Stilettos 'N Spice: slow cooker

Monday, April 27, 2015

Monday, February 2, 2015

Country Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy (Clean Eating)

Did you know that there was a Katy Perry concert yesterday? Oh and some football.. Haha kidding...I do enjoy football, I was just neutral on both teams and more interested in socializing and enjoying some good food.

I don't know about you, but I couldn't resist cheating on my diet with the amazing Super Bowl spread we had laid out. I took a big batch of my Tangy Guacamole to share and munched on some much needed junk food while pretending to watch the game. The girls and I had fun catching up and chatting until the halftime show. Then came the real entertainment in the form of Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott. I loved the half time show and thought Missy Killed it! It was good to see her back in action.

And congrats to the Patriots and this cute family celebrating Tom's 4th Super Bowl win:

Now that the game is over, it's time to get back on track and keep up the clean eating. I prepped the ingredients for this meal in the crock pot and placed it in the fridge until morning. Now all I have to do in the morning is take it out and turn the crock pot on low. There's nothing better than coming home from work, opening the door and smelling dinner slowly simmering in the other room. I'll make some rice and a veggie side to finish off the meal. Then it will be time to enjoy the comforting creamy and silky texture of the chicken swimming in gravy, knowing it's good for you too.

Country Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy

Ingredients:

1 pound of boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts
1 container of Organic Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup
1 packet of Organic Gravy Mix Chicken
1 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup fat free organic milk
Minced Italian parsley for garnish if desired
Steamed brown rice for serving

Directions:

1. Thoroughly mix together chicken gravy mix, onion powder, dried sage, Cream of Chicken Soup, chicken broth, water and cornstarch in the crock-pot with a whisk.

2. Add the chicken breasts to the crock-pot.

3. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 5 hours.

4. Remove the beasts, place on a cutting board and shred the chicken with a fork into bite-sized pieces.

5. Add the milk slowly until the desired creaminess consistency of the gravy is met.

6. Place the shredded chicken back into the crock-pot and stir well to combine.

7. Serve over whole grain brown rice, noodles or mashed potatoes with a vegetable on the side.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Marsala Beef Stew/ Pantone Color of the Year 2015

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We were lucky enough to finally get a blanket of snow late on Christmas Eve, waking to a beautiful winter wonderland. It was a nice, relaxing day filled with family, love and laughter. We indulged in so many sweets and food; I think I'll need a head start on the usual fitness resolutions to recover!

My Mom was given a new Cuisinart food processor from my dad and she gave me a beautiful new set of Wüsthof Classic Ikon Knives. We cooked the day away with our new gadgets, along with my sister, Erin. It was great to spend time together in the kitchen and satisfy all of our food cravings.

With all of the sweets we consumed, I was ready for something warm, comforting and salty this weekend.

Beef stew sounded like the perfect solution! Is there anything better than a salty and beefy dish full of mouth pleasing savour? Made in the crock pot, this dish cooks itself slowly all day, filling the house with the most delicious and enticing scent imaginable.

With the holidays in full swing, I've had a lot of wine around the house. If I'm not drinking it, I'm cooking with it. We all know that beef stew is enhanced with the flavor of red wine. For a fun twist on the classic, I decided to try using Marsala. Seeing as Marsala was just announced as the Pantone Color of the Year for 2015, this recipe is the perfect way to celebrate and start the new year off with a bang! Red is my favorite color, so I was thrilled to see that this stunning shade of wine will be the highlight through the next year.

Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness. This hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily to fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishings and interiors.

"Marsala enriches our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability.

Marsala is a subtly seductive shade, one that draws us in

to its embracing warmth. "

Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute^®

The Versatility of Marsala

Equally appealing to men and women, Marsala is a stirring and flavorful shade for apparel and accessories, one that encourages color creativity and experimentation
Flattering against many skin tones, sultry and subtle Marsala is a great go-to color for beauty, providing enormous highlight for the cheek, and a captivating pop of color for nails, shadows lips and hair.
Dramatic and at the same time grounding, the rich and full-bodied red-brown Marsala brings color warmth into home interiors
An earthy shade with a bit of sophistication, texture is the story in print and packaging. A matte finish highlights Marsala’s organic nature while adding a sheen conveys a completely different message of glamour and luxury.

Pantone has been selecting a color of the year to reflect the mood and current way of life since 2000. To do this, Pantone's panel of color experts meet in an undisclosed location to discuss current world events, trends and moods; transforming these findings into a color representation for that year. The company has been the color authority of the world for over 50 years, integrating every industry from fashion and beauty, to textiles and home decor. I find their work very fascinating and love to see their choices trickle down into everyday items, like Marsala colored coffee mugs or a rich and luscious lipstick. The color theory reminds me of this scene in "The Devil Wears Prada" when Miranda comments on "Ahndreyah's" Cerulean Blue (Pantone COTY 2000) sweater.

All this talk of fashion and color has made me starving! I think I'll dish up a warm bowl of Marsala Beef Stew and cozy up with a nice glass of wine and a movie. Sunday snow days are my favorite. Enjoy!

Marsala Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 lb. bag of frozen pearl onions, thawed
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweet Marsala wine, divided
1½ cups low sodium beef stock
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces small button mushrooms
4 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce or Amino Acids
Thyme sprigs
Mashed potatoes for serving*

Directions:

1. Heat a large, heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of beef; cook 8 minutes or until well browned, turning to brown on all sides. Place browned beef in a 6-quart electric slow cooker; sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon salt. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining beef, and ⅛ teaspoon salt.

2. Add garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1/4 cup wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes or until half of liquid evaporates. Add stock and pepper; bring to a simmer. Carefully pour stock mixture into slow cooker; nestle thyme sprigs into liquid. Top beef mixture with mushrooms; scatter carrots over top.

3. Place the lid on the crock pot, and cook on LOW for 7 hours. (High for 4-5, but might not be quite as tender)

4. Add onions to cooking skillet; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Add 1/4 cup of wine, 1 tablespoon or Worcestershire and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to pan, reduce by half, adding liquid and onions to slow cooker. Cook an additional 30 minutes while you make the mashed potatoes.

5. Strain mixture through a colander over the same large skillet used to brown the meat; discard thyme sprigs. Bring cooking liquid to a boil; cook 6 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 2 cups. Stir in remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons wine and flour, stirring with a whisk to form slurry. Stir into cooking liquid; cook 1 minute or until bubbly and thickened, stirring constantly. Pour over beef mixture; toss gently to combine.

6. *Serve the stew on a bed of mashed potatoes in a pasta bowl, garnished with freshly cracked pepper and thyme leaves.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light December 2014