MUTTON STEW

You can't live without protein, but too much is not healthy, especially is you are heavy into cheese, eggs and red meat.

On the other hand, if you are REALLY OVERWEIGHT, that's not healthy either, so for a period a higher protein diet, rich in fish, fowl, meat and legume, together with a very low carbohydrate diet, is a good way to lose weight.

So much for the build up. Now to Mutton Stew!

INGREDIENTS for Mutton Stew

• 1 kg lamb. Frankly you can use any part of the sheep, or preferably a "two-tooth lamb" (flavour of mutton, but tenderness of lamb), that takes your fancy. I like the ribs, but neck, leg, chops ... any part is great. Cut up into moderate size pieces. Don't chuck the bones. Include them.

• 2 onions

• 2 large carrots

• 1 eggplant /aubergine

• 1 leek

• 2 sticks celery

• Half a dozen leaves of spinach

• frankly any other veg that you like. I like to add knolselderij, something I've never seen anywhere else except in Holland.
  
  
  
• Optional, 1 cup soaked chickpeas.

• Half to one whole corm garlic, be generous if you like garlic.

• 1 cup of red wine

• 2-3 TBSP of tomato paste, perhaps a couple chopped, very ripe tomatoes.

• a few sprigs of rosemary, salt, black pepper. Some like it hot: a few slithers of chillies but don't drown the mutton flavour.

PREPARATION

1. Overnight soak a cup of dried chick peas. (see below)

2. Using a very sharp knife (watch your fingers!), slice the meat into edible chunks. Cut the ribs away from the sternum (breastbone). Simulataneously, take a good look at that cartilage between the rib and the sternum. That's the stuff that causes Tietzes syndrome, something I see on a daily basis. Tietzes Syndrome.

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   A word of caution here. We chiros have to be careful - for certain persons with a very tight and stiff ribcage, an overly robust adjustment in the middleback can strain this cartilage. If you get pain in the front of your chest after a Chiropractic treatment, you must notify your chiropractor.

   
   

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3. Add a little olive oil to a heavy pan, and on fairly high heat braise the mutton. Include all the bones and cartilage. They are an excellent source of Glucosamine Chondroitin sulphate, important for healthy cartilage restoration in your own body. Glucosamine Chondroitin.
   
   
4. Whilst the meat is braising (turn occasionally to stop it burning), chop the vegtables, starting with the onions, and in a separate heavy skillet fry the veg in more olive oil. On low heat.

5. If you want less fat, pour off all the juices from the meat when cooked into a separate container, and cool. Scrape off the fat when chilled, and return the juice to the stew.

6. Drain and rinse the chickpeas several times ('they' say the peas give less gas then, though I can't say I feel a difference). Add to the meat, near the bottom so they boil in the liquid.

7. Pour the fried veg on top of the meat, add the tomoto paste mixed with a cup of water, add the wine, and cook on low heat for an hour, or until cooked. Make sure it doesn't dry out and burn.

8. I like to add the garlic, spinach and tomatoes near the end, and at the last minute, I pour a healthy handful or two of freshly chopped parsley benefits on our mutton stew, and virtually everything we eat! Well, that's an exaggeration ... good stuff. Especially if you bruise easily. From Mutton Stew to Parsley benefits.
   
   

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