Now here's a recipe that went through many, many revisions before I feel like I finally got it right.
INGREDIENTS
- approx. 1.5 kg of pork. I usually get a roast of some kind and cut it into cubes since they don't exactly sell stewing pork the way they do beef. It doesn't need to be a lean cut of meat, feel free to toss those fatty bits into the pot, too, it's good for the flavour and I have found that those tend to be the most tender bits anyway.
- 1 onion, diced (food processor, yadda yadda)
- 3 medium to large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 3 large carrots, peeled or scrubbed and chopped
- approx. 900 mL of vegetable juice such as V8
- 2 cups of unsweetened apple juice
- salt and pepper to taste, probably about 1 tsp each
- 2 tbsp each of rosemary and paprika
- 1 tsp each of oregano and thyme
- 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1/2 of a large head of cabbage, chopped up (you can definitely add more, but I usually find by the time it comes to add the cabbage, half a head is all that will fit in the pot)
- 4 or 5 tart, firm apples (e.g., Granny Smith), cored and chopped. Can also be peeled if you prefer.
INSTRUCTIONS
1) In a large slow cooker, combine the apple and V8 juices, flour, bouillon, and spices, and whisk it all up to make sure everything's mixed.
2) Add all other ingredients except the apples, and cook in slow cooker on low for approx. 8 hours, or on high for 4-5.
3) When there's only an hour or so left on the timer, add in the apples and continue cooking. This will make sure the apples don't go completely to mush. If you don't have the time to fiddle with the pot like that, though, then you can just add them in at the beginning with everything else.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Beef-Mushroom Stew
Something you need to know about me is that I love mushrooms. I really, really love mushrooms. Hence, my version of beef mushroom stew stuffs in as many mushrooms as will fit in the pot, to the point where sometimes I've had trouble getting the lid on. Just, y'know, bear that in mind when it comes to planning your own shopping list for this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 tetrapack (~4 cups) no-sodium-added beef broth
- 1 tsp beef bouillon powder
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
- at least 1 tbsp each of thyme, rosemary, and sage
- 3/4 cups dry pearl barley
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1-2 lb stewing beef
- 5 medium potatoes, chopped
- a lot of mushrooms. Probably about 6 cups? At least?
- 1 large red onion, cut into large pieces or pulverized in a food processor
- 2 cups chopped carrots
INSTRUCTIONS
1) In a large slow cooker, whisk together all of the ingredients listed above from the mushroom soup to the black pepper. Make sure your sauce is uniformly mixed and that the condensed soup sludge is all broken up.
2) Add everything else. Now, the way I usually do this is to add in everything but the mushrooms, and then just pile mushrooms onto the top of the pot until I figure it's at capacity. Hence the "at least" part of the 6 cup measurement above. Your mileage may vary when it comes to proportions of the various veggies, depending on just how large your pot is and how much you love one over the other. You want to make your stew carrot-heavy? Go right ahead. It just means that you'll probably have to take out a potato or two, to make room.
3) Cook on low heat 8 hours or so.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 tetrapack (~4 cups) no-sodium-added beef broth
- 1 tsp beef bouillon powder
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
- at least 1 tbsp each of thyme, rosemary, and sage
- 3/4 cups dry pearl barley
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1-2 lb stewing beef
- 5 medium potatoes, chopped
- a lot of mushrooms. Probably about 6 cups? At least?
- 1 large red onion, cut into large pieces or pulverized in a food processor
- 2 cups chopped carrots
INSTRUCTIONS
1) In a large slow cooker, whisk together all of the ingredients listed above from the mushroom soup to the black pepper. Make sure your sauce is uniformly mixed and that the condensed soup sludge is all broken up.
2) Add everything else. Now, the way I usually do this is to add in everything but the mushrooms, and then just pile mushrooms onto the top of the pot until I figure it's at capacity. Hence the "at least" part of the 6 cup measurement above. Your mileage may vary when it comes to proportions of the various veggies, depending on just how large your pot is and how much you love one over the other. You want to make your stew carrot-heavy? Go right ahead. It just means that you'll probably have to take out a potato or two, to make room.
3) Cook on low heat 8 hours or so.
