Slow Cooker Beef Stew

 

Photo source: Natasha's Kitchen

Beef stew is one of those meals JR, my first husband, and I would make often with biscuits.  His southern mom taught me how to make her beef stew that was the most delicious I ever had.  

The ingredients are basically the same as Natasha's recipe.  I don't use beef broth.  The cut up beef is coated in seasoned flour and browned until fully cooked in a dutch oven with a little oil.  I like it cooked until the beef is a little crispy.  Then water is added that covers the beef and a slurry of seasoned flour and water is added.  Cook until it thickens a bit.  I believe it is the seasoned flour that makes the difference in the flavor of the beef stew.  Then I add the vegetables and water to cover it.  It cooks for at least three or four hours.  You know it is done when he vegetables are cooked as you desire.  I don't like them crunchy.  The thickness is determined by your preference.  Add more of the slurry as it cooks if it is not thick enough or add water if it is too thick.  Season and taste as it cooks with your favorite seasonings.

The beef stew recipe I am featuring is from Natasha's Kitchen and prepared in a slow cooker.  She is one of the chefs I watch regularly and subscribe to on You Tube.

Click here to go to her recipe page.

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Rice

Photo source:  Pati Jinich

Pati made this stew on her cooking show and I had to search for the recipe since it looked delicious.  

The recipe is versatile as far as using the seafood that your family prefers. When I get around to making this, it will include shrimp, fish and crab.

Click here to go to Pati's recipe page.

Seafood Pasta Chowder

© 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

This is one of those recipes that calls for spoiling yourself and making this a special meal.  Of course you can also serve it for a casual lunch.  But it can be made very special.  

First of all, there is something about having this chowder out of a bread bowl that makes you feel spoiled.  I also like to garnish the top with larger shrimp.

However you choose to serve it,  the chowder aims to please!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup uncooked miniature pasta bow-ties or shells 
• 5 tablespoons butter 
• 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups fish stock (clam juice can be used if it is your preference) 
• 2 cups half-and-half 
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 
• 1 teaspoon dill 
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg 
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, amount depends on your heat preference 
• 1 cup canned fresh crab meat 
• 8 ounces shrimp (whatever size you prefer . . . we prefer bigger shrimp and sometimes use more than 8 ounces depending on our budget) 
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions, green tops included 

Preparation:

Cook pasta in salted water in a large pot. Drain and rinse.

While pasta is cooking . . . 

Saute mushrooms on low heat in 3 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Salt and cook about 3 minutes, until they have cooked down a bit.

Saute an additional minute after adding garlic, making sure the garlic does not brown.

Stir in 2 tablespoons butter until melted. 

Add flour into the mixture, stirring constantly and cook for 2 minutes. 

Continue stirring and add the fish stock, then the milk. Heat until thickened.

Add paprika, nutmeg, and cayenne, stir in crab and shrimp.  

Cook only until heated through! 

Add drained pasta and green onions. 

Taste and season accordingly, if necessary.

Awesome when served in a bread bowl, but make sure to enjoy with some hot crusty bread.


Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Photo credit © 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, recipe adapted from About.com

The Captain's Pork Stew

Who said that leftovers have to be boring?  We had some pork roast left over from our delicious meals of black beans and rice with roast pork.  The Captain made a delicious pork stew out of the leftovers!  I can't tell you how much money we have just thrown down the garbage can until we started coming up with ways to turn one meal into another.  

There are many things you can do with leftover pork roast.  My favorite is to make sandwiches on some good hoagie bread.  How about a pot of any type of beans with the leftover pork thrown in?  I've used them in my famous "Gina's Cuban Style Fried Rice" . . . actually, all types of leftovers end up in that dish!

Ingredients:

1-3 lbs Gina’s Mojo Pork* or your roast pork

1-3 large onions quartered

4-8 medium potatoes cut into bite sized pieces

1-2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic

½ to 1 12 oz can of tomato sauce

½ to 1 can corn

½ to 1 can peas

Salt

Pepper

2 quarts of water

Directions:

Bring the water to a boil and add the onions, garlic, and potatoes boil for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile slice or shred Gina’s Mojo Pork, keep some of the fat and discard the rest.

Reduce the onions/potato/garlic mixture to a simmer and add Gina’s Mojo Pork. Add just enough tomato sauce to taste. When the stew simmers add salt and pepper to taste.

Occasionally stir the stew. As it cooks it will become long shreds of pork and the sauce will reduce.  When the potatoes have become soft (about 20 minutes), mash them against the side of the pot to break them apart.

Add the corn and peas.  Heat until steaming and serve with biscuits.

  

*The spices used in Gina's Mojo Pork do have an impact on the outcome of the total flavor of the stew.  I highly recommend making the pork for a main meal and using the leftovers for the stew.

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