Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I think everyone has there own version of beef stew.  This one is fantastic, you can play with the herbs that you add, or leave them out entirely depending on your taste preference or mood.  I was in the mood for rosemary and thyme this time, so that's what I have in the recipe.  This is enough to feed my family for 3 meals.  I freeze the leftovers and then just thaw and reheat for the subsequent meals...it saves me time and money.

Beef Stew
2-2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 3/4" squares
salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 millet flour
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped potatoes
4 cups beef broth (I used Pacific Foods brand, I've also used Imagine brand in the past)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leafs
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
salt, to taste (depends on how salty your broth is)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons cold water

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high to high heat.  Season meat with salt and pepper and toss in the flour to evenly coat.  Brown the meat in the skillet for 1-2 minutes on each side and place the meat into the slow cooker.  Add in the remaining ingredients, except for the corn starch and cold water.  Cook on low for 10 hours. Thirty minutes before serving time, mix together corn starch and water and add it to the stew.  Turn the heat up to high and cook until thickened. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

This post is featured on Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Weekly Menu (1/8/11-1/14/11)

Weekly Menu (1/8/12-1/14/12)

Sunday:

Breakfast: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Green Smoothies (blackberries, bananas, spinach)

Lunch: 

• Ham sandwiches on our millet sorghum bread
• Chips
• Clementines
• Carrot sticks and Almond Butter

Dinner:

• Teriyaki Salmon (and Chicken for my non fish lovers) note: for soy-free use Coconut Aminos
• Basmati Rice
• Steamed Broccoli
• Salad and Baby Carrots

Monday:

Breakfast: Cereal and Bananas

Lunch:  

• School Lunch:
• Peanut Butter and Jam on our millet sorghum bread
• Chips
• Clementines
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Milk

Dinner:  

• Chicken Mushroom Millet Skillet (instead of kale, I'm using spinach)
• Breadsticks
• Carrots and Almond Butter
• Salad

Tuesday: 

Breakfast: Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins and clementines

Lunch:

• School Lunch:
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Clementine
• Chips
• Fruit Snack 
• Milk

Dinner: 

• Roasted Lemon Garlic Herb Shrimp
• Quinoa
• Sliced Apples
• Salad

Wednesday:

Breakfast: 

•  Cereal and Overnight Oats

Lunch:

• School Lunch:
• Ham and Cheese Sandwich
• Carrots
• chips
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie 
• Milk

Dinner:

• Corn Dogs
• Oven Fries
• Carrots and Almond Butter
• Sliced Asian Pears

Thursday:

Breakfast: 

• Cereal and Milk

Lunch: 

• School Lunch:
• Pepperoni and Cheese on Schar Crispbread
• Chips
• Clementine
• Milk
• Fruit Snack

Dinner:

• One-eyed Sandwiches
  
• Bacon
• Clementines
• Hashbrowns

Friday: 

Breakfast:

• Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Lunch: 

• School Lunch:
• Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich
• Chips
• Clementine  
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Milk

Dinner:

• Pizza
• Salad and Carrot Sticks

Saturday

Breakfast:

• Cereal

Lunch:

• Sandwiches
• Chips 
• Clementines

Dinner: 

• Chicken Nuggets
• Oven Fries
• Salad

Sorghum Millet Bread, Rolls, and Breadsticks

Since I made myself a fantastic bread, I decided I needed to make one for the boys, too.  I already have a fantastic bread recipe that I use to make bread, rolls and breadsticks.  But, I thought I'd change things up a bit and make one using sorghum and millet flour, because they really are my favorite for breads.  My older son absolutely loves this bread, in all three forms.  In fact, I made breadsticks last night and they disappeared before I could take a picture of them, I call that a success. 

