide a tasty crust. As an added

bonus, the flour pieces make a roux to help thicken the stew. When browning the dredged pieces of meat, be sure that there is a thin layer of oil in the bottom of the pan, and cook the meat over medium high heat. This assures that the edges of the meat sear quickly, but the meat is still uncooked. Do not overcrowd the pan with meat.

While you are browning the meat, you should see the bottom of the pan develop a thick coating. This will provide flavor to the stew; be careful not to let it burn. Once lightly browned on all sides, remove it from the pan and begin to deglaze the pan. Deglaze means to add liquid to the pan and boil while you scrap the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. The bits will provide flavor to the gravy and generally dissolve during the cooking process.

Return the meat, caramelized vegetables, and liquid to the Dutch oven. The secret to great stew is to simmer, not boil, the liquid. Since stews are best made with tougher, less expensive cuts of meat, slow cooking over low heat will allow the liquid to break down the tissue in the meat to tender morsels. Cooking it fast will yield firm tough, chucks of meat.

While some cooks add their vegetables at the beginning of the cooking time, it is actually better to wait until the meat has had a chance to simmer. This keeps the vegetables from being overcooked. You want the meat to be fork tender and the vegetables to retain their shape. Stew cooks in one pan so there is little clean up, and it makes excellent leftovers. In fact, many times the stew is better the next day because the flavors have time to blend together.

I love to make Beef Stew with a Kick when it starts getting cool outside. Don’t let the ingredient list scare you; it’s fast, easy and permeates the house with a wonderful aroma. Plus, leftovers are even better the next day. Feel free to substitute vegetables according to your families’ preference.

Beef Stew with a Kick

4 Tablespoons oil 6 carrots, sliced ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole kernel corn 1 teaspoon each pepper, parsley 1 cup English peas 2 pounds beef stew meant 1 can tomatoes and diced chilies, undrained 2 small yellow onions, chopped 1 - 64 oz. can low sodium vegetable juice 6 large potatoes, diced with skins on

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. In a plastic bag, mix together the flour, pepper, and parsley. Add a small handful of meat at a time and shake until well coated; brown in hot oil, about 1 minute per side. Remove the browned meat and continue until all the meat is browned. Lower heat to medium and add chopped onions. Caramelize onions, then remove and set aside. Deglaze the pot by adding vegetable juice and bringing to a boil while scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add potatoes, carrots, onions, meat, corn, and English peas. Stir together; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally. Serve with cornbread.

The Best Care If you provide care to young children and would like to learn more about research-based information on ways to educate and care for young children, you may be interested in The Best Care. If you are a parent, grandparent, or childcare provider and are interested in the following topics, this program is perfect for you!

Best Care for Boone, Newton, and Carroll counties proudly introduces the 2018 Best Care topics: Setting the Table for Healthy Habits Classroom Management Supporting Breastfeeding Families Money on the Bookshelf Is It Candy or Is It Poison? Don’t Quit! Avoiding Burnout How to Say No to Time Wasters Sensory Play Child Abuse, Neglect and the Impact of Trauma Love Languages for Children

These will be offered in two sessions, each lasting 5 hours. These trainings are available February 24 and March 10 from 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. each session. Each topic is worth one hour of training and different topics will be presented each day. These trainings will be located at the John Paul Hammerschmidt Center at North Arkansas College South Campus.

Registration is available online at: https://uaex.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eJK2Kt12jrup6gR

Registration must be completed by February 21, 2018. If online registration is not possible or you have questions, you may call or email Trudy McManus at 741-6168 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

Trudy G. McManus County Extension Agent – Family and Consumer Science

NEW

Strength Training Program Chair Yoga, Circuit Training, and More.

What is Extension Get Fit? Why Extension Get Fit?

Safe, structured, and A community‐based strength training program affordable targeted to adult Arkansans. Appropriate for all fitness levels Based on research and designed to increase Supportive group environment strength and improve balance and flexibility. It’s fun!

Come check out the newest Extension Get Fit class! Learn about the program at an orientation on January 23rd from 8:30–9:30 a.m. at Harrison Faith Church.

Classes will take place every Tuesday & Thursday starting January 25th from 8:30 – 9:30am at Harrison Faith Church. (12 Valley View Church Road, Harrison, AR)

For more information or to register for the orientation, contact 741-6168.