Tag Archives: slow cooker

September 15, 2011

Beef Carbonnade

A beef carbonnade is just a fancy name for the-yummiest-beef-stew-ever. It is chunks of beef, dredged in seasoned flour, browned, and then left to simmer in a dark beer broth for several hours. Unattended. Slow Cooker. Easy.

beef carbonnade

Traditionally it is served over egg noodles but this was a Sunday meal and I wasn’t going to take time to make them. I used brown rice instead and it was just fine. You could also use mashed potatoes with it — you just want something to soak up that broth. Add a crusty sourdough bread, a salad, and maybe a vanilla poached pear for dessert and you are good to go. Whether you are having a family dinner or trying to impress the new in-laws this carbonnade will take you there. Continue reading →

Leave a Comment

Filed under Main Dish, Slow Cooker Meals

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 2, 2011

Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos

Yeah! for the crockpot. I don’t think there is another appliance that makes meals quite as easy to create when you have 1500 other things to do.

Tacos are most often made with ground beef, at least in the United States. They make a quick, easy meal that helps to stretch the budget. The thing is that if you are only making them with ground beef you are missing out on some pretty amazing flavors. I love this shredded beef version because it doesn’t feel like fast food. You just get the beef going for a good eight hours and when you are ready to eat you shred it with a fork and put it in a soft tortilla. Add your favorite toppings and it’s a go. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Main Dish, Slow Cooker Meals

Tagged as , , , , ,

January 4, 2011

Smoky Black Eyed Pea Soup

One of the New Years traditions in our family is black-eyed pea soup. It is supposed to ensure prosperity for the coming year when eaten with greens (I used them in my spinach artichoke dip) and pork. One time I question my dad about the tradition saying (as only a smart alecky teenager can) that things didn’t seem so different. He quipped back, “Yeah…Imagine if we hadn’t had them!”

black-eyed-pea-soup

I am not a big fan of black-eyed peas as a general rule. In fact, I am not a big fan of dried beans of any sort. They usually just taste bland and starchy to me. I do love me some black eyed pea soup, however, and how. Spicy and tomato-y broth combines with bacon to give the black eyed peas a smoky, hot broth to hang out in. I prefer to use fresh black-eyed peas because they seem to me to have less starch but you can used canned if you rinse them really well. You can also use the dried kind. Just let them soak overnight.

black-eyed-peas

There aren’t a lot of ingredients that go into this soup but what comes out of the ladle a few hours later is magic. I promise. The sesame seed oil is my touch… it adds another depth of smoky flavor to the soup that I really enjoy. Adjust the broth up or down to get the thickness of the soup that you prefer. Two cans of Ro*Tel will be too spicy for some of you so don’t be afraid to add one can of plain tomatoes instead of one of the cans of Ro*tel. The longer it simmers the more flavorful it gets.

black-eyed-pea-soup-3

Don’t wait for New Years to have this. It makes a great, inexpensive meal anytime of the year. Do try it at least once when you can get fresh blackeyed peas though. The difference is amazing.

black-eyed-pea-soup-5

 

 

Print
Smoky Black Eyed Pea Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

8 hours, 10 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Carbs: CARBS: 39.O

Calories per serving: 354

Fat per serving: 13.1

Smokey black eyed pea soup with bacon is a New Years tradition in the South. This recipe is super easy because you make it in a microwave!

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of fresh black eyed peas, or 1 lb of dried (soaked overnight), or 3 cans of black eyed peas well rinsed
  • 1 quart organic chicken broth or homemade chicken broth
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 - 2 cans of Ro*Tel tomatoes with chilis
  • 1/2 lb bacon
  • 2 tbs. sesame seed oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

