Friday, April 30, 2010

Tomato, Bean and Vegetable Soup

Well, I would like to first of all re-name this.  This soup was vegetarian and it was very good, but I wouldn't call it Chili.  I would like to call it Tomato Bean and Vegetable Soup.  My concoction was seriously lacking the "spice" of Chili even with a tablespoon of Chili powder and a jalepeno.  However, this soup is CHOCK full of "good for you" things and my daughter went in for second helpings!  I must admit, I had second helpings too!  I planned to serve this with corn bread, but didn't have time to make it by the time I got home from work today.....tomorrow I will make it to go with the leftovers!

If you would like to make this into more of a Chili, I would omit the can of vegetarian baked beans and add another kind of your favorite beans in its place.  I would also add the seeds of the jalepeno and maybe a can of green chilis.  I  have to keep the spice level down around here so my little one will eat what I cook.

One thing that I happened to mention to my husband last night as we were prepping all of the ingredients, is that I was so happy I have been using all of my leftover ingredients!  I used parsley for the Parsley Chicken and Bean and Ham soup last week, and I used the remainder of the bunch I bought today for this soup!  As I think about things to make for the week, I try to find things where I only have to buy a few ingredients instead of buying a ton of things I'll never use again.

This Tomato Bean and Vegetable Soup is VERY fulfilling and will definitely satisfy all my Vegetarian friends out there!

Tomato Bean and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
1 cup kidney beans, soaked overnight, drained/rinsed 
6 cups water
1 can Vegetarian Baked Beans
1 29 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup Lentils
1/2 cup Bulgar Wheat (this can be left out)
1/2 cup minced parsley (or use 2 Tbsp. dried)
1 red onion, chopped
1 large or 2-3 small zucchini, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 cup corn
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder, Garlic, salt, pepper (or use 2 cloves)
1 tsp. basil, oregano, thyme

Directions:
Soak kidney beans overnight, drain and rinse in the morning.  

In the slow cooker, add ALL ingredients.  Stir and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.
Serve with cornbread.
Enjoy!


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Thursday, April 29, 2010

Lime Chicken Tacos

It definitely felt like summer inside my house today!  These Lime Chicken Tacos were refreshing and just plain awesome!  Who knew a chicken taco could taste so good?!  The lime added such a nice zing to the chicken and it was SO moist!  I served my Lime Chicken Tacos with shredded lettuce, cheese and tomatoes on top, but you could serve them with whatever you want on them.  I tried to find avocados on the way home, but they weren't ripe enough to eat today.  These tacos would be delicious with avocados on top!  I also served my Lime Chicken Tacos with some Zatarans Spanish Rice.  It was super quick to make and really good!  I don't usually like Spanish Rice very much, as I find it dry, but this was good!

Ok, are you ready for this SUPER SIMPLE and EASY meal?  Well, here it is.....

Lime Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (or there about)
2 limes, juiced
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 16 oz. jar Salsa of your choosing
1 cup frozen corn

Directions:
Place chicken breasts in Slow Cooker.  Mix the juice of 2 limes and Chili Powder together.  Pour over the chicken.  Pour half the jar of Salsa over the top of the chicken.  Turn the Slow Cooker on LOW for 6-8 hours.

When chicken is cooked, remove and shred it.  Place it back in the Slow Cooker and add the corn and the remainder of your jar of salsa.  Cook on low for approximately 1/2 hour, or until heated through.

Serve in a taco shell with toppings of your liking.  Serve with Spanish Rice on the side for a wonderful accompaniment.  Enjoy!
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Sunday, April 25, 2010

This week's Plan 4-25-10

Turns out my Crock Pot meals last week made a WHOLE LOT of food!  I have leftovers coming out the whazoo!  So folks, this week I'm only cooking two meals and I'm allowing my husband to sneak in and make (GHASP!)  a non-crock-pot meal!  I know, I know.....but, he really wants to cook a meal this week and I'm not going to argue!

Also, last week I featured a vegetarian dish and I'm going to do the same again this week.  My husband and I are trying to get in shape and we don't need to eat meat ALL the time.  It's a good change of pace for us, and hopefully for you too!  I also have several vegetarian friends following this blog and I want to make them happy too!  

