Slow Cooker Tangy Pineapple Shredded Beef

Summertime is quickly approaching! 

I love my slow cooker!  It's so helpful being able to throw something together in the morning or around lunch time and have it be ready for dinner.  Plus, as the summer heats up, I don't want to use the oven much.  Using the slow cooker is so convenient + it doesn't heat up the house! 

Warmer weather makes me crave shredded beef with LOTS of homemade BBQ sauce + yummy tacos made by my husband {he makes the best, authentic tacos with shredded meat}.  

My shredded beef recipe is so easy to make + takes very little prep time.  You won't find any processed ingredients in this recipe either ... no refined sugars or ketchup!   

SLOW COOKER TANGY PINEAPPLE SHREDDED BEEF

Sweet + savory, this tangy pineapple shredded beef will be the star attraction of many meals. 

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EQUIPMENT: Cutting Board, Sharp Quality Chef's Knife, Blender, Large Saucepan, Wooden Spatula, Slow Cooker 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 grass-fed chuck roast, about 3 pounds 
• 2 tablespoons pasture butter, ghee or fat of choice {See Resources} 
• 1 medium size organic pineapple
• 1 cup unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1/2 cup coconut aminos *
• 1/4 cup organic maple syrup grade B or raw honey 
• 3 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt {See Resources} 
• 1 astragalus root {optional}
• 1 strip of kombu {optional}

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash the outside of the pineapple - I like to wash mine in a vinegar-water solution.  Using a sharp chef's knife, lay the pineapple on its side and cut off the top and bottom of the fruit.  Stand the pineapple upright and cut off the outer tough skin of the pineapple.  Slice the pineapple in half.  Slice the pineapple into quarters.  Remove the inner core from the slices and cut pineapple slices into chunks.

2. Add pineapple, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, maple syrup or honey, garlic, thyme, turmeric + sea salt to a blender.  Blend until pureed and no pineapple chunks remain.  If needed, add 1 cup water to blender.  Set aside.  

3. Melt fat of choice in large saucepan over medium-high heat, about 1 minute until the pan is hot.  Add chuck roast to the pan and sear on each side until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.  

4. Remove the chuck roast from the saucepan and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Leave the saucepan on the heat and add about 1 cup of the pineapple mixture to deglaze.  Use a wooden spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan {there's a lot of good flavor in the browned bits}.  Pour the pan sauce over the chuck roast.  Add the 1 cup of water if you did not add it to the pineapple mixture in the blender.  The meat should be almost covered by the liquid.  Add optional strip of astragals root + kombu to the liquid.   

5. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours {or on low for 7-8 hours}, until beef is tender and pulls apart easily. 

6. Place chuck roast on a cutting board and shred with two forks or use a quality kitchen knife and cut in a rustic chop, shredding beef while cutting.  

7. Serve with reduced tangy pineapple sauce + your favorite toppings!

Yield: 3 pounds of shredded beef. 

Serving Suggestions: The meat makes amazing tacos {especially when topped with fresh slaw or fresh salsa, cilantro + lime}, sandwiches + wraps.  It's delicious paired with mashed potatoes, celery root mash or sweet potatoes.  Super yummy with roasted veggies, a simple side salad or homemade slaw.  So good with homemade potato salad too!  

*Note: If you can't find coconut aminos, you can substitute with gluten free tamari.  

Storage: Store shredded meat in the pineapple liquid; place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.  Keeps well for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.  

Make a Tangy Pineapple Sauce: Add leftover pineapple-beef cooking liquid to a medium-size sauce pan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until sauce thickens and reduces in volume.   

ENJOY SLOW COOKER TANGY PINEAPPLE SHREDDED BEEF WITH ...

Sautéed Kale with Pasture Butter by Recipes to Nourish

Real Food Potato Salad by Raising Generation Nourished  

Baked Pimento Peppers w/ Cheddar Cheese by Recipes to Nourish

Classic Mashed Potatoes by Live Simply 

Roasted Broccoli w/ Meyer Lemon by Recipes to Nourish
Scalloped Potatoes by Food Your Body Will Thank You For  

Mexican Corn w/ Cilantro + Lime by Recipes to Nourish
Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad by Tasty Yummies  
Creamy Kale Salad w/ Cracked Pepper Polenta Croutons by With Food + Love 

Amazon links are affiliate links, prices are the same for you.  Should you decide to purchase through my blog, thank you in advance and much gratitude for supporting Recipes to Nourish.

This post is shared at Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop. 

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

This pureed soup is so simple and satisfying, perfect for fall and winter. 

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Equipment: Large Stockpot, Cutting Board, Sharp Knife, Blender or Food Processor, Soup Ladle, Large Mixing Bowl

·      2 tablespoons pasture butter or coconut oil

·      1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

·      2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

·      5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into large chunks*

·      6 organic apples, peeled, cored and quartered

·      2 cups homemade broth, stock or bone broth

·      1-2 cups organic apple juice (fresh juice is best)

·      1 strip kombu (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon kelp granules (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon dried thyme

·      1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

1.    Prep onion, garlic, butternut squash and apples – wash and peel.  Remove outer skin of onion, cut in half and dice.  Mince garlic.  Remove seeds from butternut squash (save to roast or freeze for stocks).  Core apples. 

