A Year of CrockPotting on the Rachael Ray Show!

Day 183.



I've been keeping a secret. Back in March, I didn't take any days off of my resolution, but I cooked for people outside of my family. I cooked for The Rachael Ray Show.



A camera crew came to my house to film, and then a week later my mom and I flew to New York.



EEEEEEEK!



I signed a confidentiality agreement that I wouldn't talk about the details of the show until I was given an air date.



I now have an air date.



Wednesday July 9th! So, mark your calendars, set your TIVOs and take the day off work!



This is what the show's website has to say. The video link won't be live until after the segment airs.





The Details.



At the end of February, Stefanie Javorsky from the Rachael Ray show called. I had emailed the show sharing how I made crème brulee in the crockpot. It was 11:30am and I was trying to get lunch ready and my three-year-old prepared for a nap. She was quite cranky (my 3-year-old, not Stefanie--she was lovely) and since the number in the caller ID was listed as "unknown" I was pretty sure that the caller was a salesperson.



I braced myself, and heard "Hello, do you have time to talk? This is Stefanie calling from the Rachael Ray show."



All of a sudden I had all the time in the world. We had a very nice conversation, and I think I may have handed my preschooler a tub of frosting and a spoon to keep her quiet in the background. Stefanie asked a lot of questions, and we had 3-4 separate conversations before I learned that a camera crew was definitely coming to my house.



That's when I freaked out. I immediately called Jenny and she talked me down. Then I emailed Susan to discuss clothing options and high-powered deodorant.





At My House.



Adam took the day off work, and I kept the kids home from school and their various activities. The camera crew arrived at 9am, and we were told to act natural. It's, um, hard to act natural when great big huge men are bringing great big huge pieces of equipment into your home and discussing how to best light the teeny tiny kitchen and whether or not they should move this furniture here or there or maybe do this or that in order to best film.



They did it, though. My kitchen has never looked so good. I think I want to rent some of those huge lights for my next party.



The filming went well. I was nervous, but calmed down after about an hour. These were some really nice guys. They were dads, and seemed genuinely interested in learning more about the crockpot. They stayed for just under six hours. I made enchilada casserole, baked potatoes, buffalo chicken dip, and crème brulee.



After the filming, we ate the food and Adam made margaritas. It was really nice.



I began to relax about the trip to New York and was looking forward to going. The show paid for me to go, and my mom was going to use her miles to come with me.



But then we got sick. Really sick. We were all sick on Easter Sunday, and I was supposed to get on the plane on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, I didn't get out of bed and begged Laura to do my BlogHer work. Laura rocks. Somehow I pulled myself together and got on the plane as scheduled.



New York.



The plane ride was uneventful and a driver named Jimmy picked my mom and me up at the airport and drove us to the hotel. Barack Obama was evidently in that hotel the same night we were! We missed him by nano-seconds, but saw the secret service entourage.



My mom and I walked around and saw a bit of Central Park and Rockefeller Center while we were waiting to be taken to the taping.



I prepared a crème brulee in the test kitchen of the studio, and sat back and waited. I did not meet Rachael before going on stage. The producers like the meeting to be fresh.



I was pretty nervous, and still felt sick. I had taken an antihistamine and a bunch of Advil, and felt really out of it.



My mom kept ensuring me that I was going to do fine, and I was so happy that she was there. I got my hair and make-up done backstage, which was really cool. When it was time to go on stage, my knees went a bit weak. Rachael was standing at the counter of the kitchen set, and the lights were dim. The audience was watching the footage that was filmed at my house (I didn't get to see the film, but my mom says it looks good).



Rachael reached out to grab my hand---and whispered "you okay?" I whispered back that I thought I was going to puke. She said "Oh no, honey. No puking."



And then the lights went on and we started filming. We filmed straight through, with no cuts, and the whole thing took about 5 minutes. They gave me a brand new crockpot that Crock-Pot sent. It's a really cool one.



