or a slow cooker soup base for any season
I believe I have casually mentioned my ongoing love affair with my slow cooker, a bond which has only become closer now that I have entered into the world of mommy-hood. Slow cookers are good for many things and since I was already on roll this month with two slow cooker recipes in the bag, I thought I would just go ahead and wrap it up on the same theme. The last two were very hearty dishes, which is great for the blustery weather we are facing in our corner of the world, but not all slow cooker recipes have to be that way. Soup is an excellent way to use your slow cooker year round without it always being heavy. So to shine a spotlight on the versatile joy that is the slow cooker, I offer you today a recipe that can be easily modified for year round consumption.
I know, I know, potato and corn chowder sounds like a hearty comfort food, but it doesn't have to be that way. What I love about this recipe, aside from how easy it is to throw together, is that you don't even have to decide on the consistency until the end. The more concentrated base can be thinned out with more heavy cream or water if you prefer a lighter soup for warmer weather days. The lighter soup also reheats nicely without thickening a lot. If you want a heartier chowder type feel - just start with a half of a cup of heavy cream and go from there. This can be prepped entirely the night before (with typical pantry staples none the less) and just dumped into the slow cooker in the morning, then it is just two quick steps before dinner and it is done! Just three steps to yummmm... Here you go:
3 cups rich chicken stock (or 1 heaping tsp chicken base to 3 cups hot water)
1/2 tsp vegetable base (or 1 flavor boost packet)
6 medium sized golden potatoes, peeled and diced
6 oz frozen corn
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried minced onion
kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper
1 cup heavy cream
Hardware: slow cooker and one of the following: immersion blender, blender, food processor, or (in a pinch) potato masher
1. Dump the following into the slow cooker: prepped potatoes, frozen corn, chicken stock. Stir well to combine. Add in the vegetable base, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dried minced onion. Stir again to ensure that the flavors combine and get all cozy together.
2. Cover and cook: on low for 8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
3. About 30 min before serving, strain out 1/4 of the potatoes and corn and set aside in a bowl. Process the rest until smooth with an immersion blender or one of the other options listed above (remember to allow extra room at the top if using a regular blender or food processor and follow manufacturer instructions to avoid burns). Add the reserved potatoes and corn back in and stir well. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream first then add additional cream or water until desired consistency is reached. Turn the slow cooker to low and allow it to warm back up. Enjoy!
10.30.2012
10.26.2012
Rock it Slow Root Vegetable Stew
or veggie converter comfort food success
So, every year the following equations enter my kitchen: Jacket weather = comfort food -and of course- Comfort food = meat + starch. This year we have added to the mix: meat = digestive chaos. Thank you benevolent little dictator for this lovely gift. But, what can you do? You work with what life throws at you, or in my case - what an adorable baby girl threw at me. Well I am not about to abandon my comfort food for a second year in a row so in the spirit of embracing changes I converted my favorite beef stew recipe, posted earlier this month, to a vegetarian comfort meal. I can still tolerate meat based broths so I used a combination of beef base and vegetable base but if you are a full on veggie it is just as yummy with all vegetable base (and those newly named "flexitarians" in the foodie world will probably enjoy it with entirely beef base). You can even add some beef stew meat if you like, just make sure to brown it first, but be warned that this makes a pretty full crock pot as it is so you may need to cut back elsewhere a bit.
Get ready for some comfort food goodness, brace yourself, here it comes...
3 medium to large golden potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 medium sized parsnips roughly diced
2 medium sized carrots roughly diced
1/2 large sweet onion diced
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1-2 tbsp butter
4 cups vegetable or beef stock
1 cup red wine
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley
salt & pepper
4 tsp cornstarch + 4 tsp water
Hardware: slow cooker, saute pan
1. Heat butter in a saute pan. Pour in the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and saute until the the garlic aroma fills the kitchen and onions are translucent (should only be a couple more minutes).
3. Dump the potatoes, vegetables and spices into the slow cooker. Top with the onion and garlic mixture, add red wine, water, and beef broth. Stir well to combine so the flavors get all friendly together then cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Turn the slow cooker to high. In a small bowl, blend 2 tbsp cornstarch with 1/4 cup water; stir into the stew and let simmer for a few minutes to thicken and integrate flavors. If needed, repeat the process again with the remaining 2 tbsp cornstarch. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Allow to cook for about 10 min for all the flavors to settle down then stir and serve. Enjoy!
So, every year the following equations enter my kitchen: Jacket weather = comfort food -and of course- Comfort food = meat + starch. This year we have added to the mix: meat = digestive chaos. Thank you benevolent little dictator for this lovely gift. But, what can you do? You work with what life throws at you, or in my case - what an adorable baby girl threw at me. Well I am not about to abandon my comfort food for a second year in a row so in the spirit of embracing changes I converted my favorite beef stew recipe, posted earlier this month, to a vegetarian comfort meal. I can still tolerate meat based broths so I used a combination of beef base and vegetable base but if you are a full on veggie it is just as yummy with all vegetable base (and those newly named "flexitarians" in the foodie world will probably enjoy it with entirely beef base). You can even add some beef stew meat if you like, just make sure to brown it first, but be warned that this makes a pretty full crock pot as it is so you may need to cut back elsewhere a bit.