Crock-pot Butter Chicken
It's autumn! Which means it's time for slow cooker meals. Without further ado, here's one of my favourites. It was originally found somewhere on the internet via a link I've long since lost, and is one of those rare dishes that didn't need much tweaking to make it perfect for my tastes.
If anyone was curious, I've also tried this using stewing beef instead of chicken (because I discovered that I had stewing beef in the freezer and not chicken when the time came to cook), and it turned out tasty as well.
INGREDIENTS
- 8-12 chicken thighs, chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped (as always, the food processor is your friend)
- 2 tbsp minced garlic (see above comment)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 30 green cardamom pods, strung on thread or tied into cheesecloth
- 4 tsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp mild curry paste
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 tsp tandoori masala
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 cans of coconut milk (as I said on a previous recipe, I always try to look for cans that list only coconut and water as ingredients, such as Aroy-D brand. But I know those can be hard to find so feel free to use whatever you've got.)
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 2 x 5.5oz cans tomato paste
- vegetables (I prefer green beans (two good large handfuls) and cauliflower (one whole head), but you can use whatever appeals to you. You can also make this completely without veggies, if you prefer, as is more traditional with butter chicken, but I'm of the opinion that vegetables are good for me and all of that sauce might as well get slathered over something.)
- rice
INSTRUCTIONS
1) In a large slow cooker, combine all of the spices, coconut milk, yogurt, and tomato paste. I usually whisk those together first to make sure the sauce is uniformly mixed.
2) In a large fry pan, cook the chicken, garlic, and onion in the oils until the chicken is browned and the onion is tender.
3) Move chicken to the slow cooker full of sauce. Don't bother draining off the oil/butter, that's where all of the deliciousness is.
4) Cook on high heat for 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. If you're short on time and need to just set the pot and go, add in the veggies right at the beginning and forget about them. If you've got the time, though, I usually add mine in when there's only an hour or two left to cook, so they don't get too mushy.
5) Remove the cardamom pods, if you can find them.
6) Serve over rice.
If anyone was curious, I've also tried this using stewing beef instead of chicken (because I discovered that I had stewing beef in the freezer and not chicken when the time came to cook), and it turned out tasty as well.
INGREDIENTS
- 8-12 chicken thighs, chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped (as always, the food processor is your friend)
- 2 tbsp minced garlic (see above comment)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 30 green cardamom pods, strung on thread or tied into cheesecloth
- 4 tsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp mild curry paste
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 tsp tandoori masala
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 cans of coconut milk (as I said on a previous recipe, I always try to look for cans that list only coconut and water as ingredients, such as Aroy-D brand. But I know those can be hard to find so feel free to use whatever you've got.)
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 2 x 5.5oz cans tomato paste
- vegetables (I prefer green beans (two good large handfuls) and cauliflower (one whole head), but you can use whatever appeals to you. You can also make this completely without veggies, if you prefer, as is more traditional with butter chicken, but I'm of the opinion that vegetables are good for me and all of that sauce might as well get slathered over something.)
- rice
INSTRUCTIONS
1) In a large slow cooker, combine all of the spices, coconut milk, yogurt, and tomato paste. I usually whisk those together first to make sure the sauce is uniformly mixed.
2) In a large fry pan, cook the chicken, garlic, and onion in the oils until the chicken is browned and the onion is tender.
3) Move chicken to the slow cooker full of sauce. Don't bother draining off the oil/butter, that's where all of the deliciousness is.
4) Cook on high heat for 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. If you're short on time and need to just set the pot and go, add in the veggies right at the beginning and forget about them. If you've got the time, though, I usually add mine in when there's only an hour or two left to cook, so they don't get too mushy.
5) Remove the cardamom pods, if you can find them.
6) Serve over rice.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Chicken Coconut Soup
I love this soup so, so much. Just made it last week, and I want to make it again already. For a household of two, you get two very large servings each or three smaller ones.
INGREDIENTS
- three boneless skinless chicken breasts
- coconut or olive oil
- sesame oil
- 2-3 cups of mushrooms, chopped up smallish. Fresh shitake (with woody parts of stems removed) or oyster mushrooms work well. You can use other types of fresh mushrooms, of course, or if you want to go canned then I have tried straw mushrooms with some success as well.