And that was that!



Before I knew it, I was back in a car on the way to the airport. I had a face full of HEAVY make-up; more make-up than I have ever worn. After we checked in at the airport, I washed my face in the restroom. There weren't any paper towels, so I dried my face with a toilet-seat cover.



Totally classy.



Mom and I made it home, and all was good. Adam and the kids were still sick, and were home for the next few days to recover.



I had the most fun, ever, and can't wait to do it again.



Rachael? Stefanie? I'm free next Thursday...

Rachael Ray Show Update

Hey! Guess what?!

You don't need to wait until the 23rd to see the show. They have bumped it up, and now it will be on

NEXT WEDNESDAY, JULY 9.

ack!

I suddenly feel the urge to get my hair done.


So, fix your DVRs, tell your grandma, and tweet your peeps.

:-)

--steph

CrockPot Thai Curry Recipe

Day 191.

Hello! Have I mentioned yet that I'm on TV today?! Hold me.

When I filmed the segment, Rachael gave me two curry recipes. She had heard through the producers about my sad attempt at making a coconut curry recipe, so gave me two recipes that her kitchen staff perfected for the Crock-Pot--one Thai, and one Indian.

I finally (it was so hard to wait!) made the Thai version yesterday. I'm going to make the Indian version today, and will post that recipe tomorrow.


The Ingredients.

- 1 13.5-oz can coconut milk
- 1 T brown sugar
- 1 T soy sauce (La Choy is gluten free, and so is Tamari wheat-free)
- 1 T Thai red or green chili paste, or more to taste (I used red, and went with 1.5 T)
- 1 t fish sauce (optional. I put it in because I was thrilled to have another use for fish sauce!)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/2 large eggplant
- 1 sweet potato
- chicken thighs (I used 5 frozen boneless, skinless)

And! 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated. I bought this. I totally forgot to use it. It's probably for the best, since we aren't huge ginger people.

The Directions.

Combine the sauce ingredients: coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili paste, and fish sauce in the bottom of your crockpot stoneware. Taste. If you think you need more chili paste, add some, carefully. It's hot stuff!

Add the chicken pieces to the sauce, flipping them over a few times so they get nice and saucy.

Wash and cut the vegetables, and add to the crock.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. This is done when the chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables have reached desired tenderness.

I cooked ours on high for 5 hours. The vegetables were soft, but not squishy, and the chicken was cooked, but still had shape.

Serve over white rice.

The Verdict.

This is good, very good! Rachael and her staff know what they are doing! The prep time was right about 20 minutes, and although it looks like a bunch of ingredients, it came together easily. If you are assembling the night before, put the chicken in the sauce to marinate, but keep the vegetables separate until the morning when you plug in the crock.

This dish is full of flavor that is so on-the-money. It was not too spicy, and the kids ate a good amount--mostly the chicken. And one of them dipped it in bbq sauce, but whatever.

I'm excited to try out the Indian, and do a side-by-side comparison!

Indian Curry
Indian Chicken
Vegetarian Curry
Thai Coconut Soup
Lamb Vindaloo
Tomato Curried Potatoes
Indian Spinach with Potatoes

CrockPot Indian Curry Recipe

Day 192.

Curry, day 2! This is the Indian version of the curry recipe that Rachael gave me on the show. The flavors are again spot-on. This is just as good, if not better, than the take-out coconut curry we order. Lots.

But maybe not anymore, since now we can make it Whenever We Want.

The Thai Curry Recipe is here.

The Ingredients.

It sounds like a lot, but many of the spices are (hopefully) staples in the spice rack.

