A Couple of Slow Cooker Recipes

Someone passed a copy of Family Circle magazine to me last month.  I haven't seen an issue in a very long time, and there were some slow cooker recipes that really appealed to me.  I tweaked them slightly and made some delicious suppers.  The kids wouldn't eat them because there were mushrooms (ACK!) in the first dish and beans (YIKES!) in the second, but the adults quite enjoyed their food.  So, for those that smelled the beef stroganoff cooking one day and asked for the recipe, here it is.  And the other one I tried, Pork and Black Beans, was delicious and fast and I will definitely make it again.


Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2 pounds beef round or top sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 package (14 ounces) white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste (I use ketchup, because I don't want to open a whole can of tomato paste for this)
11/2 cup low-sodium beef broth (I use the ready to use stuff in the waxed cartons)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Combine beef, mushrooms, onions, tomato paste, broth and 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours or until beef is tender.

2. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, cornstarch and black pepper; whisk into slow cooker bowl and cook an additional 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Serve over egg noodles or rice and sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

 
Black Beans & Pork

Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Slow Cook: 4 hours on HIGH or 6 hours on LOW

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 cans  black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies (the only brand I found at SaveOne foods was Western Family)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 cups cooked white rice (optional)

1. In a slow cooker bowl, toss together pork, chili powder, coriander, salt and pepper. Stir in onion, beans, tomatoes and 1 1/4 cups water. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.
2. Stir in cilantro. Using a potato masher, mash beans slightly until mixture is thickened. Serve bean mixture over rice, if desired.