Here's my plan for the week:

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - Hubby's Spaghetti

Thursday - Lime Chicken Tacos with Spanish Rice

Friday - Vegetarian Chili

I don't know how I'm going to make it all the way to Thursday to use my Crock Pot (tear)!  Meanwhile, keep sending me your crock pot stories through this blog and through facebook friends of mine!  I love to hear how your meals are turning out!

Also, I would like to give a shout out to my Aunt Vickie who has been consulting me all week about buying a new crock pot.  She has deemed me the crock pot queen!  LOL  Love you Aunt Vickie!

Happy Crock-Potting!
Hope Print Friendly and PDF

Thursday, April 22, 2010

"The Best" Bean and Ham Soup

I will be the first to admit, beans were not really my thing until just recently.  I've never really enjoyed them, but thanks to some excellent recipes I've found lately, I'm LOVING them!  This bean and ham soup was amazing!  I promise, you will be a bean lover after this!

My husband's reaction was the "real" test.  His dad has been making this soup since he was a child, just always on the stove top.  When I asked my father-in-law for the recipe, I was nervous I wouldn't be able to do it justice.  Well, according to my husband, it tasted just like his dad's and he LOVED it!  Our 2 year old daughter loved it as well and at every bit of hers.  My husband and I went in for seconds!

I would like to thank my AWESOME friend Kristin for giving me a ham bone from her freezer so I didn't have to go on a wild goose chase to find one.  My best advice is to go to a meat counter and ask for a shank.  Or, ask a good friend....you never know what they have in their freezer!

I soaked my beans over night Wednesday night and prepped everything, so all I had to do this morning was dump everything into the slow cooker and turn it on!  This does make quite a large amount of soup and if you do not have at least a 6 quart crock pot slow cooker, you will need to divide this recipe in half.  You can add a little less water if you desire. 

"The Best" Bean and Ham Soup

Ingredients:
14-16 cups water
1 lb. dry navy beans
1 meaty ham bone or shank
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup mashed potato flakes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. each, nutmeg, oregano and basil
1 bay leaf

Directions:
Soak your beans over night. 
Drain/rinse the next morning.
In your crock, place your ham bone (mine was frozen)
Place your garlic, onion, celery, potato flakes, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg, oregano, basil and bay leaf on top.
Pour your beans on top of that.
Add your water (to the size of your crock, but you want your ham bone to be covered.
Cook on LOW for 8-12 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours. 
When ready to serve, remove ham bone and scrape all meat off and return to slow cooker.  Remove bay leaf.
Serve and Enjoy!

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Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Loving the comments!

Hi Everyone!

Don't worry.....all the ingredients are ready for the Bean and Ham Soup tomorrow!  All I have to do it dump it all in the crock pot in the morning and voila!  I can't wait!

I just wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone for the feedback I've been getting!  I'm so glad some of you have dusted off your crock pots...and some even bought new ones!  I feel honored!  Please keep the comments coming!  Feel free to pass any recipes my way you would like to see as Crock Pot Dinners!  I'm happy to take a try and turning them into a delicious easy meal.

I'm happy to be a part of your kitchen and a home-cooked meal!  I can't tell you how much this has changed my busy life!  My husband likes this so much, he's even started helping me prepare ingredients without me even asking!  How great is that?! 

Happy Crock-Potting,
Hope Print Friendly and PDF

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Parsley Chicken

Who doesn't like parsley or chicken?!  Plus, it's an entire meal in a pot!  You don't have to make any side dishes with this one!  The Parsley Chicken was very good (a little satly, but I'll fix that below) and all I had to do to get it on the table was "slap" it on a plate!  How easy is that?!

Feel free to use whatever cut of chicken works best for your family.  The grocery store by me didn't have any family packs of thighs this week, so I bought breast halves.  They are a little pricier.

I'll post again on Thursday when I've made my first time ever, Slow Cooker bean and ham soup!  Stay tuned!

Parsley Chicken

Ingredients:
4 bone-in chicken breast halves (or 6 thighs)
12 small red potatoes, halved (mine were slightly bigger so I used less)
1 onion
12 mushrooms whole or chopped 
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 whole bunch fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Place halved potatoes in bottom of Slow Cooker with mushrooms.  Place chicken on top.

