Beef and Barley Stew - Slow cooker

I have always preferred spring/summer to winter when it comes to vegetables.  But one thing I do love is a good Beef and Barley stew.  It's been a long time since I made one, but I just had a taste for it, so here is the recipe.

 

Beef Barley Stew for slow cooker (can be done on stove)

3 lb Chuck roast, fat trimmed and cut into ½ in pieces

2 Tbsp Olive oil

1 large onion

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 ½ cups red wine (may use broth)

2 sweet peppers, large dice (I used 1 red and 1 orange)

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

6 small stalks celery and leaves, cut into 1 inch pieces

8 cups beef broth

1 tsp dried thyme (use 1 Tbsp if fresh)

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup barley

 

1.      Trim chuck roast of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium high heat and sear beef, in batches as necessary.  Place beef into base of slow cooker.

2.      Dice onions and and mushrooms (large pieces).  Heat rest of oil over medium heat in same skillet.  Add onions, cook until the onions start to look translucent.  Add mushrooms and cook another 5-8 minutes until liquid from mushrooms begins to evaporate.  Add garlic and cook for about a minute longer.  Pour vegetable mixture over beef.

3.      Turn off heat to skillet and pour wine into skillet to de-glaze pan (get all those good dark bits!).  Pour wine into slow cooker.

4.      Prepare peppers, carrots, and celery by cutting to large dice (bite-sized pieces).  Add to slow cooker.  Pour broth over all and add seasonings.  Mix well, then cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

5.      At end of cooking time, change to either SAUTE or HIGH to bring broth to a boil.  Add barley, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Barley will continue to thicken the stew as time goes on.  Adjust seasonings and serve!

Note: I really prefer using my slow cookers for stews and soups.  However, this could be done in a Dutch oven by simmering for about 45 minutes to an hour after everything is added (except barley.  Test the vegetables and once they are cooked to taste, raise heat to bring back to boil and add barley.  

 

 

Slow-cooked Shredded Beef

This summer, I decided to get a meat CSA instead of produce. It turns out that even though I need a high protein diet because of the gastric surgery, I hate shopping for meat. And I look back and realize I always have. I don't mind cooking, I just hate shopping. This was taken care of in Cleveland with Fresh Fork Market CSA. We got everything in our shares! Meat, dairy, veggies, fruit...even things like quiche, pasta and roasted tomatoes and peppers.

My first delivery contained several roasts: two beautiful pork shoulders and two beef chuck roasts. I thawed one of the chuck roasts and was looking for barbacoa beef recipes for the slow-cooker. I can't make real barbacoa because for some reason, I haven't found a brand of canned Chipotle peppers that I can stomach. Not sure where restaurants get them because I am fine with those. I did, however find a recipe that looked interesting, so decided to give that a try.  I should mention that I think most people do not use enough cumin in their recipes, so there are some adjustments to the seasonings.

Shredded Mexican Beef
Adapted from: www.fromvalerieskitchen.com/2011/10/shredded-mexican-beef-and-a-marriage-proposal/

3 lb boneless chuck roast*
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chile peppers
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp fresh spicy oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Trim any excess fat from the edges of the roast. Place the roast on a sheet of heavy-duty foil large enough to enclose the meat. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper. Mix well. Season roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Then rub with pepper mixture. Enclose meat in foil so it is sealed on all sides.

Place wrapped roast into slow-cooker. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Remove foil and she'd meat into cooking sauce. Serve with tortillas for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc.

*CSA ingredients

Tomatoes & Beef

I love productive days.  Today it was productive because I managed to get caught up on most of my school work.  But I also got a bunch of cooking and baking done.

So, lets start with the cooking.  I am from a Sicilian/Irish family (with some other UK islands mixed in there).  Because of that, Italian was a staple in our house.  But since my gastric surgery, I don't really eat pasta, so Italian is rather non-existent.  I did, however, have a couple pounds of ground beef to use up and really had a taste for my mom's meat sauce, so I recreated it in my new crockpot.

Meaty Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 8 oz sliced button mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp mince garlic
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, broken up
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until just translucent.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking until moisture is evaporated.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.  Pour into crockpot.

