Crockpot Recipe: Classic Hungarian Goulash

This easy and delicious version of Hungarian goulash is a snap to make in the crockpot, and makes a great, hearty meal for a cool fall evening!

Classic Hungarian Goulash - In the Crockpot

(Serves 6-8.)

Ingredients:

Hungarian Goulash. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2 lbs beef stew meat, cubed
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bay leaf
1 cup sour cream
hot cooked wide egg noodles
freshly chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish

Directions:

• Put the beef and onion in crockpot.
• In a bowl, stir together the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper, then sprinkle into crockpot and gently stir to coat the beef well.
• Pour the diced tomatoes into the crockpot, carefully distributing evenly over the beef, then add the bay leaf.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until beef is fork tender.
• Take bay leaf out and add sour cream to crockpot, stirring gently.
• Allow sour cream to get warm, then turn heat off and serve immediately.
• Spoon over hot cooked wide egg noodles and sprinkle fresh parsley on top of each serving.

Recipe: One-Pot Beef Bourguignon Peasant Stew

Here is a tasty, hearty recipe full of rich flavors for a cold winter night like we've been having so many of lately! This one is best cooked in a stainless steel pot, since it contains wine and tomatoes, which are both acidic, and requires a bit of cook time. You could also use enameled cast iron (for more tips on choosing the right pot, see Monday's post). This could also be adapted to the crockpot - just brown the beef first and then put everything in the crock pot and cook on Low for 7-8 hours.

Beef Bourguignon Peasant Stew
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

Beef bourguignon, served with pasta. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2 Tbsp cooking oil
2 medium red or golden potatoes, cut into wedges
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 lb cubed beef chuck roast
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup Burgundy wine
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add the potatoes and onion and cook until both veggies have started to brown lightly.
2. Add the cubed beef and continue to cook until the beef browns, stirring often.
3. Sprinkle in the flour and oregano; continue cooking and stirring until the beef is coated with the flour and is well browned.
4. Add the wine and let it come to a boil, stirring to bring up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Add the beef broth and diced tomatoes, stir, and bring to a boil. Continue stirring until the broth thickens slightly.
6. Turn heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer very gently for 15 minutes, stirring a couple times.
7. When potatoes and beef are fork tender, add the mushrooms, stir, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
8. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. 
9. Serve with pasta or mashed potatoes if desired, or in big bowls with hot crusty bread.

Recipe: Fresh Tomato & Zucchini Turkey Stew

This healthy recipe works great as a one-pot meal, and includes lots of tasty veggies, plus brown rice and turkey, with flavors of the Southwest. Prepare the rice and chop the veggies ahead of time, and it's extra-easy to throw together a fast, healthy dinner in a jiffy.

Fresh Tomato Zucchini Turkey Stew
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

1 lb organic ground turkey
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (6 oz) tomato sauce
1 tomato sauce can of water
6 small zucchini, rough chopped
6 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cups cooked brown rice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Put a large pot on medium heat, add the turkey and olive oil, breaking the turkey up as it cooks. When turkey is no longer pink, add the oregano, cumin, and onion and cook until onion is just softened, then add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• Add the tomato sauce to the pot plus the same can filled with water, stir to combine, then add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, then turn heat to low, cover pot, and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve hot in big bowls.

Recipe: Campfire Stewed Beef And Veggies

Whether you're rustling up some grub before settling in for a long night of campfire ghost stories, or wanting a hot breakfast on a cool fall morning by the campfire, this one hits the spot. Apples add a fall flavor to this traditional cool-weather dish, and making it outdoors over a campfire will add an authentic twist to an old classic.

Campfire Stewed Beef And Veggies
(Feeds 4-6.)

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3 Tbsp flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 lbs beef stew meat
3 Tbsp cooking oil
2 cups fresh apple cider
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
4 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite size chunks
3 small onions, rough diced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into bite size chunks
2 celery stalks, washed and cut into bite size chunks
1 tart firm apple, washed, cored, and cut into bite size chunks

Directions:

1. (This part can be prepared before you get to your campsite, and you can also bring all of the vegetables and meat already cut up.) Start by combining the flour, salt, pepper, and thyme in a large ziploc bag. Toss beef into the bag with flour mixture and shake until beef is coated well. 
2. Into a cast iron Dutch oven (or other campfire safe pot) add the cooking oil, heating it over a medium flame.  Add the meat (a little at a time) and brown the pieces, removing as necessary to make room for more.
3. When all the meat is browned, put it all back into the Dutch oven.
4. Add to the Dutch oven the fresh apple cider, water, and vinegar, and bay leaf, cover and bring to a boil.  
5. Move pot to lower flame on campfire, and let soup simmer until meat is tender. This should take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes depending how low you can get the flame.
6. Add the remaining vegetables and continue cooking over low flame until the vegetables are tender, about another 15 to 25 minutes.
7. Serve hot in big bowls with crusty bread to compliment.