In a separate bowl, combine softened cream cheese, onion, parsley, lemon juice, soy sauce, salt and pepper.  Stir and pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.
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Monday, April 19, 2010

Mjadra (Lentils with Rice)

My Slow Cooker Mjadra experiment went extremely well!  This is the ultimate cheap and delicious meal folks!!!!!  This is even more perfect for my vegetarian friends out there!  Even my two-year-old daughter loved this one!  "More, more yummy please!"  That's what I like to hear!  We served it with just simple pita bread....we like the Mediterranean kind.  (The garnish is just parsley!)

First of all, some of you may be wondering where in the store you buy lentils.  There are two places you can find them.  The cheaper place is by all of the dry beans.  The more expensive place is in the ethnic isle with all the Middleastern food.  I chose to buy brown rice for this dish because it takes longer to cook than white rice, but please feel free to use whatever rice you like the best.  Just bear in mind your cook time.

When I make this dish, I make a double batch, but I will post the single batch recipe below.  For a double batch, just simply double all the ingredients listed below.  We just happen to love Mjadra so much, we like to make alot!

Here's the recipe:

Hope's Slow Cooker Mjadra

Ingredients:
2 large sweet onions, roughly chopped
1/2 cup olive oil (or more)
1 cup lentils
1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/8 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
3 cups water

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet until hot.  Add onions, coat with olive oil then turn way down.  Cover and let cook for an hour stirring occasionally.  Be patient!  They will be so sweet and delicious by letting them cook this long!

When onions are done, add lentils and rice and coat them with all the yummy goodness of the onions. 

 Add to the slow cooker.

Add the water, salt, pepper and lemon juice, give a little stir.

 Cook on LOW for 8 hours.
Serve with Pita Bread and ENJOY!

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Sunday, April 18, 2010

This week's Plan 4-18-10

I've decided to try something really challenging this week......not for you, for me, don't worry!  I'm taking two of my favorite recipes and turning them (hopefully successfully) into Crock Pot recipes we all can use!  These two recipes are both favorites of my husbands and the poor guy hardly ever gets to eat them because I just don't have time.  I know you're just dying to know what these two recipes are, so here you go.....

The first recipe I'll attempt this week in the crock pot is Mjadra.  I know what you're thinking.....Mjadahwat?!!  This is a Lebanese dish pronounced Muh jed drah.  It has lentils, rice, and onions in it.  It is known as a "poor man's dish" because it is a super cheap and healthy dish to make, it's filled with protein and it makes a lot!  I promise, if you keep an open mind, you're going to love this as much my family does.

The second recipe I'm inventing into a crock pot recipe is my father-in-law's Bean and Ham Soup.  He makes the most delicious Bean and Ham soup you've ever tasted, so I'm hoping to make this recipe accessible to all of you through the crock pot!  Let's hope this turns out and I can make my father-in-law proud! (And my husband happy!)

The third recipe I'm going to make this week is Parsley Chicken, which is already a crock pot recipe.  I've made it before and I already know it's going to be delicious! So, at the very least, you will have at least ONE tasty and delicious successful meal to look forward to this week if the others don't work out so well!  LOL

Here's my Menu for the week: (The days I make them sometimes change throughout the week as life happens!)

Monday: Mjadra served with Pita Bread

Tuesday: Parsley Chicken

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Bean and Ham Soup

Friday: Leftovers

I hope to bring you three delicious meals this week.  I will continue to post pictures of each meal so you know what the end product should look like.  If you ever have any questions, or comments on anything, please leave me some feedback!  I'm always happy to hear it!

Happy Crock-Potting this week!
Hope Print Friendly and PDF

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Some of you noticed.....

My plan changed a bit this week.  I was feeling ambitious and made my third recipe, the White Chicken Chili a day early, but it really makes no difference!  We had leftovers tonight and will do the same tomorrow since we won't be meeting my family.  My daughter and I had the Easy Chicken, which was actually better the second time!  My husband had some of the White Chicken Chili because he said he has been thinking about how good it was allllllll day!  LOL  The way to my husband's heart is food, I swear!  I may add in a 4th recipe this weekend....so stay tuned!  I can't wait to share what I make next week with you.  I'm actually going to try some recipes I love to make on the stove in the crock pot, so we'll see how they turn out!

