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.

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.

Spicy Slow Cooker Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Today we are going to take a look at making a spicy shrimp and sausage gumbo in the slow cooker that you serve over a bed of rice.

Before beginning, gumbo is traditionally made with spicy andouille sausage, but here we used spicy chorizo instead. I like the smoky flavour that chorizo infuses into the gumbo. If you prefer a less smokey taste, you can use the more traditional andouille.

Ingredients:

300-400 grams spicy chorizo, sliced
300-400 grams frozen cooked shrimp
1 large bell pepper minced (we used an orange pepper)
2 medium carrots minced
1 large onion minced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
1-3 teaspoons hot sauce (Tabasco is a traditional one)
5 cups vegetable broth (I like to use Vegeta seasoning as the broth in which case you use 4 tablespoons for 5 cups of water)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup whipping cream

First, slice your sausage into round, bite-sized pieces.

Then chop up your pepper, garlic, celery, onion and carrot until finely minced.

In a large saucepan heat some olive oil and saute the garlic and vegetables for around 4-5 minutes adding the thyme as you go.

Place the vegetables and the sausage in your slow cooker.

 
Add the hot sauce, vegetable broth and the two bay leaves and mix everything together.

Cover, set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6 hours. Then, turn the cooker up to high and add the frozen shrimp and the cream stirring it in slowly.

Put the lid back on and cook for a further 15 minutes until the shrimp is heated through.

Serve the gumbo over rice. It also goes nicely with cornbread. 

Enjoy.

See also: Fiery Caribbean style peel-and-eat shrimp

See also: Slow Cooked Curried Goat Stew

Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Southwestern Pulled Beef and Tacos

This recipe for southwestern style pulled beef for tacos is so good you will have a hard time going back to ground beef.

It uses salsa verde, seasonings and slow cooking to make beef that is incredibly flavourful and very moist. While it is delicious on rice or on a bun, it is perfect for tacos.

It also uses more inexpensive beef roasts like sirloin tip or eye-of-round.

Ingredients:

3-4 lb. sirloin tip, eye-of-round or other beef roast
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons red chili pepper flakes
2 teaspoons Tex-Mex or Taco seasoning
10-15 jalapeno slices
1 bottle salsa verde

To begin, take your roast out and season it liberally (or to taste) with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for around 30 minutes.

Heat some olive oil to medium high in a large saucepan and brown the roast on all sides.

Once the roast has been browned, place it in the bottom of your slow cooker.

Cover with all of the seasonings, the jalapeno slices and the bottle of salsa verde. You can use any salsa verde you wish (or make your own) at whatever spice level. I used Herdez Medium Salsa Verde.

Put on the slow cooker lid, set the cooker to low and cook for 7 hours.

After the 7 hours, remove the roast from the liquid and place on a large platter. Keep the liquid heating, on low, in the cooker.

Remove any string/netting and using two forks pull the roast apart into small, stringy pieces. This should be quite easy to do. When the roast has been pulled apart, add the meat back into the liquid. Taste and add salt and/or pepper as desired. Cover and continue to cook on low for another hour.

After an hour it is ready to serve.

Place in taco shells and top with your favourite toppings, such as cheese, tomato, sour cream, hot sauce etc. This size roast will serve several people.

Goes great with red wine or beer. A real crowd-pleaser.

Enjoy.

See also: Taco Soup

See also: Jerk Style Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw & Jalapenos

Easy Spinach Mushroom Beef Slow Cooker Lasagna

By Natalie 



Perfect for the season and really easy to make, today we are going to take a look at a way to cook "lasagna" in a slow cooker that uses ravioli in place of noodles. This dish is both very satisfying and full of the familiar lasagna flavours we all love so much.







Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 large bag (750-850 grams) frozen spinach & cheese ravioli
3 - 500 ml. can of crushed tomatoes
1 to 2 cups chopped brown mushrooms
1 medium onion
4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan saute the mushrooms and onions over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the beef to pan and brown. Once the beef is browned, stir in the tomatoes and seasonings and then add the sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Once everything has been stirred together, get out your slow cooker. This recipe works best with a 6 qt. or larger slow cooker.

Ladle a layer of the sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker. Then top with a layer of the frozen ravioli. You can use any cheese ravioli you like though I used spinach and cheese.

Cover the ravioli with a layer of mozzarella cheese.

Repeat these layers until you have used all the ravioli and then make the final layer a layer of the beef and mushroom sauce. Top this with the mozzarella and the Parmesan.

Put the slow cooker cover on and cook on low for 4 hours.

Simple and delicious fare. Serve with garlic bread and red wine.

See also: Clay Baked Lasagna

See also: Deep Dish Pizza Sandwich

Spinach Feta Lamb Meatloaf

Today we are going to take a look at a meatloaf that will change the minds of even the biggest meatloaf haters!

Made with lamb instead of the usual beef, this meatloaf is full of rich flavours and due to the lamb and the slow cooking is also very moist.

And it has spinach and feta cheese -- what more could you ask for!


