Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos

Note: I was sent a Cosori Premium 6qt multicooker in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

I’m not going to lie, pressure cookers have always kind of intimidated me. I was under the impression that they were difficult to use, and easy to mess up.

Well, after trying out the Cosori Premium 6qt pressure cooker over the past couple of weeks, I’m here to tell you they are actually quite easy to use!

source: cosori.com

Pressure cookers are definitely having a moment right now, but they’ve actually been around since the 1600’s in some form or another. Pressure cookers use steam pressure to help cook food faster. When cooking tough meat, pressure cookers help tenderize the meat and cook it surprisingly quickly in the process.

source: cosori.com

The Cosori Premium 6qt pressure cooker is actually a multicooker – it’s a pressure cooker, hot pot, steamer, slow cooker, food warmer, sauté pan, yogurt maker, and rice cooker – all in one! The unit has 17 smart cooking programs, but you can also adjust the cooking time, temperature, and pressure cooking levels to customize your cooking.

source: cosori.com

I couldn’t wait to test the pressure cooker out! I immediately thought of barbacoa – super tender and shredded meat (typically lamb or beef) with seasonings, so it’s time to try making Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos!

We eat a lot of tacos in my house, so I knew this would be a perfect test of the pressure cooker’s ability. This recipe actually uses two of the features available -” sauté/brown” and “meat/stew” pressure cooking. The Cosori premium pressure cooker is quite large (6 quarts!), so I decided to make a huge batch for future dinners. (It’s always helpful to have a full freezer for busy fall weeknights.)

Note: If you’ve been considering purchasing the Cosori Premium 6qt pressure cooker, click on this link and use code UCS9PK3K to receive 10% off! (The code is only good through October 31, 2018, so be sure to purchase before then!)

Ingredients: (makes 12 servings)

  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 chipotle in adobo, plus 3 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons ground oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups beef broth, plus a tablespoon or two, divided
  • 6 lbs boneless chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
  • Salt and pepper, for seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 small white onion, finely chopped
  • Cilantro, for garnish
  • Lime wedges

Continue reading Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos

French Onion Soup

 Note: I was sent a box of Vidalia onions to make this post. Opinions are mine alone.

When I first received a box of Vidalia onions, I knew I had to make French Onion Soup. The sweetness of the onions, especially after caramelizing, is perfect for this recipe.

French Onion Soup is a favorite of mine. Who doesn’t love comforting soup with a bunch of bread and cheese goodness on top?

My version below is adapted from a recipe I found on Food Network.

Ingredients:

  • 6 Vidalia
  • 4
  • 1/4 cup sherry
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

Continue reading French Onion Soup

Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine

This cold snap feels like it will never end. One good part about the cold weather is I definitely do more cooking!

One of my husband’s favorite recipes I make is one for Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Tagine. I wanted to try a tagine with a different meat, so when I found this recipe for Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine on the cooking section of the New York Times, I used it as a base to make a slow cooker version.

Tagine or Tajine dishes are Moroccan slow cooked dishes named after the pot they are cooked in. The dishes are typically a stew with a protein, spices, and fruit. And, well, they are fantastic; they make for a perfect comfort food meal!

I braved the cold so I could pick up the ingredients for this yummy dish. I’m lucky enough to live close to Reading Terminal Market, and La Divisa Meats in the Terminal cubed some lamb leg meat for me for this recipe. If you do not have a local butcher, lamb stew meat works too.

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds cubed boneless lamb leg meat
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • large pinch saffron
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 3/4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup dried apricots
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or margarine to make dairy free, or ghee to make paleo)
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 scallions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • fresh lemon juice, to taste

Continue reading Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine

Chicken and Brisket Brunswick Stew

One of the perks of being a friend of, or related to, a food blogger, is random food deliveries. I try to keep my sister’s freezer stocked with comfort foods, but have been neglecting her a bit recently. So when I saw this recipe for Chicken and Brisket Brunswick Stew, it seemed right up her alley and I knew I had to make it for her.

I adapted the recipe for what I could find/what I had on hand, but the general gist is still there.

My sister doesn’t live in Philly, so I need to pack her goodies up in freezer-friendly containers to give her when I see her. Zyliss recently sent me a 10 piece fresh plastic food storage container set, which is perfect for freezable foods.

 

The containers are 100% leak proof and airtight, and are freezer, dishwasher, and microwave safe.

Zyliss was kind enough to send a second set my way to giveaway! More details at the end of the post.

