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Category: Soups & Stews

Crock Pot Lamb and Barley Stew

Published by jarandhel on December 23, 2017

 

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Crock Pot Lamb and Barley Stew

A hearty winter stew with lamb that melts in your mouth.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Irish
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1-2 lbs lamb trim fat, cube
  • 1/2 large sweet yellow onion sliced thin
  • 2 medium turnips cubed
  • 2 medium parsnips cubed
  • 32 oz beef broth
  • 36 oz stout beer oatmeal stout works well
  • 2/3 cups pearl barley
  • fresh ground pepper
  • salt
  • basil
  • McCormick poultry seasoning thyme, sage, rosemary, marjoram, black pepper and nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Cook in crock pot for 5 hours on high.

  2. Serve over bed of mashed potatoes (prepare somewhat stiff so that they don't turn to mush from the broth.)

  3. Serve with side of sliced french bread. Bread can be topped with butter, cream cheese, or neufchatel.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Crock Pot Lamb and Barley Stew @ GeniusKitchen.

Easy Shredded-Beef Chili

Published by jarandhel on January 18, 2017

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Easy Shredded-Beef Chili

A quick and tasty chili using shredded beef.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet onion chopped.
  • 2 large cans Manwich Sloppy Joe mix
  • 2.5-3 lb rump roast
  • 2 cans dark red kidney beans
  • 1 packet McCormick chili seasoning mix hot
  • 1 fresh lime
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil

Instructions

  1. Saute onions in a pan with peanut oil along with contents of seasoning packet until translucent. Transfer to slow cooker.
  2. Rinse beans and add to slow cooker.
  3. Brown roast on all sides in the same pan, using a little more peanut oil if necessary. Place in slow cooker on top of beans.
  4. Add sloppy joe sauce to slow cooker.
  5. Cook on high for four hours.
  6. Remove roast from slow cooker. Using two forks, shred roast, and return the shredded meat to the slow cooker. Mix well.
  7. Squeeze the juice of one fresh lime into the chili. Stir, and let sit on "warm" for a half hour to an hour.

Recipe Notes

Serve hot over bread or tortillas (I find the flavor of an onion roll goes very well with this recipe) and topped with cheese (I recommend sharp cheddar).

Slow Cooker West African Peanut Stew with Shredded Chicken

Published by jarandhel on January 18, 2017
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Slow Cooker West African Peanut Stew with Shredded Chicken

Another tasty variation on West African Peanut Stew.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped white onions
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 2 teaspoons powdered chinese ginger
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 2 cups chopped sweet potatoes
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 cups tomato juice
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 6 boneless chicken breasts

Instructions

  1. Saute the onions in the peanut oil until just translucent.
  2. Stir in the ginger paste
  3. Add the carrots and saute a couple more minutes.
  4. Pour the onions and carrots into the slow cooker.
  5. Add the sweet potatoes to the slow cooker on top of the onions and carrots.
  6. Place the chicken breasts into the slow cooker on top of the vegetable mixture.
  7. Add the vegetable stock and tomato juice to the slow cooker.
  8. Cook on high for 4 hours.
  9. Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and place them on a platter.
  10. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts.
  11. Using a potato masher, mash up the vegetables in the soup.
  12. Add the cayenne pepper to the soup.
  13. Add the peanut butter to the soup and stir until smooth.
  14. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.
  15. Serve topped with plenty of chopped green onions

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

Slow Cooker West African Peanut Stew with Shredded Beef over Ginger Rice

Slow Cooker West African Peanut Stew with Shredded Beef over Ginger Rice

Published by jarandhel on January 7, 2017
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Slow Cooker West African Peanut Stew with Shredded Beef over Ginger Rice

A tasty variation on West African Peanut Stew.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 8 hours
Servings 8

Ingredients

For the stew

  • 2 cups chopped red onions
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger paste
  • 1 cup carrot noodles
  • 2 cups chopped sweet potatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 cups tomato juice
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 cup chopped chives
  • 2.5-3 lbs rump roast

For the rice

  • 1 cup rice
  • 3/2 cups water
  • 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

For the soup

  1. Brown the rump roast in some peanut oil. Then set it aside on a platter.
  2. Saute the onions in the peanut oil until just translucent.
  3. Stir in the ginger paste
  4. Add the carrot noodles and saute a couple more minutes.
  5. Pour the onions and carrots into the slow cooker.
  6. Add the sweet potatoes to the slow cooker on top of the onions and carrots.
  7. Place the rump roast into the slow cooker on top of the vegetable mixture.
  8. Add the vegetable stock and tomato juice to the slow cooker.
  9. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
  10. Remove the rump roast from the slow cooker and place it on a platter.
  11. Using two forks, shred the roast.
  12. Using a potato masher, mash up the vegetables in the soup.
  13. Add the cayenne pepper to the soup.
  14. Add the peanut butter to the soup and stir until smooth.
  15. Return the shredded roast beef to the soup.
  16. Cook on low for another half hour to an hour.
  17. Serve over rice and topped with plenty of chopped scallions or chives.

