Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff - Serves 4-6

Adapted from: Serena Bakes

Hands-on Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 5 - 9:30 hours
Serves 4-6 (or 8 small servings)

Ingredients

SEASONED FLOUR MIX

• 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 tsp Salt, Or To Taste
• 0.5 tsp Ground Black Pepper, Or To Taste
• 1.5 tsp Garlic Powder (optional)
• 1 tsp Onion Powder (optional)
• 1 tsp Ground Dry Mustard or Ground Mustard Seeds (optional)

MAIN INGREDIENTS

• 1 to 1.5 lb raw Beef steak or chuck (or Stir Fry or Stew Meat is ok) - try to find something with few gristles
• 1 3/4 cups Beef Broth
• 3 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 whole Onion, Sliced Thin or chopped
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 5-8 oz Mushrooms, Sliced
• 2-3 Bay Leaves
• 2-3 Fresh Thyme sprigs, or 2 tsp dried (optional)
• 8-10 oz Greek Yogurt, Sour Cream, or Skyr (after the slow-cooker is done)

ACCOMPANIMENTS

• Egg Noodles (6 oz dried will cook to serve 4), Mashed Potatoes, or Rice to serve under the stroganoff
• 1 handful Fresh Parsley, chopped (optional) (or other herbs, like Tarragon)

Directions

1. Place raw meat into crock pot. Add the seasoned flour mix. Stir until combined and most of the flour is coated onto the meat.        
2. Slowly stir in beef broth, going slow to prevent lumps.
3. Add Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic and mushrooms, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Stir until combined.
4. Cover crock pot with lid and set to cook on High for 5-6 hours or Low for 7.5-9 hours.
5. Once done, turn crock pot off. Remove bay leaves and thyme sprig. 
6. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before stirring in sour cream or yogurt.
7. Serve Stroganoff over egg noodles (6 oz dried will make 4 servings once cooked), mashed potatoes or rice. Sprinkle with optional parsley.

Roast Colorado Lamb Chops with White Beans & Tarragon-Garlic Sauce - Serves 4

Roast Colorado Lamb Chops with White Beans and Tarragon-Garlic Sauce
Restaurant Kevin Taylor, Hotel Teatro, Denver
Tasting Colorado by Michele Morris

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 (6-oz) bone-in lamb chops
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 (14-oz) cans white beans (cannellini)
2 roasted red peppers, peeled and diced small
1 (15-oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 cup lamb sauce or demi-glace
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
20 roasted garlic cloves, whole or pureed smooth
Fresh rosemary or thyme for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper and sear on both sides until golden brown.
2. Transfer lamb chops to a baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven, about 3 to 5 minutes for medium rare.
3. Combine the heavy cream and white beans in a small saute pan and heat over high heat until the cream begins to simmer; gently stir in the red pepper and artichoke hearts and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Combine the lamb sauce and tarragon in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a simmer.

Presentation:
Spoon the white bean mixture in the center of four places and top each with a lamb chop. Spoon the lamb sauce around the plate and garnish with roasted garlic cloves or a few dots of roasted garlic puree. Finish by garnishing with fresh herbs.

Makes: 4 servings

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc cham) - 1 cup

Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce [Nước chấm]
Culinary Vietnam by Daniel Hoyer

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 3-4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup fish sauce (nuoc mam)
• 1/4 cup lime juice or rice vinegar
• 2-3 Thai chiles or 1-2 serrano chiles (red or green), thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced or minced (optional)

Directions

1. Mix the water and sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. 
2. Combined with the rest of the ingredients and serve.

This sauce is typically made fresh for each meal, but leftovers will keep several days in the refrigerator.

Green Mango Salad with Grilled Beef

Green Mango Salad with Grilled Beef [Goi Xoai Voi Bo Nuong]
Culinary Vietnam by Daniel Hoyer

1/8 cup finely minced lemongrass about 2 medium stalks
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic [optional]
10-12 ounces sirloin, strip, or chuck steak, sliced about 1/4 inch think
2 green mangoes or unripe mangoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), pealed and sliced about 1/8 inch thick, then cut into 1/2-inch-wide julienne
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, inner membranes removed, and cut into 1/4-inch wide julienne
1/4 cup Basic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce mixed with the juice of 1-lime and 1 or 2 well-crushed or finely minced serrano or Thai chiles
About 24 Asian basil leaves
1/8 cup chopped cilantro
2-3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced, with the rings separated and then sauteed in some vegatable oil until golden brown and crispy
1 scallion, cut into 2-inch sections and julienned


1) Mix the lemongrass, shallot, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and chili paste, and marinate the beef in this mixture for 30-40 minutes. Grill the beef over medium-high heat, lest rest for a few minutes, and then slice across the grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips.