- 1 13.5 oz can of coconut milk (don't use the light, it doesn't taste as good. or use the light and then stir in heavy cream at the end. Your tongue wants the thick stuff... trust me.)
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 4-6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 T tomato paste
- 2 T curry powder (not a typo, it's a lot, but it's good. Curry isn't spicy, just flavorful)
- 1 t ground coriander
- 1 t ground cumin
- 1 inch peeled and grated ginger (I didn't use that much, I don't particularly care for ginger)
- few dashes of hot sauce (I used Tobasco)
- 1 yellow onion. chopped
- 2 or 3 cloves of smashed and chopped garlic
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 of an eggplant, chopped (I didn't peel)
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped (I hate peeling sweet potato, so used a knife and lost a lot of the flesh accidentally)

The Directions.

Assemble all of your spices, coconut milk, tobasco sauce, and tomato paste. Combine the sauce ingredients in the bottom of your crockpot. The sauce will be a lovely yellow.

Add the chicken, flipping it over a few times to coat it nicely. Pour in the garbanzo beans.

Wash and chop all of the vegetables, and then add to the Crock-Pot. Don't worry about stirring them in the sauce. Let them sit on top of the chicken and steam away.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6. I cooked our dinner on high for almost 6 hours. The chicken was fully cooked, but still had shape, and the vegetables were soft and quite nice.

Stir carefully to mix flavors. If you stir too rough, the sweet potato will fall apart.

Serve over rice; I used brown.

The Verdict.

Delicious. We had family over for dinner, and they all really enjoyed it, and took home leftovers. This was really good.

The kids were not interested in trying it at all. They had buttered brown rice.

and taquitos.

Adam and I were so pleased with these two curry recipes, and will definitely put them into our dinner rotation in the years to come.

As for a side-to-side comparison... we noticed that if you eat one and then the other back and forth, your tongue gets confused and everything tastes alike.

These are two distinct dishes, the Thai is a touch sweet and has a spicy kick, where as the Indian is creamy and rich with a beautiful curry taste. There is no spice (unless you add it) in the Indian curry dish.

Like many dishes made in the Crock-Pot, the flavors are even more pronounced the next day.

other dishes you might like:

Thai Curry
Indian Chicken
Vegetarian Curry
Thai Coconut Soup
Lamb Vindaloo
Tomato Curried Potatoes
Indian Spinach with Potatoes

Erin Chase, from $5 on Rachael Ray tomorrow, April 21

Good Morning!!

I just wanted to give you a heads up that Erin, from $5 Dinners will be on the Rachael Ray show tomorrow, April 21. I haven't met Erin face-to-face, but she and I have chatted on the phone a few times and through email and instant message.

You can read about her experience with the taping, here.

What I LOVE about reading her RR story, is it started the same way mine did. She emailed the show. I can't even count the number of times I've written in to talk shows-----I do it all the time, and I did it monthly while I was trying to get Totally Together published. It's just something I do. I feel it's better to do something proactive (not the face scrub. although I have tried it----it sort of worked, but then gave me a rash) then wait for stuff to fall in my lap.

But the Rachael Ray show is the only one, ever, who has ever responded.

So! set your dvrs and support Erin. And then go do something that will push you towards whatever goal you're currently working on. (towards whatever goal of which you're currently working?) boy, that sounds pretentious.

In other news,
I completed all my copyedit edits. The book just got FedExed off (which, OH MY is expensive. $68? really? I couldn't believe it.)

and Tiffany, from Eat at Home, interviewed me along with 4 other busy food bloggers about thier go-to family meals.

Have a super wonderful day! I'm spending it doing nothing. :-0

Slow Cooker Dry Rub Pork Roast

I hope you're having a wonderful Valentine's Day! My kids are off school today, and are in the other room in a chocolate coma, giving me a few minutes to type.

You'll love this pork. Unless you don't like pork. Then you should use a beef chuck roast or something similar.

I had a frozen pork butt/shoulder in the freezer and wanted to make a pulled pork of some sort but wasn't feeling in the mood for barbecue sauce. I threw together this dry rub in a few seconds using pantry staples, and was really happy with the end result. The meat is perfect--- not gloppy wet, not dried out ---- just perfectly seasoned with a very pleasant flavor.