Return pan to heat and saute beef, breaking up as cooking, until no longer pink.  Add this to the crock pot.  Add the tomatoes, seasonings and cheese.  Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on LOW.

Low-carb Spaghetti & Meatballs

Tonight's dinner has been in a long line of "healthified" comfort foods.  I have been sick for about 4 weeks with first a cold (which had almost gotten better) and now a sinus infection.  This latest started with a fever a week ago and I have been craving comfort foods all week.  Today, with a nod to HelloFresh!, I made a low-carb version of spaghetti and meatballs.  Since they had $30 off a box, I ordered my first HelloFresh! box this week and it contained ingredients and recipes for Basil Meatballs over Spaghetti Squash, Cashew Chicken with Snow Peas and Carrots, and Baked Shrimp and Linguine.  These recipes are supposed to be for 2, but as you know, I have had gastric surgery, so I have frozen the shrimp and chicken and chosen to do the meatballs because they sound good and because they have the most perishable ingredients.  It wasn't bad, if a little complicated.  However, I now remember the reason I don't pan-fry things like bacon and meatballs in this house.  There are 4 fire alarms in a very close vicinity to the kitchen (this is a small house) and every time I do, all 4 get set off.  Then it's a battle to get them to stop.  I end up losing my hearing for short periods of time (if you can imagine having four fire alarms going off within 100 ft of each other!).  But the meatballs were worth it!  If I do this again, I will roast them in the oven to avoid a repeat.

Basil Meatballs over Spaghetti Squash
Courtesy of: HelloFresh!

• 12 oz Ground Beef
• 1 (15oz) can Crushed Tomatoes
• 4 cloves Garlic (this may be a bit much)
• 1/2 oz fresh Basil
• 1 small Spaghetti Squash
• 5 oz Spinach (I would use baby spinach next time)
• 1/4 cup Panko Crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Shallot
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 T Olive Oil*

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Halve the squash lengthwise to remove the seeds with a spoon.  Smash two garlic cloves.  Rub the inside of each squash with 2 tsp olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Place the squash halves on a baking sheet cut side down with a clove of (smashed) garlic in the center of each squash to roast.  Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the squash is easily pierced with a knife or fork.

2. While the squash is roasting, chop the remaining cloves of garlic.  Stack the basil leaves and tightly roll into a cigar shape.  Then, thinly slice.  Chop the shallot.

3. In a bowl, combine the chopped garlic, basil, panko, and ground beef.  Season with a large pinch of salt & pepper.  Once combined, roll the meat into ping pong-sized balls.

4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  Sear the meatballs for 2-3 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Turn the heat down to medium low.  Add the shallot, Italian seasoning, and crushed tomatoes and simmer for 6 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

5. Once the squash is done, set aside until it is cool enough to handle.  Take the roasted garlic and finely chop it.  In a pan heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and spinach and cook until just wilted.  Season with salt and pepper.

6.  When the Squash is cool enough to handle, scrape the squash with a fork to release the strands.

7. Finish: Place the sauteed spinach and the meatballs on top of the squash.  Finish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

*Not included in HelloFresh box

Spaghetti Squash Pie

I received a large spaghetti squash from the CSA a couple weeks ago and have been trying to decide what to make with it.  Well, looking through my refrigerator, I realized that I had everything to make spaghetti pie, a favorite from our childhood.  But since I don't eat pasta anymore (it fills me up too fast), I figured I would try substituting the spaghetti squash for the spaghetti.  Since this was a large squash, it will yield about twice as much squash as I need for a regular sized pie, so I am doubling everything and making it in a 13" X 9" pan.  Since I have roasted vegetables left over, I put them in the sauce along with some cooked ground round. 

Spaghetti Squash Pie

• 1 large spaghetti squash*
• 3 farm-fresh eggs*, beaten
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup roasted vegetables* (http://csafoodie.blogspot.com/2014/09/roasted-veggies.html)
• 1 1/2 cup roasted heirloom tomato sauce** (http://csafoodie.blogspot.com/2014/08/pork-heirloom-tomatoes-and-apples.html)
• 4 oz cooked ground round
• 16 oz large curd 1% cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheeses (I used fontina)

Roast spaghetti squash: Preheat oven to 375F.  Poke several holes into spaghetti squash with a sharp knife.  Roast for 1 hour.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.  Cut squash in half.  Scoop out seeds and membranes.  Then pull strands of squash with a fork.  Place in a large bowl.  Reduce oven heat to 350F.