Gala Apples and Butternut Squash

Please excuse the yellow hue, the natural lighting was not good in my kitchen.

Little Love - my favorite helper

2.   In a large stockpot, melt fat of choice over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté for about 5-8 minutes, stirring on occasion, until slightly golden brown.  Add garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring on occasion.

3.   Add butternut squash and apple chunks into the stockpot.  Add broth and apple juice, just enough liquid to barely cover the soup contents (I usually leave about ¼ inch of the squash and apples sticking out without liquid covering them).

4.   Add kombu, kelp, thyme and sea salt to the stockpot. 

5.    Bring soup to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until squash is fork-tender.    

6.    Remove soup from heat.  Prep blender to puree the soup.  Bring large mixing bowl and soup ladle to the station where you will puree the soup.  In small portions, add soup contents to the blender (please use caution as the soup is extremely hot).  Note: Do not fill the blender more than half full, when contents are pureed they will expand, you don’t want hot soup all over your kitchen ceiling.  Puree soup until smooth, add pureed portions to the large mixing bowl.  Repeat until all soup is pureed.  Add soup back to stockpot.  

7.   Keep soup on low heat until ready to serve or store in the refrigerator for later. 

8.   Serve hot as is or top with sour cream or crème fraiche.     

Optional Toppings: Top with a dollop of cultured sour cream or crème fraiche.  It’s delicious with a blend of the two as well.   

*Note:Butternut Squash should make about 6 cups cubed, I usually buy 2 medium-size butternut squash.  If you end up having a little less or a little more, that’s fine, just alter the juice/liquid so the juice just barely covers the soup contents.  You don’t want too much liquid when you start to puree the soup, you want the soup to be somewhat thick, too much liquid will make the puree very thin, more like a broth based soup. 

Yield: Makes about 3 quarts.

Grass-fed Pot Roast w/ Red Wine, Herbs & Honey

I love Pot Roast, it's the perfect comfort food, yet elegant enough to serve to guests.  The red wine, onion and fresh herbs add a wonderful flavor to this roast.  Enjoy! 

Grass-fed Pot Roast w/ Red Wine, Herbs & Honey

Super easy to make and so delicious.  

Equipment: 9x13 Casserole Dish or Large Dutch Oven, Large Saucepan, Parchment Paper, Foil

Cook Time: About 2 1/2 hours

• 1 grass-fed bone-in chuck roast, about 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
• 2 tablespoons pasture butter or fat of choice (See Resources)
• Celtic sea salt (See Resources)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bottle organic red wine
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 onion, peeled, halved, sliced
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled, lightly smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon kelp granules, optional (I use Maine Coast)
• 1 strip kombu, optional (See Resources)
• 1/2 cup homemade applesauce (2 apples), optional
• 2-3 cups water, broth or stock, enough to cover meat

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Prep onion and herbs - wash herbs and shake dry; halve onion, peel and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Add to casserole dish and set aside. 

3. If you are making the optional homemade applesauce, prep food processor with metal blade.  Peel and quarter 2 apples.  Add apple pieces to food processor and pulse until apples become "applesauce", about 45 seconds-1 minute, scrape down sides during process if necessary.  Set aside.  

4. Melt fat of choice in large saucepan or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat, about 1 minute until the pan is hot.

5. Season meat with sea salt and freshly ground pepper (if you forget, you can do this once it's in the saucepan, I do this often). 

6. Add meat to saucepan.  Brown meat for about 5 minutes, until meat starts to get a golden brown crust.  

7. Flip meat and brown for another 5 minutes until golden brown.  

8. Remove meat from saucepan.  Set meat in casserole dish or on a plate if using a Dutch Oven.  Add garlic, kelp granules and kombu to the casserole dish.  

9. Lower stovetop to medium heat.  Add bottle of red wine to the pan making sure to scrape all of the meat drippings off of the bottom of the pan.  The red wine will help release the drippings when scraped with a wooden spatula.  The drippings have lots of flavor, so make sure to scrape them all off.

10. Add honey to the wine, stir to dissolve.  Add optional applesauce and stir to combine.  

11. Pour red wine over the meat in the casserole dish or Dutch Oven.  Add extra water/broth/stock, the meat should almost be covered with liquid.  

12. Cover meat with parchment paper, then cover with foil.  If you have a Dutch Oven, cover with lid.  

13. Bake the meat for 2 hours, turning the meat once at the 1 hour mark.

14. Remove parchment paper and foil or lid, flip meat again and cook uncovered for another 30-45 minutes until meat is fork-tender.  Check at 30 minutes, reset timer for another 15 minutes if needed.  