First you want to thoroughly mix all of the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl:


2 lb. ground lamb
3 eggs, already beaten
around 150-200 grams of crumbled feta cheese
2 teaspoons of oregano
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
2 teaspoons of black pepper
3-4 dashes of Tabasco sauce (or a similar hot sauce)
a couple handfuls of fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped or ripped apart

Meanwhile, spray your slow cooker with a cooking spray. I like using the President's Choice canola oil spray.

Take the lamb mixture, fit it into the bottom of your cooker, and shape it into a loaf leaving a very little space between the loaf and the cooker sides.

Put the lid on and cook on low for 8 hours.

When done, there will be some liquid around the loaf.

Remove the loaf carefully, plate and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Discard any liquid in the cooker.

Slice as you would any meatloaf and serve with a Greek salad, a Taverna salad and some red wine.

Enjoy!

See also: Pesto Encrusted Boneless Leg of Lamb

See also: Slow Cooker Sausage Lasagna

Dark Ale Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder with Sauerkraut

You can make a lot of great dishes with beer and sauerkraut!

Previously we took a look at a slow cooker sausage dish that used these two fine ingredients, and today we are going to look at a way to slow cook pork shoulder with them both that is delicious and simplicity itself.

It has the added bonus that pork shoulder is generally quite inexpensive and can be used to feed a large number of people on a small budget!

First, you want to line the bottom of your slow cooker with a jar of your favourite sauerkraut Once you have spread it out evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over it and place 4-5 whole cloves in the sauerkraut spread out as evenly as possible.

Then pour one full can (433-500 ml.) of a dark ale or beer into the sauerkraut. I used a can of Dab Dark Beer. Finally add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.

Place a 3-5 pound pork shoulder on top of the sauerkraut mixture. One side of a shoulder roast will generally have a fat layer and you want to place the roast fat side up. Do not remove the fat layer!

Season the top of the roast liberally evenly with black pepper and paprika. Then as well with 1 tablespoon mustard powder, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of Vegeta seasoning (if you have it...otherwise just leave out) and sea salt to taste.

Cover your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

When done remove the roast to a platter, let sit for 10 minutes and slice to taste (I like pieces not too thick). Ladle some of the juices from the slow cooker over the roast and then serve with the sauerkraut (removing the cloves).

The pork and sauerkraut are really flavourful and go especially well with a side of egg noodles tossed with salt, better and some parsley, or with mashed potatoes.

Enjoy.

See also: Slow Cooker Beer and Sauerkraut Sausages

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

12-Hour Slow Cooked Caribbean-Style Oxtail

I love oxtail, a truly succulent and delicious meat when properly prepared, though this generally requires long cooking times.

Today I am going to take a look at preparing oxtail in the slow cooker and doing it Caribbean style.

While oxtail is a popular ingredient in many cuisines and is used in a wide variety of stews and soups, I love West Indian oxtail dishes and they are one of my favourite things to eat out.

When making oxtail at home I do it in both the Dutch Oven and in my clay baker, but the meat also lends itself very nicely to being cooked over many hours in a slow cooker.

The first step is to take around 2-4 lbs of oxtail (depending on how much you want to make and how big your slow cooker is) and dust the pieces with some flour. Put into the bottom of the slow cooker and then season them liberally with curry powder (use West Indian style curry powder if available) and black pepper. Season them as well with salt to taste.

Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of mustard powder over the oxtail and add 4-8 cloves of minced garlic as well as around 2-4 tablespoons of minced ginger. If you have it I also like to sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of Vegeta seasoning over the oxtail. Stir up the oxtail pieces to mix all of this together and distribute it.

For the oxtail you can add 1-2 Scotch Bonnet peppers. You do this by slicing the peppers down the middle so that they are intact but have an opening in them to the seeds. They then cook with the oxtail. Alternately you can add a few teaspoons to taste of your favorite West Indian style hot sauce.

I added 2 teaspoons of El Yucateco's fiery Caribbean Hot Sauce.

The addition of the peppers or hot sauce adds not just some heat but a lot of flavour and the dish is not the same with out it!

Pour into the slow cooker enough beef broth so that it almost covers the oxtail pieces all the way. Add also 2-3 bay leaves, 1-2 tablespoons of soya sauce and 1-2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce.

Cover the slow cooker (of course) and cook on low for 10-12 hours. If at all possible cook the full 12 hours!

Stir up a bit gently and remove the bay leaves before serving and serve with rice, rice and peas, naan or roti on the side, extra hut sauce and red wine or ice cold beer. Be sure to spoon lots of the rich juices that are produced when you cook this over your rice.

The oxtail will be incredibly moist and truly delicious. It will fall right off the bone. And, as an added bonus, your house or apartment will smell fantastic for hours!

Enjoy.

See also: Pepper Goat Soup

See also: Caribbean Style Goat with Potatoes in a Dutch Oven

Slow Cooker Beer and Sauerkraut Sausages

Today we are going to take a look at doing a slow cooker sausage dish that works perfectly for a party or a big sport's game. It also produces some of the most delicious sauerkraut that you will ever taste!




