crockpot beef & broccoli

I'm always looking for new slow cooker recipes.  We have some crazy weeknight schedules and it's always nice to get the cooking done in the morning when I have time and be able to come home to a warm home cooked meal.

I doubled this recipe and it fed our family nicely with leftovers.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. boneless, beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips

1 cup beef consumme or beef broth

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 tbsp. sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. cornstarch

4 tbsp. sauce (from the crockpot after dish is cooked)

Frozen broccoli florets (as many as desired, I believe I used almost 2 cups)

White rice, cooked

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In the insert of the crockpot, whisk together beef consume, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.
2. Gently place your slices of beef in the liquid and toss to coat.
3. Turn crockpot on low and cook for 6 hours.
4. When done, in a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cooking liquid to create a slurry, pour into crockpot, stir to mix well. Cook on low for an additional 30 minutes to thicken up the sauce.
5. Toss in your broccoli florets then serve hot over white rice.

*Note about cooking time: Your crockpot may differ in temperature than mine, I suggest cooking this for 4 hours on your first go-round of this dish. 6 hours in the crockpot seems to be giving a lot of people "shredded" beef instead of slices, so decrease cooking time by 2 hours and go from there. Mine turned out fine with 6 hours.

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

This has a really yummy sweet and spicy sauce.  I made it tonight and served it over brown rice.  I think it's a keeper for sure.  I would suggest organizing and cutting the vegetables before you start because this cooks quickly.  I was chopping and stirring and finding ingredients all with a screaming Jack at my feet and it was no fun!

A delicious and colorful Chinese dish. Serve over rice on a large platter.

SAUCE:

1/2 c. ketchup
4 tsp. soya sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. chicken broth

THE REST:

2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 whole boneless chicken breasts, skinned & cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 c. oil
2 to 3 tbsp. minced fresh ginger root
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 sm. onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1 inch triangles
2 carrots, sliced diagonally & thinly
2 c. snow peas
1 1/2 c. cashews

Combine sauce ingredients and set aside. In a bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add chicken and toss. Heat wok or frying pan to highest heat. Add oil. Heat to hot, not smoking. Add chicken, ginger, garlic and onion. Stir until chicken is opaque. Add peppers and carrots. Stir 2 to 3 minutes. Add peas and sauce. Cook until it comes to a boil. Add cashews and serve immediately. Serves 6.