Squash and Apple soup and cranberry sauce might be my best bets for Christmas Day contributions. Apparently a lot of those people are vegans at the moment - does this mean I have to leave the butter out of the soup? So annoying.
Pot Luck.... I don't remember what I make for those. Um, puff pastry chicken packets? A dessert of some kind? Hrmn.
There will have to be pies... raisin and blueberry and banana cream? Probably.
Oh and I'm sure there must be some excuse for cheese straws... tomorrow the recipe hunt starts in earnest but for today, here's one i don't want to lose in the shuffle that will come in handy when I'm busy.
This is a slow cooker recipe from Cooks Country. Am I going to be sucked into a membership purchase? Probably. I believe they have what might be the best raisin pie recipe and that might be the best way to get it (or I could buy the cookbook... my options are all tempting)
| 5 | pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast , trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes |
| 3 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
| 4 | medium onions , chopped fine |
| 1 | (6-ounce) can tomato paste |
| 2 | cups low-sodium chicken broth or beef broth |
| 3 | tablespoons soy sauce |
| 1 | pound carrots , peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 | pound parsnips , peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 | pound red potatoes , cut into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 2 | tablespoons Minute Tapioca |
| 2 | cups frozen peas, thawed |
1. Dry beef with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to slow-cooker insert and repeat with remaining beef (you shouldn’t need more oil). 2. Add 1 tablespoon oil, onions, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to empty skillet and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring well, for 2 minutes. Add broth and soy sauce, bring to simmer, and transfer to slow-cooker insert. 3. Toss carrots, parsnips, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap vegetables in foil packet that will fit in slow cooker. Stir bay leaves and tapioca into slow-cooker insert; set vegetable packet on top of beef. 4. Set slow cooker to high, cover, and cook for 6 to 7 hours. (Or cook on low for 10 to 11 hours.) Transfer vegetable packet to plate. Carefully open packet (watch for steam) and stir vegetables and juices into stew. Add remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and peas and let stand until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. Make Ahead You can do most of the prep for this recipe the night before the ingredients go into the slow cooker. Prepare the recipe through step 2 and refrigerate the browned beef and onion mixture in separate containers. In the morning, just transfer everything to the slow cooker and proceed with step 3. The cooking time will run to the high end of the ranges given in the recipe.
