Navy Bean Stew with Chicken and Sausage

From our trusty copy of Slow Cooker Revolution. I used dried beans instead of canned and made a couple of other tweaks. Though I was worried about the adjustments to liquid level and cooking time, the tweaks worked out fairly well; in the interests of boosting flavor, I increase the stock-to-water ratio or decrease the liquid altogether, as well as adjust the levels of  spices and aromatics. The recipe itself is a bit fussy, but as far as I can tell, all steps are worth it.

• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• salt and pepper
• 3 T vegetable oil
• 1 lb. Italian sausages, sliced 1 in. thick
• 2 onions, minced
• 1 fennel bulb, tops discarded; bulb halved, cored and sliced thin
• 6 plump garlic cloves, minced (about 3 T)
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1 T fresh thyme, minced (halve for dried)
• 1/8 t red pepper flakes (may increase this in the future)
• 1/3 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 c chicken stock
• 3 c hot water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb. dried navy beans 
• 6 oz. baby spinach
• grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Dry chicken with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown half the chicken lightly on both sides, working in batches if necessary (5-8 min.), then transfer to a bowl. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil and repeat with the rest of the chicken; move to bowl.

Add the last tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Brown the sausage well (3-5 min.); transfer to a bowl with the chicken.

Pour off all but 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Add onions, fennel, garlic, tomato paste, thyme and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-high heat till vegetables are soft and lightly browned (8-12 min.).

Stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in wine; scrape up any browned bits and smooth out any lumps (whisk in a cup of the broth if necessary). Transfer the vegetables and liquid to the slow cooker.

Stir the remaining liquid and bay leaves into the slow cooker. Add the beans (skipped the initial soaking, but they seemed fine) and the meat (as well as any accumulated juices) to the slow cooker as well.

Cover and cook till beans are done and chicken is tender. I had success with 3 hours on low and 2 hours on high.

Let stew settle, then remove fat from surface using large spoon (skipped this step). Remove chicken, shred and return to the pot, if you like (I left it whole, as it was falling-apart soft later).

Stir in spinach, cover, and cook on high till heated through, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve with grated Parmesan.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew, originally uploaded by essgee51.

With a Christmas Amazon gift card from John's aunt and uncle, we finally bought a slow cooker!

Our first project, based on this recipe, was a success - the meat was tender, and the sauce was rich, silky and savory in a way that only slow-cooked food can be. Next time, we may experiment with more/different herbs -- and definitely add more mushrooms. Tweaks below.

• 2 tbsp. oil (used peanut this time)
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves,chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme (orig. 1/2 tsp. dried, but in an unusual reversal, I didn't have any)
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper, plus more as needed
• 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast
• 1/2 pound button mushrooms, quartered
• 2 c. low-sodium beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb. frozen peas
• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Put the oil in a large pan over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the celery, carrots, onion and thyme. Cook till the carrots begin to soften, about 7-10 minutes.

Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Cook another 3-5 minutes or so, till the tomato paste starts tasting a bit roasted. Add wine and mustard, then stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook till wine's reduced by about half, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Mix flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cut the roast into 1-1/2 in. cubes. Put the meat and mushrooms in the flour mixture and toss to coat.

Put the meat, mushrooms and any excess flour into the slow cooker. Add the wine and vegetable mixture, and a bay leaf. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook till meat is pierced easily by a fork, 5-6 hours.

Add peas and cook till heated through. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Cheesy Catfish Chowder

So catfish was on sale at Peapod again. While I typically make catfish sinegang or Bittman's "Catfish Poached with Ginger and Soy Sauce," it was time to branch out. To the internet! And behold - this recipe (via Allrecipes.com) came to light. Did I have everything? Close enough. A search through the fridge produced a few stalks of limp celery and a half-bag of forlorn, drying carrots; an IM sent across the hall revealed both a baking potato and a large container of cow juice that I could borrow. Thus came about my first attempt at a milk-based soup - the version below incorporates my modifications.

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup; more is fine)
  
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
  
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 large baking potato, cut into 1/2-3/4 in. cubes
  
• 3 cups whole milk, divided
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 1 tsp. salt + more to taste (used maybe 1-1/4 tsp. total)
  
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper + more to taste (used maybe 3/4 tsp. total)
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1- 1/2 lbs. catfish fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces
• about 1 cup grated cheese (this time I used a mix of Parmesan and Parmigiano-Reggiano)
  

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter and saute onions, carrots and celery for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, till the vegetables soften a bit.

Add potatoes. Cook 10 or so minutes, so vegetables are soft but still firm.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour into 1-1/2 cups of milk. Add to Dutch oven and mix.

Add the rest of the milk, the salt, celery salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens - maybe 5-7 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning.

Add catfish. Cook another 5 or so minutes till fish flakes easily on a fork but isn't overdone.

Stir in cheese; cook another minute or so, then turn off heat. Serve with more grated cheese, if you like.

NOTE: This came out wonderfully - vegetables were cooked through but not mushy; the catfish was moist and soft and chewy. A bowl apiece is more than enough dinner for myself, John and Bradley; the rest is currently cooling on my counter.