Prepare crust: Mix  squash, butter, eggs and parmesan until well blended.  Pour into a prepared 13" X 9" pan. 

Assemble pie: Spread cottage cheese over crust.  Mix the tomato sauce, roasted vegetables and ground round.  Spread mixture over cottage cheese, leaving 1/2" edge all around.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until crust is set.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake another 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

*CSA Ingredients
**Farmers Market Ingredients

Stuffed Poblanos

I have spent several days trying to figure out what to stuff my poblano peppers with this week.  This experience is brand new all around for me this week.  I have never roasted whole peppers before and thus, have never stuffed them before.  I went back and forth on the method of roasting.  I knew that fire was out because I have an electric range.  When I asked for tips on using the broiler, it was suggested to me that I should use an iron skillet and I considered it for about 20 minutes.  Then I remembered that I have 4 very loud and sensitive fire alarms in this house and decided against it.  Once they start going off, it takes me about a half hour to get them all turned off again.  So, not my idea of fun this time.  That left me back with using the broiler.  I researched it and saw an equal number of recipes which used oil to those which did not.  So, I decided to try it without.

Then there was the task of deciding what to fill them with.  Yes, I know, chiles rellenos traditionally are filled simply with monterey jack cheese.  However, I had such a supply of meat in my refrigerator, I decided I should choose from one of them.  The choices were chicken taco meat with corn and black beans, pulled pork or ground beef.  I really needed to use the ground beef (or at least cook it up), so I did that while I continued to decide what to fill the peppers with.  Then I figured, what the heck, let's take that meat, add corn and Rotel and fill the peppers with that.  So, here is what I did:

Beef and Corn Stuffed Poblanos

• 5 poblano peppers*
• 1 lb ground round
• 1 1/2 cups fresh sweet corn*
• 1 (10.5 oz) can Rotel tomatoes with peppers
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chile pepper
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup sharp cheddar, divided
• 1 cup Monterey jack, divided
• 1 1/2 cups homemade heirloom tomato sauce

Turn on broiler.  Wash and dry the poblano peppers.  Place peppers onto a foil-lined baking sheet and place about 6" from broiler.  Broil about 5 minutes per side (three sides), turning each 5 minutes, until the skin is blackened and bubbly.  Place cooked peppers into a Ziploc bag and seal; let stand for 15 minutes.  Open bag and let peppers cool until you can handle them.  Once cooled, pinch the skin and pull, the skin should easily pull away from the flesh.  Set peppers aside.

Meanwhile, cook beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no pink remains.  Add the corn, tomatoes, cumin and chile pepper and cook for an additional 15 minutes.  Turn off heat and cool for 30 minutes.  If peppers are ready, add bread crumbs and half of the cheeses; mix well.

To assemble, hold one pepper in your hand and stuff with the meat mixture.  Make sure you push down into tip of pepper and stuff as full as you can.  Place the peppers in crock of your slow-cooker.  There will be filling remaining.  Mix heirloom tomato sauce into the remaining filling and then spoon over the stuffed peppers.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.  Then turn heat to HIGH, sprinkle with remaining cheese, cover and cook until cheese is melted.

Picture of finished recipe is coming!
*CSA ingredients

Braised Short Ribs

Yesterday a friend posted a recipe for soy-braised short ribs with mushrooms.  It sounded really good and I asked for the recipe.  Well, I have filed that recipe because it still looks really good to me, but today, I decided that I wanted to make a ragu with the ribs and got the idea that using marinara and red wine might produce a great ragu.  I am going to give my CSA, Middleton Farms, credit for the ribs even though I don't get a meat share, because I bought the ribs from them at the farmers market.  I used a Classico 4-cheese marinara, but next time, I probably will make my own as we will be getting tomatoes very soon in our Harvest Share.

