As I was perusing crockpot365.blogspot.com I found this recipe. It along with a few others convinced me that I was better off buying Stephanie O'Dea's book "Make It Fast, Cook It Slow". I'd rather make notes in her cookbook than copy and paste off her blog.
Azorean Spiced Beef Stew
1 lb beef stew meat
3 cups beef stock
2 potatoes, chopped in 1-inch chunks
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in quarters or 2 large chopped tomatoes
1 cup baby carrots
3 green onions, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1-2 tbsp kosher salt (start with 1, then salt to taste)
1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
2 cinnamon sticks
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the meat into your stoneware; frozen is fine. Add the stock. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, green onions and garlic. Stir in the salt, red pepper flakes, allspice and cumin. Float the bay leaf on top and add the cinnamon sticks. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for about 6 hours.
We ended up using steak, although when I pulled the meat out of the freezer I wasn't sure what it was. Feel free to use whatever you'd like to get rid of from your freezer. I skipped the tomatoes and added extra potatoes, carrots and garlic. I also added about 4 cups of stock. When I make it again I'll probably use 5 cups. I will also use only 1 cinnamon stick. The flavor was good (just barely cinnamon-y), but I wasn't crazy about the strong cinnamon scent while it was cooking. All in all, I really liked how this came out and will make it again!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Pasta with Sausage and Vegetables
Huge props go to my husband for this one. You rock, sweetie! This came from a brainstorming session about what new dishes we could cook (as the old ones were getting *really* old) and Rand and I still couldn't eat dairy, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, chile, or pasta sauce . This pasta dish doesn't have a traditional sauce, but you won't miss it. And the best thing about it is that you can pretty much put in whatever veggies you want.
Pasta with Sausage and Vegetables
* 5 links sweet Italian turkey sausage
* one box pasta (either penne or rotini)
* 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
* 1 stalk celery, diced
* 1 medium red/white/yellow onion (or there abouts), diced
* 1 heaping tbsp minced garlic
* 1 small zucchini, diced
* 1 small squash/chayote, diced
* a heaping large handful pine nuts
Before starting anything else, dice up the vegetables so they are all about the same size. I usually leave the onions a bit larger so they don't burn. Start water boiling for the pasta. I usually add both olive oil and salt to mine. While the water is heating, in a large skillet sautee your firmer vegetables (carrots, celery) in olive oil. Cook your pasta according to the directions once the water is boiling. Place the sausage links in the pan with the carrots and celery. Take the sausage links out of the pan before they are completely cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to sautee until they are done but not mushy. Slice the sausage into 1/4" rounds and return to the pan to finish cooking. By this time your pasta should be done. Drain the pasta and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. You are going to mix everything together, so depending on the size of your pan you can either toss the pasta in with the vegetables, or return the pasta to the pot and add your vegetables and sausage. Grind in some sea salt and black pepper, toss well to mix. You can also add some red pepper flakes if you so desire. M usually tops his with Parmesan cheese. I usually add an extra drizzle of olive oil to mine.
This is a super dish for emptying out the vegetable drawer of partial pieces, and those veggies who are on the brink of turning. Although this serves about 5, M and I usually find ourselves having it for close to 3+ or 4 meals. We have used also added julienned sun-dried tomatoes, which add a great flavor.
Enjoy!
Pasta with Sausage and Vegetables
* 5 links sweet Italian turkey sausage
* one box pasta (either penne or rotini)
* 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
* 1 stalk celery, diced
* 1 medium red/white/yellow onion (or there abouts), diced
* 1 heaping tbsp minced garlic
* 1 small zucchini, diced
* 1 small squash/chayote, diced
* a heaping large handful pine nuts
Before starting anything else, dice up the vegetables so they are all about the same size. I usually leave the onions a bit larger so they don't burn. Start water boiling for the pasta. I usually add both olive oil and salt to mine. While the water is heating, in a large skillet sautee your firmer vegetables (carrots, celery) in olive oil. Cook your pasta according to the directions once the water is boiling. Place the sausage links in the pan with the carrots and celery. Take the sausage links out of the pan before they are completely cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to sautee until they are done but not mushy. Slice the sausage into 1/4" rounds and return to the pan to finish cooking. By this time your pasta should be done. Drain the pasta and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. You are going to mix everything together, so depending on the size of your pan you can either toss the pasta in with the vegetables, or return the pasta to the pot and add your vegetables and sausage. Grind in some sea salt and black pepper, toss well to mix. You can also add some red pepper flakes if you so desire. M usually tops his with Parmesan cheese. I usually add an extra drizzle of olive oil to mine.
