Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon is a delicious French Stew.  Succulent and tender bites of beef that have been cooked in a red wine sauce for 8 hours.  The aroma as it cooks is intoxicating.

I first got introduced to Beef Bourguignon by Julia Child.  I fell in love with the first bite.  This recipe is cooked in a slow cooker and the results are just as delicious as if it were cooked in a Dutch Oven.

Slow Cooker Beef  Bourguignon
From epicurious
INGREDIENTS

6 strips bacon cut in 1/2" pieces
3 lbs beef rump or chuck cut in 1 1/2" cubes
1 large carrot peeled and cubed
1 medium onion cubed
3 T flour
10 oz can condensed beef broth
1 T tomato paste
2 cloves garlic minced
1 t whole thyme
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 lb white pearl onions peeled
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 T butter
1 1/2 t salt
1/8 t black pepper
1/2 cup red wine, preferably Burgundy or Cote du Rhone

PREPARATION

Cook bacon in large skillet until crips. Remove and drain. Add beef cubes and brown well. Placed browned beef cubes in Crock-Pot. Brown carrot and onion. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir in flour. Add broth, mix well, and add to Crock-Pot. Add cooked bacon, thyme, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, and pearl onions. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Saute mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter and add to crock pot with wine about an hour before serving. To thicken gravy: Turn Crock-Pot to high. Cream 1/4 cup flour and 2 tablespoons butter. Roll into pea size balls and drop into Crock-Pot. Bring to boil and let thicken.

Serves 8

Fish Stew

The other night for dinner, I made a wonderful Fish Stew.  After having it for dinner, I wondered why I never made this dish more  often.  It was easy to make and tasted wonderful.   The broth was very tasty and it had just the right amount of halibut, clams, mussels, and shrimp.  The recipe was from Bobby Flay and I modified it ever so slightly.  I used crushed tomatoes instead of diced - the family doesn't like chunks  of tomatoes,  I reduced the number of clams and added some mussels to the dish, and finally instead of chicken broth, I used vegetable broth and instead of snapper I used halibut.

As I mentioned earlier, this dish was delicious and enjoyed by the family.  I also served a nice French Baguette  so we could get all of the delicious broth.

Fish Stew
From Bobby Flay in Food and Wine Adapted Slightly by From My Southwest Kitchen
INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup bottled clam juice
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 dozen little neck clams, scrubbed
1 dozen fresh mussels, debeard
3/4 pound skinless halibut, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
French Baguette

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, clam juice, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf and hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.



2. Add the clams and mussels, cover and cook just until most of them open, about 5 minutes. Add the halibut  and shrimp, cover and simmer until they are cooked through and the remaining clams and mussels have opened, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the seafood to 4 bowls. Add the butter and parsley and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute, swirling the pan. Spoon the broth over the seafood and serve with the French Baguette.

Makes 4 servings

Chicken Chile Verde

Chile Verde is on of my favorite stews to prepare.  I use either chicken or pork depending on what I have on hand.  I love the flavor of the sauce the meat and potatoes are cooked in.  It isn't too hot but very flavorful with  just a touch of tang.

You can make this stew ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge.  The flavor just gets better with age.  When you are ready to serve it, just heat it up.  This is what I do when I make this sauce for a family get together or for Christmas Eve dinner.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family and I do.
                                               

Chicken Chile Verde

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 1/2- inch cubes
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
1 large onion coarsely chopped
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and cut into quarters
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
3 cups (or more) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves - one large bunch
1 bunch of green onions, coarsely chopped (all of the white and 2 inches of the green)
3/4  cup diced roasted green chilies (be sure to peel and seed) if not using canned
2 1/2  teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Flour tortillas
Directions:

1. Brush the bottom of a  large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Sprinkle the chicken cubes with salt and pepper.  Brown the chicken in batches.  Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.  Add more oil to the skillet if needed.
2. Place the onion in the skillet and saute until soft .
3. Add the  tomatillos and garlic to the skillet.  Sprinkle the cumin seeds over the mixture.  Cook until the tomatillos are tender and browned in spots stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat if tomatillos are browning too quickly.
4.  Remove the tomatillos from the heat.  Cool slightly.
5.  Puree the tomatillo mixture in a blender in batches adding chicken broth as needed.  Transfer puree tomatillo mixture to a Dutch Oven.
6. Puree the cilantro leaves, green onions, and green chili - again using chicken broth as needed.  Transfer puree mixture to the Dutch Oven with the tomatillos.
7. Add the remaining chicken broth, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt,  Mexican Oregano,  black pepper and chicken to the Dutch oven.  Stir until well combined.
8. Bring the mixture to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for  2 hours stirring occasionally.  Remove the lid of the Dutch Oven during the last hour for  a thicker sauce.
9. Add the potatoes to the Chili Verde.  Simmer covered until the potatoes are tender.
10. Taste and add remaining salt if needed.
11. Serve in bowls  accompanied with warm flour tortillas.

Serves 8

Note:  If your sauce gets too thick just add chicken broth.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Beef Stew is one of those comfort foods I never tire of.  Tender pieces of meat with loads of veggies cooked in a rich broth.  The aroma as the stew cooks is mouthwatering.   Wait until you taste this stew. Goodness in every bite.  Meat that is so tender it could melt in-your-mouth and veggies that are flavorful and cooked to perfection.   And the broth - so rich and delicious you need a piece of bread to mop up every drop.

This stew is cooked in a crock pot.  All of the ingredients are placed in the crock pot, stirred, and set on low to cook for 6-8 hours.  Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.  Ladle the stew into bowls, serve with a crusty piece of bread and enjoy:)




Crock Pot Beef Stew


Ingredients:
2 pounds Beef Chuck Short Ribs boneless
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup of quartered fresh mushrooms
1 cup frozen corn
3 red potatoes, diced

Directions:
1. Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and place in the crock pot.  Mix onion powder, flour, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl.  Pour over meat; stir to coat meat with flour mixture.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot.  Stir to mix well.  Cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hours or on HIGH 4-6 hours.
3. Stir stew before serving.  Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.  Serve.

Makes 6 servings