Simple Slow Cooked Osso Bucco in a Rich Red Wine Sauce

My slow cooked osso bucco today tasted so lovely that I had to share my recipe. Cooking can be simple, fun and taste even better than going to a Michelin star restaurant. There's no flour, no added salt and it's fairly low in fat and carbs too. It serves two people and was ready in less than 2.5 hours.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 Onion
1 bay leaf
3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
340g of osso bucco
1 small beetroot chopped into strips
1 cup of shitake mushrooms
1 cube of chicken stock
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon of worstershire sauce
1 cup of red wine
200 ml passatta
1/2 cup of green split peas
1/2 cup of quinoa
1 cup of green string beans
1/3 of a small red cabbage chopped
1 cup of broccoli

Method:
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Brown the onion, bay leaf, garlic, beetroot, shitake mushrooms and osso bucco in the olive oil.  Season with the worstershire sauce, cayenne pepper, paprika and chicken stock. Add the red wine, passatta and green split peas. Add enough water to cover all the ingredients. Cook on medium heat and when it is boiling, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Top up the water when it gets low. I did this after maybe an hour. Stir occasionally. The quinoa and green string beans went in after 1.5 hours of slow cooking. The red cabbage and broccoli went in at the 1 hour and 55 minute mark. After 2 hours of slow cooking, it's ready to eat.

It's a recipe packed with lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This was so healthy and it was such a pleasure to eat. The sauce was a beautiful rich red colour and I didn't need to add any salt, pepper or other seasonings. You could sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top or add a dollop of ricotta if you want a richer texture and taste. A sprig of parsley or some basil or oregano will pretty it up if you want to garnish the dish. You could also serve this with bread, couscous, potatoes or any other carb hits you desire.

Like all stews, this will taste even better if you have leftovers for the next day because the flavours will fuse together.

I used passatta from a carton as I avoid canned items. The chicken stock was organic. The red wine was an Argentinian merlot. The split peas were not soaked beforehand. They were rinsed and washed. Remember to also wash your quinoa before adding it.

What if you don't have some of these ingredients? Simple substitutes include pork, lamb or beef for the osso bucco, frozen peas for the green split lentils, rice or potatoes for the quinoa, chili for cayenne pepper, carrots for the beetroot, vinegar or lemon for the worstershire sauce and any mushrooms for the shitake mushrooms. Any variations may affect the taste and texture, but you'll still have a good simple healthy stew.

Treat yourself tonight! I know you will enjoy this simple slow cooked osso bucco in a rich red wine sauce.