This is a super dish for emptying out the vegetable drawer of partial pieces, and those veggies who are on the brink of turning. Although this serves about 5, M and I usually find ourselves having it for close to 3+ or 4 meals. We have used also added julienned sun-dried tomatoes, which add a great flavor.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
CrockPot Meat Loaf
Once again I'm pulling out the crockpot to help me with dinner. I've made this recipe before, and still really like it. Its from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook. One of the reasons I bought the cookbook is that there are 4 different meatloaf recipes. Gotta love that! Anyway, back to the recipe.
Old Fashioned Meat Loaf
Cooker: medium or large round or oval
Settings and Cook Times: HIGH for 1 hour, then LOW for 6 hours; ketchup and bell pepper rings added during the last 30 minutes
Meatloaf:
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
1 large egg, beaten
1 or 2 slices whole wheat or white sandwich bread
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced green, red, or yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup minced celery
2 tsp seasoned salt or salt-free herb blend
1/4 tsp dried thyme
a few grinds of black pepper
1/2 cup tomato or V8 juice
Topping:
3/4 cup ketchup or prepared chili sauce
4 bell pepper rings, 1/2 inch thick
1. Combine the ground chuck and egg in a large bowl. Tear the bread slices into quarters or eighths, put in a food processor and pulse until reduced to about 1/2 cup of crumbs. (Alternately, tear the bread into 1-inch pieces, place in a bowl, pour over 1/4 cup tomato juice, then add to the meat.) Add the onion, minced bell pepper, celery, salt, pepper, thyme, and tomato juice. Using your hands or a large fork, mix gently but thoroughly.
2. Make and aluminum foil "cradle" that will help you easily remove the meat loaf from the slow cooker when it is done: Tear off a sheet of foil about 24 inches long. Place along the edge of the counter, and tear in half lengthwise. Fold each piece in half lengthwise, and then in half again. Place the strips in the cooker in a cross shape, centering them. The edges of the strips will hang over the edge of the cooker. Place the meat mixture on top of the strips and shape into an oval or round loaf, depending on the shape of your cooker, by pressing gently, evening out the top and shaping it to fit your cooker. Bend the foil strips toward the meat load so they will no prevent the cover of the cooker from closing properly. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour.
3. Turn the cooker to LOW and cook until and instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the center of the meat load registers at least 160F to 165F, about 6 hours.
4. About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, bend the foil strips out of the way, pour the ketchup over the top of the load, and arrange the pepper rings decoratively over the meat loaf. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes on LOW.
5. To serve, lift the meat loaf onto a cutting board or serving platter, using the foil "handles". Slide out and discard the foil strips. Slice the meat loaf and serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold the next day.
My Notes:
1. I omitted the minced bell pepper and increased the onion and celery. I also omitted the tomato juice substituting beef broth.
2. I also did not put any topping on the meat loaf. We ate it with skillet garlic green beans; delicious!
3. I have a 6-qt oval, and 6 hours was plenty long enough for this to cook. I probably could have done 5 hours and it would have been done enough.
4. The foil "handles" sound a bit odd, but they work really well. I've made this and other meat loaves in my slow cooker and have never had a problem getting them out.
Old Fashioned Meat Loaf
Cooker: medium or large round or oval
Settings and Cook Times: HIGH for 1 hour, then LOW for 6 hours; ketchup and bell pepper rings added during the last 30 minutes
Meatloaf:
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
1 large egg, beaten
1 or 2 slices whole wheat or white sandwich bread
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced green, red, or yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup minced celery
2 tsp seasoned salt or salt-free herb blend
1/4 tsp dried thyme
a few grinds of black pepper
1/2 cup tomato or V8 juice
Topping:
3/4 cup ketchup or prepared chili sauce
4 bell pepper rings, 1/2 inch thick
1. Combine the ground chuck and egg in a large bowl. Tear the bread slices into quarters or eighths, put in a food processor and pulse until reduced to about 1/2 cup of crumbs. (Alternately, tear the bread into 1-inch pieces, place in a bowl, pour over 1/4 cup tomato juice, then add to the meat.) Add the onion, minced bell pepper, celery, salt, pepper, thyme, and tomato juice. Using your hands or a large fork, mix gently but thoroughly.
