Lamb and Vegetable Stew (Crock Pot)

I’ve been going to the gym at lunch most days. Some days I go after work. Mostly I go at lunch.

I know what you’re thinking, and yeah, it’s a pain lugging my workout gear to and from work everyday. I am notorious for forgetting my facewash [but I just picked this cleansing water up, so I can keep it in my bag and never forget again], and it’s fun trying to make myself presentable after a crazy sweat session. It’s worth it, though. I don’t have to get up extra early anymore. It breaks up the monotony of sitting at my desk all day. It keeps me from doing unnecessary shopping at lunch. It forces me to be efficient. I work hard in those 45ish minutes to get in and get out. It also gets it out of the way. I can go home, and not have to worry about getting in a workout. If I had to pick, that’s probably my favorite part.

The other challenge is figuring out the lunch situation. I would eat out every day when I had the full lunch hour at my disposal. I find myself brown bagging it a little more often, or popping into the grocery store or deli on the way back to the office, instead of trying out one of the 500+ restaurants open at lunch downtown. The last couple days, for example, I’ve been mixing up a quick salad of kidney beans, canned tuna, tomato, cucumber, and avocado. The overnight crock pot thing also works out pretty good, and that’s where this stew came from. Toss everything into the crock, set it when I’m about to go to bed [11pm-12am] on low, and it smells awesome in the house in the morning. Alternatively, I could have prepared it the day prior while I was at work, or after work so it finishes before bed. That said, while this is delicious, I still miss eating out most of the week. I’m just not a huge leftovers person. After two days of the same thing, I’m ready for something new.

This was my first time cooking with a lamb shank, and there was a lot of meat on the bone. I just tossed the whole thing in [you could brown it first if you wanted], layered a bunch of vegetables around it, tossed in a bunch of herbs, and set it to low. The lamb was shredding easily after eight hours, and once I pulled out the bones, the meat soaked up some of the veggie juices. Β Top it with some hot sauce and parsley? Golden.

Inspiration: EatingWell

Ingredients

  • 1.5lb lamb shank
  • 2 large onion, sliced
  • 15oz can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1/2lb russet potato, sliced into 1/3″ rounds
  • 1/2lb green beans, ends trimmed
  • 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/3″ slices
  • 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/3″ slices
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced — use as many seeds as you’re comfortable with [optional]
  • 6 bay leaves
  • parsley for topping

 

Preparation

Place the lamb shank in the bottom of a crock pot, and surround it with half of the onions. Top with half of the can of tomatoes, half of the oregano, and all of the minced garlic. Place the potato rounds in a layer on top of the onions and tomatoes. Top with the green beans, carrots, and sliced jalapeno, if using. Layer the zucchini slices on top. Top with the remaining onions and tomatos. Evenly space the bay leaves on top. Turn on low for 7-8 hours until the lamb is falling off the bone. Remove the bones and stir the meat in with the vegetables.



12 thoughts on “Lamb and Vegetable Stew (Crock Pot)”

  • Your favorite reason for working out at lunch? My favorite reason for working out in the AM. I just want to be DONE for the day when I get home from work. And as for leftovers, just read this post today: http://backtoherroots.com/2012/09/12/flaxbread-chili-cheese-bake/ which is sort of an awesome concept for using any leftover stew/soup/etc. without getting too bored–could shake up the topping too to be any sort of bread/cornbread/vegetable topping.

    • If I lived as close to the gym as you, I’d probably go in the morning. But the idea of actually getting ready for work at the gym sounds terrible.

      You’re brilliant as usual. That would have been an awesome way to spice up the stew. Next time.

      • Hah, I’m brilliant at finding other people’s brilliance ;D Hence the reason I love blogging…

        And ugh, I tried doing that get-ready-at-the-gym thing before work a few times, and it was awful. Nothing wrong with a lunch substitution–for those who get more than 30 min, haha. I’d have time to get there, change, change back, go back to work…

          • Yeah, I AM technically allowed to take a full hour, but then I have to stay 30 min later. HECK NO. I’m getting out of there at the end of the day. I don’t think anyone in the office actually takes that hour-long option…

  • Wow–I’m impressed that you can squeeze an entire gym visit into an hour, and have time to eat besides! And that lamb stew looks perfect for early fall–delicious and hearty. πŸ™‚

    • Sometimes it’s a challenge to get back in a reasonable amount of time. Sometimes it’s good because I could spend a lot of time there (I’m a glutton for punishment). πŸ™‚

  • I hate lunch. I mean, this looks like a good lunch, but lunch is my least favorite meal of the day, it is the one meal where I am eating to just get those calories into my body. When and I was and even now that I am staying at home with kids, it is the meal that just annoys me. So I understand your frustration and admire your perseverance!

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