Classic Slow Cooker Beef Stew w. Carrots, Mushrooms and Peppers

Today we are going to take a look at making a classic slow cooker beef stew. With carrots, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, red wine and beans, as well as a variety of seasonings, this is a very satisfying winter meal that will cook away all day in your house as you attend to all the many things we need to at this time of year.





Ingredients:

2 lb. stewing beef cubed
1 large can diced tomatoes (do NOT drain) - If you can use one that has "herbs and seasonings" or "Italian seasoned"
1 cup dry red wine - An Italian or Mediterranean red works well. We used Toro Bravo from Spain
1 - 10 ounce can of condensed tomato soup - Campbell's has one with basil and oregano and if you can find it or another brand like it, use that one
1 - 10 ounce can of condensed beef broth
3-4 carrots, sliced
3-4 small white onions or 1 large white onion sliced - alternately you can use 3-4 small shallots sliced
2 sliced, seeded sweet peppers - I like to use a couple of different colours. Here I used one green and half each of a yellow and red pepper
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3-4 minced cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon (or to taste) cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 can (14-16 ounces) white kidney (cannellini) beans

Put the beef in bottom of your slow cooker. Blend in the garlic, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

Add the mushrooms, onion, peppers and carrots and blend together.

Add the tomato, the cans of condensed soup, wine and Worcestershire sauce and stir everything together.

Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. You want the beef to be fork tender so try to cook the full 10 hours or even 11 or 12 hours if possible.

After the cooking time is done, add the can of beans, blend in, cover again and cook on high for 10 minutes.

This deep, rich stew is a meal in itself though it goes nicely with a baguette or garlic bread, rice or mashed potatoes, and some more red wine.

Enjoy.

The Best of Seasons w. Tuscan Bean Soup, Sour Cream Apple Pie, Guacamole & more -- Vintage Cookbook TBT

Vintage Cookbook: The Best of Seasons, Judy Schultz

Publication Details: Red Deer College Press, 1989

Published in 1989 this cookbook had a clever gimmick in its format that replaced the usual sections based around courses or ingredients. The Best of Seasons is organized around the months of the year with recipes that the author, Judy Schultz, felt suited the season.

Judy Schultz was the food and wine editor of the Edmonton Journal at the time and worked as a writer for it for over 25 years. She puts her food knowledge to work here with a really diverse collection of recipes that have influences from many different styles and regions of cuisine.

The cookbook, of course, reflects the tastes of the era with such dishes as Iced Pear-Celery Soup and Salmon with Star Fruit. There are also lots of variations on classics and some innovative ideas. I hope to adapt a couple of the recipes in the near future.

Each month's section ended with a "Fast Track Menu" which are meant to be quick and easy meals. We have included the October one, Popovers with Fresh Herbs.

We are also profiling at least one recipe from each month. There is Pistachio Pasta for January, for example, or Hot Hot Barbecue Sauce for June, which she felt at the time was the best BBQ sauce in the world! The recipe for November we are sharing is Green Chili Spoon Bread.

Since we have a long history of including onion soup and mincemeat recipes you will find one each of those as well.

(click on scans to enlarge)

Slow Cooker Pork Roast w. Garlic and Vegetables

Recently we looked at a very easy way to make curried lamb chops in your slow cooker. Today we are going to do a slow cooker pork roast with vegetables that makes a for a great fall or winter meal.

For this recipe you want to use a 4 - 6 lb. boneless pork roast.

Take your roast out 20 minutes before cooking and season it liberally with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and herbes-de-Provence (you can substitute dried rosemary for this if you wish).

In a large saucepan heat some olive oil over medium high heat and brown your seasoned roast for a couple of minutes a side.

Place the browned roast in your slow cooker and pour any juices and oil in the pan from the browning over it.