The secret is the anise. Don't be scared that your meat will taste like black licorice --- I'm a red vine kind of girl (THEY ARE NOT GLUTEN FREE!) -- and always steered clear of anything black licorice, and I promise you that the anise just gives a lovely flavor you're not going to be able to recreate without it. A bottle will last you for quite a while, and if you have extra, my friend Jenny made some awesome cookies using anise.

The Ingredients.
serves 6 - 8


1 onion, peeled and sliced into rings
3 to 4 pounds pork roast (butt/shoulder)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground corriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon anise seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 to 2 limes, for serving (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the onion rings into the bottom of your cooker, and spread them apart a bit with your fingers. Place the pork directly on top --- my meat was still frozen. If there is netting on your meat, cut it away. 
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and all dry spices to create a rub. Using your fingers, rub this all over the meat, flipping a few times to ensure good coverage.
Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until meat has lost shape and pulls apart easily with a large fork.
Serve over a bed of rice or quinoa, or stuff into pita pockets, lettuce leaves, etc.
I squeezed a bit of lime onto our servings, and enjoyed the contrast in flavors, but it's certainly not necessary.

We had enough leftover for me to reheat on the stovetop (or in the Ninja!) with a 1/2 bottle of barbecue sauce the next day for sandwiches.

The Verdict.

I used to be allergic to pork; this last pregnancy re-programed my body, and I'm so happy that I can now add this meat into our meal rotation.  I like how this seasoning blend doesn't create an overly sweet or sticky or gloppy meat --- not that those features are bad --- I just wasn't particularly in the mood for that, and this fit the bill!

in other news:
I made a DIY standing desk for myself out of an ironing board!

I'm going to be on the Rachael Ray show again next Friday, the 22nd   UPDATED: it's NOW TUESDAY, the 19th!! for a few minutes. It's a 5-year follow-up to the first time I appeared. The premise of the clip is how "Rachael Ray changed my life" and I pretty much cried through the whole thing.... I promise to be more composed next time. :-)

have a wonderful day!!

"Grown Up" Green Bean Casserole and Savory Sweet Potato Bake slow cooker recipes

I went to New York for 22 hours this week, and got to cook with Rachael Ray! We talked Thanksgiving in the slow cooker, and how slow cooking is the best thing ever when in comes to Thanksgiving (or any Holiday, really) because the cookers do all the work while you get to enjoy your guests.

I'm so happy I got to go --- it was a great experience, and Rachael couldn't have been any nicer. And! I didn't cry!

It'll air on Monday, November 18th, right in time for you to plan your Thanksgiving dinner. Oh! and Whoopie Goldberg was in the dressing room next to mine and I saw her in the hall but I didn't want to be the freak who hunts down celebrities so I just did a little nod like a cool, calm, collected person would.

I want to share the recipes with you that I made on the show. I came up with them last Saturday after talking with their culinary crew --- they wanted something a bit different. I think you're going to love these, but I must admit that I never took any pictures at all when I recipe-tested. I was too pumped up on adrenaline and our house is in absolute chaos right now because we are moving.

Tomorrow.

(more on that later, but it's a house that is 5 houses away and it doesn't have a kitchen except for one from 1947 and that doesn't count because there is no dishwasher or even a garbage disposal. BUT! It's bigger than this one and I get to have an office for the first time ever and now I have a picture of me and Rachael to hang in it!)

