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Pamz Rocking the Pot: Slow Cooker Apple Cider Beef Stew

I have mentioned this before, but I can't help but love southern cuisine I acquired when I lived in Atlanta.  The Southeners seem to excel in comfort food, often producing wonderful meals with unexpected flavours.   Our regular routine at home is to do "fridge maintenance" to ensure no perishable food goes untouched.  When I saw that I still had half a bottle of apple cider (left from my Christmas stuffing and gravy recipes) which was going to expire in another week, and some stew beef in the freezer, I was thrilled to come across some recipes online for apple cider beef stew.

The Slow Cooker: 

I hadn't pulled out the slow cooker in a while so decided to put together a stew for our Saturday night meal.  I haven't used my slow cooker in some time as I am usually around the house during the day and  prefer my dutch oven and the results that lots of simmer time on the stove or in the oven produce.  Slow cooker meals can turn out to  flavourless or have  too much liquid,  and while I have a few tried and true recipes, just not a fan of the slow cooker for the sake of using a slow cooker. The upside of slow cooker cooking is that you end up with one pot to clean at the end of the day, don't need to touch it all day long, and fill the house with tantalizng smells. 

Rocking the Pot Tip #1: Brown the Meat!  The most successful recipes I have tried over the years started with browning the meat first in a frying pan before putting into the crock pot.  You add a little liquid and flour with spices which help  produce a rich gravy.  I often see recipes where you just toss the meat in and thicken at the end...not quite the same richness in flavour.   Take the extra step.

Rocking the Pot Tip #2: Use what you have:  I started with the premise of finding a use for apple cider.  You can also make a sweet soup with butternut squash.  Be creative in your choice of vegetables, but think of root vegetables to take a while to cook.  We love parsnips so always have them on hand. I chop my potatoes in larger chunks since they tend to break down over the long cooking period.

Pamz Slow Cooker Apple Cider Beef Stew

Ingredients

2 lbs. stew beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 tbsp. flour

2 onions cut into small cubes

3 cups fresh apple cider (not juice)

2 cups beef stock

2 carrots cut into 1/2" cubes

3 potatoes (southerners don't peel their potatoes!) cut into quarters

3 sprigs fresh thyme

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Method

1. Brown your meat in a large frying pan for 10 minutes, rotating so you get a good crust. 
2. Add onions and cook a few minutes to soften.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and let cook for a minute.
4. Pour a 1/2 cup of  cider into the pan to  and cook for another minute to make a paste.  Add more cider to help deglaze and scrap all the bits off the bottom of the pan. 
5. Empty the contents into your crock pot.  If you wanted a head start you can do the first four steps the night before and chop all the vegetables.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients.  If you want a sweeter stew you can omit the beef stock, but I loved the deeper beef flavour.
7. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Pamz Special Occasion Seafood Pasta

I love to cook, and do enjoy the challenge of a complicated recipe, but I am always on the lookout for simple, yet fabulous dishes which combines wow with ease.  We had a busy month of travelling over the holidays so when we returned back home neither Big D or myself had any interest in any more socializing, and wanted New Year's to ourselves in our own home. 

I was looking for a healthy, light and memorable dish to send 2011 on its way (good riddance) and came across this lovely recipe from the  Food Network to add to my repoirtoire.  I made a few adjustments to suit what we had on hand and keep costs under control.  I used frozen seafood since we don't live on the coast and my husband is not a fan of scallops so I only used half.  This meal serves 4, but it worked well for us as  one great meal and a wonderful warm up leftover meal.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil (I happened to have chili infused olive oil)

2 large shallots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

red pepper flakes

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 (28-ounce can) diced tomatoes

1 -2 pounds thawed frozen seafood* ( I used 1 pound large shrimp and 1/2 pound scallops, but you choose the seafood--i.e. calamari, lobster meat--you like best which cooks quickly)

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 pound linguini; if you are a purist (Italian) use white; to keep healthy, use whole wheat pasta

Grated Parmesan, for serving

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. 
2. Thaw the seafood and remove tails if you can't find large shrimp with tails off...a small chore, but not fond of having to take the tails off at the dinner table.
3. Add the olive oil to a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until tender and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Stir in the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
6. Add the white wine and the diced tomatoes.
7. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp and scallops, cover, and gently simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Drain the pasta and add directly to the skillet and toss with the pasta and seafood. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4.

*read package directions for thawing, but generally you can thaw in the fridge for a few hours, or place in a colander and run cool water for a few minutes.  Remember you are looking for seafood that has been cooked but not in any other sauces.

 

 

 

A Southern New Year's Day Tradition: Hoppin John (Rice and Beans)

I was forunate to get a corporate transfer to live in Atlanta for a couple of years and thoroughly enjoyed the deep traditions associated with food.  It is no wonder tha Paula Dean is such a popular celebrity chef since Southern hospitality is as wonderful as the food.  With a little bit of work you can strip out alot of fat and sugar from many of these rich dishes, but luckily some are just plain good on their own and the ingredients are pretty cheap to come by.

One tradition I wanted to honor today was  Hoppin' John, which is essentially is a take on rice and beans, high in protein and fiber.  In the south it is served on New Year's Day since it is thought to bring luck and prosperity, and who wouldn't want more of that.   The main ingredient is black eyed peas,   symbolic of pennies or coins.  I understand that in some households, a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls.  If you add collard greens, turnip greens, kale or green cabbage, that adds to the wealth (green being the color of money, although in Canada our paper currency runs all sorts of colors).  In some areas you can also serve cornbread to also represent weath, as the color of gold.

Have left overs?  When you serve Hoppin John, the next day it is called, "Skippin' Jenny, and since you are stretching the meal to another day, you shall be rewarded by your frugality with even better chances for prosperity in the New Year. 

There are tons of recipes out there, this one was inspired by The Pioneer Woman Cooks, who lives in the country and not down south, but I am a country gal myself so I am a fan.

As I mentioned the ingredients are pretty inexpensive to come by and I pulled out a few ingredients from my freezer, including a ham bone from a cooked ham I had served around Thanksgiving which I was saving for soup. In the spirit of frugal cooking, you can use whatever you have on hand.  You can substitute chopped ham for the ham bone, canned peas for the dried or fresh black eyed peas.

Dried beans do take a while to soften up and I like to let the pot simmer on the stove and fill the house with wonderful smells, so if you aren't in a hurray, let nature do its work.  The flavours taste even better the next day.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 whole Large Onion, chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 cups of diced peppers (green, yellow, red, whatever you like)
• 2 stalks Celery, Diced
• 4 cups Soaked Black-eyed Peas (or 2 cans of black eyed peas which will shorten your cooking time)
• 1 box of  Chicken Broth (use low sodium if you can find it): about 5 cups
• 1  large can diced tomatoes
• 2 red jalapenos, finely chopped
• 1 whole Ham Hock
• 1 cup of cubed ham (if your family members aren't veggie-saurs)
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• 2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
• White Or Brown Rice, For Serving

Method

1. If you use dried black eyed peas, you will need to soak them overnight or at least 6 hours in cool water.  Rinse before using.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, peppers, and celery and stir. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Stir in soaked beans, then add chicken broth, ham hock, salt & pepper, and cayenne to taste.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover the pot for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, check the liquid level; if it's too soupy, cook with the lid off for another 15 minutes or so. If it's too thick, splash in a little more broth. Leave the pot on the stove for hours if you like...the flavours will just keep blending in.
6. Stir in vinegar, then taste for seasonings. Add more spice if needed.
7. Serve over white or brown rice, making sure to get plenty of the cooking liquid spooned over the top. Or, you may mix the bean mixture with the rice before serving.