Recipe: Chunky Quinoa Veggie Stew

Nothing says stew like a cold winter night, and if you're watching your carbs, or avoiding gluten, quinoa can be a great alternative in your comfort-food-seeking menu. This recipe combines a number of healthy vegetables into a hearty and tasty stew packed full of flavor and nutrition. This one can easily work for vegetarians or those looking for a meatless recipe - just substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. Enjoy!

Chunky Quinoa Veggie Stew
(Serves 6.)

Ingredients: 
1 finely chopped sweet onion
1 red bell pepper, cut in half-inch pieces
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cumin
6 cups homemade chicken broth or stock
1 pound red potatoes, cut into half-inch pieces
1 cup red or white quinoa, well-rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
2 fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped coarsely
1 cup frozen (or fresh) peas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 avocado, cut into half-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Combine bell pepper, oil, onion, and pinch of salt in a Dutch oven.
2. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, around eight to ten minutes. 
3. Stir in paprika, coriander, cumin, and garlic. 
4. Stir in potatoes and broth, then bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer ten minutes.
5. Stir in quinoa and continue simmering for an additional eight minutes. 
6. Stir in corn and continue simmering until potatoes and quinoa are just tender, around five to seven minutes. 
7. Stir in tomatoes and peas and cook for an additional two minutes.
8. Remove from heat, then stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper as desired. 
9. Garnish bowls of stew with avocado before serving.

Recipe-Beef Heart Stew

Looking for a daring but delicious dish perfect for these cold winter nights?  This one could come in handy - especially if you have a CSA membership where you sometimes get "extras," such as beef heart!  I had one in the freezer for a while, and finally decided to pull it out and find something to do with it. Image via WikipediaHowever, after looking around online, I couldn't really find anything that sounded like what I wanted. So I came up with my own, and it was AMAZING! (Sorry I forgot to take an actual picture, so this one isn't of my stew....)

Heart is typically considered an organ meat, but in reality, it is a muscle. Well prepared beef heart tastes like an extremely fine-grained, tender steak. It takes a bit of cooking time, but is really a pretty easy and simple recipe. Once you put it on to cook, you just need to stir it, and turn the heart from time to time.

Give it a try, and let me know how you like it!

Beef Heart Stew
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Serves: A lot! (Or 4-6 really hungry people)

Ingredients:
1 beef heart (2-3lbs)
2 TB flour
2 TB butter
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 large onion
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups water (you can also use beef broth, but don't really need to, as this makes it's own amazingly flavorful sauce)
2 TB prepared brown (preferably whole grain) mustard
2 bay leaves
3-4 stalks celery
3-4 carrots
4 small (or 3 medium) potatoesSalt, to taste

Instructions:
1. Rinse the beef heart and trim off as much fat as you can. (Some recipes say to scrape off the outer membranes, but you can do this much easier after cooking if you like.) Coat with flour on all sides. Melt butter in large dutch oven and brown heart on all sides.
2. Add diced onion and saute for a couple of minutes.
3. Add white wine and stir well to get browned bits off the bottom of the pan (just push the heart around with the spoon to get it out of the way). Cook and stir a couple of minutes, until onions begin to soften.Then stir in mustard and bay leaves. Add broth. Stir well, sprinkle heart with black pepper, lower heat, and cover.
4. Cook covered for 2 hours, turning heart over every 1/2 hour.
5. Meanwhile, clean celery and chop into 1" pieces. Peel carrots and slice into 1" slices. Peel and dice potatoes (you can use a few more if you like - I love potatoes, and wished I had put in more than I did, as they picked up the flavor and were wonderful).
6. Add vegetables to pot, stir, and cover. Cook 1 more hour, stirring and turning heart about every 20 minutes.
7. Check heart for doneness. You should be able to slice off little pieces pretty easily, and when you bite it, it should be tender. Remove heart from pan, and let cool on cutting board for about 10 minutes. If there is any membrane or fat left on the heart, you should now be able to scrape it off easily with a sharp knife.
8. Cut heart in half lengthwise, then dice into cubes of desired size. (If it looks like too much meat, you can also slice some thinly and use later on salads, sandwiches, or in pita pockets with lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream or other dressing - delicious!)
9. Return meat to pot, stir well, and add salt to taste. Serve hot, with crusty bread and a green salad.

A full-bodied red wine will go best with this rich, hearty, flavorful stew.