Recipe Notes

Adding more and different kinds of peppers to this soup can give it more heat and a more complex flavor. I play around with various sorts of red pepper and/or hot sauces. Always add these in the final hour of cooking, as they can turn bitter if cooked for a long period.

Adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

Slow Cooked Chicken Stew

Published by jarandhel on March 22, 2015
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Slow Cooked Chicken Stew

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 15 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 4 frozen chicken breasts. Thaw slightly 2 minutes in the microwave on high should do it & chop up into small cubes.
  • 3/4 pounds of dried lima beans. Rinse beans then bring to a rapid boil in six cups of warm water, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.
  • 1 bag frozen veggies soup mix
  • 3 heaping tablespoons of instant white gravy mix.
  • A few dashes each of garlic powder goya all-purpose adobo seasoning, and salt (I know, but it helps tenderize the meat.)
  • A pinch literally of dried dill.
  • 4 cups of water.

Instructions

  1. Add all of the above to a 3/3.5 quart crock pot.
  2. Cook on "low" for 7.5 hours or so (I started mine late last night and left it going until it was nearly time to go to work, maybe closer to 8 or 9 hours.)
  3. Resist the temptation to take off the lid to sample any till it's done.
  4. Resist I said!

Last-Minute Chili

Published by jarandhel on March 21, 2015
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Last-Minute Chili

This chili might take a while to actually cook, but the prep time is negligible and the cooking can take place overnight unsupervised.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings 7
Author Jarandhel Dreamsinger

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs lean ground beef
  • 1 can Manwich Sloppy Joe Mix 26.5 ounces
  • 1 can dark red kidney beans 15.5 ounces
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 1 packet chili seasoning

Instructions

  1. Pour the sloppy joe mix into your slow cooker. Slowly tear off bits of the beef and mix it in.
  2. Rinse your kidney beans off well, then mix them in too.
  3. Run the tap until the water is steaming hot. Fill the can from the sloppy joe mix 1/4 of the way full. Put the beef bouillon cube in the can, and swirl the water around to collect the stray sauce. Give the cube a little time to dissolve a bit, at least until the water is a dark brownish-red. Pour into the slow cooker. If any beans or meat stick out above the water, use a spoon to push them down. The liquid should just cover everything.
  4. Put the cooker on low and let cook for approximately 7 hours.
  5. After 7 hours, add the chili seasoning, stirring it in thoroughly, and continue to simmer on low for another hour.
  6. Serve on hamburger buns, steak rolls, or tacos. Optionally, add land-o-lakes sprinkle-on sharp cheddar cheese or kraft grated American cheese if available.

West African Peanut Soup

Published by jarandhel on March 20, 2015
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West African Peanut Soup

A delicious, spicy West African peanut soup.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6
Author Nancy Lazarus

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or other ground dried chiles or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger root
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 2 cups chopped sweet potatoes up to 1 cup white potatoes can be substituted
  • 4 cups vegetable stock or water
  • 2 cups tomato juice
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon sugar optional
  • 1 cup chopped scallions or chives

Instructions

  1. Saute the onions in the oil until just translucent.
  2. Stir in the cayenne and fresh ginger.
  3. Add the carrots and saute a couple more minutes.
  4. Mix in the potatoes and stock or water, bring the soup to a boil, and then simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
  5. In a blender or food processor, puree the vegetables with the cooking liquid and the tomato juice. Return the puree to a soup pot.
  6. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.
  7. Taste the soup. Its sweetness will depend upon the sweetness of the carrots and sweet potatoes. If it's not there naturally, add just a little sugar to enhance the other flavors.
  8. Reheat the soup gently, using a heat diffuser if needed to prevent scorching.
  9. Add more water, stock, or tomato juice for a thinner soup.
  10. Serve topped with plenty of chopped scallions or chives.

Recipe Notes

If you don't have a blender of sufficient size, or you desire a thicker soup, you can use a potato masher on the soup in the pot rather than pureeing the vegetables.
The last time I made this I used a bit of cayenne, a bit of chili powder, a bit of Louisiana Hot Sauce and a bit of Siracha. The mixture gave it a very good, slow-building heat.

Adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant