Crock Pot Wednesday and Thai Red Currry Beef

Thanks for joining in for Crock Pot Wednesdays.  Next week we will begin our 2011 Merry Merry Munchies event.  Come with your holiday favorites that you and your family and friends enjoy.  Enter as often as you wish.  There will be a little holiday giveaway at the end of the month.  You can strengthen your chances of winning that by increasing the number of entries you have.

I was ready for something a little different when I tried this Thai Red Curry Beef.  Hubby isn't wild about curry in most things, but he does like the Thai red curry paste flavor in this.  I have a soup recipe that I will share soon that uses it, crab and butternut squash.  Oh my!  I hope you will give both of them a try and let me know what you think.

Thai Red Curry Beef

2 ½ pounds lean stewing beef, such as chuck or round cut into 1 1/2 – inch chunks

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 Tablespoons canola oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup Thai red curry paste

2 cans (13 ½ ounces) unsweetened coconut milk

2 Tablespoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 Tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

2 cans (8 ounces) sliced bamboo shoots, drained

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place the beef in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat evenly. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil. Working in batches if necessary, sauté the beef until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.


Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat for one minute. Add the curry paste and stir until it is fragrant and coats the onion and garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar. Bring to a boil.


Transfer the beef to a slow cooker and add the coconut milk mixture. Cover and cook until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick but still fluid, 3 hours on HIGH or 6 hours on LOW. About five minutes before the beef is done, stir in the bamboo shoots.


Spoon the curry onto warmed plates or into a large serving bowl. Garnish with the mint and serve at once.

(If you prefer extra heat, sprinkle in a pinch of red pepper flakes when you add the beef to the slow cooker.)

Linked to:  Menu Plan Monday

Full Plate Thursday

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Tuesdays at the Table

Crock Pot Wednesday and Pumpkin-Cranberry Custard

 

 

 

 

 

I love Thanksgiving…the colors… the foods…the décor the blessings.   This year, our Thanksgiving will be spent at the beach.   It’s a time of retreat, rest and relaxation.  The turkey will wait until Christmas.  I’m thinking gumbo and fried shrimp.

 

 

This is a really easy dessert to whip up in the slow cooker.  It incorporates many of those flavors that we typically associate with Thanksgiving, but it is definitely lighter while still having tons of flavor.

 

Pumpkin-Cranberry Custard

1 30-ounce can pumpkin pie filling
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 cup dried cranberries (NOT cranraisins unless those are your thing)
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup crushed or whole gingersnap cookies
Whipped cream (the real stuff)

Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, cranberries and eggs in the slow cooker; mix thoroughly.  Cover and cook on HIGH 4 to 4 1/2 hours.  Serve with crushed or whole gingersnaps and whipped cream.  If you desire, garnish with toasted chopped pecans or walnuts.  Shaved chocolate is also nice as a garnish.

Crock Pot Wednesday --- Turkey in the Pot

As they say, life happens.  Here, finally, is this week's edition of Crock Pot Wednesday.

Continuing with our Thanksgiving theme, I'm including one I affectionately call "Turkey in the Pot."  This is especially good for small families who only want just a little turkey, or it can be great for those needing some additional meat to serve to those large gatherings.  This comes from Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diane Phillips.

TURKEY IN THE POT

2 onions, quartered

2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths

2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch lengths

1 large sprigs thyme leaves

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup double-strength chicken broth (I use chicken stock.)

4 strips thick-cut bacon (use applewood-smoked if you can)

One 3-4 pound bone-in turkey breast

2 teaspoons Wondra or other instant blending flour (optional)

(I also like to add in a couple of fresh sage leaves and a sprig of fresh rosemary.)

Arrange the vegetables and thyme in the insert of a 5-7 quart slow cooker.  Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and pour in the broth.

Arrange the bacon to top of the turkey breast and place in the slow-cooker insert on top of the vegetables.  Cover and cook on high for 3 1/2 - 4 hours, until the turkey registers 170 degrees F on an instant-read themometer.  Carefully transfer the turkey breast to a serving platter and discard the bacon.

Cover the turkey breast with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes.  Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Whisk in the flour (if using) and bring back to a boil.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Slice the turkey breast and serve with the gravy.

This is a great way to cook turkey breast for later use in casseroles, etc. 

Thanks for stopping by.  I'll look forward to what you have to say.

Linked to: Full Plate Thursday

CROCK POT WEDNESDAY–Thanksgiving in the Pot with the Best Ever Mashed Potatoes

  I’m sure many of you have already begun planning and preparation for your Thanksgiving meals with family and friends.  For the next few Wednesdays, I will share some slow cooker dishes that you can either prepare ahead for Thanksgiving or, at least, ease your cooking on that day.  I’d love it if you would share your tips and dishes for preparing slow cooker holiday dishes as well.

We love mashed potatoes at our house…well, we are in the South, ya’ know.  For many of us, mashed potatoes were our first table food.  I got the idea for this version from Diane Phillips and adapted it to suit our tastes.  It’s a super way to prepare at least one holiday dish ahead of time giving you a little more time for other last minute details or just extra time visiting with family and friends.

The potatoes are actually prepared outside of the slow cooker and then either refrigerated or frozen to be used later. ou  To be honest, I have never frozen these, but I do prepare them ahead of time and refrigerate them.  I just allow extra time for the warming.  It seems to me that if you can free yourself from the last minute preparation of the potatoes, then the 3 to 4 hours in the slow cooker is an easy way to go.

SLOW COOKER MASHED POTATOES

8 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
salt and freshly ground pepper

Coat the insert of a 5-7 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or use a slow cooker liner. 

Cook the potatoes in salted water to cover until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.  Drain the potatoes and put in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add 2 Tablespoons of the butter, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cream cheese, and sour cream.  Beat until fluffy and light.  Stir in the chives, if using.  Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the potato mixture to the slow cooker and top with the remaining butter and cheese.  Cook on LOW 3 to 4 hours until the butter is melted and the potatoes are heated through. 

Variations:  Use 1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese in place of the Parmesan (Hubby’s favorite).  Add 6 to 8 crumbled strips of crisply friend bacon.  Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup caramelized onions.  Use 8 ounces herbed goat cheese instead of the cream cheese.  Use 2 ounces Boursin cheese for the cream cheese.  Use Cheddar cheese in place of the Parmesan.  Use Mexican blend grated cheese with a can of chopped green chilies.  (Yep, good!)

There’s no end to the combinations!  Be sure to join me next week for another holiday prepare- ahead dish.