Salsa Verde Beef

Slow cooker dishes with meat that is shredded at the end of cooking are so versatile. This beef dish is very juicy, tender, and tangy - and can be served in many different ways:  over veggie or pasta noodles, with potatoes or rice, in tacos/burritos/quesadillas...see what I mean?!

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast

1/4 cup no-sugar-added green salsa

2 cloves garlic, pushed through a press or minced

2 green onions, trimmed & chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Trim fat from beef.

2. Place beef, salsa, garlic, onions, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, & salt in a slow cooker.

3. Cover & cook on low for 8 hours, or until beef is very tender.

4. Remove beef & shred, using 2 forks.

5. Mix beef with 1/2 cup of cooking juices before serving.

What we did differently (it's what we do!):

1. We used the HT Traders Jalapeno Verde Salsa from Harris Teeter. This tasty salsa has 0 net carbs, no fat, no sugar, but tons of flavor!  1/4 cup didn't seem like much, so I upped it to 1/2 cup.

2. We aren't big onion fans, so we left out the green onions.

3. We chose to add an orange bell pepper (chopped) for color and extra flavor and also an additional jalapeno. Can you tell we like spice?!

4. We also didn't add the salt - why add more sodium when there are already other seasonings & veggies to add flavor?

5. While the recipe says to shred the beef and then mix with a portion of the juices, we found the meat to be extremely tender & easy to shred right in the slow cooker. We then mixed it with the full juices and let the meat soak up the yummy goodness!

6. We chose to serve the shredded beef over zucchini noodles, lightly sauteed in olive oil & parmesan cheese.

Our thoughts:

Loved this dish!  So much flavor & a nice kick with the additional peppers! We found the zucchini noodles added a light crunch element & blended well with the flavor of the meat. The leftovers will give us a chance to pull out our quesadilla maker - shredded beef, shredded Mexican blend cheese, and low-carb tortillas will make a fine dinner!

Kickin' Chili

We love us some chili and there are so many different types/styles out there!  Ed stumbled upon this healthy version at peaceloveandlowcarb.com and we tried it a couple nights ago. She has many tasty recipes out there - I recommend browsing her site for more good & good-for-you dishes!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

1 medium red onion - chopped - divided

4 Tbsp minced garlic

3 large ribs celery - diced

1/4 cup jalapeno slices

1 - 6 oz can tomato paste

1 - 14.5 oz can tomatoes w/green chiles

1 - 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes with Mexican seasoning

2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce

4 Tbsp chili powder

2 1/2 Tbsp cumin - mounded

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

Directions:

In large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef, half of the onions, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, and salt & pepper. Once beef is browned, drain excess fat from pan.

Transfer ground beef mixture to slow cooker.  Add remaining onions, garlic, celery, jalapenos, tomato paste, tomatoes w/chiles (with liquid), stewed tomatoes (with liquid), Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, black pepper, and bay leaf. 

Stir until all ingredients are well combined.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Our thoughts:

We set the timer for 6 1/2 hours and the chili was just the right consistency & thickness. Nice darker brown color & really looks like my mental picture of chili!  Since all slow cookers seem to have their own unique heat level & speed (much like our ovens), just be sure you let it cook long enough so that it is not soupy.  Lots of flavor in this dish. Ed says you could add a touch of hot sauce to it if you like your chili on the hotter side, but I think the variety of spices cooked in give it a pleasant robust heat on their own.  You'd never guess it was low carb & gluten-free!  This chili also reheats well for lunches & such.

Slow Cooker Mushrooms

I love ordering a side of button mushrooms when out for dinner, and this recipe tastes just as good as those I've had at a restaurant!  I'm also excited about finally getting to use our 1 quart crock pot to make this dish!

Ingredients:

1 pound white button mushrooms - don´t buy them in the little blue boxes though. Hand pick them from the bin and choose medium to larger size because you will be cutting these into quarters. You need a decent size.

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley - It comes in a small bunch and you may find it under Italian parsley in the produce section.

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Cut off the ends of each mushroom leaving a little bit of the stem. Do not pop out like you would with stuffed mushrooms.

2. Wipe each mushroom clean with a damp cloth. Mushroom soak up liquid so you don't want to float them in water to clean.

3. Cut each mushroom into quarters.

4. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl & mix to coat all of the mushroom quarters.

5. Pour into crock pot.

6. Cook on HIGH 2 to 3 hours.

7. This dish works well as a side dish or as an appetizer with toothpicks.  The recipe is very easy to double or triple, depending on the size of your crowd - just use a larger crock pot to cook!

Our thoughts:

So easy to cook and very tasty as a side dish!  I can definitely see serving this dish on a regular basis, either as a side with meats, or as an additional salad topping.

Barbacoa Beef

Ed was in the mood for some barbacoa beef with kick to put in a wrap and found this recipe after consulting the Googles.

Ingredients:

(1) 2.5 - 3 lb boneless chuck roast

Adobo Sauce

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small can chipotle chiles in adobo [you'll use 1 chili & 1 Tbsp of the adobo sauce from the can]

1/2 tsp cumin

3 Tbsp tomato paste

4 large garlic cloves

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cloves

Directions:

1. In a blender, blend all of the ingredients for the adobo sauce.

2. Place the roast in the slow cooker and pour adobo sauce over meat.

3. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or until the roast is pull-apart tender.

4. Shred meat & place in a bowl, then dump the crock pot sauce on top.

5. Add an additional pinch of salt.

Our thoughts:

The meat turned out very tender & had lots of kick to it.  We served in a low-carb wrap with shredded cheese with a side of slow-cooked mushrooms (this dish has a blog post too!) and found it to be a tasty, filling meal.  I could definitely see serving the leftover meat as topping on a salad for another nice healthy dinner. Another option for leftovers would be in another wrap, adding some of the leftover slow-cooked mushrooms and some additional fresh veggies.