Get ready for some comfort food goodness, brace yourself, here it comes...
3 medium to large golden potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 medium sized parsnips roughly diced
2 medium sized carrots roughly diced
1/2 large sweet onion diced
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1-2 tbsp butter
4 cups vegetable or beef stock
1 cup red wine
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley
salt & pepper
4 tsp cornstarch + 4 tsp water
Hardware: slow cooker, saute pan
1. Heat butter in a saute pan. Pour in the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and saute until the the garlic aroma fills the kitchen and onions are translucent (should only be a couple more minutes).
3. Dump the potatoes, vegetables and spices into the slow cooker. Top with the onion and garlic mixture, add red wine, water, and beef broth. Stir well to combine so the flavors get all friendly together then cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Turn the slow cooker to high. In a small bowl, blend 2 tbsp cornstarch with 1/4 cup water; stir into the stew and let simmer for a few minutes to thicken and integrate flavors. If needed, repeat the process again with the remaining 2 tbsp cornstarch. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Allow to cook for about 10 min for all the flavors to settle down then stir and serve. Enjoy!
10.19.2012
Simply Slow Bacon Beef Stew
or a cold weather comfort food classic from my kitchen to yours
Not much time here now that baby land is in full swing, with our little girl quickly approaching 6 months old our free time is just as quickly dwindling. I did want to take a moment though and "officially-ish" welcome everyone to comfort food season, the most wonderful season of all. I adore Fall - the weather, the colors, the food - it is all my favorite things rolled up in one. So here is a recipe that is like a great big bear hug welcome to comfort food season - slow cooker beef stew. This recipe is really more "winter coat weather" than "jacket weather" but you need to prepare early for these things, planning is everything you know.
This recipe is not as straight forward as my favorite "dump and go" slow cooker recipes, but the extra effort to get those flavors working early is definitely a must. There is a difference for the recipe if using slab bacon versus regular bacon, I recommend the slab bacon if you can find it, but either will give a great flavor base to the stew. I highly recommend serving this up with some delicious baking powder biscuits (which can be made the day before for less stress).
6 slices of thick bacon, cut in half, or an equal amount of slab bacon cut into small cubes
1 – 1.5 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1 large onion, finely diced or minced
1 cup carrots, small dice
5 small yellow potatoes, well scrubbed and diced
1 cup red wine
3 cups beef broth
1 cup water
4 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp flat leaf parsley, 1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Not much time here now that baby land is in full swing, with our little girl quickly approaching 6 months old our free time is just as quickly dwindling. I did want to take a moment though and "officially-ish" welcome everyone to comfort food season, the most wonderful season of all. I adore Fall - the weather, the colors, the food - it is all my favorite things rolled up in one. So here is a recipe that is like a great big bear hug welcome to comfort food season - slow cooker beef stew. This recipe is really more "winter coat weather" than "jacket weather" but you need to prepare early for these things, planning is everything you know.
This recipe is not as straight forward as my favorite "dump and go" slow cooker recipes, but the extra effort to get those flavors working early is definitely a must. There is a difference for the recipe if using slab bacon versus regular bacon, I recommend the slab bacon if you can find it, but either will give a great flavor base to the stew. I highly recommend serving this up with some delicious baking powder biscuits (which can be made the day before for less stress).
6 slices of thick bacon, cut in half, or an equal amount of slab bacon cut into small cubes
1 – 1.5 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1 large onion, finely diced or minced
1 cup carrots, small dice
5 small yellow potatoes, well scrubbed and diced
1 cup red wine
3 cups beef broth
1 cup water
4 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp flat leaf parsley, 1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Hardware: slow cooker, large pot or deep pan
1. Crisp bacon in olive oil in a large pot. Add beef and brown. (If using regular bacon, remove once crispy, crumble and set aside for topping later. Slab bacon stays in with the beef to cook in the stew)
2. Add onions and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour into slow cooker, top with potatoes and spices, add red wine, water, and beef broth, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Turn the slow cooker to high. In a small bowl, blend 2 tbsp cornstarch with 1/4 cup water; stir into the stew and let simmer for a few minutes to thicken and integrate flavors. If needed, repeat the process again with the remaining 2 tbsp cornstarch. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Allow to cook for about 10 min for all the flavors to settle down then stir and serve. Enjoy!
1. Crisp bacon in olive oil in a large pot. Add beef and brown. (If using regular bacon, remove once crispy, crumble and set aside for topping later. Slab bacon stays in with the beef to cook in the stew)
2. Add onions and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour into slow cooker, top with potatoes and spices, add red wine, water, and beef broth, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Turn the slow cooker to high. In a small bowl, blend 2 tbsp cornstarch with 1/4 cup water; stir into the stew and let simmer for a few minutes to thicken and integrate flavors. If needed, repeat the process again with the remaining 2 tbsp cornstarch. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Allow to cook for about 10 min for all the flavors to settle down then stir and serve. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
