Beef Quinoa Stew

Sometimes a recipe comes to me quite by mistake. I stick something in the crockpot and when I test it out half way through the cooking process, I think, "wow, this could really be good in THIS." That is when a recipe is born. And not only was it born, but it was devoured. Mostly by the adults, but the kids tolerated it. See it has the two deadly sins.

Mushrooms and Onions

At least the kids think so anyway. But we all know better.

So here is the fabulous recipe that I will surely make again and again.

And again.

Put the following ingredients in a gallon sized ziplock bag and seal:
2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into thin slices (about 1/2 inch thick and 3 inches long)
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound mushrooms trimmed and quartered

Write on the outside of this bag: Low 8 hrs - high 6. Add second bag at hour 4.

In another gallon sized ziplock add the following:

16oz mixed frozen veggies (carrots, corn, beans, etc)
15oz canned diced potatoes (or fresh, make sure they are diced small)
1.5 cups of Quinoa
1  teaspoons of pepper

On the outside of this bag, write: Add to crockpot at hour 4 with 4-5 cups of beef broth.

This soup is hearty and seriously delicious. If you use a low sodium beef broth, be sure to add some salt, but I didn't and it didn't need any.

Stork Meal 2: African Soup

Day two of meal making for the new mom and sometimes things don't always go as they're planned. See in our house, African soup is a huge win. My FIL grew up in West Africa and this was and continues to be a staple in their house. All the grand kids love this meal and up until today, I had no idea why.

I mean I loved it... but now I am allergic. No tomatoes for me. But if I hadn't found I was allergic, I would have enjoyed it after I made it. Instead, I fed it to the gang and waited for the reviews from my sister.

Needless to say, Mom-to-be wasn't a super fan. She said it tasted like Spaghetti Os. That is a win in some folks books, but apparently this is NOT a meal that we will be making for her freezer. However, I make it for mine ALL the time, so I will still share the recipe.

What you will need:

4 Gallon bags
2 quart bags
2 Large cans of tomato puree
2 Large cans of crushed tomatoes
2 sticks of butter
2 cans of SPAM (yes, I said it... SPAM)
1-2 Tablespoons of crushed red pepper flakes
1 Large can of green beans
4 cups minute rice

Just be glad you aren't in Western Africa, they use monkey meat. No kidding.

So here is what you do.

Melt butter in large sauce pot. Add in cubed spam and fry for 5-8 minutes. Some of the pieces could get crispy, but they don't all have to be. Add in all the tomatoes and red pepper flakes and allow it to cool.

Divide green beans into the two quart sized bags and place into gallon bags A & B.
Divide white minute rice into two quart sized bags and place into gallon bags A & B.

When the mixture is cool, divide into gallon bags C & D and seal tightly. Then place the sealed mixtures into A & B respectively along with the green beans and rice.  Seal and write this on the outside: Defrost.Place tomato mixture in sauce pan and simmer for 6+ hours until reduced one-third. Add green beans and cook for 30 minutes. Combine 2 cups of water with rice in microwaveable container and microwave on high for 5 minutes (or until water is absorbed). Serve African soup over rice.

You could make this in the crockpot, but it will have to cook a lot longer to reduce down enough.

If you have your reservations about the SPAM in this, don't knock it till you try it. I'm not at all a spam fan, but this is great!

To see the other Stork Meals, click here.