Quick beef mince stew

Recipe by Clinical Nutritionist Rosie Eyre (Adv.Dip.Nut).

Serves 4 people | Cooking time 35–40 mins

This simple, one-pot recipe uses beef mince as the main ingredient. Beef mince not only reduces cooking time, but it's also a good source of easy-to-absorb heme iron. Other ingredients include carrots, potatoes, spinach, and herbs. These provide non-heme iron, fibre, and gentle flavour.

As you age, it can become harder for your body to absorb iron, leading to increased risk of anaemia. This stew is a warm, nourishing way to support your energy levels and help prevent anaemia.

Adding fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon at the end gives a boost of vitamin C, which helps the body absorb more iron from food. This is especially important if your digestion has changed or if your stomach makes less acid than it used to.

The soft textures in this meal make it easy to chew and digest. It also freezes well, so you can make extra portions and defrost them as needed.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 small brown onion, finely diced (can use pre-chopped onions, similar to this)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (can use pre-chopped garlic paste, similar to this)
• 500g beef mince
• 2 small potatoes, diced into small cubes
• 2 medium carrots, grated or finely diced
• 1/2 tsp dried herbs or oregano
• 500mL beef stock (Maggie Beer is a good brand for this)
• 2 cups baby spinach, can be chopped
• 1 lemon, sliced in half
• Handful of fresh parsley, stalks removed and chopped (can be bought pre-chopped, similar to this)

Method

1. Prepare all your ingredients.
2. Place a medium saucepan (that can house a lid) over medium heat. Add a good splash of olive oil. Once hot, add onion and garlic and cook for 2–3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
3. Add beef mince to saucepan and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon as you go.
4. Stir in carrot, potato, and dried herbs.
5. Pour in stock and top up with 1/2 cup of water. Cover with lid and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until the potato and carrot are soft.
6. Stir in chopped spinach and cook for another 2–3 minutes until wilted.
7. Remove from heat. Stir through parsley and a good squeeze of lemon juice just before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Can serve in portions and freeze for later. It will last in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Enjoy!

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