Happy Crock-Potting!!!
Hope Print Friendly and PDF

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

White Chicken Chili

Oh Em Gee!!  LOL  This soup was incredible!  It kind of reminds me of the chicken tortilla type soup you would get at an authentic Mexican Restaurant.  The aroma when I walked in today was so fragrant!  The best part of this recipe (besides how mouth watering it was), it's SO easy and it doesn't take much time at all to put together.

I would like to thank my friend Scarlett for providing me with the inspiration for the recipe I present to you today.  I put my own twist on it to make it into a soup I could cook all day instead of for just 4 hours.  I will post my version of the recipe first and then hers for when you're in a hurry and would still like to make this delicious soup!

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 block pepper jack cheese, cut into chunks
1 block Monterey Jack cheese, cut into chunks
1 large onion, chopped
1 16 oz. jar Salsa
1 cup Navy beans
4 cups water
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Soak your Navy beans in a large bowl or pot overnight.  Make sure to cover them with about 4 inches of water.

In the morning, drain/rinse your beans.  Pour the beans and 4 cups of water into your slow cooker.

Add chicken broth, salsa, onions, cumin, salt and pepper to crock pot.  Stir and then add chicken breasts.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Take chicken out and shred it with two forks.  Put back into the slow cooker and add Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheese.  Turn on High for 1 hour.  

Stir and serve with crushed tortilla chips on top or on the side.


Now for the version when you're in a hurry!
Scarlett's White Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1 block pepper jack cheese, cut into chunks
1 block Monterey Jack cheese, cut into chunks
1/2 onion, chopped
1 16 oz. jar Salsa
2 cans Northern white beans beans (not drained)
1 Tbsp. Cumin

Directions:
Put everything in the slow cooker.  Cook until cheese is melted and chili is heated through, low about 4 hours, high about 2.


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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Golden Mushroom Pork and Apples

Mmmmmmm Mmmmmmm Mmm Mmm Mmm!!! This was a tasty, tasty treat! First of all, the aroma when I walked into the house today was so wonderful! It smelled sweet and delicious! When I opened the lid to serve this dinner, wow! It smelled and looked so good! If only we had "smog" (smell+blog) we would be in awesome shape!

I would fist of all, like to thank my good friend Christine for passing this recipe on to me. I didn't change a thing when putting this recipe together. It really is perfect the way it is! This recipe does take just a tad longer to put together than others just because I peeled all my apples, but it was well worth it. I served this tasty dish with some mini farafalle noodles.

Here's a HUGE tip for your on this recipe......ready?! Golden Mushroom Campbell's Soup is very hard to find! I don't know if it's just SUPER popular this time of year or what, but I went to two different Meijers and they were completely out. Super Walmart does carry it and they have lots in stock...at least by my house! Oh, and I just dug in with my hands and tossed the pork, onions and apples together. One less utensil to wash in the end. Ok, enough chatter from me....here's what you all came here for, the delicious recipe and picture!

Golden Mushroom Pork and Apples
Ingerdients:
2 cans Campbell's Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. crushed dried thyme leaves
4 large Granny Smith Apples (peeled and sliced - about 4 cups)
2 large Onions (sliced-about 2 cups)
8 boneless pork chops (about 2 lbs)

In the slow cooker, mix soup, water, brown sugar, worcestershire and thyme.

Add apples, onions and pork. Toss together.

Cook on low 8-9 hours or until tender.
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Monday, April 12, 2010

Easy Chicken

Well, it's just like it's title! Easy Chicken was easy peasy! I did make a couple of changes to the recipe to make it my own. I added some onions and white wine (of course!). My husband and daughter ate this right up! I served it with chicken flavored rice/vermicelli and corn because it's what I had on hand. I recommend this recipe for when you have a few extra minutes in the morning since the chicken is supposed to be frozen when you put it in the crock pot. This morning, I pulled some chicken out of the freezer and just tossed everything in with it while i microwaved the liquid for 1 1/2 minutes. Thanks to one of my good friends for sharing this recipe!

