Building Your Reserves:

Likely, you've been following your own protocol of healthy eating since you discovered you were pregnant. It's never too late to fortify yourself even more, especially to get empowered for birth and recovery. Try out new foods while you still have the headspace and energy to notice what you like best and how it makes you feel-information you'll draw on later to make quick choices about what you need to feel warm and sated.

In particular: If you aren't already including bone broths in your diet, start now. One of the most healing foods on the planet, they will fortify you for child-birth, and the collagen supports healthy skin-great for your stretching belly and your postdelivery recovery. Smoothies (served at room temperature) and soups are a terrific way to take in lots of good nutrition in liquid form-ideal for a stomach that is increasingly short on space, thanks to baby's growing body.

Oxtail Stew

Cook Time3 hrs

Total Time3 hrs

Servings4 to 6 servings

We serve the oxtails with the bone-in, though if you want you can easily remove the bones from the meat before serving.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds (1.3 kg) oxtails with separated joints

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting the vegetables

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 1 large carrot, chopped

• 1 celery rib, chopped

• 3 whole cloves garlic, peel still on

• 1 bay leaf

• Pinch thyme

• 2 (475 ml) cups stock (chicken or beef)

• 2 cups (475 ml) red wine

• 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch segments, large pieces also cut lengthwise

• 2 parsnips, cut into 1-inch segments, large pieces also cut lengthwise

• 2 turnips or rutabagas, cut into 1-inch pieces

• Parsley

Method

1. Brown the oxtails:

   Pat the oxtails dry with paper towels. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium to medium-high heat in a 6-quart Dutch oven.

   Working in batches, and not crowding the pan, sear the oxtails in hot pan on all sides until golden brown. Use tongs to remove oxtails to a plate, setting aside.

2. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery:

   Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.

3. Add the oxtails, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt, stock, wine, then simmer:

   Add the oxtails back to the pan. Add the whole garlic cloves, the stock, and wine. Add bay leaf, thyme, and half a teaspoon of salt. Bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to low.

   Cover and cook for 3 hours, until meat is fork tender.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

   About 1 hour before the meat is done, preheat the oven to roast the root vegetables.

5. Roast the root vegetables:

   Toss carrots, parsnips, and turnips in olive oil in a roasting pan. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper.

   Roast the vegetables for 1 hour, or until lightly browned and cooked through.

6. Skim the fat:

   When the meat is tender, remove oxtails from the cooking liquid. Either skim the fat off the top with a spoon, use a fat separator to remove the fat, or chill the cooking liquid for several hours so that the fat solidifies, making it easier to remove.

   If you are making ahead, at this point you can just put the stew in the refrigerator (let come to room temp first), with the oxtails still in it, and let it chill overnight. The next day, scrape off the fat, reheat, and then remove the meat from the dish.

7. Strain the solids from the cooking liquid and reduce:

   Pour the cooking liquid through a mesh strainer into a bowl, using a rubber spatula to press against the vegetable solids caught in the strainer.

   Discard the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and simmer until reduced by half.

8. Add back the oxtails and roasted vegetables:

   Then add back in the oxtails, and add the roasted vegetables to the pan. Heat on low heat for half an hour for the flavors to blend.