To start, you want to line the bottom of your slow cooker with a bed of sauerkraut. Season this generously with black pepper and then add to it 3-4 cloves of minced garlic or 2 teaspoons of minced garlic in oil, spreading the garlic around evenly.

Pour half a large bottle (500 ml.) of a European style lager  or pilsner into the sauerkraut. I used the terrific Polish beer Tyskie.

Then place 8-10 fresh or frozen sausages (or more if you have a large or party sized slow cooker) on top of the sauerkraut/beer mix to make a single layer.

You can use any type of large sausage, but my favourites are hot Italian style or Oktoberfest style German sausages. I often use half of each.

Once you have added the sausages top them again with another layer of sauerkraut, seasoned exactly the same as the first, and then pour over this the remaining half of the large bottle of beer.

Set your slow cooker to low and cook for 4 1/2 - 5 hours for fresh sausages and six hours for frozen.

This dish can be served either as sausages topped with the now seasoned and beer infused sauerkraut (it is really tasty) with various sides or, of course, on a bun with your favourite toppings.

Perfect with another cold Tyskie or two!

Enjoy.

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

See also: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches in a Carolina Vinegar Sauce

Slow Cooker Seasoned Whole Chicken

Today we are going to take a look at how to prepare an entire chicken in your slow cooker.

Doing a whole chicken in the slow cooker has one disadvantage in that it is not really possible to get the crispy skin one can get with roasting.

It has, however, a number of advantages. It is very easy, will produce a chicken that has universally moist meat and also creates a very flavorful chicken broth at the bottom of the slow cooker.

The first step is to slice up some carrots into large pieces and use them to line the bottom of your slow cooker. You can also use celery or potatoes (or a combination of any of these). The point is not just to get the vegetable flavour but also to get some separation between the chicken and the bottom of the cooker.

Put your chicken on a platter and season. There are any number of ways you can season a chicken for the slow cooker. A little salt and pepper and a healthy coating of paprika is a classic blend. Various chicken seasoning blends work well as does something like a dry jerk or Greek seasoning.

For this one I seasoned liberally with salt and pepper and then I spread two heaping teaspoons of minced garlic in oil over the surface of the chicken. Finally I gave the chicken a nice coating of Herbs-de-Provence.

Place the seasoned chicken atop the carrots. Cut a medium sized onion in half and put inside the cavity of the chicken.

Set the slow cooker to low and let cook for 6 1/2 to 8 hours depending on the size of the chicken.

When done let sit for 10 minutes and then serve carved with the carrots (which will be delicious), or other vegetables if you used them, and some of the onion. Goes well with noodles or rice and, of course, white wine.

Drizzle some broth from the bottom over the chicken or sides. The broth can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days and used in other dishes if desired.

A nice, easy way to make chicken. And, as an added bonus, the hours of slow cooking time will make your house or apartment smell fantastic!

Enjoy.

See also: Clay Baked Chicken: Clay baking a whole chicken..."Roman" style

See also: Chicken with prosciutto and olives

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches in a Carolina Vinegar Sauce

We have looked in the past at making pulled pork in a Dutch oven, but today we are going to take a look at making it in a slow cooker and then serving it in a home made basic Carolina style vinegar BBQ sauce.

You need to get a 4-6 lb. pork shoulder. The great thing about pork shoulder is that it is inexpensive, delicious if properly prepared and can feed a lot of people at a party or family event (or feed the family with lots of leftovers!) Bone-in is fine. Do not remove any fat layer. This helps to make the meat moist and is discarded later.

For this recipe you need to season the shoulder on both sides with salt and pepper to taste and then liberally with a Tex-Mex style seasoning blend. If you have the seasoning blend Vegeta sprinkle one teaspoon of it on both sides and then place the shoulder in the slow cooker in 1 cup of cold water.

I love the rich flavour Vegeta adds to dishes like this, but if you do not have Vegeta then place the seasoned roast into a cup of vegetable or chicken stock/broth.

Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8-9 hours.

Meanwhile, on the stove we will make our Carolina vinegar sauce. For this you will want to blend together in a pot 1 cup of white vinegar, 1 cup of cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of Tabasco or a Louisiana style hot sauce, 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon of mustard powder.

Bring this blend to a boil, and then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Once at room temperature put in a covered jar or bowl in the fridge for the hours that the pork cooks.

After 8-9 hours of cooking on low, remove the pork shoulder. Discard any liquid put keep the slow cooker on on low. Using two forks pull the pork apart on a large plate and shred it. It will fall apart easily.  Discard any bone and the fat layer if there was one.

Pour the vinegar sauce into the slow cooker, put the now pulled pork back in as well, blend it all together and heat on low for an hour. You can use any BBQ sauce, of course, homemade or store bought, but this vinegar sauce is really great, tart and fiery hot and is meant for pulled pork. Give it a try!

I like to serve this on hamburger buns topped with a creamy coleslaw. It also goes well on its own with rice and slaw or even as a taco filling.

Enjoy!

See also: Jerk Style Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw & Jalapenos