Recipe of the Week: Mushroom and Beef Stew (gluten free)

Time to break out the ol' crock pot again this week to make this wonderful beef stew. If you are not a mushroom lover, it tastes just as fabulous with out the mushrooms. Thank you once again to my friend Beverly who gave me this recipe a while back.

Here's what you will need:

1.5-2 lbs beef stew meat (or buy your favorite cut of beef and cut it into cubes)
1/8 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp Worchestershire Sauce (not pictured)
2 to 2 1/2 cups beef broth (If you use 1.5 pounds beef use 2 cups if you use 2 lbs beef use 2 1/2 cups)
4 shitake mushrooms, diced
2 medium potaotes, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
*Wondra sauce and gravy flour for sauce thickening (if you are gluten free use rice flour or gluten free flour of choice)
*Reynolds Slow Cooker liner

Directions

If so desired, put a liner in your crock pot. Then, place beef into the bottom of the crock pot. In a small bowl mix together flour and salt/pepper. Pour over the beef. Stir to coat all the pieces of meat with the mixture.

Chop all the vegys in small bite size pieces as shown below. I cut the potatoes into a little bit larger chunks.

Add the cut up vegys to the meat. Measure out the beef broth into a medium bowl. Stir in paprika, worcestershire sauce and garlic. Stir well to combine and pour over the beef and vegys.

Add a bay leaf and cover with the lid.

Cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high 4-6 hours. Before serving, if you desire a thicker, gravy like sauce.. push the meat and vegys over to one side of the pot and sprinkle a small amount of Wondra to your stew.  Gently whisk in. Sauce will immediately thicken. Don't use too much Wondra or it will make your sauce bland.

Once you have whisked in the Wondra it is time to enjoy this wonderful rich stew that is great with bread of your choice. I like serving it with country biscuits or corn bread.

                                                                         ENJOY!

Recipe: Mom's Pot Roast

This is one of the best recipes my Mom taught me how to make and was one of my favorite meals growing up and is one of Kevin's and the kids favorites now. The secret ingrediant in this pot roast is pickles. I know it sounds strange, but trust me...you don't taste them and they add a wonderful flavor to the gravy. I've tried this in the oven, but have had the best results in the crock pot.

Mom's Pot Roast

2-3 slices bacon

1 t. lemon pepper

3-4 pound beef rump roast

1 can Campbells GOLDEN mushroom soup

1/2 cup chopped dill pickle
2 t. worcestershire sauce
3 medium sized potatoes (I like red potatoes with skin on)
2-3 carrots
* you will need 1 large crock pot with lid

First step is to prepare your roast. Trim off any fat that may be on the roast. Then lightly sprinkle lemon pepper evenly over the roast, rubbing in. I don't measure it, I just cover the roast lightly in the lemon pepper. Set aside the roast. In a large fry pan, cook bacon until crisp...set aside the bacon for later. With a large meat fork or tongs, set the roast down into the pan with the hot bacon grease. Cook both sides of the roast on medium/high heat until meat is browned (about 3-4 mins each side) Then set the roast down into the crock pot, setting it aside while you make the sauce.


Combine the soup, chopped dill pickle (I use a Pamp Chef food chopper for ease) and worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl.

Pour the sauce over the roast and cover. Put the crock pot on low and leave for 5 hours.

Five hours into the cooking time of the roast, it is time to add the vegies. Cut the potatoes into one inch chunks. Then peel the carrots and cut into one inch chunks. (try and get the vegies about the same size for even cooking)

Arrange the vegies around the meat and push down into the gravy. Do not over pack the crock pot with too many vegies. There needs to be enough room for everything to cook in the sauce. Put the lid back on and continue cooking or another 5 hours.

Five hours later the roast is ready to serve. The meat will be so tender it will fall apart. I chop up the reserved cooked bacon and sprinkle on top. I like to serve this with grands biscuits. This is comfort food at its best. ENJOY!

*note: If you need to leave your home and let the roast cook all day, don't add the vegies at the beginning of the cook time. The vegies will be mushy and will fall apart if they cook for 10 hours. Another alternative is to steam the vegies when you get home just prior to serving and then serve on the side with the roast, pouring gravy over the top of them. I've done it both ways.