Chicken Stew

I am a little more in love with my Crock pot then I used to be. Mostly because of recipes such as this. It was so easy and while I made a HUGE mistake when I threw it all in....it still came out delicious in spite of me being a total bone head.

***I used an entire 1 pound bag of beans instead of 1 cup, I did have to add a ton more liquid because the beans were too hard and thankfully I had a lot of cooking time left when I realized what I did, but it still came out great

Chicken Stew

borrowed from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed

1 jar (11 ounces) mild or medium salsa (1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped (will add 2 next time)

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream, for serving

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together beans, salsa, chiles, flour, and 1 cup water. Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on top of bean mixture. Scatter onion and bell pepper on top of chicken.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. (Do not open lid or stir.)

Remove chicken from stew; shred into large pieces and return to stew. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro.

OVEN METHOD--I am adding this so when I forget to start the crockpot I can still make it :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Follow step 1, using a 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot, substituting 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed, for dried beans, and increasing water to 2 cups. Cover pot and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Transfer to oven, and cook until chicken is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Proceed with step 3.

Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos

Ureka I found it!!!!!!!!

What is this gem you wonder? I slow cooker recipe that I love. I usually am kind of "eh" about most crock pot meals. People seem to love them but "eh" most things are just OK. They get the job done and while they are easy and require no effort most times I am just....well you know "eh".

BUT....this is a GREAT recipe. I will make this all the time just because its so yummy!

Ok and so before you print this recipe out and you see I used Chicken Thighs, I must discuss.

I dont like to look at chicken thighs. They are well...gross. I end up cutting so much of the ick off of them. I almost just used chicken breast but I wanted to be brave. So I got em, chopped em up, tried not to cut every little speck of ick off of them. And I swear they were so juicy and delicious. I think the breast would have been too dry. So if you are scared of the thighs like I am, this recipe is not as scary and I think you should give it a whirl.

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito

borrowed from Weight Watchers

12 servings

****5 WW Point Plus****

1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced

1 small red onion(s), chopped

14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with chiles

15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 pound(s) skinless chicken thigh(s), cut into bite-size pieces

3/4 cup(s) canned chicken broth

12 medium whole wheat tortilla(s), about 7-inches in diameter each

3/4 cup(s) shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese

Place garlic, onion, tomatoes, beans, chili powder, salt, oregano and pepper in a 3-quart slow cooker; stir well. Add chicken and broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 hours; drain off liquid (there should be about 6 cups of burrito mixture). 


To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup of burrito mixture down center of each tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon of cheese and fold. I ate these with a knife and fork instead of trying to pick them up. WAY too messy. Yields 1 burrito per serving.

Irish Feast

WHAT??? How is it possible that I havent updated this blog in over a month!!!!

I am so sorry. I did cook. I made a lot of meals that I hadnt made in awhile and blogged about already. As well as making some things that quite frankly werent that great so they werent worth my time. But I have a list of 6 new recipes from last month and a whole stack of new ones for spring. I am working on making better food choices for my family and dropping some weight wouldnt be the worst thing ever with summer right around the corner. So I will stop the chit chat and get started.

It seems kind of silly to go back to St. Patty's day now but while you read this blog to get recipe Ideas I use it as my recipe book and since I like this recipe a lot I need to keep it here so I dont lose it.......the stack of recipes pile up so badly they do get tossed out eventually.

This is this meals second appearance on our St. Patty's table and I think it will be an annual feast for my non-Irish family.

Beef Brisket Sandwiches

from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Magazine March 2009

• 3 1/2 pounds beef brisket

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 (12-ounce) bottles extra stout beer, Guinness®

• 1 (14-ounce) can beef broth

• 1 (1-ounce) package onion soup mix

• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1 (9.25-ounce) package dinner rolls, Rainbo®

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard

• 1 (8-ounce) package provolone cheese slices, cut into quarters, Sargento®

Sprinkle the brisket evenly with salt and pepper.

In a large electric slow cooker, combine brisket, beer, broth, onion soup mix, Worcestershire, and garlic. Cook on High for 6 hours, or until brisket is fork-tender. Remove brisket from sauce, and shred with two forks.

Separate rolls by twos to make 12 sandwiches. Cut rolls in half horizontally, and spread about 1/2 teaspoon mustard on the bottoms of rolls. Top each with shredded brisket and 2 quarters of cheese.

Preheat oven to broil. Place prepared sandwich bottoms and tops on baking sheets. Broil, 5 inches from heat, for 5 minutes, or until cheese melts and tops of rolls are brown. Cover with roll tops. Serve hot.

• Yields: About 12 small sandwiches

Irish Potato Soup

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 cups chopped onion

• 1 cup chopped celery

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 31/2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and chopped

• 8 cups chicken broth

• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, Sargento®

• 1 cup chopped green onion

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• Garnish: shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, sliced green onion

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic; cook for 4 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soup is thick and only small chunks of potato remain. Add cheese, green onion, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese is melted. Garnish with cheese and green onion, if desired.

• Yields: About 8 cups

Verdict: I really like this meal. The taste of the meat is very tender and its so good with the mustard and the cheese. I am not a typical corn beef and cabbage lover so this is a really nice alternative to the typical classic. I finally found slider sized rolls which will now be appearing a lot on this blog. They are Martin's whole wheat and they are quite fabulous. Who doesnt love a mini-anything?

