Taking it slowly

Long winter evenings are the perfect time to enjoy either slow cooked steak bites orpasta with Bolognese sauce.

By GOURMETKOSHERCOOKING.COM
Taking it slowly (photo credit: courtesy)
Taking it slowly
(photo credit: courtesy)
Websites and television shows seem inundated with requests for quick and easy slow cooker recipes. Here are two recipes that my family enjoys. Both have amazing sauces that pair well with rice or pasta and make for a filling and delicious meal.
Slow cooker steak bites Serves 5
This is a great mid-week quick meal. My kids love it and scoop up the sauce with the rice.
• 1 (250g) can crushed pineapple packed in juice, lightly drained • 1/3 cup sweet Asian chili sauce • 1/2 teaspoon lite soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste • 680 grams lean steak, cut into about 30 bite-size pieces • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 onion, finely chopped
Place pineapple, chili sauce, soy sauce, and crushed red pepper in a crock pot. Mix well. Season steak with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and add to the crock pot. Add onion and stir to coat.
Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours (Alternatively, recipe can be baked in the oven, covered, at 325 degrees F for 3 to 4 hours).
Serve with rice.
Slow cooker Bolognese sauce Serves 8
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced • 1 large carrot, finely chopped • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped • Kosher salt and cracked black pepper• 3 tablespoons tomato paste • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/2 cup dry red wine • 2/3 cup soymilk • Two 800 grams cans crushed tomatoes • 450 grams ground beef or turkey • 450 grams ground steak • Pasta, for serving
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, thyme and nutmeg, and continue cooking until the vegetables have softened and started to brown, about 2 minutes. Deglaze with the wine, pulling up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Carefully transfer to the slow cooker. Stir in the soymilk and tomatoes. Mix the beef and steak together in a separate bowl, using your hands, until combined. Stir the meat into the slow cooker, spreading out evenly and avoiding any large clumps. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours. Skim the accumulated grease from the surface before serving.
Serve over pasta with crusty bread for soaking up the sauce.
These recipes were brought to you by www.gourmetkoshercooking.com