Recipe: Light Irish Lamb Stew

LIGHT IRISH LAMB STEW

8 slices Louis Rich turkey bacon
3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup water
2 cups lower-sodium beef broth (or use regular)
1 teaspoon white sugar
4 cups diced carrots (about 4 carrots)
1 large onion, cut into bite-size pieces
2 medium potatoes with skin, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine

Saut turkey bacon slices in large nonstick skillet or frying pan until cooked, then crumble into small pieces.

Put lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in large mixing bowl and toss to coat meat evenly. Coat bottom of large, nonstick skillet or frying pan with 1 tablespoon canola oil, and brown meat over medium-high heat on all sides (5-7 minutes). If you want to fry the meat in two batches, coat the pan each time with 1/2 tablespoon of the oil.

Put browned meat into a stockpot. Add another tablespoon of canola oil to the frying pan and saut the garlic and yellow onion until onion begins to become golden.

Deglaze frying pan with 1/2 cup water. Add the garlic-onion mixture to the stockpot with bacon pieces, beef broth, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until tender.

Add remaining ingredients to pot and simmer covered for 30-35 minutes (until vegetables are tender).

Yield: 8 servings

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 450 calories, 38 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 19 g fat (6.4 g saturated fat, 9 g monounsaturated fat, 3.1 g polyunsaturated fat), 123 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 378 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 38 %

adapted from a recipe in WebMD Inc.