I’m kind of obsessed with the Whole Foods Market and shop their all time, so when the opportunity came about to work with Whole Foods Market, I jumped at the chance.
I will be sharing some recipes I’ve created using ingredients from Whole Foods along with some tips, tricks and specials provided by Whole Foods. This months theme is Crock-Pot meals.
Below is a recipe for Crock Pot Beef Stew using Whole Foods Beef Stew Meat from the meat case. These tender cuts of beef are already cut into bite size pieces for soups, stews and chili.
The 365 Everyday Value brand of products makes it easy and affordable to get healthy ingredients for all of you dishes.
For the stew I got the 365 Everyday baby carrots. We also love the Everyday 365 Multigrain Flatbread Crackers.
These crackers are delicious and a perfect accompaniment to the stew. They are also great to use for entertaining by adding them to cheese trays and dips.
This crock pot beef stew is perfect as the days start getting colder. Got a busy day ahead? This dish can even be made up the night before and stored in the fridge. Place in the crock pot on low in the morning and come home to a delicious home cooked meal.
Using an onion soup mix helps add lots of flavor without the fuss and what I have always used in the this recipe, until I recently came across Fishermans salt. I found it at Gilbert Whitney on the Independence Square. It intrigued my interest so I thought I would give it a try. I love it! It is a great way to season soups and stews as well as meats and poultry. I actually don’t like fish so I can’t tell you how it tastes on that!
Crock Pot Beef Stew
1 lb Stew Meat from Whole Foods Meat Case
1 Bunch Celery, chopped
1 1lb Bag Everyday 365 Baby Carrots, cut into thirds
2 Medium Potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 Medium Onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons Fishermans Salt or Onion Soup Mix
2-3 Fresh Sprigs Rosemary, chopped
2 Cups Vegetable Stock
2 11.5 oz Cans V8 Juice or Tomato Juice
Places stew meat, carrots, celery, potatoes and onion in crock pot.
Chop 2-3 sprigs of rosemary. Feel free to add more or less depending on taste.
Sprinkle chopped rosemary, onion soup mix or Fishermans salt over meat and vegetables.
Stir mixture.
Add vegetable stock and V8 or tomato Juice. For richer tomato flavor you can omit stock and use all tomato juice.
Place Crock Pot on Low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours
Serves 6
Below are 5 tips for Slow Cooking Success from Whole Foods
· Go budget-friendly – ingredients like beans, whole grains, and spices available in Whole Foods Market’s bulk section, let you buy the exact amount you need and experiment with many products at once for a great price
· Trim the fat – too much fat left on meat will give you an unpleasant texture, and having to skim lots of fat at the end of cooking is not enjoyable
· Think ahead – keep “kits” of chopped fresh veggies and meats in the freezer. That way, you’ll be ready to toss these ingredients in the Crock Pot in the morning in no time at all, with dinner ready by the time you come home!
· Stay on Trend – save money while staying trending! Cheaper cuts of meat are all the rage at the top rated restaurants right now, and a crock-pot is the perfect tool to master these cuts at home. Thighs, beef chuck, brisket, shin, shoulders, oxtail; when cooked nice and slow these can be the most delicious bites.
· Sear First – don’t forget to sear your meat first. Browned meat taste better, and the slow cooker does not get hot enough to get that done. For optimal taste, sear first then slow cook to lock in the moisture. (Except when it comes to chicken)
Recipes:
· Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast
· Slow Cooker Pork and Cider Stew
· Braised Beef Ribs
For more information on Whole Foods Market, additional recipes, weekly specials and locations visit the Whole Foods Market Website.
I wish to thank Whole Foods for graciously providing me a gift card to purchase the ingredients.
In Good Taste,
Sharm