Smoky Beef Chili with Corn and Avocado salsa

Yep!  Another slow cooked meal with yummy freshness! Also from The New Slow Cooker
Well part of the reason is that here in Southern California it's still in the 80s in the day and I don't want to heat up the house.  Another reason is that I don't really have a functioning kitchen.  So my slow cooker is the best choice.  This chili is spicy with chipotle chili powder and the chipotle chilis in adobo but it's not super high on the Skoville heat list unless you put too much red chili flakes in.  The corn salsa and the garnish of sour cream balance out the spice and of course a Margarita or cold beer would make it perfect:

smoky beef chili with corn salsa

Smoky Beef Chili

Ingredients:

Chili:

4 lbs boneless beef chuck, trimmed of most fat and cut into 3/4" cubes

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup avocado oil ( or other high smoke oil)

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

8 cloves of garlic, sliced

2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, finely chopped

2 Tbs. chipotle chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried Mexican oregano

3/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup tomato paste

2 cups beef stock

Corn Salsa

Method:

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.  In a heavy fry pan over high heat warm the oil.  When the oil is hot add half of the beef and sear, turning as needed to brown evenly, about 5 minutes total

Using a slotted spoon transfer the beef to a plate. 

Repeat with second half of beef

Pour most of the fat off the pan and return to heat.

Add onions and sauce until softened, about 6 minutes

Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute

Add the chipotle chilis and sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste.  Stir well and cook for 2 minutes

Pour in 1 cup of stock to dislodge and browned bits and stir well.

Transfer to slow cooker.  Add 1 tsp salt and several grinds of fresh pepper and 1 cup of stock ( add an extra cup of stock if you like soupier chili)

Add the beef and stir

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.  The meat should be very tender

Ladle the chili into a bowl and top with a generous serving of salsa and a dollop of sour cream.

Corn Salsa:

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 avocado - choose a perfect one-cubed

4 green onions, chopped fine including the light green parts

1/2 cup lime vinaigrette

Toss well

Lime Vinaigrette:

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbs white wine vinegar

2 tsp lime zest

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 cup olive oil

Slow cooker meal- Chicken and Coconut Curry

This is a 4 hour meal in the slow cooker.  I am usually not a fan of curry but this is a mild Thai chili sauce.  I think you will love it.  I do.

Chicken and coconut curry

 Chicken and Coconut Curry

Ingredients:

chicken thighs, skin on, bone in 5 lbs
1/2 red onion
6 cloves garlic
1 TBS Thai red curry paste
grated zest and juice of 2 limes
1 TBS plus 1 tsp Asian fish sauce
salt and pepper
2 Tbs plus 2 tsp canola oil (or any high smoke oil -avocado, grape seed)
1 cup chicken stock
1 3/4 cup coconut milk - that's one 14 oz. can
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into matchsticks
1/2 tsp Asian sesame oil
1/2 cup chopped Thai basil (or mint)

steamed Jasmine rice for serving
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut, toasted

sauce mis en place

This is another recipe taken from The New Slow Cooker.  Again it's a perfect combination of the rich flavors of food cooked for long hours on low heat finished with fresh vegetables -green beans- and topped with even more freshness of the quick cooked pepper and Thai basil with another topping of crunchy toasted coconut.  You can warm this meal up for left overs but still have the toppings separate to add that freshness and crunch.

Method:

In a food processor (my 4 cup mini was big enough) combine the onion, garlic, curry paste, the lime zest and juice, the 1 TBS fish sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, and several grinds of pepper.  Pulse until a chunky puree forms.  Set aside.

chili sauce

Pat the chicken thighs dry.  Season with salt and pepper.  In a large, heat frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the 2 tbs canola oil.  When the oil is hot, working in batches, add the chicken and sear, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes total.  Transfer the chicken to a slow cooker.

seared chicken thighs

Reduce the heat to medium, add the curry mixture, and sauce, stirring often, until fragrant, about 4 minutes.  Whisk in the stock and coconut milk and then bring to a simmer. 

such a pretty sauce

Transfer to the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 4 hours.  Chicken should be tender.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the chicken pieces to a plate.  Remove the meat from the bones, and discard the bones and skin.  Shred the meat.  Return the chicken meat to the slow cooker.