Then surround the roast with the following ingredients:

1 large chopped carrot
2 chopped celery stalks with the leaves
5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
3-4 small onions or large shallots, halved
1 lb. or so of sliced mushrooms

Once you have added all the vegetables pour in enough vegetable broth to just reach the top of the roast in the cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Once it has finished cooking place the roast on a large platter and surround with the vegetables. Ladle some of the cooking broth over top and let the roast sit 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with the vegetables and mashed potatoes or a salad.

Enjoy.

 

Slow Cooker Curried Lamb Shoulder Chops w. Garlic & Onion

Today we are going to take a look at a way to make bone-in lamb shoulder chops that is easy to do yet results in deliciously moist meat that you can cut with a fork. The chops are also seasoned with garlic and curry powder and then cooked for several hours in the slow cooker over a bed of onions.

To prepare you want to season your lamb shoulder chops liberally with curry powder, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper.

Let the chops sit seasoned in a bowl or freezer bag in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to cook chop up two medium sized onions and place into the bottom of your slow cooker. Add 2-4 cloves of minced garlic.

Place the seasoned lamb chops over the onions, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

It is that simple.

The chops will be incredibly tender and full of flavour.

Serve with the onion on top. Goes well with rice and a salad as well as red wine.

Enjoy.

Lazy Day Sirloin Roast w. Shallots and Mushrooms

Today's recipe is inspired by all the recipes I have seen over the years in various vintage community cookbooks that had names like "Easy Sunday Supper" or "Workday Quick Family Feast", etc. These were generally hearty meals that were relatively simple to make but very tasty and used a "cheat" of some kind or another such as canned soup.

Here we are going to make a slow cooker pot roast that is perfect for a lazy fall or winter day. It cooks in its gravy for 8 hours and will make your house or apartment feel extra warm and cozy with its wonderful aromas.

For this recipe you want to use a 3-5 lb. pot roast style beef roast such as a Sirloin Tip or Blade.

To begin, prior to starting cooking take out your roast and season it all over liberally with sea salt, black pepper and mustard powder. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature and then brown on all four sides in a large frying pan using olive oil. It will generally will take 60-90 seconds a side. 

Place your browned beef roast in your slow cooker. Add approximately 1 lb. of chopped cremini mushrooms. Then add 2 large or 3 medium sized sliced shallots and 2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic.

Once you have done this pour in enough beef stock to just cover the roast completely. Then add one full packet of a beef roast gravy mix. Use whichever one is your favourite but I used McCormick Gourmet Roast Gravy mix. Finally add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.

Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours. It will come out fall apart moist when you start to carve.

Let sit on a platter for ten minutes before carving. Once carved top with lots of the gravy liquid as well as the onions and mushrooms. It pairs very nicely with all the traditional beef roast sides like mashed potatoes.

One option is, instead of doing traditional slices, to shred some or all of the roast with two forks and serve it by putting it all back in the gravy in the slow cooker for serving. You can even do this as a sandwich on kaisers or rolls. 

Either way, a lazy day treat.

Enjoy.

Hot Italian Sausages with Onions and Peppers

Today we are going to look at how to make one version of a classic combination -- Hot Italian Sausages with onions and sweet peppers. As with most great comfort food dishes it is fairly simple to make but delivers bold flavours. It is also one of my family's favourites.

To begin you want to pick up some Hot Italian Sausages. You can use any sausages but the spicy really contrasts well with the "sweet" of the onions and peppers.

Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan and then brown the sausages for around 2-3 minutes a side. Remove from the saucepan and set aside on a platter. These are not fully cooked at this point but that is fine as they will be later.

Do not drain or clean the pan. In the juices and oil saute 1 or 2 sliced onions and 1 or 2 sliced bell peppers. Here I used 1 yellow onion, 1 red onion and 1 large green pepper, but you can use any combination you like. Saute for around 5-7 minutes.

While the onions and peppers are sauteing slice the sausages width-wise in about three evenly placed spots around 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through.

While some folks like to cut the sausages into several small pieces I prefer it this way as people can still get an entire sausage if they wish.

