Lazy Day Gourmet

Southern New Year's Stew - Crockpot

If you've ever spent New Year's in the South, then you know about the tradition of eating black eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's Day.  Eating this traditional meal is supposed to guarantee you plenty of green money in your wallet and coins in your pockets. 

This is a fabulous crockpot recipe that includes all the necessary New Year's ingredients (and then some!) to make sure your upcoming year is fat and happy.

Southern New Year's Stew
1 1/2 cups black eyed peas, dried
4 cups water
2 cups cooked cubed ham
1 15 oz can white hominy, rinsed and drained
1 10 oz package frozen oka, cut
1 cup chopped onion
2 TBS minced garlic
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 1/2 cups water
4 cups chopped collard greens (or spinach if you don't "do" collards)
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained

1. You can either soak your black-eyed peas overnight, or use the quick soak method.  To quick soak, rinse the peas and drain.  Combine peas in 4 cups of water in a large saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, and then reduce heat down to a simmer. Let the peas simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse peas again.
2. In your crockpot, combine the peas, ham, hominy, okra, onion, garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper.
3. Add 4 1/2 cups water to the crockpot.
4. Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 to 10 hours. (Or cook on high for 4 to 5 hours)
5. If you're using the low setting, after 8 to 10 hours, turn the crockpot to high. Stir in your collards and the undrained tomatoes. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. 
6. Serve hot with cornbread!

Ring the Butter Bell!

I need to take a moment to stop and tell you all how much I love my Butter Bell.  Before last Christmas I had never seen such a contraption, and the only reason a Butter Bell came into my possession is because my sister in law got one for Christmas.

If you've ever met my sister in law, Kristine, you know that she doesn't eat anything remotely fattening like BUTTER! Score one for the chubby girls. Go me!

The concept of the Butter Bell is simple- easily spreadable butter at your fingertips at any given moment.  Softened butter is stored in the bell, and is protected by an airtight seal of water in a convenient ceramic crock.   The water in the crock needs to be replaced with fresh water every 2-3 days, but this is a small inconvenience for the huge payoff of having butter at a perfect spreadable consistency AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.

You may be asking yourself why you might need spreadable butter available at any given moment (there, I said it again). The answer has less to do with culinary technique or prowess, and more to do with taming the beast-like morning toddler who is impatiently waiting for his morning English muffin or buttered toast.   

Trying to spread cold and hardened butter on toast, waffles, or even on an ear of corn can be messy, frustrating, and destructive to delicate breads.  With the Butter Bell, you can spread just the right amount of softened butter on any food without cooling off the food or making a mess.

Butter Bells come in different sizes and colors to match your kitchen. I think every Lazy Day Gourmet kitchen should have one.  Your muffins will thank you. Especially the little muffin waiting for his perfectly buttered waffle. :)

Chunky Beef Crockpot Chili

This is the ultimate Lazy Day Gourmet way of cooking. Freeze ingredients to make a crockpot meal on a lazy day, and have a gourmet meal during even your most hectic week! This chunky beef chili is a meal everyone in our family adores!

One of the things that makes this recipe easy is that it uses canned ingredient. Normally, I shy away from canned ingredients in my kitchen, but not in this chili! Black beans, shoepeg (white) corn, and Rotel tomatoes with chili peppers...mmmm. Bring it on!

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. stew beef chunks
2 15 oz cans black beans
1 15 oz can of corn (optional)
1 shallot
1 10 oz can rotelle tomato with green chiles (as hot as you want it)
1 teaspoon garlic
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 bottle of beer (I use a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale)
Salt and pepper to taste

Freezer Prep:
In a large skillet, brown the stew beef on both sides, approximately 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Let cool. The beef should still be uncooked in the middle.

Prop open a one gallon freezer bag, and pour in the black beans, tomato, shallots, garlic, chili powder, cumin, sugar, and the browned beef. Seal the bag, and mix all ingredients together in the bag. Unseal the bag to let the air out, reseal it, and label it as Crockpot Chili- Thaw- Add One Dark Beer- Cook for 6-8 hours. Place it in the freezer. Freeze.

Cooking Instructions:
Thaw overnight in fridge.
Pour into crockpot. Don't worry if it's still kind of frozen. It will thaw in the pot.
Add one dark beer, and stir.
Cook in crockpot for 6-8 hours.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve with crispy tortilla chips, and top with sharp cheddar cheese and sour cream. Garnish with fresh chives.

This recipe is a great make ahead meal, OAMC recipe, and great for freezer cooking. Enjoy!