Hearty Lamb and Vegetable Stew

Outside my window it's a winter wonderland, which is a bit of a rarity for Toronto (we don't get all that much snow). And while I'm not a big fan of cold weather, it is stunningly beautiful. This kind of weather is perfect for peasant-style comfort food that warms you from the inside out, so I made this hearty winter stew. It takes a long time, but most of that time it's just simmering on the stove-top, leaving you free to do other things. This stew is suitable for babies over 10 months, just puree to the consistency baby can handle after it's cooked, but truly this is a great meal for the whole family, although older members might like a wee bit of salt!

  
Hearty Lamb and Vegetable Stew 

-1/2 pound stewing lamb, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2" cubes
-1 large carrot, chopped
-2 large potatoes, cubed
-1 small onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 bay leaf
-1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
-1 tbsp all-purpose flour
-couple grindings black pepper (optional)
-1 tbsp olive oil
-3 tbsp tomato sauce (or 1 tbsp tomato paste)
-2 cups salt-free beef broth or water

 Toss the cubed lamb with the flour in a bowl. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Once hot, tip in the lamb and brown, seasoning with freshly ground black pepper, if desired. 

Once the lamb is nicely browned, add the vegetables, bay leaf, rosemary, garlic garlic. Turn heat down to medium and cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Scrap up the browned bits from the bottom of the saucepan with a spoon and add broth and tomato sauce. 

Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours or more until everything is softened and flavours are well combined. 


Would be great served with Munch Whole Grain Broccoli Biscuits! 


Variations: Add 1/2 cup of frozen peas with the broth and tomato sauce. You could also substitute beef for the lamb.