Stew In It

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Yes, People.  Autumn is upon us.  Much like you - it's my most favorite time of year  So even though it is still a bit warm outside, I couldn't wait to get my beef and vegetable stew into my Menu Planner.  Super-duper easy, and SUPREME as far as flavor!  I served it to The Hubster with some leftover garlic flatbread I had from the meal the night before.  Come on in, Autumn!  You are welcome here.

BEEF & VEGETABLE STEW

1 pkg beef stew meat

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 turnip, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks

4 carrots, washed and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

4 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 pkg frozen green beans

2 cups favorite broth (beef works best here)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 can tomato paste

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

2 tbs garlic powder

2 tbs cumin

2 tbs coriander

2 tbs Italian seasoning

2 bay leaves

fresh parsley, chopped coarse, for garnish

Now watch this: throw everything (minus the parsley garnish) into your crockpot.  Set on lowest setting and just let it cook.  Remove bay leaves and sprinkle with parsley.  Eat it up.  THAT'S IT!!

NOTES:  You may want to re-season a little prior to serving, as crockpots can tend to mute the seasoning level.  I use organic ingredients whenever I can, including the balsamic vinegar, and I would add that in this particular case, organic beef or beef without hormones or additives will definitely help in flavor here.  You want the liquid to reduce, but add a little more broth if you like it soupier.  You can throw some chunks of potato in, if you like, but I leave it out for low-carb, and it is just as hearty and filling.

Chunky Monkey & Stroganoff

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

The Hubster and I had a very rare 'spare' night; meaning we had a weekend night all to ourselves.  So we got a dollar-rent-a-movie, and I, without wanting to go grocery shopping (that would take up our free night!), I made an easy dinner with whatever I had in the house.  So with a box of organic pasta, some sour cream and a package of ground turkey I made some stroganoff in the crockpot while we went all-out leisurely.  Since there was absolutely no lettuce in the house (HIGHLY unusual) I made a salad with what veggies I did have.  Turned out to be a chunky salad(ish) with my own monkey dressing (I called it that because I use a little coconut water to make it, which makes me think of a monkey in a tree......plus it rhymes with chunky!)  Needless to say, everything (including the rare-spare evening) was delicious!  Life.  is good.

CHUNKY MONKEY SALAD

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks

2 celery stalks, cut into bite-sized chunks

10 grape tomatoes, sliced in half

 8 radish, quartered or halved

1/2 onion, chopped coarsely

Load all ingredients into a bowl and cover with monkey dressing!  That's IT!

NOTES: I used some yellow heirloom grape tomatoes that were aching to be-used-or-go-bad.  They were a perfect complement to the crunchier veggies.

CHUNKY MONKEY DRESSING

1 cup mayo

1/4 cup coconut milk (more if you want it thinner)

1 sprig thyme

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Put all ingredients in a jar or a container with a lid.  Shake, shake shake!  Pour over your salad!

NOTES: FANTASTIC for summer!

CROCKPOT STROGANOFF

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1 pkg ground turkey

extra virgin olive oil

1 can (or organic box) cream of mushroom soup

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups sour cream

2 tbs Italian seasoning

sea salt 

pepper

Sprinkle enough evoo to cover bottom of crockpot.  Put all ingredients in crockpot and stir.  Put on high heat, about four hours.  If you are home, stir from time-to-time, if not, be sure to break it all up and stir prior to serving.  Serve over pasta.  Garnish with parsley, if desired.

NOTES:  I don't use the cream of mushroom soup in a can because I really do think it affects the flavor.  I use organic boxed cream of mushroom soup, which you can find in the natural section of your regular grocery store.  You can replace the ground turkey with beef, if you want, but omit evoo if you do.  I used a box of organic rotini, but since I'm low-carb and the kids are no longer living at home, I only used a little for Adrian.  So be on the lookout for the leftovers to resurface!

Crockpot Butter Chickenish

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Soooo, essentially that name doesn't make the dish sound as rich or delectable as it turned out to be.  The "ish" after chicken lends itself to the reader thinking perhaps it wasn't so great.  But don't be fooled!!

I only use the "ish" because I made a play on traditional Butter Chicken Masala by using turkey tenderloin, among other things.  And let me tell YOU:  It was AMAZING.

I was craving butter chicken and did not have time to go to the grocery store, nor did I have time to prepare it after a long day of work.  So I looked in my pantry and found what I could use or substitute, and threw it all into the crockpot in the morning on the lowest setting.    

CROCKPOT BUTTER CHICKENISH

2 pkgs turkey tenderloin, chunked into about 1/2- to 1-inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 can ro-tel , or similar spicy tomatoes with chiles, undrained

1 can tomato paste

2 cups coconut milk

 2 tbs coconut oil 

2 tbs ground ginger

3 tbs curry

3 tbs garam masala, which I don't have lying around, so I used 1 tbs cinnamon, 1 tbs, ground cardamom, 1 tbs ground cloves

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Throw everything into your crockpot and put on the lowest setting, which for me was 8 hours.   One thing about crockpot cooking is the seasoning can tend to be muted, so add more seasoning at the end as needed and blend well by stirring.  Serve over brown rice.

NOTES: I use organic ingredients whenever possible (can't EVER find organic ro-tel!), but for this particular recipe that is NOT necessary for rich flavor.  Want low-carb?  Skip the rice!

BROWN RICE

1 container chicken broth

1 box yoga organic light brown rice

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

I have discovered that this combination makes for the perfect consistency.  One box of each.  A little sprinkling of sea salt and pepper when it's done makes for some yummy goodness under your Chickenish!

NOTES: Key to success for perfect rice in any instance:  don't stir!  Wait until liquid is absorbed and then fluff with a fork.