In celebration of fall, pumpkin pie candles have been burning to scent our house. But yesterday, I let the aromas wafting from my crockpot remind us of fall. The scent was delicious. I found myself leaving the house just so I could walk in and experience that first tempting sniff again and again.
I am not sure where this recipe came from or who I owe credit to (it is in my recipe boxed scribbled on a piece of paper that has seen better days). I am sure that while sitting in a waiting room of a doctor’s office or car dealership I found this tasty dish and had to copy it on the first piece of paper I could get my hands on.
The original recipe called for couscous, but we enjoy it served with quinoa (see cooking notes for preparation).
Gluten/Wheat Free, Kid Friendly
ingredients
2 large onions, sliced
1 3-3.5 lb boneless beef chuck, cubed in 1 inch pieces
¾ cup dry red wine
¼ cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cinnamon sticks broken in half
1 teaspoon crushed, dried rosemary
1 teaspoon allspice
¾ teaspoon salt
pinch crushed red pepper
1 2 lb butternut squash, cubed in 1½ inch pieces
2 large cooking apples, cored and cut in 1½ inch pieces
preparation
Place beef on top of onions in slow-cooker. Mix wine, paste, vinegar and spices in separate bowl. Pour over beef and throw in the cinnamon sticks. Cover and cook low for 6 hours (or high for 3). Stir in squash and cook 1.5-2 hours. Add apples in the last ½ hour. Discard cinnamon sticks and serve over quinoa.
cooking notes
To make the quinoa taste a little more like couscous, I add in some garlic powder, onion (dried or powdered), and salt. Be sure to rinse the quinoa well before cooking to wash away the bitterness; do so 3-4 times.
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