Instructions

  1. Cut bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp.
  2. Remove the bacon from the pan and cook the onions until almost tender.
  3. Add all the ingredients including the onions and bacon to a slow cooker or soup pot.
  4. Simmer for 3 to 10 hours or until black eyed peas are cooked and flavors have blended.
http://www.restlesschipotle.com/2011/01/smoky-black-eyed-pea-soup/

images:marye audet (c) 2011

6 Comments

Filed under Main Dish, Soup

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 27, 2010

Get Out Your Slow Cooker! Mongolian Beef

Sure, it’s still technically summer but let’s face it. Most of us are so over summer and ready for the cooler temperatures of autumn. Mmmmm…. apples, pumpkin, spices, and slow cooker meals that make life so simple. Now, think about a sweet and spicy and tangy oriental beef that just shreds when you put a fork into it…oh yeah…

mongolian-beef-roast

I used couscous as a side dish – it is a nice change from rice and so very quick. This is a great meal for when you want something a little different than stew or roast. It relies heavily on Hoisin Sauce which you can get at your grocer’s in the imported food section, by the soy sauce and catsup, or online at Amazon.

You can even make your Hoisin sauce homemade, which I highly recommend. You can control the ingredients (and additives) and it has a purer flavor than the store bought kind. It doesn’t take long at all and it will keep at least a week or more in your fridge.

Homemade Hoisin Sauce

  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 2 ½ tbsp honey
  • 2 tbs brown sugar
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp ketchup
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp vinegar

Mix together and allow to stand for 15 minutes before using. Makes about 1/2 cup

Slow Cooked Mongolian Beef

  • 2 lbs boneless beef roast of choice (I used round)
  • 3 onions chopped
  • 4 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 6 carrots, cleaned and sliced on the diagonal
  • 1 or 2 Jalapeno peppers chopped, optional
  • 1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and/ or green onion for garnish
  1. Add all ingredients except the cilantro to the slow cooker and set to low. Cook for 8 hours, or until meat falls apart. Serve with rice or couscous.

Serves 6-8

image:marye audet

5 Comments

Filed under Main Dish

Tagged as , , , , ,

March 28, 2009

Root Beer Pot Roast, Seriously

It may sound weird but my family gave this root beer pot roast at least a hundred and fifteen stars.  Maybe more.  There is something about the soda that makes the meat buttery and tender, absolutely melt in your mouth good.  The root beer adds a subtle sweetness and a nice spicy touch.

rootbeer_roast

Since it is cooked in a slow cooker the actual work time for this is less than 10 minutes.  The carrots added to the cooking liquer give it an added sweetness and onion adds a little depth.  It is very similar to a Sauerbraten in many ways.  Serve it with some homemade rolls and mashed potatoes and your Sunday family dinner is Mayberry RFD perfect.

root_beer_roast3

The kind of root beer that you use will make such a difference in this.  I suggest that you try an artisan microbrewed root beer for the very best results…but A & W would be my next choice.  Remember that the complexity of flaqvors in the root beer will creat the complexity of flavors in the finished dish so a fake, chemically rootbeer will never be as good as a good one.  End of sermon.

root_beer_roast2

 

Print
Root Beer Pot Roast, Seriously

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

8 hours, 5 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

Carbs: Carb: 15.6

Calories per serving: 415

Fat per serving: 11.9

Tender beef roast is simmered in a slow cooker with carrots, onions, and root beer.

Ingredients

  • Black Angus organic pot roast, 5 lbs
  • 36 ozs of root beer, room temperature
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 10 organic carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1-2 onions, optional

Instructions

  1. Season roast on all sides and set aside for 15 minutes while you prepare the carrots.
  2. Heat a frying pan and add just a touch of olive oil.
  3. Brown roast on all sides, just until you get that nice caramelization crispiness to the meat.
  4. Pour 1/3 of the room temperature root beer into the slow cooker.
  5. Add the meat carefully.
  6. Add the carrots and onions if you are using them
  7. Pour the rest of the root beer over the roast and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
http://www.restlesschipotle.com/2009/03/root-beer-pot-roast-seriously/


images:c) restless chipotle 2009, all rights reserved.

11 Comments

Filed under Main Dish, Slow Cooker Meals

Tagged as , , , , , ,