Once the onions and peppers are finished sauteing add the sausages back to the pan and then add enough chicken stock to get about 2/3 of the way to the top of them. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.

Cover the pan and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until done. According to Health Canada sausages are done when they reach an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees.

Serve the sausages covered with the peppers and onions. They go really well with sauerkraut or coleslaw on the side or, if you wish, you can have them on a bun.

Enjoy.

See also: "Green Bay Packer" Wisconsin Beer Brats with Sauerkraut & Mixed Vegetables

See also: Charcoal BBQ Hot Italian Sausages and Onions

Light and Crisp Steak and Vegetable Lettuce Rolls

Today we are going to take a look at a way to make a lettuce wrap with marinated steak and vegetables that is inspired by Asian flavours.

To begin you want to get some thin cut steak filets. You want these as thin as possible. 

Slice the filets coarsely into strips. It is easier to do this if they are partially frozen.

In a bowl toss the strips in the following quick marinade:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon of an Asian-style hot sauce (I used Saigon Hot Chilli Sauce which is slightly sweet with a nice heat level)

1 minced clove garlic
squeeze of lime juice

dash of cayenne pepper

a drop or two of honey

Adjust the ingredients depending on how much steak you are making. 

Let the steak strips sit in the marinade for around an hour.

Meanwhile, slice some cucumber rounds cut on the bias, into long, thin pieces. Toss these in a bowl with some salt, a little rice vinegar and some red pepper flakes. 

Slice a carrot into matchsticks,  and toss with 1/4 Napa cabbage shredded and 1/2 a small sliced red onion in a third bowl with some rice vinegar and lime juice. 

In a small amount of olive oil fry up your beef strips until done, which should really only take around a minute or so.

Lay out some washed (shake or pat dry) romaine lettuce leaves. You can also use Boston or iceberg lettuce if you choose. 

Top each lettuce leaf with some steak, cucumber and the carrot, cabbage, onion blend and roll. You can also add some room temperature rice if you like and, of course, more hot sauce and lime juice. Serve with lime slices.

If you wish you can secure the rolls with a toothpick, but I rather like the messy eating. 

Enjoy.

Spicy Seaweed Soup

By Natalie 

A novel way to use seaweed, this is a hearty and delicious spicy soup.

To begin soften a big handful of dried wakame in water for about 10 mins. Drain. Chop into manageable pieces. Set aside.

In a large pot heat 1 TB of olive oil over medium high heat. Add 1 chopped onion, 2 stalks diced celery, 1 diced carrot, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 thumb-sized knob of minced ginger. Saute for approximately 5 minutes.

Add 2 quarts water and 2 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until everything is mixed and the cubes dissolved. 

Add 1 TB sesame oil, 4 TB soy sauce, 4 TB apple cider vinegar and 4 shakes of cayenne pepper (or to taste). Bring to a boil for a bit. Add the seaweed and 2 cups of cooked rice- great way to use up leftovers like rice and vegetables. Taste and adjust seasonings and water content. If the soup is a bit too thick add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water at a time to dilute.

Simmer gently for 10 or 15 minutes until all the flavours are blended.

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Peppercorn Pork Chops with Bacon Sauerkraut

Today we are going to look at an old-school style pork chop dish that is based upon a variety of similar recipes I have seen in cookbooks like Dominion's "Its Mainly Because of the Meat" from 1969. I have taken the best parts of some of these recipes and jazzed them up a bit technique and ingredient wise.

What you get is a great, classic combination of flavours and pork chops that are tender and delicious.

To begin, in a large saucepan cook around six pieces of bacon until done and set aside.

In the same pan use the left over bacon fat (draining some off first if necessary) to saute one large chopped onion seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Do this over medium-high heat for around 5 minutes. Set the onion aside. 

Season your pork chops with salt and pepper to taste. We made 6 chops which were bone-in. Again in the same pan brown your pork chops in batches for about 2 minutes a side over medium-high heat and set aside when done. If necessary add a little olive or vegetable oil for the browning.