- 2 cups of water, or potentially no-salt-added chicken broth (I keep meaning to try it with broth, but always forget in the heat of the moment).
- 2 tbsp of ginger. I use the pre-pureed stuff in a jar for simplicity.
- 4 tbsp of fish sauce
- 1/3 cup of lime juice
- 2 tsp of red chili paste (sambal oelek)
- 1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro. I like cilantro, so I tend to add lots. Also, running it through the food processor tends to be easier than trying to chop it by hand.
- 2-4 cups of baby bok choy, cut up small enough that you could probably shove the pieces in your mouth all at once. Otherwise it gets awkward later on.
- 2 cans of coconut milk. Something I've noticed since starting to make this recipe is that not all coconut milk is canned equal. Check the ingredients for one that is only coconut and water, without the stabilizers and thickeners and whatever else; the "Aroy-D" brand is good if you can find it. I find that the better quality cans give an overall better flavour and texture to the soup, though I suppose it may be all in my head... the cheaper ones definitely come out of the can a little greyer than the good stuff, which is not all that appealing.
I have also tried adding fresh thai chillis and lemongrass to this recipe, but I found both to be kind of fussy and didn't add very much in the way of final flavour, so they have subsequently been left out. Feel free to try those or other additions, though, if you want to do some recipe tweaking of your own!
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Begin with your chicken, cut into smallish pieces or thin strips. Toss it in a soup pot with some coconut or olive oil, a splash of sesame oil for flavour, and the mushrooms. It's important to let the mushrooms cook a bit until they start to release their water, or you could end up with a mouthful of chewy mushroom later on.
2) Let that sizzle for a while. Once the chicken is browned and the mushrooms are sweating, add the rest of the ingredients except for the coconut milk.
3) Heat that up and let it simmer for about ten minutes or until the bok choy is tender enough for your tastes.
INGREDIENTS
- three boneless skinless chicken breasts
- coconut or olive oil
- sesame oil
- 2-3 cups of mushrooms, chopped up smallish. Fresh shitake (with woody parts of stems removed) or oyster mushrooms work well. You can use other types of fresh mushrooms, of course, or if you want to go canned then I have tried straw mushrooms with some success as well.
- 2 cups of water, or potentially no-salt-added chicken broth (I keep meaning to try it with broth, but always forget in the heat of the moment).
- 2 tbsp of ginger. I use the pre-pureed stuff in a jar for simplicity.
- 4 tbsp of fish sauce
- 1/3 cup of lime juice
- 2 tsp of red chili paste (sambal oelek)
- 1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro. I like cilantro, so I tend to add lots. Also, running it through the food processor tends to be easier than trying to chop it by hand.
- 2-4 cups of baby bok choy, cut up small enough that you could probably shove the pieces in your mouth all at once. Otherwise it gets awkward later on.
- 2 cans of coconut milk. Something I've noticed since starting to make this recipe is that not all coconut milk is canned equal. Check the ingredients for one that is only coconut and water, without the stabilizers and thickeners and whatever else; the "Aroy-D" brand is good if you can find it. I find that the better quality cans give an overall better flavour and texture to the soup, though I suppose it may be all in my head... the cheaper ones definitely come out of the can a little greyer than the good stuff, which is not all that appealing.
I have also tried adding fresh thai chillis and lemongrass to this recipe, but I found both to be kind of fussy and didn't add very much in the way of final flavour, so they have subsequently been left out. Feel free to try those or other additions, though, if you want to do some recipe tweaking of your own!
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Begin with your chicken, cut into smallish pieces or thin strips. Toss it in a soup pot with some coconut or olive oil, a splash of sesame oil for flavour, and the mushrooms. It's important to let the mushrooms cook a bit until they start to release their water, or you could end up with a mouthful of chewy mushroom later on.
2) Let that sizzle for a while. Once the chicken is browned and the mushrooms are sweating, add the rest of the ingredients except for the coconut milk.
3) Heat that up and let it simmer for about ten minutes or until the bok choy is tender enough for your tastes.
4) Add the coconut milk and simmer for just a little while longer, basically just enough to heat it through and let the flavours start to mingle.
5) Eat!
5) Eat!
