Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

· 2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into thin slices (I used stew meat
· 1 large onion, thinly sliced (I used mandolin)
· 1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and halved (or quartered, if large)
· Coarse salt and ground pepper
· 1 cup beef broth
· ¼ to ½ cup of sherry (optional)
· 3 tablespoons cornstarch
· 1/2 to 1 cup sour cream
· 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, toss beef, onion, and mushrooms with 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt and teaspoon pepper. Pour over broth and sherry over all. Cover, and cook on high until meat is tender, about 6 hours.

In a bowl whisk cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water. Ladle 1 ½ cups cooking liquid into measuring cup; whisk to combine. Pour into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil; cook until thickened, about 1 minute.

With slow cooker turned off, stir in cornstarch mixture – mix well. Then sour cream and mustard.

Serve beef over noodles.

Cuban Style Pork Shoulder

Total time: 20 minutes, plus cooking time (4 hours on high; 8 hours on low)
Servings: 8

Note: Serve the pork with black beans and rice. This recipe requires a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

9 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons salt
4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons ground chile pepper
2 dried bay leaves, finely crumbled
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
5 pounds pork shoulder, bone and skin removed and cut into 2-inch cubes
3 onions
1/3 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1. In a large bowl, combine the garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, black pepper, chili pepper, crumbled bay leaves and orange zest. Stir in the vinegar, orange and lime juices to make a coarse paste. Add the pork pieces and toss until the pieces are evenly coated with the spice paste. Set aside to marinate while you finish the other preparations.

2. Trim and cut the onions lengthwise into 1/4 -inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices in an even layer on the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Pour the broth over the onions. Arrange the pork in an even layer over the onions, pouring over any reserved marinade.

3. Cover the insert and place it in the slow cooker. Set the cooker to high heat and cook 4 to 4 1/2 hours until the pork is fork-tender. Remove from heat and crack the lid to allow the mixture to cool slightly. Gently stir the pork with the onions and serve.

I served as suggested above - I also used the leftovers as a great soft shell taco! YUM!