Ingredients:

  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 lb shredded barbecue beef brisket (I purchased this at my local supermarket)
  • 1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (14 oz) bag frozen corn kernels
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • the juice of one lemon
  • hot sauce (optional)

Continue reading Chicken and Brisket Brunswick Stew

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos with Chimichurri

 Note: This post is sponsored by Moyer Beef. All opinions are mine alone.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of tacos. I have over a dozen different recipes for tacos on my blog, including fish, pork, chicken and steak tacos. I somehow have not posted a shredded beef taco recipe, so my partnership with Moyer Beef is the perfect opportunity to rectify that! These Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos with Chimichurri are sure to become a staple in your house!

As a reminder, for the next few months, I’m partnering with Moyer Beef to share some awesome beef recipes. Moyer Beef sources beef and angus beef locally from small family farms in the Northeast.

I used Moyer Beef’s boneless chuck beef for this recipe. Chuck roast comes from the muscle between the neck and shoulder blade of a cow. It’s a relatively inexpensive and is a great cut for braising and slow cooking. (Note: “pot roast” is boneless chuck beef)

This recipe has a bit of Argentinian flair to it by adding a simple chimichurri and some diced red onions on top. Chimichurri is a herb-based sauce typically used for grilled meat. It’s similar to a pesto but uses multiple herbs (traditionally parsley and oregano) with garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and crushed red pepper.

The best part about this recipe is everything can be made ahead of time! I actually made the beef over the weekend and whipped up the chimichurri right before serving, but the chimichurri can also be made 1-2 days ahead of time.

Ingredients: (serves 8)

Shredded Beef:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 3-4 pound boneless chuck roast
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet paprika can be substituted)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (normal oregano can be substituted)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Chimichurri:

  • 1 cup firmly packed flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed cilantro
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Other:

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
  • 8 flour tortillas

Continue reading Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos with Chimichurri

Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

I love love love this recipe for Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja. It’s a perfect slow cooker meal, which means dinner is ready for me when I come home from work.

Ropa Vieja translates to “old clothes,” referring to the shredded beef and colorful peppers in a tomato sauce with caramelized onions that resemble torn cloth. It’s a well-known Cuban dish, but its origins go back to Sephardic dishes in the Middle Ages.

This version has a bit more prep work to it to fully develop the flavors. Trust me, it’s worth it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds flank steak
  • 3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow), thinly sliced
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or 3/4 tsp ground cumin)
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • pinch ground allspice
  • 2 whole cloves (or a pinch of ground cloves)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • pimiento-stuffed green olives, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon brine from the olive jar
  • Cooked white or yellow rice
  • 1 can black beans, optional, for serving

Continue reading Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

Arepas Pabellón

This recipe for Arepas Pabellón is inspired by a visit to an absolutely delicious Venezuelan restaurant. Last week, I checked out one of Philly’s newest restaurants: Puyero Venezuelan Flavor.

source: puyeroflavor.com

Located just off of South Street on S 4th, the restaurant serves Venezuelan street food including arepas, patacones and tequenos, plus yummy desserts like churros.

The 22-seat restaurant is vibrant and colorful, very welcoming. I enjoyed reading a selection of Venezuelan sayings that decorate one of the walls; my favorite: “Más hambre que piojo en peluche” or “I’m hungrier than a tick on a teddy bear.”

Owned by brothers Simon and Gil, and Gil’s wife Manuela, the restaurant has a very “homey” feel to it. The entire menu is available for lunch and dinner, with brunch options coming in the spring. You can also order delivery through Caviar (which I’ve totally already done. Hence the photos below, showing my delivery food).

While there, I tried quite a few menu items, but my favorites were the tequenos, white cheese wrapped in deep fried dough, and arepas pabellon, which is an arepa filled with shredded beef, black beans, fried sweet plantains, and white cheese.

I wanted to try to make Arepas Pabellón for myself at home. This recipe can be made ahead of time, reheated, and assembled when ready to eat.

 

Shredded Beef:

  •  garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 4
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce

Arepas:

  • 1 1/2 cups masarepa (a type of cornmeal found in the international section of most supermarkets. white or yellow is fine)
  • 1 1/2 cups water, or more if needed
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Fried Sweet Plantains:

Other Fillings:

  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • queso blanco

Continue reading Arepas Pabellón

Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans

My slow cooker gets such a workout this time of year. But I’m not willing to fully give up “summer” foods just yet. I had a craving for baked beans recently, so I decided to make a batch in my slow cooker and serve it with a cheeseburger and cornbread. Yum. This recipe is a “Boston Baked Beans” recipe, meaning it uses molasses in the recipe.

This recipe uses bacon that was sent to me by ButcherBox, a company that delivers 100% grass-fed beef and other protein to your door.  The company partners with a collective of small farms to deliver high quality products at an affordable price.

Butcher Box is a subscription service, so the boxes are mailed monthly.

 

The boxes come with 7-10 pounds of meat (20+ servings). There are a bunch of options: All Beef, Beef & Chicken, Beef & Pork, or Mixed (Beef, Chicken & Pork, which is what I received).

