Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Recipe By: Pippa
Serving Size: 6

Summary:
My twist on an old favourite

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. butter
1 onion, sliced into thin wedges
2 rashers bacon, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500 g chuck steak, cut into 1cm slices
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 pot beef stock concentrate
1 tbsp. cornflour
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper
250 g mushrooms, thickly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
fresh chopped parsley to garnish

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a frypan over a medium high heat. Add onion and bacon and sauté until soft and lightly golden. Add garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant but be careful not to burn the garlic. With a slotted spoon, remove the mixture to the bowl of the slow cooker.

2. Turn the heat up under the pan to high and brown the steak in batches. Season each batch with a little salt and pepper. We are not looking to cook it through at this stage, only to give it good colour on both sides. Remove to the bowl of the slow cooker.

3. Add the wine to the hot frypan to "deglaze" (get all the brown bits up off the bottom. These will add great flavour to the finished dish). In a jug, combine the tomato paste, stock concentrate, cornflour, dijon, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and cayenne pepper and mix well. Add to the bowl of the slow cooker.

4. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or until meat is meltingly tender. Add mushrooms about 1 hour before serving. Stir in Sour cream just before serving. Serve topped with chopped parsley, creamy mashed potato and steamed greens.

Grandma Smith's Slow Cooked Sweet Beef Curry

Recipe By: Grandma Smith
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:
500 g chuck steak, cubed
2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoons butter
1 brown onion, diced
1 carrot, sliced
1 green apple, diced
1 tablespoon sultanas
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
500 milliliters beef stock

Directions:
1. Place the flour, curry powder and salt and pepper in a large zip lock bag and shake to combine. Pop the beef pieces in the bag and shake until the beef is coated in the seasoned flour. Set aside

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat add the beef (reserving any excess flour) and fry until lightly browned.

3. Add carrot, apple and onion. Cook for about five minutes or until softened. Add sultanas, sugar, lemon juice and stock. Cook for a few minutes until pan is deglazed (all the brown bits come up off the bottom). Add any left over flour to the liquid, stir to combine.

4. Tip all of the mixture into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until the meat is meltingly tender. Serve with steamed rice.