"Grown Up" Green Bean Casserole
serves 8-10

3 tablespoons salted butter
1 1/2 pounds sliced white button mushrooms
1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp of each)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup chicken broth
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces 
1 cup French’s onion topping, optional (to add before serving, optional, NOT gluten free)
[just learned on Facebook that a good GF alternative are FunYuns! :-) ]

Heat butter in a large skillet until it has just begun to brown. Add mushrooms and stir. Cover, and cook on medium heat for a good ten minutes, stirring every so often, until mushrooms have shrunk in size and have wilted. Add 2 turns of the pepper grinder to the pan. This will take longer than you think it should – but don’t rush the mushrooms!
Add the onion to the mushrooms, along with a few more turns of the pepper grinder and a light sprinkling of kosher salt. Stir. Cook on med-high heat until the onions are translucent. Drop in the cream cheese and chicken broth. Cover the skillet again, and cook on medium heat until the cheese has melted fully. Turn off the stove.
Put the trimmed and rinsed green beans into an empty 6-quart slow cooker insert, and pour the mushroom mixture evenly over the top. Stir to disperse ingredients. Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours, or on high for about 2 hours. Stir again, and serve as-is, or top with a cup of French Fried onions or the smashed FunYuns.

Savory Sweet Potato Bake
serves 8 to 10

1 tablespoon salted butter
5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, and sliced in 2-inch rounds that are about 1/4-inch thick.
2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
14 to 16 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
2 cups heavy cream

Smear the  butter all over the 6-quart insert of your slow cooker. Put 1/3 of the sweet potato rounds into your slow cooker, and sprinkle on 1/3 teaspoon of chipotle chile powder and a 1/3 teaspoon of kosher salt. Add 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers until you have run out of ingredients. Pour heavy cream evenly over the top.
Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours, or on high for about 2 hours.

 The Verdict.

They are both so tasty!! I know there's some work to do with the green beans in that you've got to brown the mushrooms and then the onion, but the end effect is amazing. Don't put the onions into the pan until the mushrooms are brown, though, because evidently the mushrooms won't brown because of some reason I can't remember. And I'm kind of jet-lagged and may have had an $8 bottle of Sutter Home wine on the plane.

Anyway. VERY GOOD. The sweet potatoes have a mellow heat that sneaks up the back of your tongue and the salty flavor of the gruyere is to die for. But, Adam didn't really like them. He sort of wants his sweet potatoes to remain sweet. But that's okay because I can make them that way, too!

Have a wonderful day!

Here are some more Thanksgiving Recipes if you need them!:
Round up 1 
Round up 2
Holiday Food

Chipotle Pork Soft Tacos

It looks like I'm on the Rachael Ray show today!

I'm sorry for the last minute notice, I only just found out about 4 seconds ago. :-)  The show was taped a few weeks ago during the Great Big Huge Snow Storm of The Year of The Century and I was only supposed to be in New York for 10 hours.

Instead I was there for 3 days.

But all is wonderful, and today is the airing. This is the recipe I used:

The Ingredients

serves 10

4 to 5 pound pork shoulder roast/butt (bone in or out, your choice)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced into rings

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup orange juice (about 2 oranges, or you can use bottled)

1 cinnamon stick

2 limes, juiced (to add at the very end)

½ cup chopped cilantro leaves (to add at the very end)

Suggested toppings:

corn tortillas for serving

4 cups finely shredded red cabbage

1 cup sour cream

2 cups grated cheese

2 avocados, diced

The Directions

Rub salt and pepper on all sides of the meat, and brown in olive oil on the stovetop in a large skillet. Using kitchen tongs, place the browned meat into your slow cooker. Using the same skillet, caramelize the onion and garlic until transparent and remove from heat. Whisk in the coriander, cumin chipotle chile powder, honey, and orange juice. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of the meat. Toss in the cinnamon stick.

Cover, and cook on low for 10 hours, or on high for about 5 hours. Shred meat completely using two large forks (discard bone if you used a bone-in roast), and stir in fresh lime juice and cilantro leaves.

Serve in warmed corn tortillas with your desired toppings.

The Verdict

I had a ball and feel so very (VERY) fortunate to have had the opportunity to see Rachael again and work with her amazing staff and production team. Thank you again to Tara, Bridget, and David for keeping me safe and warm in New York!

have a wonderful week, and thank you again for your support, kindness, and for being the best people in the history of the world. xoxo steph