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. 

Sage and Thyme Chicken Stew with Cornbread Dumplings

Sage and Thyme Chicken Stew with Cornbread Dumplings

The winter weather is making me crave even more comfort food meals. The winds have been particularly howling the past few Days here on the Avalon and I think they've blown a chill through my bones. Just the sound of high winds has always made me shiver, so this quick chicken and dumplings recipe was a welcome meal.

Now I say chicken and dumplings but of course that Southern staple dish is not a traditional dish here in Newfoundland. I never had chicken stew growing up but we did always have "dough boys", our version of dumplings, cooked in simmering pots of soup or stew. Of course, many Southerners know a type of flour and water noodle as dumplings rather than the baking powder raised type I've used here, so it depends on where you hail from down there. I like both but decided a cornbread version would be great in this hearty recipe.

Some fresh herbs were on sale at the market and provided additional inspiration for the herbed gravy in this stew. Their fresh fragrance really reminded me of the promise of the coming Spring when I will again be able to pluck them fresh from a small herb garden near the kitchen door. Spring is still coming right? We had snow quite early this year so it sure will be welcome after what seems one of the longest winters I can ever remember.

Sage and Thyme Chicken Stew with Cornbread Dumplings

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

A delicious, easy stick-to-your-ribs comfort food meal in about 2 hours.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Total time: 2 hours
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• pinch salt and pepper to season
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 large white onion
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock ( 5 cups in total will be needed)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 4 carrots
• 1 cup corn kernals, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
• 4 rounded tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup water
• Cornbread Dumplings
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup cold butter
• 2/3 cup milk

Cooking Directions

1. Over medium high heat add the olive oil to the bottom of a heavy bottom dutch oven. Add the chicken to the heated oil, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, tossing often until the chicken has browned. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. 
2. To the hot pot add the garlic, onions and celery and saute until the onions soften. Return the chicken to the pot and add the sage and thyme. Add 2 cups of the chicken stock. The stock should be boiling hot to speed up the cooking time of this recipe. Stir together, cover and place in a 350 degree oven for about an hour.
3. After an hour add the carrots, corn and peas along with the remaining 3 cups of hot chicken stock. Bring to the boil on the stove top and slowly add a thickening slurry made by whisking together the flour and water until no lumps are left; stir constantly as you add the slurry to stew. Drop the cornbread dumpling batter in large rounded tablespoonfuls into the stew and return to the oven for a half hour before serving.
   
4. To make the cornbread dumplings, sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugar and baking powder. With a pastry blender or pulsing in a food processor, cut the butter into the flour until small pieces are still visible. Quickly stir in the milk with a wooden spoon until a thick batter forms. 

Sage and Thyme Chicken Stew with Cornbread Dumplings

Homemade Breakfast Sausage Seasoning

This blend of spices makes some of the yummiest breakfast sausages ever.  It's so simple to make, why not make your own?

Mix up a batch of this and keep it on hand for weekend breakfast sausages {or make up a batch of breakfast sausages on the weekend so you have already prepared sausages for breakfast during the week}.

Homemade Breakfast Sausage Seasoning

Equipment: Small Bowl, Measuring Spoons, Optional Spice/Coffee Grinder

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• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder blend
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Option #1 {Rustic/My Preference}: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Option #2 {Finely Ground/Powder}: Place all ingredients in a spice/coffee grinder and pulse until fine consistency.    

Yield: 1 serving per pound of ground meat

Storage: For longest shelf life, store in a glass airtight container.  

Note: I do not use garlic in the seasoning blend.  Instead I add fresh garlic to the sausage mixture.

Buy Spices in Bulk: I buy bulk spices here.    

Check out my Maple Apple Breakfast Sausage recipe here!

Amazon and Mountain Rose Herbs 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 part of Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ day2dayjoys, Allergy-Free Wednesday @ The Tasty Alternative, and Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet. 

Lemongrass – Ginger Marinade for Chicken (or veggies/tofu/fish)

I came up with this marinade for my honey, he loves Asian-inspired dishes.

For my vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian friends, this marinade would be great with veggies, organic firm non-GMO tofu, or fish. 

