Slow-cooker Corned Beef Brisket

Happy March!!  Here is one I can never get enough of...CORNED BEEF!  I know, cooking corned beef in a slow-cooker is stupid easy, but I am always looking back and wondering "what did I do last time?"  And, we already did hard boiled eggs, so the bar is pretty low around here.

Slow-cooker Corned Beef Brisket

Ingredients

1 corned beef brisket (as big as your slow-cooker will fit, about 3 lbs for mine)
2 stalks of celery, cut into 1-2 inch sections
4 carrots (depending on size), cut into 1-2 inch sections
1 onion, quartered
1 sweet potato or yam (or more if you have the room), cut into 1-2 inch sections
1 small head of cabbage (optional), quartered
scant 1 Tbsp fresh or dried thyme
Water

Directions

Into your slow cooker, place all the vegetables and the thyme.

Wash, dry, and trim your corned beef if necessary.  Place your corned beef on top of the vegetables with the FAT SIDE UP, rubbing the spice packet on both sides of the meat once it is in the slow-cooker.  Add enough water to almost cover the meat (about 4 to 6 cups).

Cover and cook on high until the meat is tender, about 4 1/4 hours (or 8 1/2 hours on low).

When done, remove the corned beef to a platter and slice as desired.  Place the vegetables around the meat on the platter for consumption and decoration or in a dish to the side.

Notes
Your slow-cooker will likely be jam-packed.  My husband hates the smell of cooking cabbage so I typically will omit the cabbage, since I don't have the room for it anyway.  The potatoes/yams make a great addition because they soak up the yummy corned beef flavor.

This recipe usually provides about 6-8 adult portions.

The amounts, cooking times, and yielded number of portions will really depend on the size and efficiency of your slow-cooker, and your elevation (add more cooking time if you are above 3000 ft, about 20 minutes per 1000 ft above 3000 ft).

Any questions or suggestions?  Feel free to add them to the comments!

Enjoy!!

Garlic Soup

What to eat when you're feeling under the weather?  Garlic Soup! according to the wise women of the Upper Himalayas of Nepal.  This is the most basic recipe for making something that you want to eat and that is good for you when you don't have the energy for anything more complicated.

Garlic Soup

Ingredients

1 carton of chicken stock (about 5-6 cups)
6-8 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp EVOO
sea salt as desired

Directions

Heat a heavy bottom sauce pot over low heat and warm the olive oil.  Add the garlic and allow the garlic to warm gently until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock and allow the stock to come to a boil.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the garlic is soft.

Notes

You can add anything you want to this recipe.  Saute some carrots and celery with the garlic and olive oil in the beginning.  Cut up some leftover chicken and add it to the broth at any point.  Cook some white rice in the broth if you're needing the carbs.  My husband likes to add some Creole seasoning, which makes it really tasty as well.

Enjoy!!

Saag ("Creamed" Indian Spinach)

For this leafy green delight, I have started with Rick Stein's recipe and modified it by doubling the amounts and swapping some of the ingredients.  It goes great with the Paleo Flatbread from my last post and it cooks down really small in no time.  With this recipe you can feed about 5 adults as the main meal.  You can also add chicken, lamb, or homemade cheese to this dish for some protein.

Saag

Ingredients

5 oz Ghee or grass-fed butter
1 and 1/2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 oz fresh ginger, grated
10 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp Garam masala spice mixture
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
2 and 1/4 lbs (or about 3 large bunches) of fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk**
1/2 cup coconut cream**
Handful of cilantro (coriander leaves), chopped

Directions

Heat the ghee or butter in a large heavy-bottom fry pan or wok over medium heat.  Add the onions, ginger, and garlic to the hot butter and cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until the onions are soft.

Stir in the spices (turmeric, garam masala, and chili powder) and protein (if adding any) and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the spices have evenly coated the mixture.

Add the salt, spinach, coconut milk and coconut cream.  Allow the spinach to wilt (use a lid if possible) and then cook the mixture another 3-4 minutes or until it has reduced to a thick and creamy sauce.  At this point I usually give it a few whirls with the immersion blender to get it to the right consistency and not so chunky or leafy.

Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve!!

Notes

**Originally, the coconut milk and coconut cream are replaced with yogurt and double (heavy) cream, but the substitutions I made help get the consistency and flavoring right.  You can experiment with your own raw milk products if you are so inclined.  Also, the spinach can be substituted with kale, chard, or any other leafy green; just remember to cook the hardier greens for a bit longer so that they are not too tough.  Refer to my post on Kale Chips for a quick and easy way to de-stem leafy greens.

Enjoy!!