Time for the Slow Cooker!

Time to break out the slow cooker! I had almost forgotten I even owned one and then the temperature dropped, ushering in a need-to-hibernate-and-eat-slow-cooked-food kind of feeling. (That, and cookies.)

I love this slow cooked stew recipe below - it's not your typical beef stew because of the hoisin sauce, which has a wonderful sweetness. And don't be afraid of the hot sauce - the heat isn't overwhelming. (Although if you like heat, you may want to add a little bit more than what the recipe calls for.) The best part is that I was able to put this together with a toddler underfoot, which means it's rather easy too. And these days, that's the best kind of meal. Hopefully, doing more slow cooking will leave me more time to bake some cookies.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Hoisin Beef Stew
(Courtesy of Whole Foods)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup beef broth
1 (10-ounce) bottle hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (1-inch) piece peeled ginger, grated
1 1/2 pounds cubed round or chuck stew beef
2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
1 cup baby carrots
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped

Directions:
Whisk together broth, hoisin, hot sauce, garlic and ginger in a wide, shallow dish or bowl. Add beef, onions, carrots and celery and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Refrigerating overnight is optional. The stew will still turn out delicious.)

Transfer meat mixture to a slow cooker, cover and cook on a low setting until beef is very tender, 6 to 8 hours. Alternately, cook on a high setting for about 3 hours. Ladle into bowls and serve. (I like to serve this stew over rice.)