The Mixed box includes 100% grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and all-natural pork. Most of the meat comes frozen (the bacon was not), so you can stick it right in your freezer and eat when convenient for you. I’ll have future recipes using the rest of the ingredients in the box, but for now, they are in my freezer.

This recipe also includes the best way to make bacon, in my humble opinion. Making bacon in the oven allows you to make quite a bit at a time, and the bacon doesn’t shrink up as much as it cooks. On to the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound dry navy beans, soaked in water overnight
  • 10 oz bacon, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • additional water or beef broth, as needed

Continue reading Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans

Slow Cooker Beef Ramen

So I’ve been feeling pretty crummy for the past few days. And I’ve been craving soups like crazy. One of my favorite options when I want a comforting meal is ramen, specifically Shio-style from Nom Nom Ramen in center city Philadelphia.

When I saw Betsy Life did a version of Ramen in her slow cooker, I knew I wanted to try as well!

Ramen is typically made with pork belly, but I couldn’t find any in my supermarket so I went with beef. So this Slow Cooker Beef Ramen is definitely not a traditional style ramen.

This recipe is adapted from BetsyLife.com

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs beef chunk roast
  • 32 oz container low sodium beef broth, plus 1/4 cup, divided
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce — if not it will be too salty
  • ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
  • The juice of 1 lime
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used 1 cup shiitake caps and 1 cup baby bella)
  • 1 pack Chinese-style noodles (Chuka Soba)
  • Cilantro, sliced green onions, jalapeños, lime wedges, nori (seaweed), etc. for garnish

Continue reading Slow Cooker Beef Ramen

Slow Cooker Sausage and Sweet Potato Chili

Nothing warms you up quite like a bowl of homemade chili. I love how hearty chili is while still being a relatively healthy dinner choice. And when made in a slow cooker, it’s waiting to greet you when you get home!

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of slow cooker recipes; I have almost 30 slow cooker recipes on my blog as of this post!  And chili is a perfect slow cooker meal — brown your meat, saute the onions and peppers, throw everything else in, cover, and let the slow cooker do it’s magic.

I was sent this slow cooker chili recipe from Redpack tomatoes for Slow Cooker Sausage and Sweet Potato Chili, along with a kit containing some of their yummy crushed tomatoes. I had never made chili with sweet potatoes in it before but it sounded absolutely delicious! I adapted my recipe slightly, mainly due to me using a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes instead of a 14.5 oz can (oops).

Redpack also will be hosting an awesome promotion from today, Oct. 22 to Nov. 12 during which they will give away two slow cookers a day for three weeks on its Facebook page — that’s 44 slow cookers! Just go to RedPack Tomatoes Facebook Page to enter.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, removed from its casings
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 (28 oz) can Redpack Crushed Tomatoes in Thick Puree
  • 1 (28 oz) can Repack Petite Diced Tomatoes in Juice
  • 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • 1 jalapeno, minced (optional)
  • cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)

Continue reading Slow Cooker Sausage and Sweet Potato Chili

Vietnamese Noodle Soup (Pho)

I had a hankering for pho this week so I figured I would try to make it! This at-home recipe has a bit of a darker broth but boy does it taste good!

I found this recipe on Food Network and was surprised at how simple it really was to make. The hardest part was slicing the beef super thin so that it can finish cooking in the broth. If you are worried that your slices are too thick to cook fully, just add the sliced beef to the broth and simmer for about 1 minute before assembling.

 

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces rice noodles
  • 12 ounces lean beef sirloin, fat trimmed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large onion, sliced (or 2 small onions)
  • 1 4 -inch piece ginger, unpeeled, halved
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 5 star anise pods
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 scallions
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 cup fresh bean sprouts

Continue reading Vietnamese Noodle Soup (Pho)

Wild Mushroom Farro Risotto

I’ve made a couple of farro recipes on this blog before and I just love it. If you haven’t tried it yet, I strongly suggest it. I really like it as a substitute for Arborio rice in risotto dishes; farro adds a nice bite to the creamy risotto that I just love.

So I was super excited when Tuscan Fields, a delicious brand of organic farro, gave me and 49 other bloggers the opportunity to not only try their farro, but to create a recipe using the farro in the hopes of winning a scholarship to the Eat Write Retreat conference this year which is being held in my hometown of Philadelphia!

The nutty flavor of farro would be perfect with the earthiness of mushrooms so I decided to make a wild mushroom farro risotto with Tuscan Fields’ Farro Perlato. I added a bit of bacon to really heighten the flavor of the risotto as well.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package Tuscan Fields Farro Perlato
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 large shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried sage
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb assorted wild mushrooms
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
  • Fresh sage and thyme, chopped, for garnish

Continue reading Wild Mushroom Farro Risotto

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