Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I believe I have posted a recipe similar to this one before, but I think this version is an improvement.  Mainly because I brown and coat the meat prior to adding it to the cooker which adds a layer of flavor and richness to this otherwise very simple recipe.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

1.5 lbs cubed beef for stew

1/2 cup AP flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbsp olive oil

1 bag baby carrots (about 2 cups)
4 red potatoes, skin on, cubed
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1-2 cups vegetable or beef broth

In a gallon sized ziplock bag add flour, salt and pepper.  Shake to mix evenly.  Add beef and shake to coat.

Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, add olive oil over medium-high heat.  Once oil has thinned, add beef and flour from bag and brown for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly browned.  If all oil is absorbed quickly, drizzle a bit more so that the mixture incorporates into a thick gravy texture.

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, or HIGH for 4-5.  The texture should be rich and thick.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Oh, hi.  Its been a while, yes?  I could list excuses, but I won't.  But I promise, they're all good ones!  In fact, this recipe is a good one too.  So good I had to pop in and post it! 

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Here's what I used:

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup good salsa (I used Jack's "Garden Fresh Gourmet" Special Salsa in Medium)
1 cup water + 3 cubes bullion (OR) 1 cup Chicken Stock
1 green bell pepper, rough chopped
1 large onion, rough chopped
1/2 lb cherry/plum tomatoes, stewed (instructions below)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Tony Chacheries (or other cajun seasoning)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp cumin

For Plating: white rice, shredded mexican cheese blend and lite sour cream. 

Here's what I did:

Prepare the tomatoes by adding them to boiling water.  Allow water to return to a boil, and then remove from heat.  Gently peel away skin from the tomatoes, and set aside.

In the crockpot, add all ingredients, and cook on high for 5-6 hours, or low for 8-9 hours.

As a final step, remove chicken and chop into 1" slices, cubes, or shred with two forks, if desired.

We served this with white rice, and several typical "mexican" toppings or fixings.  Feel free to add what your group would enjoy.  Fresh chopped cilantro and jalapeno's would be a really nice addition.

Slow Cooker Pork Masala with Red Potatoes and Baby Carrots

I have a back issue of Bon Appetit with a Child Friendly Chicken Masala that I have been wanting to try.  I have always loved Indian food, but Nick has a real aversion to anything he thinks may be "curry-like".  So I was thinking a child friendly version may be just the ticket to introducing him to the cuisine.  Additionally, if its a little toned down on spices, the chances are higher that Sydney will like it too.

On to the modifications, I made more than a few.  I converted the recipe from a traditional oven to slow cooker.  I used pork tenderloin instead of chicken. I substituted sour cream for plain yogurt, and dried onion flakes instead of fresh chopped.  I also added vegetables and white pepper.

Slow Cooker Pork Masala with Red Potatoes and Baby Carrots

Here's what I used:

1 2 lb pork tenderloin, cut into fist-sized chunks
1/2 bag baby carrots (or enough to cover bottom of slow cooker)
3 large red potatoes, skin on, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tbsp garam masala (Priya brand, found in my local grocery international section)
2 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp dried chopped onion
1 cup sour cream
3 tbsp olive oil

Here's what I did:

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or LOW for 8-10.  Just prior to serving, remove pork and cut into 1" or bite sized pieces, and then add them back into the cooker.

Serve over Basmati or Long Grain rice.

I am soooo pleased with this one.  My first foray into any sort of Indian fare, and it was really successful.  Spices were right on.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce & Corn and Black Bean Salsa

I must again give credit to someone else for a recipe.  As a final hurrah while my little sister was in town, my brother and sister in law had us all over to their house for pork tacos.  I had heard much about them, and while optimistic - had never actually had pork tacos.  Let me say right now, I am now a believer, and not an italicizer.  I can say with certainty that I would make these again, and again, and again.  And yes, I had FOUR of these puppies that night.  At the time I said I would repent by skipping dessert.  But by the time dessert came, I had that too.  We were celebrating though, so its ok, right??

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos

Here's what they used:

1 4lb pork roast
1 cup medium salsa
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup 7-Up

Here's what they did:

Put roast in crock pot. Mix other ingredients together and pour over roast. Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred when done.

Yea, that's it.  Hahaha.  So easy its funny.

This was served buffet, or "make your own", with the following choices:

Pan-Warmed Corn Tortillas (we used a cast iron skillet, but a non-stick skillet will also work.  Keep them warm between the folds of a clean dishtowel until serving)
Corn and Black Bean Salsa (recipe to follow)
Grated Cheddar/Monterey Jack Cheese Blend
Green Onions
Shredded Romaine Lettuce
Cilantro Lime Sauce (recipe to follow)

Cilantro Lime Sauce

This may have been my favorite part of this recipe.  Tangy, zippy, perfectly topped each little dainty taco.  I think I have had dreams about this in the 2 days since we had it...

