Healthy Fondue... Is this possible?

by Caroline
(Calgary, Canada)

Fondue has had a bad reputation for years. When you think of cheese, chocolate or oil fondue, its reputation of being high in fat or sugar goes along with being high in flavor.

Is there such a thing as healthy fondue? Well, there is. Here is a beef fondue recipe that most people can enjoy. If you are a vegetarian or do not eat red meat, you can substitute beef for any vegetables, fish balls, shrimp or crab meat.

Here is what you will need:

1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 Garlic clove, crushed
1 Onion, finely chopped
8 cups Water
Beef bouillon cubes
1 Celery stalk, finely chopped
1 Tomato, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
1 Bay leaf
1 cup Red wine
1/3 lb/person Thinly sliced beef for dipping

You need to prepare the broth on a stove top at least four hours ahead of your fondue dinner. Here's how to do it:

1. In a large pot, warm up the oil and cook the garlic and onion until soft.

2. Add the water, bring it to a boil and add enough bouillon cubes to taste. If you are substituting beef for seafood or other meat or vegetables, feel free to change the type of broth.

3. Lower the heat and add the vegetables, spices and wine.

4. Cook on low heat for about 3 hours. Add more water as needed.

5. Filter the broth and refrigerate.

6. Half an hour prior to serving, remove from the fridge and strip off the fat that has hardened on the surface.

7. Bring the broth to a boil on the stove top.

8. Transfer the hot broth into your fondue pot and adjust the heat. Make sure to have the appropriate type of fondue pot. If you are unsure, visit http://www.bestfondue.com/all-fondue-sets.html to learn more about different types of fondue pots.

9. Roll a small piece of beef onto your fondue fork and cook for a few seconds or minutes, depending on how you like your meat.

I hope you and your friends enjoy this delicious recipe. For more fondue recipes, make sure to check bestfondue.com