2) Toss the mango and bell pepper with the dipping sauce mixture, then add the basil, cilantro, and the beef. Place on a serving dish and garnish with the fried shallots and scallion.

Stir-Fried Green Beans with Chiles

Stir-Fried Green Beans with Chiles [Dau Dua Xao Ot]
Culinary Vietnam by Daniel Hoyer

1 pound long green beans (or other long bean), ends trimmed, cut into sections or left whole
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rings
1 or 2 red jalapeno, serrano, Fresno, or Thai chiles, stemmed and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish or soy sauce
1 teaspoon hoisin or oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water

1) Blanch the beans in boiling salted water  for about 2 minutes; immediately immerse into ice water to stop the cooking process and to set the color; drain well.

2) Heat the oil to the point of just smoking and add the shallots and chilies, followed by the beans. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes, or until the beans and shallots have a little dark color around the edges.

3) Add the sugar and fish sauce, and stir for about 15 seconds. add the hoisin and water, and stir again to mix. Bring the water to a boil briefly, stir again, and remove the beans from the wok to a serving plate.

Serves 4-6

Parmesan-roasted Cauliflower

Adapted from: Bon Appetit

Hands-on Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 45-55 minutes
Serves 2-4

1 Cauliflower head
1 Onion (medium), sliced
4 Thyme sprigs
4 Garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 tbsp. Olive Oil
1/4 to 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt
Ground Pepper
1 Lemon wedge (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Cut 1 head cauliflower into florets; toss on a large rimmed baking sheet with sliced onion, thyme sprigs, garlic cloves, and 3 tablespoons olive oil
2. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Roast, tossing occasionally, until almost tender, 35-40 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, toss to combine, and finish roasting until cauliflower is tender, 10-12 minutes longer.
5. Optional: Squeeze some lemon juice on the cauliflower after roasting is complete.

Poached Chicken (Thighs and Breasts) - Serves 2

Thighs adapted from Laura Fuentes

Breasts adapted from Chef Darin 

Hands-on Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

THIGH Ingredients

• Chicken thighs (2 to 3, or about 1 lb)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp peppercorns (optional)
• Aromatics of your choice (i.e., onion, carrot, herbs, etc.)
• Water

1. Place the thighs in a soup pot, skin side down. Add enough water to cover the chicken by 2 inches. 
2. Season the water with the salt, peppercorn, and aromatics as desired.
3. Over medium heat, bring the water to a low boil (medium allows it to gradually come to a boil). 
4. Use tongs or fork to flip the thighs over, skin side up. 
5. Place a lid over the pot. Remove pot immediately from heat. Allow to sit in the hot water for 10 minutes or until it reaches 175 deg F (when the probe is not touching the bone)
6. Remove thighs from the water and let them rest 5 minutes on a cutting board.

BREAST Ingredients

• Chicken breasts (1 to 2)
• Small splash of white wine, lemon, vinegar, or other acid
• Salt
• Water or chicken stock/broth
• Aromatics (optional - recommend using any leftovers in fridge
• Celery leaves or stalk
• Bay leaves
• Carrots and/or discarded tops
• Thyme
• Parsley leaves and/or stems
• Garlic clove, smashed
• Shallot or small onion, coarsely sliced
• Peppercorns

Directions

1. Make a flavorful liquid.  Add aromatics to the stock/broth or water (estimate that once the chicken is inside, it should be covered by about 1" more liquid).
2. Season water with salt to help enhance the flavors and pull the liquid into the flesh of the chicken.  Add the acid - this will also help round out the flavors of the poaching liquid.  Bring the mixture to a simmer for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse throughout the stock.
3. Once the liquid is well-flavored, bring up to a boil and then turn off. 
4. Immediately place chicken into the pot and cover with a lid or tightly with foil.  If you’re cooking on an electric stove, remove the pot from the burner to prevent residual heat from continuing to boil and simmer the liquid.  Let the covered pot sit for about 10-12 minutes (15-20 minutes if cooking chicken on the bone, or 20-25 minutes if they're thick breasts) off of the heat.
5. Remove the lid and remove chicken from the poaching liquid.  Allow chicken to rest at least 5 minutes.
• Use as desired or cool and shredding and cutting into pieces for use in casseroles, salads, and other items, or freeze for future use.