Sorghum Millet Bread
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup millet flour
2/3 cup potato starch
2/3 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons guar gum (or xanthan gum, all I have right now is guar gum)
2 teaspoons (or one packet) unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup almond meal
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

Directions:
In a small bowl  mix together water, yeast, honey, oil, and vinegar.  Let sit for ~3-5 minutes. In a medium bowl (I used my stand mixer for this), stir together dry ingredients.  Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.  Once combined, mix on high speed for 3-5 minutes.

For Bread: Grease a loaf pan.  Spoon the batter into the pan, smooth the top with wet fingers or a wet spatula. Cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 20 minutes. As the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 400F.

Bake for 60 minutes, covering with aluminum foil after the first 10 minutes.  When 5 minutes a left, check the bread, if you want it a little more golden, remove the foil, if it's browned enough leave it on.

The bread should last a few days if stored in the fridge, a few months if stored in the freezer.

For Rolls: Grease a muffin tin.  Scoop dough into muffin tins by using a spring release cookie dough scoop (1 1/2"- 2" size or 1/4 cup if going by volume).

Cover and allow to rise for 20 minutes.  Then bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.  After 15 minutes, top with dairy-free margarine to help with browning.

For Breadsticks: Grease a cookie sheet. Scoop dough into a large ziploc bag and cut a bottom corner off.  Pipe the dough (as you would frosting) onto the cookie sheet, making the breadsticks as long or short as you would like.

Cover and allow to rise for 20 minutes.  Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.  After 15 minutes, top with dairy-free margarine and garlic salt.

Multigrain Seeded Bread

Most of the time I'm coming up with recipes I have my kids in mind, but every once in a while, like tonight, I think solely about me. :)  I made myself this incredible multigrain seeded bread that happens to be free from gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, rice, corn, and refined sugars. And could easily be made vegan by using agar flakes in place of the gelatin and agave nectar in place of the honey.

I've had three pieces already...I might just eat the whole loaf tonight.  This is definitely going to by my bread going forward.  I used sorghum and millet instead of brown rice, because they have a higher protein and fiber content.  Combine that, with the flax seed, chia seed, whole millet, and much more and you have a pretty healthy and hearty piece of bread.  And it's has just the perfect amount of nuttiness from the seeds to make an excellent sandwich bread or to have by itself.

This recipe is a part of January's collection of healing foods for 'Go ahead honey, it's gluten-free' event, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, and Allergy Friendly Friday.

Multigrain Seeded Bread
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup millet flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons guar gum (or xanthan gum, I just happened to have guar gum at the moment)
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (1 packet of Knox Gelatine)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon millet
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon roughly chopped pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon poppy seeds, plus more to sprinkle on top

Directions

In a small bowl  mix together water, yeast, honey, oil, and vinegar.  Let sit for ~3-5 minutes. In a medium bowl (I used my stand mixer for this), stir together dry ingredients.  Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.  Once combined, mix on high speed for 3-5 minutes.


Grease a loaf pan.  Spoon the batter into the pan, smooth the top with wet fingers or a wet spatula. Sprinkle with extra poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.  Cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 20 minutes. As the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 400F.

Bake for 60 minutes, covering with aluminum foil after the first 10 minutes.  When 5 minutes a left, check the bread, if you want it a little more golden, remove the foil, if it's browned enough leave it on.

The bread should last a few days if stored in the fridge, a few months if stored in the freezer.

Vegetarian Chicken Salad for Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger

It's Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger time.  Book of Yum is hosting it, check out the page here.  I chose Kalinda from Wheat Free Meat Free to adopt this time.  I love her blog, she has such great meat free ideas that I love to incorporate into my cooking.

When I saw her vegetarian chicken salad, it was like having a light bulb come on...why had I never thought of using chickpeas in place of chicken?  I had to make some of her salad right then, and I enjoyed it in so many ways...on Schar crispbread, on lettuce, with my pita bread, and straight out of the bowl. :) Every single way I had it, it was amazing.  It is the perfect replacement to chicken salad.

 This salad is light, but filling.  And it is perfect for lunches, brunches, showers, pot lucks...anything really.  Thanks, Kalinda for such a brilliant, healthy idea!