Ingredients;
4 frozen chicken breasts (I used some thighs and legs)
1 package Dry Italian Dressing Mix
1 cup of warm water, chicken broth or white whine (I used 1/2 cup white wine and 1/2 cup broth)
1/4 cup chopped onion

Directions:
Place frozen chicken in the Slow Cooker and sprinkle with dry Italian Dressing and onions.
Warm liquid and pour over the chicken.
Cook on low for up to 10 hours. Print Friendly and PDF

Sunday, April 11, 2010

My Plan for the Week

Here's what you have to look forward to this week!!!!

Monday will be Easy Chicken....seriously, it has 3 ingredients!!! Whoot whoot!
Tuesday will be Golden Mushroom Pork and Apples....doesn't that just sound delicious?!
Wednesday will be leftover Easy Chicken
Thursday will be White Chicken Chili....I know, it's getting warm, but soup is always good!
Friday and Saturday are probably going to be night's out for us this week for a wedding and a family dinner.
Sunday will be leftover Chili and I will freeze the leftovers of the Golden Mushroom Pork and Apples Dinner.

Doesn't that just sounds delicious folks?! My list for the grocery store this week isn't very long which is really helpful too. Stay tuned for the recipes and to see what I've added as a twist to make them my own! Print Friendly and PDF

Greek-Style Chicken

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!! We loved this recipe!!! It's refreshing and delicious! Plus, it's super easy and anyone can do it! This would be a great one to impress company....or just your husband and kids! This also came from "Crock Pot The Original Slow Cooker Slow Cooker Recipes" I used chicken thighs with the bone in for a longer cook time and for juicier meat!

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used chicken thighs with the skin on and bone in! Very juicy and tender!)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 clove garlic, minced (again, I used powder since I can't have garlic)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Hot cooked orzo or rice (I used orzo...yummy!)

Directions:
Remove visible fat from chicken, sprinkly chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on all sides. Place in crock pot.

Add broth, lemon, olives, garlic and oregano to Slow Cooker.

Cover; cook on low 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve with orzo. Print Friendly and PDF

Chili Turkey Loaf

This was very good! I never made meatloaf in the slow cooker before.....hadn't even thought of it! I didn't have ground turkey on hand, so I used ground beef. I didn't have chili sauce either, so I just used a couple dashes of hot sauce. This recipe also came from "Crock Pot The Original Slow Cooker Slow Cooker Recipes." I would make this again.....in fact, maybe today! I made this one on a Sunday because of the short cook time.

2 pounds ground turkey (I used ground beef because it was what I had on hand)
1 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup Italian-style seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (I used a yellow pepper because I had one!)
1/2 cup Chili sauce (I used a couple dashes of hot sauce because I didn't have chili sauce and I have a 2 year old whose mouth I don't want to burn!)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. horseradish mustard (I used dijon mustard)
4 cloves garlic, minced (I used garlic powder because I can't have regular garlic)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning (I didn't have, so I used oregano, basil and thyme)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
salsa, optional (I didn't use it)

Directions:
Make foil handles-Tear of three 18x2-inch strips of heavy foil or use regular foil folded to double-thickness. Crisscross foil strips in spoke design to place in bottom of slow cooker to allow for easy removal of turkey loaf.

Mix all ingredients except salsa in large bowl. Shape into round loaf; place on foil strips. Transfer to bottom of slow cooker using foil handles. (I just put the foil handles in the slow cooker, then stuck the loaf on top of those.)

Cover, cook on low 5-6 hours.

Serve with salsa on top if desired (I didn't desire!) Print Friendly and PDF

How do I Do It?!!!

Well, here's what's worked for me!

