Today's Tip: Easy, Yummy and Low-Maintenance Supper Recipe

It was quite the snowy day in the Wichita area yesterday, so it seemed logical to make some sort of soup in the crock pot - that just goes with cold, snowy days, doesn't it?  So I opted for a slow cooker Texas Stew that turned out FABULOUS.  And as a little shocker to my kids, I made biscuits to go with it!  Somehow you just can't have stew without biscuits, so here are the two recipes for you to try.

Slow Cooker Texas Stew

1 1/2 lbs. lean beef chuck, trimmed of fat cut into 1" cubes*
1 1/2 lbs. pork butt, trimmed of fat and cut into 1" cube**
2 T olive or grapeseed oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 4oz. can diced green chili peppers
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef broth (can use water)

Brown meats in a heavy skillet with olive oil until thoroughly cooked.  Add garlic and onions.  Saute until tender.  Combine mixture with all remaining ingredients in a slow cooker or crock pot.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Remove bay leaves before serving. Serves 8.

*look for USDA Choice chuck roast...you can get Select to save some $$, but the Choice is more tender
**I forgot to buy pork butt when I was at the store, but my chuck roast was over 2 1/2 lbs. so I just used the chuck

Fluffy Biscuits (makes 12 biscuits)

Ingredients

 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 T pure cane sugar

¾ tsp salt

¼ cup butter

1 cup buttermilk*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in bowl. Cut in butter with a knife or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in buttermilk until just moistened.
3. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface; knead gently 8 to 10 times. Roll to about 3/4-inch thickness; cut with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter or a cup that measures the desired biscuit size. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until biscuits are lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.

*Don’t have any buttermilk?  Do what I did…pour 1 T lemon juice into a 1 cup measuring cup.  Add milk to make 1 cup.  Stir and let set for a couple of minutes.