2. Make and aluminum foil "cradle" that will help you easily remove the meat loaf from the slow cooker when it is done: Tear off a sheet of foil about 24 inches long. Place along the edge of the counter, and tear in half lengthwise. Fold each piece in half lengthwise, and then in half again. Place the strips in the cooker in a cross shape, centering them. The edges of the strips will hang over the edge of the cooker. Place the meat mixture on top of the strips and shape into an oval or round loaf, depending on the shape of your cooker, by pressing gently, evening out the top and shaping it to fit your cooker. Bend the foil strips toward the meat load so they will no prevent the cover of the cooker from closing properly. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour.
3. Turn the cooker to LOW and cook until and instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the center of the meat load registers at least 160F to 165F, about 6 hours.
4. About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, bend the foil strips out of the way, pour the ketchup over the top of the load, and arrange the pepper rings decoratively over the meat loaf. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes on LOW.
5. To serve, lift the meat loaf onto a cutting board or serving platter, using the foil "handles". Slide out and discard the foil strips. Slice the meat loaf and serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold the next day.
My Notes:
1. I omitted the minced bell pepper and increased the onion and celery. I also omitted the tomato juice substituting beef broth.
2. I also did not put any topping on the meat loaf. We ate it with skillet garlic green beans; delicious!
3. I have a 6-qt oval, and 6 hours was plenty long enough for this to cook. I probably could have done 5 hours and it would have been done enough.
4. The foil "handles" sound a bit odd, but they work really well. I've made this and other meat loaves in my slow cooker and have never had a problem getting them out.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Caribbean Jerked Chicken
This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook". Well, it was a favorite before Rand and I weren't eating dairy or tomatoes. There's a lot of both in here. But, I've made quite a few recipes from the book and overall have been pretty pleased.
I found this recipe the other day and was drawn to it because it required only minimal substitutions. Enjoy!
Caribbean Jerked Chicken
cooker requirements: Medium or large round or oval
setting and cook time: LOW for 5-6 hours
1/2 sliced green onions
2 T grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 T olive oil
3 jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1-2 cloves garlic, to your taste
2 T firmly packed brown sugar
1 T cider vinegar
1 T orange juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 bone-in chicken thighs, with the skin on, and 4 drumsticks
1. In a food processor, combine the first 10 ingredients (green onions through garlic) and process until very finely chopped, almost smooth. Stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, OJ, and Worcestershire sauce to form a paste. Using a brush, apply the jerk sauce so it completely coats the chicken; use up all of the sauce.
2. Put a wire rack in the slow cooker. Place the chicken on the wire rack. Cover and cook on LOW until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 5-6 hours. Serve immediately.
My Notes: For a start, I only used chicken thighs, and they weren't bone-in. They were (so helpfully!!!) boneless and skinless. Because of that, I didn't use a wire rack. I just put the thighs on the bottom of the slow cooker and spooned the sauce over them. Also because they were boneless, they only took a little over 2 hours to cook. Since I had planned on them being ready in 5-6 hours, I put the chicken (and all the juices and remaining sauce) in the fridge and reheated then them in the oven at 350 for about 10 min right before dinner.(That wasn't long enough and we had to pop them in the microwave before eating, but had I left them in the oven longer, they would have been fine. I wasn't worried about the meat drying out because I had scooped all the juices and remaining sauce from the slow cooker into the dish with the chicken.) I also skipped the jalapenos and used about 1T Sriracha sauce (a Thai chile sauce) instead. Don't be afraid to dial back on the spice until you have your desired heat-level.
You can serve this with rice, or beans and rice as I attempted. Here's the recipe I tried to use; I would recommend using canned beans unless you're a whiz with beans from scratch. http://www.jamaican-recipes.com/riceandpeas.html The flavor of the rice and beans using the coconut milk was awesome, very creamy. I also mixed into the beans the remaining juices and sauce leftover from the chicken. I think this gave the beans and rice a better depth of flavor.
I will definitely make the Caribbean Jerked Chicken again, as well as beans and rice. I might have to find another recipe, and practice making scratch beans first, though!
I found this recipe the other day and was drawn to it because it required only minimal substitutions. Enjoy!
Caribbean Jerked Chicken
cooker requirements: Medium or large round or oval
setting and cook time: LOW for 5-6 hours
1/2 sliced green onions
2 T grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 T olive oil
3 jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1-2 cloves garlic, to your taste
2 T firmly packed brown sugar
1 T cider vinegar
1 T orange juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 bone-in chicken thighs, with the skin on, and 4 drumsticks
1. In a food processor, combine the first 10 ingredients (green onions through garlic) and process until very finely chopped, almost smooth. Stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, OJ, and Worcestershire sauce to form a paste. Using a brush, apply the jerk sauce so it completely coats the chicken; use up all of the sauce.
