Beef And Eggplant Stew Greek Crock Pot Version Recipes

OLD FASHIONED BEEF STEW WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven top 325 F.
• Cut the eggplant cubes. Oil a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Add the eggplant pieces to the baking sheet. Brush a little olive oil on top of each eggplant cube. Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of oregano. Bake cubes for 30 to 45 min or until eggplant flesh is soft and a light golden color. When done remove baking sheet with eggplants from oven and set aside.
• Dry the beef pieces well using a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly dust 1 - 2 tbsp all purpose flour all over beef.
• In a large pot heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Brown the beef, a few pieces at a time all over, about 2-3 minutes. Remove beef pieces on a plate and set aside.
• Add the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 1-2 min. Add the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg and oregano. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes
• Add the tomatoes. Gently crush them to eliminate any big chunks. Mix well. Add the beef, 1/2 cup of water, some fresh thyme and oregano sprigs. Stir gently, cover and simmer in low heat for 1 hour.
• Add eggplant pieces to the stew. Stir gently, cover and simmer for another 30 to 45 min or until beef is soft and almost falling apart with a fork. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. and serve.

BEEF AND EGGPLANT STEW (GREEK - CROCK POT VERSION)

Steps:

• Wash the eggplant, then top and tail.
• Don't bother to peel, just cut into 1 inch thick segments.
• In large skillet, brown the beef, onions, garlic and eggplant in olive oil until dark golden-brown; drain.
• Place in crock pot.
• Combine the beef stock with the tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, spices, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir it into the meat.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.
• If serving with pasta, prepare pasta until al dente, pour onto a large serving platter and cover with meat, eggplant and sauce (you may add the feta- it is delicious).
• Sprinkle minced parsley over.
• If serving on its own as a main course, garnish with parsley and feta, serve with a green salad, lots of crusty bread (the sauce has to be mopped up!), and plenty of red wine.

SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Toss the beef with the paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Coat in flour and shake off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook undisturbed until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, turning the beef as needed, until mostly browned, about 3 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the beef to the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker; add the potatoes, mushrooms, carrots and onions and stir to combine.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and stir until the oil begins to turn brick-red, about 1 minute. Add the flour and wine and whisk until thick (it's OK if there are some lumps). Add the beef broth, thyme, caraway if using, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and bring to a simmer, whisking; continue simmering and whisking until the gravy is smooth and thick, about 4 minutes.
• Pour the gravy into the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. The meat and vegetables should be tender.
• Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Serve the stew in bowls with dollops of sour cream and a sprinkle of paprika.

SLOW-COOKER GREEK BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Remove excess fat from beef. Cut beef into 1-inch pieces. Toss beef, flour and cinnamon. Rinse frozen onions in cold water to separate; drain. Place beef and onions in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker.
• Mix water, tomato paste, wine, vinegar and honey. Pour over beef mixture.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting 9 to 10 hours or until beef is tender. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.

GREEK-STYLE BEEF WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• In a colander over a sink, combine eggplant an 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Toss to ensure eggplant is well coated and set aside for 30 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Rinse the eggplant well under cold water and drain. Pat dry with a paper towel. Brush the eggplant with one tablespoon of the olive oil and place it on a baking sheet. Bake the eggplant until soft an fragrant, about 20 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
• In a skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the ground beef and onions and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and peppercorns, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and red wine and stir well. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Stir well.
• Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours, until mixture is bubbly and eggplant is tender. Stir in parsley and serve. Pass the Parmesan at the table.

BEEF STEW WITH CINNAMON (INCLUDING CROCK POT VERSION)

Steps:

• Heat oil over moderately-high heat and brown beef in batches, transferring to a bowl as it is browned.
• Pour off fat if desired.
• Return beef to kettle and stir in scallions, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, beef stock, Worcestershire Sauce, brown sugar, herbs and spices.
• Simmer, covered, 2 ½ hours.
• Add carrots and potatoes and simmer 30 minutes longer, or until they are tender.
• For Crock pot: Put browned beef and all remaining ingredients in crock pot.
• Give everything a stir and cook on low for 10-12 hours, adding more water or stock if stew appears too dry (probably not necessary).

GREEK STYLE BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a 5-quart pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add half the beef; cook and stir until well browned on all sides. Remove beef with a slotted spoon and set aside. Brown the remaining meat and set aside.
• Place chopped onion in the pressure cooker; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the garlic and stir for an additional minute. Pour in the red wine, red wine vinegar, and beef broth; stir in the tomato paste and mix well.
• Grind or crush rosemary, oregano, and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Add crushed spices to the cooker with bay leaves, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and brown sugar.
• Pour in tomatoes and their juice; rinse the can with 1/2 cup water and add the water to the cooker. Stir in potatoes and carrots. Return the browned meat to the pressure cooker. A 5-quart pot should be about half full and a little soupy; the potato will dissolve a bit and thicken it after cooking. Cover the pot and seal the lid.
• Bring the pot up to high pressure over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, maintaining full pressure, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let the pressure reduce naturally. Taste the stew and add salt, if desired.