When Eric & I wanted to try out this recipe, we did not have the Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus seasoning blend called for, so I sent Eric to the grocery store to get some. Not surprisingly, our 2 local stores do not carry it. Knowing our little corner of New England well, Eric had prepared for that eventuality and Googled the ingredient list before heading to the store. We had all 18 of the individual spices except for the marjoram. When he could not come up with the Mrs. Dash blend, Eric picked up the marjoram and we made our own Caribbean seasoning blend. It was worth it. The stew was delicious. The sweet potatoes and apple butter sweeten the stew and all those seasonings and spices add depth, flavor & flair to the dish!
Moroccan Beef & Apple Stew
Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook time: 2-1/2 hours Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1-3/4 pounds beef stew meat
- 5 tablespoons Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus seasoning blend, divided
- 1/2 cup butter, cubed, divided
- 4 medium onions, coarsely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/8-inch slices
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 5 cups)
- 4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
- 4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 cup apple butter
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Directions:
In a large bowl, toss the beef cubes with 4 tablespoons of the seasoning blend. Refrigerate the meat, covered, for 30 minutes.
Coat the beef cubes in the spice mixture and allow it to sit for 1/2 hour.
If you cannot find the commercial blend, combine 1 teaspoon each of the following spices in a small bowl, grinding the cumin seeds & rosemary before putting them into the blend: dried basil, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried parsley, dried oregano, cinnamon, allspice, chili powder, nutmeg, lemon & pepper seasoning, ground coriander, cumin seed, dried mustard, cayenne pepper, ginger, savory, and marjoram.
Almost 20 different spices & seasonings go into the spice mix!
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup of the butter over medium heat. Brown the beef in batches, removing the meat with a slotted spoon.
Lightly brown all the beef.
In the same pot, melt the remaining butter. Add the onions, celery, 1 tablespoon of the seasoning blend and a bay leaf.
Saute the onions & celery.
Cook and stir the mixture for 6-8 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth.
Add the beef back to the pot after the broth is added.
Return the beef to the pan and bring the stew to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1-1/2 hours.
Stir in the sweet potatoes, apples, carrots, and apple butter.
The apples & sweet potatoes are ready for the pot.
Cook the stew, covered, for 30-40 minutes longer or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Sprinkle the stew with cilantro and serve it over couscous or rice.
The house smelled so good all afternoon, it was hard to wait until it was done to dig into it!
The stew is absolutely worth the few extra minutes it took me to mix all those spices together! ~Linda
Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook time: 2-1/2 hours Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1-3/4 pounds beef stew meat
- 5 tablespoons Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus seasoning blend, divided
- 1/2 cup butter, cubed, divided
- 4 medium onions, coarsely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/8-inch slices
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 5 cups)
- 4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
- 4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 cup apple butter
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Directions:
In a large bowl, toss the beef cubes with 4 tablespoons of the seasoning blend. Refrigerate the meat, covered, for 30 minutes.
If you cannot find the commercial blend, combine 1 teaspoon each of the following spices in a small bowl, grinding the cumin seeds & rosemary before putting them into the blend: dried basil, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried parsley, dried oregano, cinnamon, allspice, chili powder, nutmeg, lemon & pepper seasoning, ground coriander, cumin seed, dried mustard, cayenne pepper, ginger, savory, and marjoram.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup of the butter over medium heat. Brown the beef in batches, removing the meat with a slotted spoon.
In the same pot, melt the remaining butter. Add the onions, celery, 1 tablespoon of the seasoning blend and a bay leaf. Cook and stir the mixture for 6-8 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth. Return the beef to the pan and bring the stew to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1-1/2 hours.
Stir in the sweet potatoes, apples, carrots, and apple butter. Cook the stew, covered, for 30-40 minutes longer or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Sprinkle the stew with cilantro and serve it over couscous or rice.