Equipment: Cutting Board, Sharp Knife, Microplane Rasp/Zester or Standing Grater, Blender, Gallon-Size Ziplock Bag or Bowl for marinade, Baking Pan with Wire Roasting Rack

·      1 lemongrass – remove top, dice

·      2 inch chunk ginger – peeled, dice

·      1 leek – remove green tops and end, dice

·      3 fresh garlic cloves – peeled

·      ½-1 lemon – zest and juiced

·      1 teaspoon dried thyme

·      ½ teaspoon kelp granules (See Resources)

·      ½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      3 tablespoons organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar

·      2 tablespoons honey, organic grade B maple syrup or organic apple juice

·      2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or substitute with gluten-free tamari)

·      1 tablespoon organic sesame oil

·      1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional, omit for vegan/vegetarian)

·      2-3 pounds organic or pastured chicken thighs or drumsticks

1.    Wash and prep lemongrass, ginger, leek, garlic and lemon.  Remove top from lemongrass, peel the ginger, remove green tops and end of leek (make sure you get any sand out inside the leek when you wash it), and peel the garlic cloves.  Rough chop the lemongrass, ginger and leek.  Zest the lemon with a microplane rasp or a standing grater.   

2.   Add to blender - chopped lemongrass, ginger, leek, garlic and lemon zest to blender.  Add juice from the lemon.  Add thyme, kelp, sea salt, apple cider vinegar, honey, coconut aminos, sesame oil and optional fish sauce.

3.   Pulse in blender until smooth and combined. 

4.   Place chicken (or veggies/tofu/fish) in gallon-size ziplock bag.  Pour marinade over the chicken.

5.    Marinade chicken in refrigerator for 24 hours or at least overnight.  I turn the bag over a few times during the process, just to make sure the marinade gets on everything. 

6.   The next day, remove chicken from refrigerator.  Let rest for about 15-20 minutes. 

7.   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

8.   Roast chicken on a wire rack over roasting pan for 20 minutes skin side down.  Flip chicken at the 20 minute mark and roast skin side up for another 15 to 25 minutes. 

9.   Remove from oven and serve hot. 

Yield:Makes about 4-6 servings. 

Note: This would also be wonderful grilled instead of baked. 

Roasted Winter Root Veggies & Apples w/ Rosemary & Thyme

This is one of my favorite veggie combos to roast when the weather turns colder.   It’s super easy to make a big batch ahead of time and reheat as needed. 

Enjoy!

Equipment: Cutting Board, Sharp Knife, Peeler, Large Mixing Bowl, 2 Large Casserole Dishes or 2 Large Baking Sheet Pans

Note: Please use organic vegetables and apples when you can.  I would highly recommend at least using organic apples and potatoes if you cannot find all organic produce.  These are on the “dirty dozen” list of having the highest amounts of toxic pesticide residue. 

·      3 parsnips, peeled

·      3 carrots, peeled

·      3 red potatoes

·      1 large sweet potato, peeled

·      1 large golden beet, peeled

·      3 sweet apples, peeled (I use Fuji apples)

·      1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed from stem

·      5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem

·      4-5 fresh individual garlic cloves, peeled

·      3 tablespoons pasture butter, ghee or fat of choice (See Resources)

·      1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

1.    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2.   Wash all produce.  Prep produce, peel all of the produce that needs to be peeled (see above).  Cut parsnips, carrots, potatoes, sweet potato, beet and apples into 1 to 1 ¼ inch cubes … this can be a rustic chop, don’t worry about everything looking the same.  Don’t cut pieces too small as they will shrink some while roasting.  Add chopped produce into large mixing bowl.  

3.   Remove fresh herbs from stems and chop finely.  Again, a rustic chop is fine.  Add to chopped produce/mixing bowl. 

4.   Remove skin from garlic cloves.  Add to chopped produce/mixing bowl.

5.    Add salt and melted fat of choice to the chopped produce/mixing bowl.  Combine with clean hands or large spoon, toss well to coat.

6.   Add all chopped produce in a single layer to 2 large casserole dishes or 2 large baking sheet pans. 

7.   Bake for 25 minutes, stir with a metal or wooden spoon/spatula.  Bake for another 25-35 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and have some golden brown edges.

8.   Season to taste and serve hot. 

Yield: Makes about 10-12 servings.    

This recipe is part of Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free.