Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Although the weather outside is reverting to summer temperature, I'm already in fall season cooking mode.  Stews always warm me up and smell so good while they cook.  You can pretty much put any vegetables to your liking in with the beef and it will taste great no matter what! This is our slow cooker version (a mix of my mom's and this recipe) because it's always easier to set it and forget it. Also, since we chose a leaner piece of meat than the usual stew meat, we were able to skip the browning step at the beginning; the beef was still extremely tender and flavourful at the end.

Ingredients
1/4 cup (60mL) all-purpose flour
pinch salt
1 tsp (5mL) black pepper
1/2 tsp (2.5mL) dried thyme
1 1/2-2lbs sirloin tip roast, cubed
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp (5mL) paprika
1 tsp (5mL) Worcestershire sauce
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
4 medium potatoes, washed and cubed
4 carrots, largely sliced
3 celery stalks, largely sliced
2 cups (480mL) mushroom, washed and whole
3 1/2 cups (900mL) no salt beef broth
2 bay leaves

Method
1. In a small bowl mix the flour, salt and black pepper. In a 6-quart slow cooker, coat the beef with the flour mixture.
2. Add the garlic, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onions, potatoes, carrots, celery and mushrooms in the slow cooker. Mix well.
3. Add the broth and the bay leaves.
4. Cook for 10-12 hours on low or 4 to 6 hours on high.

Serves 6.

Beet Soup with Homemade Garlic Croutons

I had leftover cooked beets that were about to go bad and since I have no idea what else to do with beets other than pickle them or make a soup, I made a soup (inspired by this recipe). It's less time consuming and I figured it would go great with my croutons! They add nice flavour and texture to the soup.

How I cook my beets
I remove the greens and the root so the beets become round-ish, and I wrap them up in foil. I cook them directly on the rack at 350 F for 30-75 minutes, depending on the size, or until a fork easily goes through it. A medium beet will take about one hour. I them let them cool for 10 minutes and unwrap them. Now you have two choices to keep your hands clean, you either use a sharp knife and a fork or a pair of medical gloves to remove the skin, it will peel off quite easily. You can keep the beets in the refrigerator for up to a week, incorporating them in salads, soups or eating them on their own as the vegetable in your meal.

My homemade croutons
Preheat your oven at 350 F. Take whatever is left of your stale bread; the better the bread, the better the croutons. Slice and apply margarine or butter to one side of the slice. Now, cut the slices into equally sized cubes. Place the cubes on a cooking sheet with the butter side up, and sprinkle whatever spice you prefer on it. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until golden-brown and crispy.

Ingredients for the soup
7-8 medium beets, cooked
2 potatoes, washed
olive oil
1 medium to large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp yellow curry powder
3 1/2 cups (900mL) no salt beef broth
1 tbsp honey
1 pinch of salt, optional
1 cup milk
chopped chives and croutons as garnish

Method
1. Cube the beets and the potatoes the same size.
2. In a large pot (holding a minimum of 6 liters), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and curry powder, cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the beets and the potatoes, cook for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the broth, the honey and the optional pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat so the soup simmers for about 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally.
4. When ready, remove the pot from the heat and put it on a heat resistant flat surface. Use a hand blender to puree the soup*. Once smooth, add the milk to thin it out to the desired consistency. 

5. Serve the soup with the croutons and chives as garnish. Enjoy!

Serves 5-6.

*This can also be done in batches in a blender, but the soup has to be cooled first and reheated afterwards.