The soup is funny. Its very healthy in some respects because it has no cream or milk. Its very simple and easy to make. Yes, you can add a ton of cheese to it, but what I did have to add was a lot of salt. For some reason it didnt have much taste. I dont remember that being the case when I made it last time. I made this soup since it was on the same page in the magazine but it wasnt my absolute favorite potato soup.....but my favorite has some cream so maybe it shouldnt be featured too often in the rotation.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I threw this recipe in the crockpot before we left for the Giants game and when we came home dinner was ready. Again I don't love crock pot food, but this recipe is soooooo easy and the results are so good its a no-brainer. I served it with honey glazed carrots and sweet potato fries so we got plenty of orange food in us for dinner. I have made this for parties, for a large family dinner and for us so its been tested a few times, always with great results. I also have a recipe that uses more ingredients but I think this one is better
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer --some reviewers also used regular coke too---
1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce --I like Stubbs its low in sugar--
I also used a medium chopped onion and about a tbsp of garlic powder but you really dont have too, I was just experimenting.
8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat.
Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours.
Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker.
Drain well.
Stir in barbecue sauce.
Serve over hamburger buns.

VERDICT
One of the quickest, easiest meals I make. Serve it with some pickles and coleslaw for the authentic pulled pork experience.

Oriental Beef & Noodles

I get super excited about my crock pot......I love the ease of it, its like someone else cooked my dinner. Maybe that is why I am usually underwhelmed with the results. I don't know maybe its me. Maybe I just need to keep in mind that in the morning I dumped a few things into this magical machine and left it alone for 8 hours and now I am eating it. I have yet to find a handful of recipes that I would rather eat from the crock pot then eat anything else. I have so many of those in my life, but the crock pot 5 start favorites have eluded me.

Oriental Beef and Noodles
borrowed from Cooking This and That
Makes 4-6 servings

1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir fry vegetables
2 - 2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1 (12 ounce) bottle stir-fry sauce, any flavor
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, broken
1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Coat a 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
Place frozen vegetables in the bottom and top with stew meat.
In a medium bowl, stir together stir-fry sauce, water, and red pepper.
Pour over stew meat and vegetables in cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 4 1/2-5 hours (I recommend low, it will help to break the meat down more).
At the end of cooking time, discard spice packets from ramen noodles.
Stir noodles and green onions into meat mixture.
Cover and let stand 10 minutes more.
Stir before serving.
This can be kept on warm for 1-2 hours.

VERDICT
It was OK. Again I don't know maybe my expectations for my crock pot meals are too high. The veggies had virtually vanished and that was sad. I guess they cant hang for 9 hours. I would add them in with the noodles and see if that helped. I also should have made some stir fry broccoli to go with it. Just to perk it up. I also would add another package of noodles because I liked that part. I think someone needs to make this recipe and give me their thoughts. It was awesome to throw it in and not think about it again. Maybe I need to cut the crock pot a break!

Shredded Sweet Pork

So sorry I have taken my sweet time in posting some new meals for ya'll!
Its crazy how much prep goes into a vacation adventure and then how long it takes for life to return to normal once you get home.
This recipe I actually made about 10 days ago but in my haze of packing for our vacation I didn’t get a chance to post it. I am also excited because I have quite a reserve of recipes. I typed up about a 1/2 dozen new things I made and then 3 recipes from this week already so I don't feel the pressure to have to post nightly but I can still give you a new recipe daily. Hopefully I can accurately remember this dish since I have eaten quite a lot since then.


Shredded Sweet Pork
Borrowed from The Sister’s Café

3 lb pork roast
1 c brown sugar
1 c Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tb dried minced onions
Cook all ingredients in a crock pot on low all day (about 8 hours). One hour before serving, remove roast and shred it. Dump out all cooking juices and place shredded pork back into crockpot and add...

1 c brown sugar
1 c red enchilada sauce
*** I think I might not have emptied the original liquid…oopsie!!!!

Cilantro Lime Rice*** I didn’t make this but want to next time***
3 c water
3 c Minute rice
4 cubes chicken bouillon
4 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tb canola oil
2 Tb fresh lime juice
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 onion
1 can green chilies
Blend cilantro, onion, and chilies in food processor. Bring water to boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked. *I hate Minute Rice and never buy it - you can substitute regular rice, just adjust the water to rice ratio accordingly.



Garlic Black Beans
1 can black beans
1/3 c tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp)
1 tsp cumin
2 Tb canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tb chopped cilantro
Heat oil then add cumin and garlic until garlic begins to pop. Add rest of ingredients and serve warm.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing—if you skip the beans and rice you must at least make this dressing.
3 tomatillos, peeled and quartered
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 c buttermilk—I used regular whole milk
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c sour cream
1 pkg dry buttermilk ranch dressing
1 c fresh chopped cilantro—I omitted because of my aversion to cilantro
6 green onions with ends, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp)
3 tsp sugar
1 jalapeno, sliced thin - add to taste—I omitted because of my newly discovered fear of jalapenos

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

TO ASSEMBLE SALAD

I put shredded lettuce, a few spoonfuls of pork, beans, cheese, dressing, cheese, tortilla strips


VERDICT
YUM!!!
This was very very good. A bit time consuming since the nice thing about a crock pot is the lack of effort required to get dinner on the table. But it was really worth the effort. I wish I would have had time to make the rice. I discovered on my vacation that I in fact like cilantro…..shocking isn’t it? I just like less then the recipes call for. I don’t mind it, I just don’t like it to overpower what I am eating. So now I really want to make it. I had the leftover pork the next night on a toasted roll with the dressing and it was like a version of a pulled pork sandwich. I think this is a super dish and something you could make for a crowd with very little effort. Don’t let all the steps and ingredients scare you away.