CROCKPOT WEDNESDAY

Beef stew is one of my favorite comfort foods. Today's recipe has a bit of a twist in that the ingredients include a nutty brown beer. That should add an interesting taste. The recipe comes from the current issue of COOKING LIGHT.

CLASSIC SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW
2 lbs. trimmed boneless chuck roast, cut into 2 inch cubes (I will probably buy stew beef already cut instead of buying a roast.)
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, divided
2 tbsp. canola oil
3 medium  halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 12 ounce nut brown ale
1 1/4 c. unsalted beef stock, divided
1 1/2 lb. baby Dutch potatoes, halved
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 2 inch pieces (I will probably use baby carrots)
4 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. flat-leaf parsley leaves

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef evenly with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Add 1 1/2  tsp. oil to the pan; swirl to coat. Add half the beef to the pan; cook 6 minutes, turning until well browned on all sides. Remove beef from the pan. Repeat procedure with 1 1/2 tsp. oil and remaining beef; remove beef and any juices from the pan.
Add remaining 1 tbsp. oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onions and garlic; saute 4 minutes. Add beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Stir in one cup stock, remaining 1 1/4 tsp. salt, and remaining 3/4 tsp pepper. Bring to a simmer. Carefully pour mixture into a 6 qt. electric slow cooker. Add beef, potatoes, carrots, thyme and bay leaves.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours.
Combine remaining 1/4 c. stock and flour, stirring with a whisk. Stir flour mixture into stew; cook 15 minutes or until thickened. Stir in mustard and vinegar.Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Sprinkle with parsley.

TUESDAY'S TREAT

Pineapple upside-down cake is a favorite with the hubby so trying today's recipe is a no brainer. I ran upon it in the current issue of TASTE OF HOME.

CRANBERRY-PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 can sliced pineapple, drained
1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries

CAKE:
1 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
3/4 c. sour cream
1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries, halved
sweetened whipped cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and butter; spread onto the bottom of a greased 13x9 baking pan. Top sugar mixture with pineapple slices. Place a whole cranberry in the center of each pineapple slice; sprinkle remaining cranberries around pineapple slices.
For cake, in a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice; add to creamed mixture alternating with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Fold in cranberries; spoon over pineapple.
Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm; if desired, top with whipped cream.

MEATLESS MONDAY

Today's recipe would make a great side dish for Thanksgiving. I like the traditional green bean casserole but I think this is much more interesting without the thicker sauce. It comes from the current issue of CUISINE AT HOME.

FRENCH ONION GREEN BEANS
MELT:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 c. frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 onion soup packet (Lipton Onion Soup Mix-1oz.)
1/2 c. dry white wine
BLANCH:
1 1/2 lb. haricots verts or fresh green beans
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Black pepper to taste
Zest of 1 lemon
Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, blanch green beans in a pot of boiling salted water, 3 minutes; drain and immediately plunge into ice water until cool. Drain beans again.
Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and soup packet to onions; stir to coat.
Deglaze saute pan with wine, scraping up any brown bits. Add green beans; stir to coat with mixture and cook 3-5 minutes more. Stir in lemon juice, season green beans with pepper and garnish with zest.

SEAFOOD SUNDAY

Fresh salmon is one of the healthiest fish you can eat. I'm always looking for new ways to prepare it. Today I am sharing two recipes. The first is from EVERYDAY WITH RACHAEL RAY and the second comes from the current issue of TASTE OF HOME.

ORANGE GLAZED SALMON
1 orange, zested and juiced
1/4 c. olive oil
4 salmon fillets-6 oz. each
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. minced shallot
5 oz. baby spinach
Preheat oven to 400. In a bowl whisk 2 tsp. zest, 1/4 c. juice, and EVOO. On a baking sheet, spoon 2 tbsp. dressing onto fillets; brush. Roast 10 minutes. Whisk vinegar and shallot into dressing; toss with spinach. Serves 4

HERB ROASTED SALMON FILLETS
4 salmon fillets-6 oz. each
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 425. Place salmon in a greased 15x10x1 baking pan, skin side down. Combine remaining ingredients; spread over fillets. Roast 15-18 minutes to reach desired doneness.

SOUPER SATURDAY

This recipe has all of my favorite things in one soup. It is a thick and hearty soup, perfect for cold weather. It comes from the current edition of FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE.

SHRIMP AND CORN CHOWDER
2 tsp. unsalted butter
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 bunches scallions, chopped
3 c. frozen diced potatoes
3 c. frozen corn
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 qt. low-fat milk
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Paprika, for sprinkling

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the celery, scallions, potatoes, and corn.Add the thyme, bay leaves, 1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the milk, then cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
Transfer 1/3 of the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth, then return to the pot. Return to simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the shrimp and cook until opaque, about 4 minutes. Season with salt. If the soup is too thick, stir in up to 1 cup of water. Divide among bowl and sprinkle with paprika.

FRIDAY'S FAMILY FAVORITE

Thanksgiving is only two weeks away so today I chose a recipe that I plan to make on Thanksgiving. Turkey is a family favorite for the holidays but I hate the carcass left over after the meal. This year I plan to make a turkey breast in the crock pot. Not only will this save room in the oven and on the stove but there will be NO WASTE! I found a couple of recipes that are possibilities. Today I will share the first one.

CROCK POT TURKEY-PERFECT EVERY TIME
1 5-6 lb. turkey breast thawed, rinsed, and patted dry with a paper towel.
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, very soft( you may use olive oil if you prefer)
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. Italian seaoning
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/3 tsp. fresh black pepper
1 tsp. citrus zest (lemon or orange)
1/2 -3/4 c. chicken stock (depending on the size of the breast)

Combine spice mixture in a small bowl.
Rub inside and outside of breast with butter or olive oil.
Sprinkle liberally with spice mixture.
Place, breast side down, in a 6 qt. (minimum size) slow cooker.
Place lid in with a good seal.
With one hour left flip the turkey over so the breast is facing up.
This gives the skin time to crisp up a bit.
Cook on low:6 hours (check it at 5 hours)
High:4 hours (check it at 3 hours)
Times are an estimate based on crock pot size, if you lift the lid too much and if your bird was completely thawed out. Meat thermometer should read 165.