I had mixed feelings about my slow cooker when I first got it mainly because i associated it high sodium pre packaged mixes or lil weenies people bring to potlucks.  With one in my possession I soon realized that the slow cooker is only as good as the ingredients you put in it.

My own ventures with a slow cooker started about a year ago and I have had some hits and misses.  One of my hits was a burgundy beef stew, one of my misses was broccoli and cheddar soup (don’t use high for this one the milk will curdle-yuck).

A slow cooker recipe I found in a Real Simple magazine caught my eye one day so I cut it out and saved it for a lazy Sunday.  It was called Cuban Braised Beef and Peppers and I had most of the ingredients on hand except for the beef (flank steak with is a fairly inexpensive cut) and avocado (as much as I love them I decided to go without on this recipe).

Cuban Braised Beef and Peppers

Didn’t make many alternations- my mood on Sunday was to keep things as simple as possible.  I did add a bay leaf, cayenne pepper, diced sweet potato and minced garlic to the slow cooker mixture.  Instead of avocado I served it with a dollop of sour cream and some freshly chopped cilantro.