365 Days of Pinterest Day 19 Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew, including Vegitarian Version

Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew (also Vegetarian Recipe)

We are getting our home ready to sell .. today my dad and hubby are busy putting in a new bathtub and Im painting so I wanted to make something quick and easy ... hearty, and ready to serve .. hence my Easy Crock pot beef stew choice.  My daughter and I are veggies so Im including a vegetarian version as well .. :)

Ingredients

1 Pound beef cubed (vegetarian Version use beef less tips)

1 packet of Lipton dry onion soup

2 Can Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup

4 - 6 potatoes cut into cubes

4 Large Carrots

1 (8oz) can Tomato Sauce

1 (10oz) package frozen green peas (dont worry, they wont get mushy)

Veggie Beef .. 

Put beef cubes on the bottom of the crock pot.  Layer carrots, potatoes & peas on top.

mix together cream of mushroom soup and tomato sauce

pour your mixture on top.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (I was in a rush so I knocked it up to high for hour 3 and 4 reducing cooking time to 4.5 hours)

finished!!  Smellls sooooo good!

I always feel like somebodys watching me ;)

  Verdict .. as I always say ... Easy is good and this was easy!  Both versions of the stew, beef and vegetarian were AMAZING!!!   big thumbs up big YUM!!!

 my pretty little thing of the day .. DIY beach glass mason Jars (a previous pin)  sooo whimsy 

365 Days of Pinterest Day 5 ~ Easy Crock Pot Orange Ginger Chicken

365 Days of Pinterest Day 5

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Easy Crock Pot Orange Ginger Chicken

Day 5 of my 365 days of Pinterest I choose this Crockpot Orange Chicken pin .. I have to admit ... I have NEVER used my crockpot or any crockpot for that matter .. so I put away my Wok and gave it a go. 

Original Pin;

'12 Fall Crockpot Reciped'

http://pinterest.com/pin/267119821620424505/

I am a vegetarian ..  my hubby is not so he was the taster today .. 

This is the photo on the recipe web site.. a little deceiving I must say ...  The end result looks nothing like this ..

on with it ....

(Original) Ingredients: 

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced about 1/2-inch thick

2 large red or green bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 cans Mandarin orange segments, undrained

2 green onions, chopped (whites and greens)

2 cups hot cooked rice

**These are my 'tweaks"

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds) - CHANGE - 2 boneless chicken breasts.  I diced the chicken in 1" cubes.

8 ounces orange juice concentrate  - CHANGE - 5 oz orange juice concentrate

2 cans Mandarin orange segments, undrained - CHANGE - 1 small can Mandarin orange segments

ADD 3 ounces chicken broth concentrate - add 1 tsp chicken broth to 3 ounces water.

ADD 1 tbs Corn Starch to thicken

Directions:

Put carrots, bell peppers, garlic, then the chicken, ginger, salt, pepper and frozen orange juice in crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours. 

** my tweaks.  

add broth.  

at end stir in 1 tbs corn starch ..let sit 5 min to thicken.

Serve chicken on hot cooked rice on platter. Top with orange segments and green onions. 

Yield: approximately 4 servings

Critique:  I found the recipe to be very quick and easy and that I loved.  According to my hubby the chicken was super tender.  Everything was extra tasty since it had all absorbed the flavor from the slow cooker.  Better then if it were made in a Wok.

Downside .. way too orangey!!  The revised recipe included 5 oz concentrated OJ instead of 8 ... I added 3 oz of concentrated chicken broth (1 tsp chicken broth powder to 3 oz water) ... I also changed the 2 cans of Mandarin oranges to 1.  

another note ... my garlic turned green!!!  hmmmmm??? not sure about that one .. 

Overall .. great pin .. the recipe needed some fixing but now its yum and easy!