Balsamic Orange Roast Beef

Balsamic Orange Roast Beef

This beef comes out of the slow cooker so ultra tender that you only need a fork to dig in. It's sweet and fragrant from fresh oranges, with a lovely balsamic vinegar tang.

• 3½-4 pound boneless beef chuck or round roast
• 1 cup beef broth
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup orange marmalade (I like to use a marmalade with large pieces of orange peel)
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper #akes
• Juice and zest of 1 large orange, plus orange wedges for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper

Place beef roast in slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together beef broth, balsamic vinegar, marmalade,garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and red pepper #akes. Pour mixture over beef, place lid on slow
cooker, and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or about 4 hours on high.
Once beef is fork tender, remove it to a serving dish. Pour most of the gravy from the slow cooker (leave about ¼ cup of gravy in the slow cooker) into a medium saucepan and then return the beef to the slow cooker to keep warm. Use a fat separator to remove the obvious fat from the gravy in the saucepan. Cook
gravy over medium-low to medium heat until reduced nearly by half, then stir in orange juice and zest.
Remove pan from heat.Transfer beef from slow cooker to a serving dish. Break beef apart just a bit with two forks and then pour gravy over the beef. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Serve with fresh orange wedges to
squeeze over the top.

Chicken Cacciatore

An easy Italian dish perfect for any time of the year. This is delicious served over spaghetti squash, rice or egg noodles.

• 1 large sweet onion, sliced
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (roughly 1¾-2 pounds)
• 3 bell peppers, sliced (go for a variety of colors)
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 2 ounces tomato paste
• 2 (14½ ounce each) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 (14 ounce cans each) small artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (rolled and cut in little strips, or “ribbons”)
• 2 ounces baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced

Spread the onions over the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the chicken on top of the onions. Top the chicken with the peppers, garlic, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and artichoke hearts.
Pour the chicken broth over the top and add the bay leaf, parsley, crushed red pepper, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Add the basil and mushrooms and cook for an additional 10 minutes on high with the lid off.
Remove bay leaf before serving.

Note: Be careful not to cook too long past 4 hours or the chicken will get overcooked and dry.