Crock Pot Beef Stew

This is a recipe I switch out the vegetables based on seasonal options. I'll replace potatoes for sweet potaotes or butternut squash as they add a completely different flavor.


Crock Pot Beef Stew
1 lb stew meat
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 6oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
chopped onion
Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes/Butternut Squash
Carrots
Celery
bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp garlic
2 cups beef broth

Chop all vegetables and add to crock pot
Add tomato paste, herbs & beef broth

Cut stew meat into bite size pieces, dredge in flour & cook on stove top in olive oil until browned. Add meat to slow cooker, use red wine to deglaze pan. Let red wine come to boil and scrap off any residual meat flour in pan, pour into crock pot.
Cook on low 6-8 hours

Brussels Sprouts w/Fried Capers

This is a recipe we tried Thanksgiving 2009 and since then has become a staple that we eat at least 3 or 4 times a month.

Brussels Sprouts w/Fried Capers
1 lb Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup capers (drained)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves chopped
3 oil packed anchovy fillet chopped (optional)
1/2 lemon
1/2-3/4 tsp red chili flakes

Heat oil on high, add capers, stir until crisp (about 5 minutes)
Add garlic & anchovies
Add Brussels sprouts & chili flakes, stir until coated and desired cook of Brussels sprouts
Transfer to plate, sprinkle with additional capers and squeeze on lemon.

**we typically substitute the anchovy fillet for anchovy paste as we have that on hand

Fennel (Finocchio) Salad

Have you seen this in the grocery store and thought to yourself, what the heck is Fennel (Finocchio in Italian), what on earth would I do with it?? Well this is a staple in our house, thanks to marrying an Italian I've been introduced to foods I'd never had before and this has to be one of my all time favorites. We use Finocchio in many different methods in our house, one of which is a salad, just this last week between my two toddlers and myself we finished off 8 bulbs of Finocchio. Oh so good. At Thanksgiving (and Christmas) we put a different spin  on our usual salad, we "fancy" it up a bit.

Finocchio Salad
2 bulbs of Finocchio sliced
3-4 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
A few pieces of shaved Parmesan

Mix all ingredients together
Chill
Enjoy

***Year around we use this same recipe just without the pomegranate seeds and Parmesan, and as a dressing simple balsamic vinegar and olive oil instead of the lemon juice.

***Finocchio is also a great addition to stuff inside the turkey and add some chopped to your stuffing recipe.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff
1 lb beef (I like to use stew meat)
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup red wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup onion
3 tbsp flour
1 cup sour cream
Pasta

Dredge beef in flour, salt & pepper. Melt butter in skillet and brown beef & onion. After browned pour into crock pot. Use red wine to deglaze the pan and pour in crock pot.
Place all other ingredients (except pasta and sour cream) in crock pot and stir
Cook on low for 5-6 hours
Add sour cream, cover and cook on low for 30-45 minutes (do not allow mix to boil)
Prior to eating cook pasta, serve beef stroganoff over pasta

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Pumpkin Gingerbread
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger
2 lg eggs
1 lg egg white
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin

Combine flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, nutmeg, baking soda & salt.
Stir in crystallized ginger
Whisk eggs, egg white, oil, molasses & sugar.
Whisk in pumpkin
Fold into dry ingredients until just combined
Pour into pan

Cook @ 350 for 35-40 minutes

Peanut Butter Pie

This is a recipe I associate with my Grandmother, I always remember around the holidays hoping that Grandma was making her Peanut Butter Pie.  It wasn't until I was much older that I learned the recipe was actually from my Grandfather (he had passed away before I was born), I love reading the recipe and seeing his personality (you'll see what I mean towards the end of the recipe).

Peanut Butter Pie

Crust
1 1/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (about 20 we use Oreo cookies, scrape off filling)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter melted

Combine crust ingredients, press into pie pan
Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes
Let cool

Filling
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup heavy cream whipped

Mix cream cheese, PB, sugar, butter & vanilla until smooth.
Fold in whipped cream.
Gently spoon into crust
Lick spoon & bowl until clean, feel no guilt! (yes that is part of her recipe)
Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight and serve!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Now I'm not a cheesecake fan, never have been. I have no idea why but I decided to try this recipe and it made me a believer.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust
7-8 graham crackers
5 tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup sugar

I double this recipe as the filling makes 2 pies
I use my food processor to chop the graham crackers into a dust, then pour in sugar and melted butter. Dump into pie pans and smash down, cook crust for 10 minutes at 350

Filling
24 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
4 eggs
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 can pumpkin
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sour cream

Mix all filling ingredients either in kitchen aid or with hand mixer until there are no lumps.
Pour into crust (this recipe makes 2 pies)
Bake 1 hour @ 300 turn off oven and leave undisturbed for 1 hour
Refrigerate 4hrs-overnight
Enjoy!!!

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup
1 lb chicken
1 lg can diced tomatoes
1 can beans (kidney, great northern, garbanzo) rinsed & drained
2-4 cups chicken broth (depending on how much broth you want)
zucchini
carrots
celery
Kale
Pasta (farfalle, penne, shells, orzo...etc)

Put all ingredients except kale & pasta in crock pot
Cook on low 6-8 hours
10 minutes before being ready to eat cook pasta and add to crock pot
Turn crock pot to high and add kale cook to desired tenderness

Crockpot Whole Chicken

This is a recipe I've wanted to do for a while, but seeing that my husband had some doubts about how it would turn out I hesitated. Well, next time I'll ignore his doubts because this was absolutely amazing and he is now a believer.
This recipe is VERY flexible, you can add any spices you like, any veggies you like and regardless it's going to turn out fantastic.

Whole Crockpot Chicken
1 whole chicken
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 Fennel bulb chopped into large pieces
1 tbsp sage
1/2-1 cup white wine (depending on how much "broth" you want)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Rub whole chicken with salt, pepper and sage
Place in bottom of crockpot legs down
Place rosemary, fennel pieces around chicken
Add wine
Cook on low 6-8 hours

As I said this recipe is very flexible, replace the fennel for onion, use parsley, cilantro, thyme, any herb you want. Add different veggies, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, the options are endless.

****The chicken turns out very moist, just be careful as the bones can easily be hidden as the  meat falls off the bone and some of the bones are very small.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

This is a great fresh salad that we love in the summer, my kids devour it when I make it and I love not only how easy it is but also how it gets better day after day.  This was shared from a dear friend and every time I make it I think of her.

Quinoa Tabbouleh
3 cups cooked Quinoa
1 bunch mint
1 bunch flat parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
4-6 medium size tomatoes chopped
2 cucumbers chopped
1 tbsp salt

Put mint, parsley, lemon juice & olive oil into food processor and chop finely
Mix all ingredients together
Refrigerate and enjoy!