Braised Short-Rib Ragu

• 2.5 lbs beef short ribs*
• salt & pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 jar (or 4 cups) marinara sauce
• 8 cloves garlic*, crushed
• 2 cups red wine (I used Ruffino Il Leo Chianti)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Brown the short ribs in batches (about 5 minutes per batch)

Add the garlic cloves, Donatella’s Marinara Sauce, and the red wine (enough so the meat is just covered).

Bring to a simmer on the stove-top then braise in the preheated oven until the meat is very tender, about 2 ½ – 3 hours.  Pull meat from bones and shred.

Serve over rice, pasta, spaghetti squash or zucchini "noodles".

*CSA ingredients

Nutrition (1/2 cup serving)
Calories, 221
Fat 13g
Carbs 8g
Protein 13g

Beef, White Bean, Quinoa Stew

After a couple weeks in India, I had a taste for beef.  I had bought a pound of stew beef from Jack's before leaving for India and put it in my freezer.  I wasn't quite in the mood for traditional stew, so I looked around for other ideas.  I ran across a recipe for Beef and White Bean Stew but decided that I needed some additional protein and carbs in the recipe, so I added some quinoa.  It turned out to be a very nice, comforting stew.

Beef, White Bean and Quinoa Stew

• 1 lb Stew Beef
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 28-oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 15-oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups sweet corn
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup dried quinoa (I used a mix of red and white)
• 2 cups water

Place all ingredients, except quinoa and water into bowl of slow cooker.  Cook, covered, for 4 hours on HIGH.  While the stew is cooking, boil water.  Add quinoa, stir and then cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed.  Season slightly with salt (but remember that you have seasoned the stew as well).  Stir quinoa into stew and cook for 15-20 minutes for flavors to combine.

Stewing Time

I don't think I could tell you the last time I made a beef stew.  It has to have been over a year now.  So, my goal this week was to put together a beef stew in the crockpot.  Stew is such a great dish for using the vegetables that we get in the fall.  Especially root vegetables like carrots and turnips.  I found out today that we are getting rutabaga this week, so I guess I should have tried to put this off another couple days, but I didn't know that last night.  So, instead of adding rutabaga to this stew, I just used up the turnips that I had in my last bag.  I decided on this recipe because it sounded different and interesting.  And I will tell you that my apartment smelled wonderful this morning when I woke up (yes, I do choose recipes for the crockpot that I think will smell good).

Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Root Vegetables
Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/slow-cooker-beef-with-root-vegetables-recipe/index.html?nl=EATS_110409_12

• 1 onion*, chopped
• 4 small Yukon gold potatoes*, quartered
• 2 carrots*, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium turnips*, peeled and chopped
• 2-pounds chuck roast. cut in 1-inch pieces
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 jar Clark Pope's Tomato Sauce* (16-oz)
• 1 jar Clark Pope's Roasted Cherry Tomatoes*
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Arrange onion, potatoes, carrots, and turnips in bottom of slow cooker. Season beef all over with salt and black pepper. Rub flour all over beef. Place beef on top of vegetables in slow cooker.

Whisk together tomato sauce,roasted tomatoes, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, mustard powder, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over beef. Cover and cook on LOW for 12 hours or on HIGH for 8 hours.

*CSA ingredients

English Cut Beef Short Ribs

I have to say that we are definitely getting spoiled with all the beautiful cuts of meat we get through our CSA shares.  For two weeks running, I purchased beef short ribs and they were beautiful and lean.  So, when I traveled to Troy today, I brought them with me.  When I got here, I threw them in John's crockpot using my favorite Southwest Short Ribs recipe:

Slow-cooked Southwest Short Ribs

• 3 lbs English-cut Beef Short Ribs*
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes w/ chiles
• 1 15-oz jar medium salsa (you may use mild or hot to taste as well)
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 jar water

Place ribs into crock of Slow-cooker.  In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Pour mixture over ribs.  Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.  Makes 6 servings (2 bones each).  Sauce may be served over rice, quinoa or orzo. 

*CSA ingredients

I serve this with Seeds of Change Quinoa with Brown rice.  It is available at Costco and is ready in 90 seconds (microwave).  Each packet serves 2.