Pork Stew with Parsnips and Apricots

Ingredients

• 2  bay leaves 
• 1.5 pounds pork loin boneless cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup celery thinly sliced
• 0.8 cup apricots dried finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons rubbed sage dried
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves dried
• 42 ounce less-sodium chicken broth fat-free canned
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley fresh chopped
• 0.3 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper black
• 0.8 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1.5 cups onion chopped
• 4 cups parsnips peeled ()
• 0.3 cup tomato paste 
• 2 tablespoons water 

Equipment

• frying pan
• paper towels
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add pork, and cook 6 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove pork from pan, and wipe pan with a paper towel, leaving browned bits on bottom of pan.
4. Add onion, celery, and water; cook 3 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return pork to pan.
5. Add tomato paste and the next 6 ingredients (tomato paste through bay leaves), and bring stew to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.
6. Stir in parsnip and apricots; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until pork is tender. Discard bay leaves; sprinkle with parsley.