Remove the pan from the heat but do not clean. When the pan has cooled place the now cooked bacon across the bottom of the pan. Cover the bacon with a layer of sauerkraut. The sauerkraut should cover the entire pan. I used a whole bottle. Season the sauerkraut with two teaspoons of mustard powder, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or more to taste) and then approximately 30 peppercorns evenly distributed throughout.

Place your browned chops evenly on top of the bed of sauerkraut.

Now cover the chops with the sauteed onion.

Pour 2 cups of chicken broth and one cup of a dry white wine into the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for one hour.

Serve the chops with the onion and bacon sauerkraut atop or on the side. The dish also goes well with either sour cream or Dijon mustard (or both) on the side. I like to have it with noodles as well.

This is a terrific meal, especially this time of year.

 Enjoy.

See also: Diner Style Breaded Pork Chops in Gravy

See also: Slow Cooker Beer and Sauerkraut Sausages

See also: Frenched Pork Rack Roast with Montreal Steak Spice.

Curried Clay Baker Lamb and Onion Stew

The dish we are making today is simplicity itself but produces a lamb stew that is exceptionally moist and flavourful where the seasonings are the star.

If you are new to clay baking check out this post on the basics of it from a previous blog: The simple art of Clay Baking. 

To begin you want to slice up four onions. After preparing and soaking your clay baker for 15 to 20 mins., place a layer of half of the onions on the bottom of it.

Season the onions liberally with curry powder and with salt and pepper to taste. Then season them with the following:

1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tandoori masala seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
a couple of dashes of cayenne pepper

Place 2-3 pounds of lamb cubes on top of this layer of onions and season in the exact same way as above.

Finally, top the lamb with the other half of the sliced onions and, again, season the onions in the exact same way a third time.

Top the clay baker and place it in a COLD oven (as always with clay bakers), turn the heat up to 400 degrees and cook for 2 hours.

When done serve the lamb topped with some of the onion with rice. The lamb will be melt-your-mouth tender.

Enjoy.

For more recipes and food articles visit our Food Page.

See also:  Clay Baked Lamb Shoulder Chops with Potato and Onion

See also: Ukrainian "Scalloped Beef" Revisited

Charcoal BBQ Hot Italian Sausages and Onions

Today we are going to look at a technique of making sausages with onions that does not require cutting, where the sausages come out very moist and with that great smokey BBQ flavour. It also avoids the need to separate your charcoal into the two sides of your BBQ or to cook the sausages around the edges or by finishing/starting them in the oven to avoid burning them.

First, select the type of sausages you wish to make. You can make any from Oktoberfest style, to Eastern European variations, etc. Here we used hot Italian sausages.


While you are getting your charcoal going slice up 3 or 4 onions. I like to use a combination of red and white. Place them evenly across an aluminium foil baking tray and season them with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper all to taste. If you have them you can add a few fresh basil leaves as well. You can also add sliced green peppers, mushrooms or even sauerkraut if you like.

When your charcoal is ready for grilling take your sausages and place them directly on the grill over the coals and sear them for 1-2 minutes a side or until nicely browned with some grill marks. Do NOT slice them like they do at hot dog carts as that simply dries them out as you cook them.

Take the browned sausages and place them in the tray on top of the bed of onions and any other veg.

 

Place your tray on the grill above the coals and cook the sausages for approximately 30 minutes or until done, turning once. You need to regulate the heat and flames with the BBQ lid. I generally do this by cooking 5 minutes lid off and then 10 minutes lid on unless the coals are unusually hot in which case I take the lid off for even less time.

When finished serve on buns topped with the onions if you like or simply on a plate with them with a side of rice or a salad. These go especially well with Dijon mustard.

It is an easy way to make sausages and caramelized onions with great charcoal BBQ flavour.

Enjoy.

See also: Charcoal BBQ Jerk Style Chicken

See also: Korean Style BBQ Beef Short Ribs with Grilled Eggplant