Slow Cooker Meal: Rustic Beef Stew

Yum

I'm loving the fall weather!  We finally got a break in Los Angeles, and the weather has turned cooler.  70's is cooler to us!

When the weather changes I crave soups and stews.  My favorite soup is one that Mom always made. A hearty vegetable beef soup that full of potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, and tomatoes, slow cooked with stew meat to make a warming soup.  Here's her recipe.  Today I feel like something more stew-like but with similar flavors.  

Browsing though my "to make" Pinterest folder I came across this pin that just fit my needs.  Do you all know Christy Jordan?  She has a wonderful blog called Southern Plate and also is the author of a great cookbook by the same name.  I found this recipe on her website and adapted it slightly to fit my taste, but pretty much followed her lead.  

One item that she used and I ended up purchasing was Dale's Seasoning.    Dale's Seasoning is a savory blend of exotic spices that enhance the flavor of beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, wild game and vegetables.   Sold mostly in the South, but you can buy it online here. I was intrigued by this sauce enough to want to purchase it, but you can leave it out or just add a little Worcestershire and soy sauce instead or use Kitchen Bouquet.

This was a very easy stew to put together and we left for the day and came home to a wonderful, hearty dinner.  I dare say it was "fabulous"!  this will be my go to slow cooker beef stew recipe from now on. 

You must try this out soon....there's nothing better than a delicious stew during the cold evenings.
Enjoy!

Rustic Beef Stew

serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs  stew meat

1 teaspoon black pepper
1 c flour

3 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

3/4 medium onion, sliced

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

32 ounces beef broth

1/4 cup Dale's low sodium seasoning

1 tablespoon thyme

Instructions

Season the stew meat with pepper and add to a plate.  Pour flour over and stir to coat.  In a large skillet add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add meat and cook just long enough to brown.  Turn meat to brown all sides.  

Add potatoes, onion, carrots to the slow cooker.  Place meat on top and add broth, Dale's marinade and thyme.  Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.  

adapted from:  www.southernplate.com

Pumpkin Cranberry Scones - Product Review: King Arthur Flour Harvest Pumpkin Whole Grain Scone Mix

I love having girl time with old friends.

There is just something about a test of time friend that comforts you.  You may not have seen each other for a while but when  you come together it's as if a day hasn't passed. Do you have friends like that?  Someone that you can just be girls with.  Laugh, be silly, and have fun!

Plus, they know you.  My friend Andrea is like that.  We've been friends for years.  Lately, we haven't been able to get together too often.  Life is busy.  The other day she called and we made a date to meet for brunch at a great spot down in Santa Monica, facing the beach.

We laughed and reminisced about our antics in the past. Watch out, Lucy and Ethel are together again!  We had so much fun that I didn't want the afternoon to end.  It's always such a joy to be with good friends.  And this good friend came baring gifts!

In she came with a pretty bag containing several King Arthur Flour mixes.  Ahhhh, she knows me! I adored the gift and her for thinking of me.

So this weekend I broke out one of the mixes and whipped up a batch of Pumpkin Cranberry Scones using King Arthur Flour's Harvest Pumpkin Whole Grain Scone Mix.  It was very easy to follow and only needed several ingredients such as butter, eggs, salt and milk.  I added dried cranberries because I love the flavor combination. I'm glad I did, because they came out GREAT!

The whole grains provided a nutty flavor, and it was bursting with pumpkin and spices.  They were very tender and moist and with the addition of the cranberries, WOW!  These are the perfect fall breakfast, brunch, or snack time bite.  MGG inhaled one down right off the bat.  He said these were a winner, and please can I make them again.  SOLD!

The package gives you instructions for drop scones, which is what I did as well.  It's just easier than rolling them out and they come out with that rustic look.  I got 9 pretty large scones out of the mix, and the box states you'll get 8 using a 1/3 cup measure.  I used a scoop so that would account for the extra piece of heaven!

Overall these were a hit.  I would certainly recommend this mix to anyone that wants a shortcut from making them completely from scratch.  In my opinion King Arthur has some of the best quality products out there.  I use their flour religiously, so it's no wonder that their scone mix is a winner.

You can purchase this mix here.




Pumpkin Cranberry Scones

1 17oz box of King Arthur's Harvest Pumpkin Whole Grain Scone Mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup dried cranberries

1. preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.

2. stir together scone mix and salt, then work in butter with a pastry blender, mixing until everything is crumbly. In a separate bowl, stir together egg and milk. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. (If dough is too dry add a splash of milk)

3. scoop dough onto the baking sheet, using a large scoop for each scone.  Space by 2" between them. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until they're a light golden brown. Remove from oven, wait 5 minutes and serve warm.

adapted from King Arthur's Harvest Pumpkin Whole Grain Scone Mix box instructions.

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Tex-Mex Quesadilla

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with loved ones.

Now, what are you gonna do with all that leftover turkey?  Well you could have the classic leftover Thanksgiving sandwich!  Or you can make my Turkey and Havarti sandwich, or how about some Turkey and Wild Rice Soup?

Each of these dishes are perfect for using up that turkey, but today I have a new version.  A Tex-Mex version of a quesadilla.  I wanted some spice in my life so I opted for a little spicy jack cheese, some green chiles and a whole lot of turkey and refried beans!

This was the perfect quick meal.  Of course you could use chicken in this dish but once you spice up the turkey meat, you or your kids would never know that you are eating turkey...again!

That's the beauty of using your leftovers in completely different flavor profiles.  It gives your ingredients a whole new perspective, plus it tastes sooooo good!

Hope you enjoy this variation on a quesadilla.  It's easy to prepare and your meal will be on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Enjoy!




Turkey Tex-Mex Quesadilla

serves 1-2
1/4 - 1/3 cup refried beans, zesty jalapeno (from a 16 oz can)
2 Tablespoons of green chiles (from a 4 oz can)
1/2 cup cooked turkey meat, shredded
1 1/2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
2  flour tortillas, fajita size
1/4 cup of jalapeno jack cheese
1/4 cup of cheddar cheese

In a small sauce pan over low heat add the refried beans. Add the green chilies and stir.  Cook 2-3 minutes until heated through.  (Can also use the microwave for this step).  In a medium skillet over medium heat add the turkey and sprinkle with the taco seasoning.  Stir about 4 minutes to heat through and incorporated the spices. Add water and continue to stir about 3 minutes until sauce is formed and water evaporates.

To assemble:  On one flour tortilla spread the refried bean mixture.  Top with the turkey meat.  Top with both cheeses and then place another flour tortilla on top.  In a clean skillet over medium heat place the quesadilla.  Cook covered for 1-2 minutes per side.  Remove to a cutting board and cut into triangles.  Serve with sour cream and a dollop of salsa if desired.