15. Serve with reduced sauce.  

Yield: Makes about 6 servings.  

Tip: This is even better the next day.  Can be made in advance if needed.  

Storage: Stores great in the refrigerator.  When ready to eat, scrape off the fat that solidifies at the top, pull off meat portions and heat.

Serving Suggestions: Reduce the sauce and serve with meat.  Once reduced, the sauce becomes thick and delicious.  Pairs well with Celery Root Mash or mashed potatoes, Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Apples and Sauteed Kale w/ Pasture Butter. 

Looking for another version of Pot Roast?

Check out my Grass-fed Pot Roast w/ Apple Juice, Honey & Herbs recipe. 

This post is part of Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, and Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist.  

Cauliflower & Celery Root Soup

This is a delicious, mild and simple soup.  It’s very soothing and nourishing.  This is my go-to soup when I’m missing a potato-based soup.   

Cauliflower & Celery Root Soup

Creamy, comforting and oh so yummy!  My favorite way to eat this is topped with some grated raw cheddar cheese and a dollop of organic cultured sour cream (my version of a loaded baked potato soup).

Equipment: Large Stockpot, Blender or Food Processor, Large Bowl or Large Measuring Cup (8 cup)

• 1 large cauliflower, about 5 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 medium-size celery root, peeled and cubed
• 4-5 cups bone broth or homemade stock
• 2-3 fresh garlic cloves, grated or minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
• 1 strip kombu, optional (See Resources)
• ¼ teaspoon organic kelp granules, optional (I use Maine Coast)

1.     Prep cauliflower and celery root - wash and dry.  Remove core from cauliflower and cut into florets.  Remove outer layer of celery root and cut into 1-2 inch cubes. 

  

2.    Place cauliflower florets and celery root chunks into large stockpot.  Pour broth over vegetables, just below vegetables (broth should not cover vegetables). Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, kombu and kelp granules.  Stir.

3.    Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.

4.    Add small portions of soup to the blender, filling only halfway.  Cover with lid and puree until smooth and combined.  Pour into large bowl or large measuring cup.  Repeat until all soup is pureed.  Pour soup back into stockpot.

5.     Serve hot or refrigerate for later. 

Yield: Makes about 6 cups.

Note: Recipe can easily be doubled. 

Optional Toppings:  This soup is delicious topped with grated organic cheddar cheese, organic sour cream and/or fresh herbs.  If you are a bacon lover, I bet this would be wonderful topped with some crispy bacon pieces. 

Tip: This soup is great with oven-roasted cauliflower too.  It adds a different level of flavor.  I love to make it this way when I have leftover roasted cauliflower.   


This post is part of Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, and Sunday Night Soup Night! @ Easy Natural Food. 

Cauliflower, Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Soup

This is one of my all time favorite soups. I make this soup a lot during the colder months.  It is so comforting and yummy.

Cauliflower, Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Soup

Cheesy Cauli-Broccoli Soup Mmmmmm!

Equipment: Large Stockpot, Grater, Blender or Food Processor, Large Bowl or Large Measuring Cup (8 cup)

• 5 cups cauliflower florets
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 3 ½ - 4 cups bone broth or homemade stock
• 3-4 fresh garlic cloves, grated or minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 1 strip kombu, optional (See Resources)
• ¼ teaspoon organic kelp granules, optional (I use Maine Coast)
• 2 tablespoons pasture butter (See Resources)
• 8 ounces good quality organic or raw cheddar cheese, divided

1.     Prep cauliflower and broccoli -  wash and shake dry, remove core from cauliflower, cut cauliflower and broccoli into florets. 

2.    Place cauliflower and broccoli into large stockpot.  Pour broth over vegetables, just below vegetables (broth should not cover vegetables).  Add garlic, thyme, kombu and kelp granules.  Stir.

Kombu, Lime Thyme, Kelp Granules & Grated Garlic

3.    Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove lid and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until vegetables are fork tender.

4.   While soup is cooking, grate the cheddar cheese and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

5.    Add small portions of soup to the blender, filling only halfway.  Cover with lid and puree until smooth and combined.  Pour into large bowl or large measuring cup.  Repeat until all soup is pureed.  Pour soup back into stockpot.

6.    Add pasture butter to soup and turn heat on medium-low.  Stir until melted.

7.    Add about 6 ounces of cheddar cheese to soup, stirring constantly until melted. 

8.     Serve hot and top with some of the remaining grated cheddar cheese. 

Yield: Makes about 6 cups.

Note: Use whatever amounts of cauliflower and broccoli you want as long as they add up to about 8 cups.  I prefer more cauliflower to broccoli, but it’s great either way.  Recipe can be doubled. 

Tip: This soup is great with oven roasted cauliflower and broccoli too.  It adds a different level of flavor.  I love to make it this way when I have leftover roasted cauliflower and broccoli.  

This post is part of Made From Scratch Tuesday @ From Mess Hall to Bistro, Foodie Wednesday @ Daily Organized Chaos, and Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage.