Showing posts with label slow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slow. Show all posts
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Hawaiian Ribs Slow Cooker Recipe
Ive been on a real rib kick lately. Our family has been taking mini roadtrip vacations during the weekends, and have been tasting ribs. I try really hard to order non kid-menu food for my kids when we travel, and also try to steer clear of chain restaurants (sometimes easier said than done). The two favorites of the summer are (both on the CA coast, Im sorry!) Aptos Street Barbecue and McClintocks (we went to the one in Pismo Beach).
or you can make ribs at home. in the crockpot. because the barbecue is scary, and my friend Georgia just needed to get a hair cut because she CAUGHT HER HAIR ON FIRE while testing the grill.
ugh.
When she told me what happened, I asked: did you stop, drop and roll? she replied: No. I patted and screamed.
bwhahahaha!!!
but not really.
The Ingredients.
serves 4
2 pounds boneless beef short ribs, or about 4 pounds babyback ribs
1/3 cup gluten free soy sauce (LaChoy or Tamari Wheat Free)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-Spice powder (Ill put a recipe to make your own down below)
6 cloves minced garlic
Chinese 5 Spice Powder recipe:
(mix spices well, and store in an air-tight container for up to 6 months)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon crushed anise seed
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
The Directions.
If youre using boneless ribs, they will probably fit nicely in a 4 quart slow cooker. If youve got bones, youll most likely need a 6-quart.
Put the ribs into the cooker, and top with the sauce mixture. If you really want to, you can combine all the sauce stuff in a little bowl and then paint it onto the ribs, but that seems like a lot of work. Theyll be fine if you just dump everything on top. Theyll be fine if the meat is frozen solid, too. Mine was!
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for about 4 to 5. Flip the ribs over a few times before serving to cover evenly in the sauce. The longer and slower you cook the ribs, the more tender the meat.
The Verdict.
These ribs are fantastic. I served them in the backyard (far away from the bbq!) with corn on the cob (you can do corn in the crock, too!) and a big salad. They were sticky and sweet, and the normally tough meat fell apart nicely. The kids ate their ribs in the wading pool, making clean up super easy. :-)
more slow cooker rib recipes:
barbecue ribs
korean ribs
greek ribs
lemon pepper ribs
orange chipotle ribs
red ribs
use your slow cooker as a smoker!
Slow Cooker Rootbeer Pulled Pork Recipe
This is a reader recipe sent in by Monique, who calls this particular dish her "one successful slow cooker recipe."
Your pork is MUCH MORE than successful, Monique---its out-of-the-ball-park wonderful. I served 5 kids and 3 adults sandwiches with this meat (with a side of tater tots) and EVERYONE cleaned their plates.
Thank you, Monique!!
The Ingredients.
serves 6 (adult-size servings)
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast (butt)
1 large yellow onion, sliced in rings
1-2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce (start with 1, then season to taste after cooking and tasting)
1 cup chili sauce (near ketchup in the grocery aisle. if you want to make it, use 1 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1 tsp chili powder---its not identical, but pretty darn close)
2 cups root beer
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 hamburger buns or soft rolls (I make them myself, or use toasted Udis white bread to keep it gluten free)
The Directions.
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. A 6-quart is fine, but your meat will cook faster.
Put the meat into your pot, and add sliced onion. top with Tabasco sauce, chili sauce, root beer, and vanilla. cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until pork shreds easily with a fork. I plopped my pork in fully frozen, and it took 10 hours on low to be shreddy.
Serve over rice, or on toasted breads or buns.
The Verdict.
This is such a quick and easy recipe that makes everyone in the house happy. The rootbeer has a nice sweetness that really brings out the hint of ginger from the chili sauce. Its easily adaptable spice-wise, and is a great way to feed a houseful of people on a limited budget.
Thanks again to Monique for sharing her secret to slow cooking success!
Theres a new video up over on Real Moms Making Real Money (at home, in their pajamas) with Leah Ingram. Leah has written 13 books and shares her publishing and publicizing expertize and goal-setting advice. Theres also a giveaway for her new book--- so go check it out!
2008 Flashback:
March 1 Vegetarian Curry (have too many cans of chickpeas?)
March 2 Mediterranean Chicken (sounds fancy, tastes fantastic, beyond simple to prepare)
March 3 Barbecue Beans & Weenies (good for your heart)
March 4 Use Your CrockPot as a Rice Cooker (who needs another appliance, anyways?)
March 5 Cabbage Soup Diet (you can thank Amie :-) )
March 6 White Chili (and this one is from Headless Mom!)
March 7 Bananas Foster (cruise ship not needed)
March 8 Broccoli Beef (one of our favorite takeout fakeout dinners)
March 9 Seafood Alfredo (3 years ago I didnt know how to make a proper roux. now I do. :-0 )
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Black Bean and Goat Cheese Mini Slow Cooker Recipe
Day 224.
I used my Little Dipper Slow Cooker yesterday to make a Tex-Mex inspired black bean dip, and I loved it. It was kind of spicy, but the goat cheese complimented the spice nicely with its creamy mellow flavor.
Since I used my Little Dipper, I cut the recipe down quite a bit to fit inside. Feel free to double, triple, or exponentially increase---its very good, and I wouldnt mind making a whole meal out of chips and dip one day.
very soon.
The Ingredients.
--1/2 can of refried black beans
--2 cloves garlic, chopped
--1/2 of a lime, juiced
--1 t cayenne pepper
--1 t cumin
--2 T chopped cilantro leaves
--3-5 slices of goat cheese
The Directions.
Open the can of refried black beans, and scoop out about half of the contents into the Little Dipper. Squeeze in the lime juice. Add chopped garlic, the spices, and the cilantro leaves. Stir. Top with the sliced goat cheese.
Cover and plug in. The Little Dipper doesnt have a temperature gauge. Cook for 1-2 hours, or until the goat cheese has melted and the beans are warm and gooey.
Serve with corn tortilla chips.
The Verdict.
Very tasty. I was quite pleased with the kick the dip had, and loved how the goat cheese was creamy and mellow. The cilantro gave a "freshness" that I really appreciated---it didnt just taste like a canned bean dip. The kids mostly scooped the goat cheese off the top, but did try the black bean dip enough to know that it was spicy.
I have the other half of the can in the fridge, and plan on making this for myself for lunch while I watch taped Olympics.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P.S. Im having Feed Burner issues. I dont use a reader myself, so I dont really understand them. If anyone knows what I should do to fix whatever error is happening that makes it look like I havent updated since February, Id love to hear from you! crockpotlady AT gmail DOT com.
xoxo steph
Slow Cooker Chicken with Apricots and Dates Recipe
Dont be turned off by the name of this recipe or the list of ingredients. It sounds a bit odd, I know---
dried apricots? dried dates? with chicken?
Trust me. This tastes good.
The Ingredients.
serves 6
1 1/2 pounds chicken meat (boneless, skinless thighs are the best. If youre going to use chicken with bones, fish them out about halfway through cooking)
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried pitted dates, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice
The Directions.
Put the chicken into the bottom of a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker. My chicken was frozen solid. If you are using fresh chicken, shave off about 90 minutes or so of cooking time.
Add diced onion, and spices. Sprinkle on the apricots and dates. Pour the broth and orange juice evenly over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 3-5. The chicken should be quite tender and shred easily with a fork. If your chicken isnt tender enough, stir well and cook for a bit longer on low.
Serve with quinoa or brown rice with the juices----the broth is delicious!
The Verdict.
What a fantastic combination of flavors. The chicken was super tender, with just a touch of sweetness. The dried fruit softened immensely, and kind of became one with the cooking liquid (the apricots shown in the picture were placed there as a garnish).
All of us ate our dinner happily, and my grandma enjoyed the leftovers. Id make this again for sure.
The most expensive component to this dish was the dried fruit. The packages were $2.99 each at our local grocery store, and we finished it off by putting it in steel cut oatmeal.
Top 10 Slow Cooker Potluck Dishes
Were approaching a 3-Day weekend, and many of us will be attending barbecues, picnics, and family events. Dont arrive empty-handed!
Instead, load up your slow cooker with one of the following crowd-pleasing dishes. Ive listed the recipes in countdown order--- if you have a favorite, please chime in below. Happy Labor Day!
10) Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup. This is filling, delicious, and is different enough to gain lots of attention on the buffet table. Easy to stretch by serving rice, and fixens like sliced avocado and tortilla chips.
9) Lima Bean Casserole Cassoulet. I love serving this to guests and listening to the conversation. "what type of beans are these?" "Im not sure. some sort of large pinto beans or something?" I usually wait until the pot is practically empty before coming clean that they were lima beans.
8) Honey Lentils. Delicious, nutritious, vegan vegetarian, and such a fun offering to bring to a picnic. I get the nicest emails about these lentils!
7) Pesto Spinach Lasagna. I need to run to the store to pick up the ingredients for this! You have never had a better vegetarian lasagna. So so good.
6) Hirino Psito. This is a wonderful main dish to serve to guests. Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, and beer mix together to create a savory sauce that perfectly compliments the sweet contrast of brown sugar and cranberries. Win!
5) Brie with Apricot Topping. To make this more user-friendly for guests, insert an oven-safe dish into your large slow cooker and load the ingredients into the dish. Then remove the dish (use mitts!) and serve with your favorite crackers (we like Glutino a lot). Do not add water in the crockpot around the dish.
4) Pomegranate Beef. When we host a dinner for new friends, I usually make this. This keeps picky older relatives happy, along with the kids (note to self: I need to update some of these photos!). Ive made this for television audiences, and served it at the Disneyland Food & Wine Festival, where the kitchen chefs gave rave reviews, which made me cry. This recipe was also featured on Oprah.com!
3) Cream Cheese, Sausage, and Rotel Dip (mommy crack). The ingredients are odd, the taste is not. Make this and youll be happy.
2) Potluck Beans. We cant have a potluck countdown without potluck beans, now can we? These beans have bacon. Nuff said.
1) Original Taco Soup. Feeds a bunch, easy to throw together, and everyone LOVES it. This has been our number one potluck bring along for the past 12 years.
Honorable mention: Black Beans with Cilantro. I ran out of numbers--- this is a great bean recipe.
Enjoy your long weekend!
Honey Garlic Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe
QUIET QUIET QUIET
I may go do cartwheels on the back lawn...
right after I watch a soap opera marathon while eating a box of bon-bons...
This is a quick, easy, and super-tasty chicken recipe. Id highly recommend using thighs--- they hold up better in the slow cooker and dark meat just tastes better. :-) I use boneless, skinless thighs. If your thighs have bones and skin, fish them out of the pot before serving (the chicken will separate from the bone and itll be pretty easy).
The Ingredients.
serves 4
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 or one thigh per family member)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup soy sauce (La Choy or Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey
The Directions.
Use a 4-quart slow cooker (if using a 6-quart, this will cook faster. Check after 3 hours on high, 5 hours on low).
Put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 (Id go with low---).
Serve with basmati rice and steamed or roasted vegetables.
The Verdict.
My kids adore this chicken. The ketchup and honey taste a bit like barbecue sauce, but slightly more tart. The basil gives it a different, herby flavor which I like a lot. If you are into freezer meals, this is a great candidate--- load all the ingredients into a freezer bag (raw chicken, the sauce ingredients) and then freeze. Thaw the bag overnight in the fridge, then plop the ingredients into your cooker for a fast morning plug-in.
Enjoy!
Ive been doing a GiveAway a Day for the whole month of September. Today Im giving away 5 copies of my new book, Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life. Click on over for your chance to win!
Slow Cooker Mulligatawny Soup Recipe
According to CNN, the real life "soup nazi" featured in the famous Seinfeld episode is reopening his soup stand. I read that he had closed it because of possible franchise opportunities. Theres no need to wait in line for hours and risk getting yelled at. You can make Kramers favorite soup at home, in your pajamas, in your very own slow cooker. And its easy. I assumed there would be a ton of ingredients, be difficult to assemble, and too much work to want to make often.
I love it when Im wrong.
The Ingredients.
serves 6
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (frozen is okay)1 cup peeled and chopped apple (mine were fuji)
1 cup chopped carrots
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried minced onion flake
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons curry
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup long grain white rice (to add later)
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken thighs into the bottom of your cooker, and add apple, carrots, the whole can of tomatoes, onion flakes, and raisins. Then add the lemon juice, spices, and broth. Stir to mix the spices.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. If youd like, shred the chicken with two big forks, and stir in the uncooked rice. Flip to high for 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender. If you live in a high altitude, the rice will take longer and you might want to consider using instant or already cooked rice---its up to you.
Ladle into soup bowls.
The Verdict.
Gosh this is good. The curry and nutmeg pairs so nicely with the sweetness of the raisins and the apple. The end result is sweet but still savory, and my kids LICKED THEIR BOWLS. My dad loves this soup, and Im so happy to be able to make it now whenever hed like. The ingredients are pretty much pantry staples in our house, which is a total bonus.
Im not a good counting calories or points person, but this has got to be pretty light. If youd like the nutrition breakdown, many of my readers love the free counter at sparkspeople.com.
Good choice, Kramer! I can see why this soup is your favorite.
more yummy soups:
African Peanut Soup
Albondigas (meatball) Soup
Coconut Curry Soup
Restaurant Tomato Soup
Pho
Tortilla Soup
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup
Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup
Maple Barbecue Beef Slow Cooker Recipe
Oh sure, they eat really really really well during recipe-testing, but when they are in the midst of edits and the kitchen table has papers stacked where dinner dishes should be, they sometimes forget all about dinner.
In this case, its a good thing, because I made up a pretty phenomenal beef dinner using only the odds and ends of stuff I had in the house because I may have (accidentally) forgotten to go grocery shopping.
The Ingredients
serves 4
2 pounds frozen solid and maybe even frostbitten stew meat
1/3 cup soy sauce (LaChoy is gluten free)
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes (or 1 large onion, peeled and diced. We didnt have any.... gah.)
2/3 cup beef broth
The Directions
Use a 4 or 6-quart slow cooker. Your food will cook a bit faster in a 6-quart because its not as filled -- thats okay, just check it after 7 hours.
Dump everything into the pot. Because my meat was frozen, I didnt have the opportunity to stir it. No worries.
Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for about 5 or 6 hours. If you are home during the day and can stir it once to disperse the ingredients, go ahead and do so after a few hours. If you are not home, dont worry about it. Just stir well before serving.
Your meat is finished when it can break apart with a spoon. Serve with mashed potatoes and/or roasted vegetables (pictured is roasted carrots from my moms garden and sweet potatoes tossed with olive oil and sage).
The Verdict
Major winner. I was actually sweating bullets the day I put this into the pot because I couldnt take the time to leave to go get dinner-type-food and I had thrown away all the chicken in the house because of the recall. I needed to use the stew meat up, and I wanted to finish up the broth before it went bad.
Everything about this worked -- the maple played nicely with the salty soy sauce to create a beautiful barbecue-teriyaki sauce. Now that I know this works so well, Im going to be using it more often instead of leaning towards honey or brown sugar. What a nice surprise!!
~~~
I have good news! Ninja has extended my package offer for readers of the site for another Holiday Shopping Season. I heard word that they arent going to run the infomercial this Fall/Winter, so this is the only place to get a complete package.
ALSO: The GiveAway Page is STOCKED with *FREE* giveaways for this Holiday shopping season. You can subscribe via email (click here for subscription options) to be alerted to each new giveaway.
Happy Slow Cooking!!
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Old Fashioned Pot Roast Slow Cooker Recipe
Im not against these ingredients---there is MOST DEFINITELY a place in the world for these products, but now that I label-read for both health and entertainment (yes. you read that right. I read food labels for fun. please dont judge ;-0.), I choose not to use them except for on a very occasional basis (if you are gluten free, there are now products on the market that are safe to use, and a simple google search should uncover the manufacturers).
Man, that was a mouthful. And it was with words, not food. On to the food!
The Ingredients.
serves 6 to 8
 | ||
| thank you to Grandpa John for this beautiful roast! |
4 pounds beef roast (chuck or rump)
2 tablespoons flour (I used a gluten free baking mix, because we happen to be GF))
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced in rings
2 large Russet potatoes, cut in 2-inch chunks
1 cup baby carrots (or peeled and cut regular carrots!)
1 cup sliced celery
3 tablespoons gluten free Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins made in the USA ONLY is GF. If youre Canadian or live elsewhere, have an American ship you some!)
1/2 cup beef broth (if youve got red wine open, you could use that. and save me some. Im typing this Wed night 8pm, and Ive been up since 2am... my shoulders are above my ears)
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Okay, I browned this meat. I hate cooking before I cook, but my father-in-law brought over this GORGEOUS piece of meat and I felt the right thing to do was to pretend I knew what to do with a big gorgeous piece of meat so I browned it.
The browning provides a bit of texture and if you have a more sophisticated palate than I do, perhaps you notice a difference.
but its up to you.
This is what I did:
In a plastic zippered bag, shake a thawed beef roast with flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Remove roast from the bag and brown all sides in a large skillet with olive oil. While your meat is browning, place the sliced onion in the bottom of the cooker. Add meat, and toss in the potatoes, celery, and carrots. Pour worcestershire and beef broth (or wine) on top. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. If your meat isnt as moist as youd like nearing serving time, take it out and cut it into a few pieces and return it to the pot to soak up more juice.
A dry roast isnt from over slowcooking, its from under slowcooking!
The Verdict.
This is what pot roast should taste like!! We served this at a Sunday family dinner, and it went over really well. I appreciated that I could play in the yard and fold laundry while dinner cooked itself. The girls set the table, and the boys cleaned up---meaning the "work" part of my dinner was over by 8 am!
score!
other hunk of meat recipes:
java roast
jalapeno roast
barbecue beef and bean sandwiches
sundried tomato and feta tri-tip
3 packet pot roast
super simple cranberry roast
sweet mustard roast
beef bourguignon
Day 14 of Crocktober!
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Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Layered Dinner
Were home from BlogHer, safe and sound. We had an absolute ball---thank you so much for your well wishes. The live blogging transcript of the Food Blogging During a Recession is here, thanks to Chefdruck Musings. I wrote a tiny bit about our trip on Totally Together Journal, and Alanna did a Food Blogger recap on BlogHer.On the plane ride home, I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, and now I want to move to a sustainable farm. Like, NOW. Take me. Teach me. I want to know more! For the time being, were going to hit up our local produce stand, farmers market, and look into CSA delivery. I cant wait to learn as much as I can about growing vegetables, and want the kids to grow up knowing where food comes from.
On that note, I made a completely organic (except for the chicken, because it was Foster Farms and already in the freezer and Im a die-hard cheapskate and couldnt not eat it) dinner. In the slow cooker. Slow cooking is known for fast, friendly meals, but that doesnt mean that the food needs to be processed or not healthy. Ive made TONS of healthy food in the slow cooker, and you can too.
once in a while, Buffalo Chicken Wing soup is okay, though. right...?
The Ingredients.
serves 4.
for the pesto:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
4 garlic cloves
2 cups fresh basil
2 tablespoons pinenuts, or walnuts, or sunflower seeds
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 chicken thighs, or breast halves
sliced mozzarella cheese (I used string cheese!)
aluminum foil or parchment paper
4 small sweet potatoes, washed well, skin on
The Directions.
I used a 6 quart slow cooker. In a food processor or blender, combine the ingredients for your pesto. When liquidy, taste. If you need to add more citrus or salt or pepper, do so now.
In the bottom of a large slow cooker, arrange your chicken pieces. Mine were still frozen. Layer on slices of mozzarella cheese. Pour pesto evenly on top. Cover with a layer of foil or parchment paper. Scrub sweet potatoes well, prick with a fork, and lay them on top of the paper or foil. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. If your chicken is frozen it will take a bit longer. If youre using fresh chicken, and your sweet potatoes are quite large, you may choose to swap layers, and put the sweet potatoes on the bottom. Newer slow cookers cook from the sides as well as from the bottom, but some people swear the stuff on the bottom cooks faster.
Carefully remove the sweet potatoes with tongs, and remove foil or parchment. The steam that comes out will be quite hot, keep small children away.
The Verdict.
We all loved this meal. My kids put cinnamon on their sweet potatoes, and enjoyed eating the skin--for the first time. I was thrilled. The chicken was fully cooked, and the pesto had a good bite from the garlic that was balanced by the citrus. I used limes instead of lemons, and enjoyed the limey flavor. Lots of pesto calls for gobs of Parmesean cheese, which I opted to not use to 1) keep it a bit lighter and 2) to save a trip to the store. I served it alongside some leftover Quinoa Salad from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.
This was a great dinner.
somewhat related recipes:
Layered Dinner
Use your Slow Cooker as a Smoker
Cedar Planked Salmon
Chicken Adobo
Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chili, Lime, and Cumin
Country Captain Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe
Hello! Im going to share my absolute new favorite recipe of all time with you today. Hold on to your socks---this is a great one, and no one will ever know how super simple it was to throw together.Itll be our secret.
I got excited to make Country Captain after watching an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay, where this was the featured dish.
[aside: am I the only one who feels badly for the poor challenger who thinks he/she is being filmed for their own Food Network special? My heart just breaks for them.]
There are lots of listed ingredients, but chances are you already have most of the stuff on hand.
The Ingredients.
serves 6
1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (mine were frozen solid)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced (someday I want one of those peeler thingies)
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup raisins (or 2 T currants. I like raisins.)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup raw long-grain basmati white rice (to add later)
1 pound fully cooked shrimp (to add later, I used frozen already-shelled)
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your stoneware. Add chopped apple, onion, and bell pepper. Add garlic and all spices. Toss in the raisins and the entire can of diced tomatoes. Stir in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until chicken is tender, but still intact. Using tongs, remove chicken carefully from the slow cooker and place in a covered dish to keep warm.
Stir in raw white rice. Cover and cook again for about 30 minutes, or until rice is bite-tender. Stir in frozen shrimp, and recover cook for about 15 minutes, or until shrimp is heated through.
Serve rice and shrimp mixture on a plate with chicken pieces arranged on top.
The Verdict.
I wish I had eaten more of this--I mistakenly wandered from the table to tend to the baby. The rice cooks beautifully in the curried sauce, and the shrimp softens nicely and provides a great texture against the rice and raisins. My kids love how raisins plump when slow-cooked. My dad ate all the leftovers, and called twice with high praises.
The shrimp is the most expensive component to this dish, and while I adore all things shrimp, it isnt a necessity. Your chicken and rice will be still be quite lovely if you choose to omit this ingredient.
Slow Cooker Italian Style Calico Bean Soup
This has been one of "those weeks" -- and I feel like I just cant seem to do anything correctly, and everything seems to be just slightly off balance.
it stinks.
I try to maintain a positive outlook on life, the universe, and everything, but today was one of those days that I wanted to crawl back in bed as soon as my feet hit the floor. The good news was that dinner pretty much made itself, and the kids have promised that theyll do the dishes.
And Adam promised hell oversee the process, which means that Im going to curl up on the couch with a blankie and watch the DVRed Lifetime shows Ive got stockpiled...
[hey, no judging allowed! SOMEBODY has to watch Drop Dead Diva and Devious Maids, or theyll get cancelled!]
The Ingredients
serves 8-10
1 (16-ounce) package bean soup mix, flavor packet discarded
1 (12 to 16-ounce) package bulk Italian sausage, browned and crumbled
1 (26-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce
2 empty pasta sauce jars worth of water
1 chicken bouillon cube (12 grams)
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. In a large pot on the stove top, bring the beans to a rapid boil in a bunch of fresh water. Boil the beans for 10 minutes, then cover and remove from the heat. Let the beans sit in the cooling water for 1 hour, then drain and rinse in clean water. Place the beans into an empty slow cooker insert.
{please note that because this bean mix contains red beans, the beans *must* be boiled this way to kill a naturally-occurring potential toxin found in red beans. Its best to be safe rather than sorry!]
In a large skillet, brown the bulk sausage on the stove top, and drain any accumulated fat. Scrape the pan contents into your cooker. Add the entire jar of pasta sauce, and two jars-worth of water. Drop in the bouillon cube. Stir to combine. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for about 5 hours. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and a hunk of homemade cornbread.
enjoy!
The Verdict
I love this bean mix because it has something for everyone -- I especially love the great big huge butter beans that nearly triple in size while cooking. The leftovers freeze beautifully, and I enjoy having lots of little containers in the fridge ready to go for lunches during the week.
If freezing, youll need to thin a tiny bit with broth or water upon reheating.
more beany goodness:
traditional minestrone
16 bean soup
cowboy stew
dried beans tutorial
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Honey Glazed Ham Slow Cooker Recipe
(note: if you are reading through a feed, youll notice a different picture. I accidentally put up a finished picture of corned beef. That recipe is on its way! Thank you so much to Emma for pointing this out to me.)
Happy Almost-Easter! Do you have a ham in the fridge you dont know what to do with? Throw it in the crockpot. Itll be delicious.
The Ingredients.
serves 6-8.
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground thyme
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Unwrap ham, and discard flavor packet. Put ham into slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, honey, butter, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and thyme. Pour mixture evenly over the ham. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until heated through.
The Verdict.
Oh yum. Slow-cooked ham is so super easy and always comes out fantastic. The meat stays perfectly moist without needing to baste, and tastes wonderful. My family really likes this glaze--its sweet but not over the top.
Now that I can eat pork again, Im thinking of declaring every Wednesday a holiday just so I can eat ham.
and more crockpot holiday food.
Have a wonderful Easter!
Friday, March 20, 2015
Save Money By Using Your CrockPot Slow Cooker
The economy is all whacked out right now and its scary. Im not watching the news.
I get an email almost every day asking if I am saving money by using my CrockPot daily.
No. What I am doing is not normal. Most people do not try to do what Im doing in the crockpot. We are pretty much breaking even on the grocery bills, thanks to BlogHerads. I am grocery shopping more than I ever have before, and am cooking way too much food. I am also buying ingredients that cost more than I would normally spend because Im trying so many new things.
But you can save money. You dont need to cook a different something every single day. You can cook a big pot of beans, stew, or a casserole and eat it for a few days in a row. You can stock your freezer with homemade broth, stock, and cream of something soup. You can freeze your own cooked beans. You can make yogurt. You can make baby food. You can cook a whole chicken and pick off the meat for future meals. You can even make playdough, crayons, or use the crockpot as a footbath (not really. this one is just for fun.)
When I was first married, I stunk at cooking. I still kind of do, but at least the crockpot allows me a bunch of wiggle-room. I would make Taco Soup every other week, and Adam and I would stretch the food to last for days by making burritos, or adding it on top of rice.
Ive put together a round-up of money-saving CrockPot ideas for you. I will continue to add more posts when I come up with them.
homemade chicken broth
homemade beef stock
homemade cream of mushroom soup
Myrons famous whole chicken
lemon and herb chicken
rotisserie-style chicken
How to make canned beans
or refried beans
How to make yogurt
How to make babyfood
Playdough recipe
Recycle crayons in your crockpot
Recycle Candles, too!
Use your crockpot as a rice cooker
Make homemade chicken nuggets in the crockpot
Skip the coffee house and make pumpkin spice lattes at home or peppermint mochas.
Having a party? Stretch your wine by turning it into mulled wine.
Extra food? Make fried rice in the crockpot!
You can make applesauce or apple butter, or homemade granola.
And my favorite way to use my crockpot: the lazy way. Plop in a hunk of frozen meat---it really doesnt matter what kind---and cover it with a bottle or jar of your favorite sauce. Cook on low all day, and serve the shredded meat over rice or pasta. Ive used spaghetti sauce, barbecue sauce, A-1, salad dressing, and bottled marinades.
If you are concerned about the amount of energy consumed by using a crockpot (which is a very valid concern!) here is a pamphlet put out by First Energy Corp., in Ohio. The chart on page 5 says that a crockpot uses $0.02 power per hour.
Heres another energy usage list put out by the Northeast Utilities System, that says the monthly cost of using a slow cooker is $1.17.
For more frugal dinner ideas, visit Erin at $5 Dollar Dinners.
Slow Cooking During a Recession
Meal Planning With the CrockPot
Alphabetical Listing of Recipes
Frequently Asked Crock-Pot Questions
Help! My CrockPot Cooks Too Fast!
An Important Note About Safety
My New Years Resolution
Apricot Barbecue Wings Slow Cooker Recipe
I know Ive written about my love for all things wings before, but Im going to again.
sorry. youre just going to have to deal.
I dont usually get cravings for chocolate, or salt, or ice cream, or anything else many people claim to crave. I instead get an itchy feeling on my tongue and my brain just begs for buffalo wings.
The Ingredients.
serves 8
3 pounds chicken wings (I usually leave the wing joints on because Im terribly lazy)
1 cup prepared barbecue sauce
1 (18-ounce) jar apricot preserve
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce (not pictured)
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Spread the wings out on a large cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. This browns the skin and keeps it from getting terribly slimy in the crock. I do think this is an important step, even though I loathe cooking before I cook.
Put the hot wings into your cooker. In a mixing bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, apricot preserve, dry mustard, and Tabasco sauce.
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked throughout but still attached to the bone.
The Verdict.
I made these wings while home alone with the baby. And I accidentally ate all except for the 3 I saved for the rest of the family to try.
I didnt set out to eat them all, it just sort of happened. It might have been because I was glued to a Keeping Up With the Kardashians marathon...
more wingy goodness:
buffalo wing soup
buffalo wing lasagna
buffalo chicken dip (LOVE this!)
teriyaki wings
sweet and spicy wings
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Shepherds Pie
I got an email yesterday from Donna who asked if I had a recipe that used leftover chili and it dawned on me that I hadnt ever posted the vegetarian chili shepherds pie I included in the second book.
This recipe first has you make some chili, but if you made 3 crockpots-worth of chili for Fathers Day weekend, definitely feel free to use that as the filling!
The Ingredients.
serves 6
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
dont want to use canned beans? Heres how to cook dried beans.
1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn
1 small onion, diced
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups mashed potatoes (leftover, fresh, from a box-- your choice!)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
The Directions.
Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Drain and rinse the beans, and add to the crockpot. Add corn and diced onion. Pour in the tomato sauce, and add cumin, salt, pepper. Stir well to combine. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top.
Squish the 2 cups of mashed potatoes down on your chili with the back of a wooden spoon. Now dust with the smoked paprika.
Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for 3-4. Uncover the slow cooker near serving time and let cook uncovered on high for 20-30 minutes to cook away any collected condensation. The potatoes will brown on top a tiny bit and begin to pull from the sides.
The Verdict.
This is a fantastic was to either use up already-made chili, or clean out your pantry! The touch of smoked paprika at the end is my favorite part, it gives a bit of something special to the mashed potatoes. If youd like a traditional shepherds pie (well, sort of traditional. youd need to use ground lamb to make it really truly traditional), heres a recipe for you.
Im getting an awful lot of questions about the sponsored posts. No, I will not do only sponsored posts from now on. The timing with the Coca-Cola event and the Philadelphia cream cheese posts was/is unfortunate--and I can see how it would look that way. I spend a lot of time on the internet, and need to compensate myself for the time spent.
I also need to sell books, or the publishers will not continue to allow me to write for them. Its just how it all works. Im immensely fortunate I have the opportunity to work from home while being full-time with my children. But I cant ignore the bills or the mortgage, and it isnt fair to me to work for free.
Ive put the recap post for Coca-Cola over on the Totally Together website because I needed to put up a cream cheese post here yesterday (only one more of those to go!)--- the most valuable information I learned at the Coke event was that women need to help women.
I’m in the midst of a new site redesign (nothing will change, but it will all be different. don’t freak out.) and would like to start an everyone-is-included blog/website roll. If you have a site that you’d like included and you’re a REAL person and not some spam monster, please email me at contact@stephanieodea.com (I’m the contact!) with the subject line: blogroll and I’ll get you on the list. This roll will constantly be updated—it’s time we reach out and support one another.
Thank you for being so wonderful. Have a fantastic day.
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