Here's what they used:

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
3/4 cup mayo
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp salsa verde (green salsa)
1 lime, zest and juice
**add 1/2 of a fresh jalapeno for HEAT
Here's what they did:

Add dressing ingredients in blender and mix well. Make ahead and chill for several hours.

Are you seeing a theme here?  EASY.  And delicious.

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

While we added this to our tacos, it is also delish with chips, or just warm corn tortillas, scooping up portions as an appetizer.

Here's what they used:

1 (15 ounce) can yellow corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can white corn, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
5 green onions, finely sliced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
2 tbsp olive oil, or to taste

Here's what they did:

Stir the yellow and white corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, red onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Gently mix in the lime juice and avocado. Drizzle with olive oil to serve. I would also add S&P to taste, and adjust flavors to your liking.

So the theme of that meal was not only DELISH but EASY.  Easy, easy, easy.  Enjoy!!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

While home the other day I felt the urge to make a nice, rich but healthy stew.  And what better way to do that than to set it and forget it with my Crockpot?  So I commenced searching for a healthy beef stew recipe, and then modified to suit my taste.  I actually found a Weight Watchers recipe, so if you follow that, this is WW approved and my modifications do not affect the health-factor of this meal. 

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Here's what I used:

1 lb cubed stew beef (packaged as stew meat at the store)
2 cups mini-carrots
3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 cup AP Flour
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp cornstarch
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
4 cups stock (your choice, I used chicken)

Here's what I did:

Set nonstick skillet on medium heat, and add onions.  Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until translucent.  Add them to Slow Cooker.  Meanwhile, add flour, salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic powder to a large ziplock bag, and shake to incorporate.  Then add stew beef to bag and shake to coat the meat evenly.  Using same skillet and 1 tbsp olive oil, brown beef on all sides, 7-10 minutes total.  Add browned beef and drippings to Slow Cooker. 

Add in all vegetables but the potatoes, crushed tomatoes and stock.  Let cook on High for 6-8 hours.  1-2 hours before complete, add in potatoes and cornstarch (to thicken).

This turned into a decadent, silky and healthy meal that took very little preparation.  Everyone loved it.  Even Miss Sydney.

Slow Cooker (Crockpot) Beef Round Roast with Baby Carrots and Red Potatoes

Well, we got hit with another snow storm yesterday, that added 12" to the 33" that were already on the ground here in Northern Virginia.  Good thing we all shlepped to Costco for a few hours on Tuesday, mostly to get out of the house - but we also stocked up on some goodies.  Wine.  Goat Cheese.  Fresh Mozzarella...you know, the essentials!  ;)

Let me say that Costco Goat Cheese and Mozzarella are awesome.  And for 2 lbs...and just under 4 dollars each...that's an amazing deal.  We pay 7-10 dollars for a half pound at our local grocery chain. 

I digress...  Being stuck inside, and wanting something comforting and hearty, I checked my fridge.  I had a 2.7 lb Beef Round Roast that was looking pretty good.  So I looked up recipes on All Recipes and found one called "Erica's Delicious Slow Cooker Beef Roast"...and modified from there.

After reading some of the reviews, I made more than a few modifications...

Slow Cooker Beef Round Roast

Here's what I used:

1 2.7 lb Beef Round Roast (other roasts will work, too)
20-30 baby carrots (enough to cover bottom of Slow Cooker)
1 medium onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled but whole
6-8 red potatoes, quartered
1 cup chicken broth
1 can condensed golden mushroom soup
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 tbsp AP Flour
2-2 tbsp Worchestershire Sauce

Here's what I did:

Add all vegetables to bottom of Slow Cooker, except for the potatoes.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet (I used nonstick) with 3-4 tbsp of vegetable oil, and set to medium/high.  Season the roast with salt, pepper, and dredge lightly with AP Flour.  Add roast to pan, and sear for 15 minutes, browning all sides of the roast.

Place roast on top of vegetables in the Slow Cooker, and pour broth, soup and worchestershire sauce over roast.  Set to LOW for 6-8 hours.

During the final 1.5 hours, add potatoes, and make sure they're covered in gravy so that they heat evenly.

I sliced the roast in 1/2" pieces, and then placed them back in the slow cooker during the last 20-30 minutes, and served the vegetables and roast in soup bowls.  This was an easy, hearty meal for a blustery day.