Monday, October 6, 2014
Sausage and Kale Soup
With the onset of fall, I am starting to turn once more towards soups and stews. This one is satisfyingly filling and spicy enough to warm you up at the end of a long day. Can easily be a meal unto itself.
This recipe provides my household of two with two very large servings each, or three smaller ones.
INGREDIENTS
- one typical grocery-store package of spicy italian sausage (~450 grams, I think). I usually get the Johnsonville hot italian sausage meat without the casing, since it's much easier to handle, but you can easily shuck some regular sausage and break it up. If all you have is mild italian, that'll work too, but you'll want to add in some chilli flakes or something to make up the difference.
- one medium onion, very finely diced. The food processor is your friend.
- four to six garlic cloves, also finely diced. Or, really, however much garlic as you like, because garlic is awesome.
- four cups (i.e., one tetra-pack) of no-sodium-added chicken or vegetable broth
- two or three large potatoes, cut into smallish pieces
- as much kale as you feel like adding, with large stems removed, chopped. I've made this with as little as one bunch and as much as three bunches, and the only real difference is that the latter ended up more like... kale stew, rather than soup. Both versions were delicious. Really, you're only limited by your own tastes and the size of your pot.
- one 250 mL carton of cream, I suggest 10-15% for a good, rich soup, but 5% will work in a pinch.
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Combine the diced onion and garlic with the sausage meat in a large pot, and cook until the onion is soft and the sausage is at least mostly done.
(Pre-cooking the onion is something you'll see very often in my recipes, because though I recognize onion as a valuable foundation for many dishes, I absolutely cannot stand crunching into one. So my onions tend to get pureed and cooked down very well.)
2) Stir in the broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cook until the potatoes are just on the firm side of done. You can cook them until they're crumbly, too, if you like, but they pretty much just dissolve into the soup at that point.
3) Stir in your chopped kale and let it cook some more, until the leaves are wilted to your satisfaction. Shouldn't take very long. If you're using large amounts of kale, you may have to add it in stages. Don't worry, it does reduce. Promise.
4) Finally, once everything else is done, add in the cream and continue cooking until everything is just heated through. You don't want to let it boil for any length of time at this point.
5) Done! Serve and enjoy.
This recipe provides my household of two with two very large servings each, or three smaller ones.
INGREDIENTS
- one typical grocery-store package of spicy italian sausage (~450 grams, I think). I usually get the Johnsonville hot italian sausage meat without the casing, since it's much easier to handle, but you can easily shuck some regular sausage and break it up. If all you have is mild italian, that'll work too, but you'll want to add in some chilli flakes or something to make up the difference.
- one medium onion, very finely diced. The food processor is your friend.
- four to six garlic cloves, also finely diced. Or, really, however much garlic as you like, because garlic is awesome.
- four cups (i.e., one tetra-pack) of no-sodium-added chicken or vegetable broth
- two or three large potatoes, cut into smallish pieces
- as much kale as you feel like adding, with large stems removed, chopped. I've made this with as little as one bunch and as much as three bunches, and the only real difference is that the latter ended up more like... kale stew, rather than soup. Both versions were delicious. Really, you're only limited by your own tastes and the size of your pot.
- one 250 mL carton of cream, I suggest 10-15% for a good, rich soup, but 5% will work in a pinch.
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Combine the diced onion and garlic with the sausage meat in a large pot, and cook until the onion is soft and the sausage is at least mostly done.
(Pre-cooking the onion is something you'll see very often in my recipes, because though I recognize onion as a valuable foundation for many dishes, I absolutely cannot stand crunching into one. So my onions tend to get pureed and cooked down very well.)
2) Stir in the broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cook until the potatoes are just on the firm side of done. You can cook them until they're crumbly, too, if you like, but they pretty much just dissolve into the soup at that point.
3) Stir in your chopped kale and let it cook some more, until the leaves are wilted to your satisfaction. Shouldn't take very long. If you're using large amounts of kale, you may have to add it in stages. Don't worry, it does reduce. Promise.
4) Finally, once everything else is done, add in the cream and continue cooking until everything is just heated through. You don't want to let it boil for any length of time at this point.
5) Done! Serve and enjoy.
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