Spoof Bourguignon

Jillian would be so proud. Julia, probably not so much! I finally had a chance to try the recipe I promised a while ago. . . my healthy version of Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. Mine replaces all the high-fat ingredients with low or non-fat substitutes. So here's what you need:

1 Tbs. olive oil
5 slices extra lean turkey bacon (instead of lardons of pork or bacon)
3 six-ounce packages meatless beef strips (I used meats desire by Yves)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
6 sprigs fresh thyme
10 parsley stems
3 bay leaves
1 head garlic
1 large tomato, cored and chopped
2 cups good (sturdy and fruity) red wine such as pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon
2 cups strong dark stock (beef or vegetable)
10 oz. pearl onions (fresh or frozen)
10 oz. fresh baby button mushrooms, whole

Heat oil in pan over med-high heat, add turkey bacon and cook a couple minutes, add beef strips, salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 more minutes, add onion, carrot, herbs (tie together so they can be easily removed), garlic, chopped, tomato, 2 cups wine, stock. Cook about 1 1/2 hours. Add pearl onions and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms and pearl onions are tender, about 1/2 hour. You can thicken if you like with flour or corn starch. You can also serve with potatoes or egg noodles.

The stew serves about six and has less than 4 grams of fat! I was surprised how good it was considering the low fat content. Even my four-year old liked it! Don't worry, the alcohol cooks out of it.

Not sure exactly how many fat grams in the traditional version, but from what I can see it's at least 20 grams per serving. I haven't taken the time to figure it out. Probably a lot more. Famous food expert James Beard once said, "A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch." He was a rather large man. I will not argue that the full-fat version would be better. I've never made it, but I'm sure I will some day, but how can it not be delicious. For now, I'm still working on losing those 20 pounds. I guess I'm a tart! Bon appetite!