Slow Cookin' at the Manse

Today my mouth is watering in anticipation of a rustic cassoulet for supper. Oh yum! 

Ok, I know what you're thinking... yes, you're absolutely right on the money, too! The mistress of the manse is pushing the season a bit. Shoot, let's just shift the blame for all this to those capricious culinary muses. 

Light summery dinners are nice, but on this day I'm chomping at the bit to sink my teeth into something decadently meaty. The great thing about being the chief yum officer here is that I get to choose what we eat. If I'm in the mood to flavor jaunt and crisscross the globe or stick close to home, the choice is mine to make. 

Around 11:00 AM, I dusted off the crock pot, grabbed a couple chunks of meat from the freezer and a bag of frozen onions and leeks. 

I scattered the bottom of the pot with the leeks and onions, added 1 small chunk of frozen raw stewing beef. The beef didn't look like a whole lot, so I grabbed a small bag of raw lamb that I'd frozen a few months ago after using what I needed for a catering job. (Remind me to share that recipe with you sometime!)  

Next, I drizzled about a tablespoon or two of red wine vinegar over the frozen meat, sprinkled a generous shaking of Lawry's  Seasoning Salt, my favorite salt free blend, garlic and herb seasoning and some special meat seasoning. 

 Next it was time to add a can of tomatoes, a big splash of red wine (I used  about half a bottle), a can of mushrooms, and about two tablespoons of butter. Did I mention that tonight's dinner is really easy on the pantry? Canned goods are playing a supportive role in tonight's cookery.  In  my catering business, I'm all about fresh. But when I'm cooking as the pastor's wife and not the caterer, I don't mind utilizing the convenience and practicality of shelf staples that don't perish as fresh ones do. I didn't have to toss out too many fresh mushrooms before I realized maybe it was time to keep a stash of canned 'shrooms on hand.

So now it's time for the ole' slow cooker to create it's magic.  Later, if time allows, the stew will be turned into a French Cassoulet. Stay tuned.

As it would turn out, right at the precise moment of perfection, we had to sprint away for a site inspection for my catering business. So here we were with dinner in the crockpot, ready and waiting for us to return while we scouted out legal non-booster tailgate tent spots for the upcoming Florida State-Oklahoma game. More on that later, don't let me forget!

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When we finally returned home at almost 9:30 PM, I quick roasted some Kielbasa Sausage, then tossed them into the pot with a drained can of Garbanzo Beans, allowing the new additions to sit briefly before ladling out two half mugs.  By this time of night we just were no longer all that hungry. The cassoulet with the wonderful garlic topping didn't happen, at least not yet! But the stew hit the spot.

We use stoneware mugs often at the manse for small meal time vessels. I love using mugs for stews and chowders and even for one of our absolute favorite foods here at the manse, Ice Cream! Which somehow we saved room for tonight. A mug of mint chocolate chip in front of the telly with my sweetie, it just doesn't get much better than that!

Photos, Recipe and Writing are the property of Happy Hour at the Manse