Every Sunday I find 3 recipes I'd like to try for the week. Sometimes I re-use a recipe I've enjoyed and other times I search for 3 new recipes. I plan my menu for the week....for instance:

Monday - Simple Coq Au Vin
Tuesday - Steak San Marino
Wednesday - Leftover Coq Au Vin
Thursday - Greek Chicken
Friday -Leftover Steak San Marino
Saturday -Out to dinner
Sunday - Leftover Greek Chicken

I make a shopping list and go to the grocery store every Sunday for the ingredients I will need for the week. Sunday night, after my daughter goes to bed, I prepare Monday's recipe, put it in the crock pot and stick it in the fridge. Monday morning, I stick it in the crock pot, turn it on and go to work! That's how I do it!!! Makes my life SO much easier and it will make yours easier too! :) Print Friendly and PDF

Steak San Marino

This was pretty good, but a little more expensive because it uses steak. Probably not a recipe I would make all the time, but nonetheless, it was good. This recipe all came from "Crock Pot The Original Slow Cooker Slow Cooker Recipes"

Ingredients:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 beef round steak (about 1/2 pounds), cut into 4 pieces or 2 beef top round steaks cut in half. (I used whatever was fairly cheap in the meat section!)
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning (I screwed up here and accidentally used a pack of Zesty Italian dressing from another recipe I was going to make later in the week!)
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf (I didn't have, so I just used dried chopped bay leaves)
Hot cooked rice

Directions:
Combine flour, salt and pepper in small bowl. Dredge each piece of beef in flour mixture; place in crock pot slow cooker. Combine tomato sauce, carrots, onion, celery, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf in small bow.; pour over beef. Cover, cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve steaks and sauce over rice. Print Friendly and PDF

Cranberry-Barbecue Wings

Well, these wings were pretty good, but I had to make some adaptions because I couldn't find cranberry-orange relish anywhere.....and I didn't have time to make my own. So, my wings were just "Orange-Barbecue Wings." Not sure if I would make these all the time, but my husband really loved them! They were tender and very juicy. (made this on a weekend since it only cooks for a short time and served it with rice. I've added my changes below in parenthesis. This recipe also came from "Crock Pot The Original Slow Cooker Slow Cooker Recipes"

Ingredients:
3 pounds chicken wings
1 12 oz. jar cranberry orange relish (I used orange marmalade)
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
2 Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard (I used Dijon Mustard)

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Cut off chicken wing tips; discard. Cut each wing in half at joint. Place on rack in broiler pan; season with salt and pepper. (I didn't have time for all this, so I just sprinkled them with salt and pepper and threw them in the crock pot!) Broil 10-12 minutes or until browned, turning once. Transfer chicken to Slow Cooker.

Stir relish, barbecue sauce, tapioca and mustard in small bowl. Pour over chicken. Cover; cook on low 4-5 hours. Print Friendly and PDF

Simple Coq au Vin

This recipe was DELICIOUS!!!!! I've already made it twice and shared the recipe with all my facebook friends! And making a recipe with a french name automatically makes you a rock-star!! I got this from a book called "Crock Pot The Original Slow Cooker Crock Pot Recipes." I only made a few changes to the recipe which I added in parenthesis below. It really is perfect the way it is, but I just enjoy more onions and mushrooms in mine!

Ingredients:
4 chicken leg quarters (I used 6 thighs)
salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (I used more!)
1 onion, cut into rings (I would use a large onion, or 2-3 small onions)
1/2 cup red wine (I used about 3/4 cup of Paisano from the big jug!)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried basil
Hot cooked rice

Directions:
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; brown chicken on all sides. Transfer chicken to Crock pot.

Cook and stir mushrooms and onion in same skillet 5 minutes or until tender. Add wine; stir and scrape bits from bottom of skillet. Add mixture to crock pot. Sprinkle with basil, thyme and oregano. Cover; cook on low 8-10 hours or on High 3-4 hours.

Serve over rice. Print Friendly and PDF

Starting this a little late.......

I've been crock pot cooking for about a month now, and it's my new found love! I have a full-time job as a music teacher, a two-year-old little girl and a wonderful husband. In February, we decided to join a gym and get in shape before I have my next baby. By the time I got home every night, it was impossible to get something cooked and on the table before my little girl went to bed. We were eating out at least 3 times a week and eating frozen bag meals the rest of the week. That's when I decided, crock pot cooking was the answer to our prayers!

From now on, I will post each new recipe I try as I try it! I'll tell you if I added anything, if I liked it, hated it, etc. I'm excited to take on this adventure! Print Friendly and PDF