Chipotle Beet Stew

CHIPOTLE BEEF STEW

Crock-Pot Dish

Printable Recipe

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt & pepper 
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
• 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck, cubed 
• 1/4 cup canola oil or olive oil
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 2 medium parsnips, sliced 
• 1 lb red potatoes or sweet potatoes
• 1 large onion, finely chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon canned chipotle chili, minced or dried chipotle chili powder
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3-4 cups beef broth 
• 1 can diced tomatoes with chilies, undrained 
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 

 1. Cut steak into 1 inch cubes. Place flour in a large ziplock bag. Add salt, pepper, & cumin, seal the bag & shake. Add meat & shake to coat. 

2. Warm 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the meat, shaking off excess flour mixture. Brown on all sides for 5 minutes total. Transfer to a slow cooker. Repeat with remaining meat. Discard all but 1 tablespoon flour mixture.

3. Chop carrots, parsnips, & potatoes then add to CrockPot. 

 

4. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Saute onion for 3 minutes. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Sprinkle reserved flour over onion mixture, stir. Add chipotle chili or chili powder & tomato paste, cook 1 minute while stirring. 

5. Stir in broth & tomatoes, bring to a boil. Season with salt & pepper then pour mixture over the meat & veggies in the CrockPot. 

6. Cover & cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or until meat & veggies are tender. If desired serve over Creamy Polenta, or Sweet Potato Mash & top with chopped cilantro. 

Plate Finished Product 
Stew over Creamy Polenta

 
Stew over Sweet Potato Mash

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I have been in search for many years for a good hearty CrockPot beef stew. I came across this recipe in a magazine & modified it to my liking. It turned out better than I expected & it pair great with the Creamy Polenta or Sweet Potato Mash makes a more filling dish.

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

For Whole30 or Paleo use olive oil, remove flour & toss meat with seasonings only during browning process. Use the chipotle chili powder not the chipotle chili because they are not approved. Check labels on canned tomatoes, if the one with salsa is not approved mix regular diced canned tomatoes with approved salsa. Also as of Aug. 2014 potatoes are now Whole30 approved so you can use those or sweet potatoes, or remove both & use the Sweet Potato Mash as a base. I decided to replace the red potatoes with sweet potatoes, I like the spice mixture with sweet potatoes better. The stew has a kick when you use the chipotle chili so the powder is usually more mild. For more heat add more chili or powder after you have tasted the dish.

Steak Tacos

STEAK TACOS

Crock-Pot Dish

Printable Recipe

• 2 lbs flank steak
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

Spice Rub

• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Toppings

• corn tortillas
• avocado slices
• cilantro
• fresh salsa
• lime

1. Mix together all spices in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over your flank steak, be generous! Then, place your steak at the bottom of your crock pot.

2. Cover the steak with the chopped onions, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper. Turn heat on LOW and cook for 8 hours. (Note: it may seem like it will not be okay to cook without water but it will cook just fine!)

3. After 8 hours, remove meat from crock pot and shred with a fork. It should be incredibly easy to shred. You can either stick the shredded meat back in the pot for another hour or serve as is.

4. To serve, heat your corn tortillas in a skillet on the stove. Spoon some carnitas on a tortilla then top with salsa, avocado, cilantro & a squeeze of lime. Enjoy with a margarita! 

Plate Finished Product

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

These Crock Pot steak tacos are one simple & impressive dish. They are great for entertaining & make for a great week night meal. 

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

This dish is Whole30 & Paleo approved. Just use lettuce wraps in place of tortilla or make it a taco bowl over lettuce and grilled peppers. If you want more spice you can add fresh chilies, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the meat. Sides that pair well with this dish are Mexican Rice & Fresh Salsa. Additional toppings that would also pair well are cheese, sour cream, & diced onion.

Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

TERIYAKI CHICKEN SKEWERS 
Printable Recipe

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup soy sauce 
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

  

1. Cut each chicken thigh into 4 pieces or strips about 1 inch thick. Thread chicken onto 6-inch wooden skewers, folding thinner pieces, off necessary. 

2. Place skewers in Crock-Pot slow cooker, layering as flat as possible.  (I had to trim about a inch off the skewers to fit flat in the Crock-Pot so do that before you skewer them). Also remember to check out Products I love to find out about easy clean up slow cooker bags.

3. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, & minced garlic in a small bowl. 
Reserve 1/3 cup sauce; set aside. 

4. Pour remaining sauce over chicken. Cover; cook on LOW 2 hours. 

Turn skewers over & cook 1 hour longer. 

 5. Transfer skewers to serving platter. Discard cooked liquid. Spoon on reserved sauce & sprinkle with sliced green onions & sesame seeds, if desired.

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I came across this dish years ago at a teacher pot luck, someone brought their Crock-Pot full of teriyaki chicken on sticks, but I thought they just used the Crock-pot to keep them warm, nope, she said that is how she cooked them. Believe me, I was shocked too, skewers? In the Crock-Pot? Yes! They are good too! I modified the dish & made my own teriyaki sauce, but you could always use a store bought teriyaki glaze sauce, I would use one cup of Kikkoman, purple label.

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

  For Whole30 & Paleo remove sugar & use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. This is a pretty straight forward & easy recipe to follow, but if you don't own a Crock-Pot, or don't have 3 hours to spare, just use the sauce as a marinade for at least an hour & BBQ the skewers. I like to place them each on an oven top grill to give them markings & crisp them up after I take them out of the Crock-Pot. You can add a peanut sauce to dip, serve them on a bed of rice or they pair well with my Veggie Stir-Fry or Chinese Chicken Salad. Don't forget, you can always substitute soy sauce for gluten free soy sauce & in this dish don't add the wontons to make it gluten free!

Beer-Braised Short Ribs

 BEER-BRAISED SHORT RIBS 
Printable Recipe

• 2 lb. beef short ribs
• 3 tbs. canola oil or olive oil
• 1/2 cup pearl onions or diced onions
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 6-8 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 cups stout beer or beef broth
• salt & pepper 
• flat-leaf parsley to top, optional

1. Season the short ribs on all sides with salt, pepper, & 1-2 minced garlic cloves.

2. Over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil until almost smoking. 

Brown the ribs on all sides, 3-4 minutes on each side. 

 3. Transfer meat to the Crock Pot & continue working on the veggies.

 4. Peel pearl onions or dice regular onions, chop carrots, celery, & finely slice garlic. 

5. In the same pan over medium heat, saute onions, carrots, celery & garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt & pepper.

6. Pour veggies over short ribs. 

7. Pour beer or broth in pan to collect flavors & then pour into Crock Pot over veggies & ribs.

8. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6. 

9.Transfer the ribs into a bowl & cover with aluminum foil. Skim the fat off the sauce. 

10. Using a blender, let cool for 5 minutes before blend, then puree the sauce until smooth.

Save some whole veggies on the side to top ribs when serving. 

Plate Finished Product

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

A few months ago I saw a this recipe for short ribs in a William Sonoma cookbook, but it was to be made in a dutch oven. Since I do not have a dutch oven & I am seeking new great dishes for the Crock Pot I figured why not? This is a great dish as a week night dinner or even for a dinner party with good friends & good wine. 

 

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

For Whole30 & Paleo use olive oil & replace beer with beef broth. I used pearl onions which can be more work, so if you do not have the time, just chop a regular onion. This dish would pair well with Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes, Red Smashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Mash or Creamy Polenta with Carrots & Spinach (as pictured). Don't forget you can always use gluten free beer or beef broth to make this a gluten free dish!