Tag Archives: stew

Portobello Mushroom Pot Roast

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Mushrooms, mushrooms, mushrooms! People love them or can’t stand them. I love them! Mushroom lasagna, in a marsala sauce over a good steak, tucked into a salad, stuffed with crabmeat and broiled with melty cheese on top, grilled Portobello burgers. I’ll eat mushrooms any way you want to cook them for me. They are also a great go-to in vegetarian dishes for meat eaters; and their hearty, meaty taste works well in stews and soups.

This dish is easy to make, everything goes into the slow cooker and is thickened up a bit at the end. It definitely lands into the comfort food dishes for the fall season! I served it with egg noodles; however, it would be great over rice or just by itself with crusty bread to mop up the wonderful mushroom sauce.

In addition to the thyme and Porcini mushroom powder that cooks with it, I add some freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste before adding the cornstarch mixture for thickening. Porcini mushroom powder is optional. I like the extra blast of umami that it gives dishes. If you can’t find it locally, The Spice House in Chicago sells it online.

The version below is vegetarian. To make it vegan, use vegan Worcestershire sauce.

Enjoy! 😊

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Ingredients

4 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 pound baby bella mushrooms, cut the large ones in halves or quarters
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup frozen pearl onions
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cups vegetable stock, divided
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 Tbsp tomato paste
3 Tbsp Worcestershire
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp Porcini Mushroom powder (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Add potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, thyme, 2-1/2 cups vegetable stock, wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Porcini Mushroom powder together in the bowl of the slow cooker, and gently toss to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining cold 1/2 cup vegetable stock and cornstarch until combined. Add to the roast mixture, and gently toss to mix together. Continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens up a bit.

Serve immediately, garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Chicken Enchilada Stew

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Fall, how I love thee! The change of leaves; cool, brisk air; apples, cider, and pumpkins; and promise of Halloween in the air. The season for comfort food has begun. Although it’s not really cool in Charlotte yet, I was craving a stew. I was intrigued by a recipe posted in one of the essential oil Facebook groups I belong to, so I set out to create my own yumminess!

I’ve adjusted it to suit my personal taste, and it came out medium-spicy. If you prefer your stews mild, back off a little on the chili powder and the chilies. If you love it hot, try adding some Serrano chilies to the mix! It came out quite thick, which is exactly the way I like it. I recommend adding the vegetable broth to thin it just a bit, but not too much.

You can view the original recipe, which makes use of essential oils, on Robyn Mitchell’s Naturally Simple Solutions page. Robyn also has lots of great information on doTERRA essential oils, which I am just starting to learn about. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the specific oils on hand to try with this, but I will the next time. If you’re interested in learning more about essential oils with me, please let me know! 🙂

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Chicken Enchilada Stew

2 lbs. organic chicken breasts
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 jalapenos chilies, seeded and chopped
2 poblano chilies, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 14 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 14 oz. can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz. can tomato sauce
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin (or 2 drops Cumin essential oil)
2 tsp. dried oregano (or 1 drop Oregano essential oil)
Freshly ground pepper to taste (or 1 drop Black Pepper essential oil)
Salt to taste (optional)

1 14 oz. can dark red kidney beans
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
8 oz. vegetable broth (optional)

Garnish: Avocado, Cilantro, Limes (or 1 drop Lime essential oil)

Mix the vegetables (except the beans), oil, sauce, and spices in a large bowl until just combined. Place the chicken in the slow cooker, and pour the vegetable mixture on top.

Cook the stew in the slow cooker on low for eight hours, or on high for six hours. Add the kidney and garbanzo beans to the stew. If it is too thick for your liking, add the vegetable broth. Set the slow cooker for another hour on low, or 30 minutes on high.

When the slow cooker is finished, remove and shred the chicken in a bowl. Add it back to the stew and stir to combine.

Serve topped with chopped avocado and cilantro, and lime wedges.

Enjoy! 🙂