2. Put a wire rack in the slow cooker. Place the chicken on the wire rack. Cover and cook on LOW until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 5-6 hours. Serve immediately.
My Notes: For a start, I only used chicken thighs, and they weren't bone-in. They were (so helpfully!!!) boneless and skinless. Because of that, I didn't use a wire rack. I just put the thighs on the bottom of the slow cooker and spooned the sauce over them. Also because they were boneless, they only took a little over 2 hours to cook. Since I had planned on them being ready in 5-6 hours, I put the chicken (and all the juices and remaining sauce) in the fridge and reheated then them in the oven at 350 for about 10 min right before dinner.(That wasn't long enough and we had to pop them in the microwave before eating, but had I left them in the oven longer, they would have been fine. I wasn't worried about the meat drying out because I had scooped all the juices and remaining sauce from the slow cooker into the dish with the chicken.) I also skipped the jalapenos and used about 1T Sriracha sauce (a Thai chile sauce) instead. Don't be afraid to dial back on the spice until you have your desired heat-level.
You can serve this with rice, or beans and rice as I attempted. Here's the recipe I tried to use; I would recommend using canned beans unless you're a whiz with beans from scratch. http://www.jamaican-recipes.com/riceandpeas.html The flavor of the rice and beans using the coconut milk was awesome, very creamy. I also mixed into the beans the remaining juices and sauce leftover from the chicken. I think this gave the beans and rice a better depth of flavor.
I will definitely make the Caribbean Jerked Chicken again, as well as beans and rice. I might have to find another recipe, and practice making scratch beans first, though!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
CrockPot Pancakes
I know this sounds weird, but if its easy to make and saves time weird can be delicious. I got this from A Year Of Slow Cooking (http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/) - this gal used her crockpot every day for a year. Hats off to her, and thanks for the recipe!
1) Follow the directions listed on the back of your pancake mix package. If you're all fancy-like, you could make them from scratch.
(My note: I used this recipe with my GF flour mix. [2 tbsp. melted butter, 2 c. buttermilk, 2 eggs - lightly beaten, 2 c. sifted flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking soda, 2 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup freeze dried apple. Sift all dry ingredients into large mixing bowl. Melt butter and combine it with buttermilk and eggs. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry mixture and stir just until all dry ingredients are moist.])
2) Spray the inside of your crock liberally with cooking spray, or rub butter all along the sides and bottom.
3) Pour your batter in, and put the lid on. Cook on high for 2 hours, then test with a knife. You'll know it's done when the top is golden-brown, pulls away from the sides, and the knife comes out clean.
Cut into wedges or slices, and remove with a spatula.
--knock on wood-- our pieces came out perfectly.
I lifted the entire pancake out with a spatula and then cut it, which worked just fine. I really liked the crust that came from being cooked for so long. The inside was super light and spongy. Mike was *very* skeptical when I told him what we were having, but at the end of the meal he said he'd love to have them again. The ultimate compliment!!!!
Another note: I have a 6.5 qt crockpot, and the pancake was about 2" high. I cut it in half width-wise, and then cut the half into 3 wedges. One wedge plus a serving of bacon was plenty. And Rand thought they were delicious, which is another bonus.
1) Follow the directions listed on the back of your pancake mix package. If you're all fancy-like, you could make them from scratch.
(My note: I used this recipe with my GF flour mix. [2 tbsp. melted butter, 2 c. buttermilk, 2 eggs - lightly beaten, 2 c. sifted flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking soda, 2 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup freeze dried apple. Sift all dry ingredients into large mixing bowl. Melt butter and combine it with buttermilk and eggs. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry mixture and stir just until all dry ingredients are moist.])
2) Spray the inside of your crock liberally with cooking spray, or rub butter all along the sides and bottom.
3) Pour your batter in, and put the lid on. Cook on high for 2 hours, then test with a knife. You'll know it's done when the top is golden-brown, pulls away from the sides, and the knife comes out clean.
Cut into wedges or slices, and remove with a spatula.
--knock on wood-- our pieces came out perfectly.
I lifted the entire pancake out with a spatula and then cut it, which worked just fine. I really liked the crust that came from being cooked for so long. The inside was super light and spongy. Mike was *very* skeptical when I told him what we were having, but at the end of the meal he said he'd love to have them again. The ultimate compliment!!!!
Another note: I have a 6.5 qt crockpot, and the pancake was about 2" high. I cut it in half width-wise, and then cut the half into 3 wedges. One wedge plus a serving of bacon was plenty. And Rand thought they were delicious, which is another bonus.
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