Meanwhile steam the green beans for 3-4 minutes and blanch in ice water.  Stir the beans into the slow cooker, recover and warm about 5 minutes.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 2 tsp canola oil.  Add the red pepper and stir and toss until glossy and beginning to wilt, 1-2 minutes.  Remove from the heat, add the remaining 1 tsp fish sauce, the sesame oil, and the basil and toss to mix well.

pepper and Thai basil

Spoon the rice into warm shallow bowl and top with the curry.  Garnish with the red pepper mixture and toasted coconut and serve at once.

A note about limes and lime juice:

My cousin, Laurie, has a bounty of limes this year in her yard at the beach.  After my visit with the goats I was lucky enough to bring home a big bag of them.  They were the inspiration for choosing this recipe.  They also inspired me to make a tart with lime curd.  If you love lemon curd (who doesn't?) you'll also love lime curd.  I have posted these recipes before so look for the subject on the right column or in the search at the top of the page.  Or follow the link

There are certain cook's tools that just make cooking easier---and more fun.  If you use a lot of limes for juice - Margaritas- lime sorbet- lime curd- then getting one of these juicers is a must

limes and fabulous W-S lime juicer

I can't help it.  Williams-Sonoma just has fabulous utensils for the home chef.  This one is green because it is for limes.  You might figure out that the lemon juicer is yellow and yes there is an orange one too.  Eventhough my Denver Granddaughters say I have everything there is to have in my kitchen I don't have a toaster or a toaster oven.  I don't even have a microwave.  I don't have a coffee maker although I could recommend a good one and I don't have a hand mixer.  But other than these items that most cooks have I do pretty much have everything.....and I LOVE it....especially my slow cooker.

Provencal Chicken- Slow Cooker

Here's another yummy slow cook meal.  Again it comes from The New Slow Cooker.  This is a chicken meal cooked just 3 hours.  The freshness at the end is with Arugula.  The extra pop of flavor is from the tapenade.  I made the tapenade according to the instructions (well almost) but I found the store bought is fabulous too.

chicken provencal with arugula and fig tapenade

Provencal Chicken:

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut into 2 thighs, 2 breast wing portions, 2 lower breast portions and 2 drumsticks about 3 1/2 pounds
or
3 1/2 pounds of chicken thighs skin on and bone in
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped fine
salt and pepper
olive oil - 2 TBS
3 bay leaves
5 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock

4 cups baby arugula

Fig and olive tapenade

Method:

Pat the chicken dry.   Season generously all over with salt and pepper.  In a large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. When the oil is hot, working in batches to avoid crowding, add the chicken and sear, turning as needed, until golden brown, about 8 minutes total.  Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Pour off most of the fat from the pan and return it to medium-high heat.  Add the onion and bay leaves and sauce until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Sir in the tarragon, 1/2 tsp salt, and several grinds of pepper.  Pour in the wine and stock and stir to dislodge any browned bits on the pan bottom  Transfer the contents of the pan to a slow cooker and stack the chicken on top.  Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 3 hours.  The chicken should be tender.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm.  Remove the bay leaves.  Strain the braising liquid into a small saucepan, let stand a few minutes and then skim away the fat.  Bring to a boil over high heat and boil until reduced about half to concentrate the flavors---about 10 minutes.

In a bowl drizzle the arugula with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss.  Divide the chicken among warm individual plates and drizzle with the braising liquid.  Top each portion with a large spoonful of tapenade and some of the arugula.

I served mine over roasted small potatoes.

I also took the meat off of the bone for serving

Add flavor with Fig and olive tapenade:

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted mild green olives 

1 cup pitted black olives

2 dried brown figs-stemmed and chopped

2 garlic cloves-chopped

2 TBS olive oil

2 tsp brandy

1 tsp grated lemon zest 

1/4 tsp fresh rosemary-minced

Method:

In a food processor ( a mini one is perfect) combine all ingredients.  Pulse to form a chunky tapenade.

fresh figs, lemon zest, olive oil, brandy  and garlic

and then the olives

This is my happy place