Healthy Hamburger Stew

This recipe is a great example of how I tweak recipes to make them healthier and tasty.  When I approach a recipe like this, my first reaction is to halve the meat and add extra vegetables. The original recipes I saw had 1 pound of ground beef, potatoes, and 1/2 cup of barley (it expands a lot).  I cut the beef to 1/2 pound, added a can of kidney beans for protein, eliminated the potatoes, and added green beans and zucchini.  To keep this tasty, I added crushed red pepper, extra garlic, and basil at the end.  I prepared this in a crockpot, but it can be made on the stove in about 45 minutes.

Healthy Hamburger Stew
makes about 6 servings

1/2 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup of green beans, cut to 1 inch pieces
1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1/3 cup barley
2 cups beef stock
1 medium zucchini, cut to half moon slices
2 bay leaves
crushed red pepper to taste
fresh basil

Brown the ground beef in a skillet until pink is gone, drain.  Add the beef to a crockpot and add all other ingredients except zucchini and basil.  Add enough water to cover all of the ingredients (about another 2-3 cups).  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  In the last half hour of cooking, stir in the zucchini and basil.

see more hints and recipes at Grocery Cart Challenge and Ultimate Recipe Swap