Beef and Mushroom Stew

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound extra-lean stew meat or sirloin beef tips

8 to 10 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 cans (14 ounces each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes

1 cup good quality red wine (not cooking wine)

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water, if desired

Brown rice, jasmine rice, orzo or egg noodles for serving, if desired

Chopped Italian parsley, optional garnish

In a heavy-bottom stew pot, heat the oil on medium-high until shimmering. Add the beef, mushrooms and onions; stir and cook until beef is almost all browned. Add the basil, canned tomatoes with the juice and the red wine; stir well. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until beef is fall-apart tender. (Or, instead of this method, carefully transfer the stew to your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.) Check periodically and add water if stew becomes too dry.

In the last 30 minutes of cooking (for either method), check to see if the gravy is to your preference. If you want a thicker gravy, stir in the cornstarch and water mixture and continue to simmer until thickened. Serve over your choice of starch, if desired.

Start to finish: 3 hours, mostly simmering time, or 6 to 8 hours in the slow cooker

Yield: 6 servings

Approximate values per serving (excluding cornstarch and choice of serving starch): 241 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 68 mg cholesterol, 25 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 77 mg sodium.

- Alicia Ross