Help! My Slow Cooker cooks too fast!

HELP!

I've gotten quite a few emails lately asking what to do about a hot crock, or a slow cooker that cooks too quickly, and burns or dries out food.

ick. I hate that.

First off, I'm sorry. So sorry.

There is nothing more defeating than thinking you have dinner all ready to go and come home to a gross dried-out or charred mess. I'm really sorry.

But, hopefully this will help, just a bit.

1) Make sure you are using the right size cooker.  A slow cooker needs to be quite full in order to heat evenly and cook properly. I have used pretty much all of the different types of cookers on the market, and have now collected quite a few (as of 5/2013: I have 14 in the house!!).

 I realize that storage space is at a premium, but consider getting a smaller slow cooker if you find that you aren't filling your crock at LEAST 2/3 of the way full each time you use it.

This goes against the bigger-is-better American mentality. I know. I'm sorry.

2) Start easy. Don't try out a pasta dish or a rice dish, or bleu cheese and steak roll-ups for one of your first crockpot cooking adventures. The reason they come with a little book full of stews and soups is because they are easy and somewhat fool-proof.

Try:
taco soup
beef stew
minestrone soup
lazy chicken
cream cheese chicken
white chili
enchilada casserole
sausage and vegetables
marinated meat

3) Cook for the shortest and lowest cooking time if you are going to be out of the house.

huh?

I know, it doesn't make sense.

If you are going to be out of the house for 10 hours, and the cooking time says 6-8 hours, don't set it for 10. Set it for 6, and then let it stay on warm for the rest of the time you're going to be out of the house. Worst case, the meal isn't quite done and you flip it to high while you change your clothes and set the table.

The cooking time is a range. You have to get a feel of your slow cooker (which is why you should start with the easy ones, first) and figure out due to your altitude, humidity, etc. how long things will take.

You will get a feel, I promise. I'm a complete dunder-head when it comes to cooking, yet I can slow cook. You can, too. I promise.

4) But my slow cooker doesn't switch to warm! If you don't have one of the newer "smart" pots, and you plan on being out of the house for a long period of time, you should really invest in one. 

These are the slow cookers I happen to use in my own home, and I've heard from readers that they have been able to score them for *quite* cheap at garage sales or on Craigslist.



5) I think my slow cooker releases too much moisture. Okay. Some of the newer slow cookers have a slot in the stoneware for a spoon to rest, or there is a vent hole in the glass lid. I have no idea why the manufacturers have put those things in. They certainly didn't ask me my opinion! When you release steam through these holes or slots, your food dries out. 

You can remedy this by putting down a layer of foil over the stoneware, and then put the lid on like normal. PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!! when taking off the foil---the steam will shoot right out.


6) I want to make something small but only have a geat-big-huge cooker. That's okay. All you need to do is simply insert an oven-safe dish into your cooker and then put your food into the dish. This will create a smaller cooking vessel which will insulate your food and keep it from getting over-cooked or lost in a huge machine. I use corningware or pyrex, but metal pans are fine, too. Here are my recommendations. 


7) I've done all that and it's still way too hot and it's making my countertop hot, and I think there's something wrong with it. Don't use it. Call the manufacturer. Talk to the experts who actually made the product. I'm a mom who drinks too much coffee and wears slippers all day. I can't fix it. I wish I could. I'm sorry.

If you have a hard time getting through to a particular manufacturer, please email me. I now have contact information for the different customer service channels and will try my hardest to connect you to the correct person who can be of service.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope this helps! xoxo steph




Alphabetical Listing of Recipes
Save Money by Using Your Slow Cooker
Frequently Asked Crock-Pot Questions
An Important Note About Safety
My New Year's Resolution
Slow Cooker Troubleshooting

Me, writing elsewhere. But Most Importantly, a $200 Gift Card Give-Away!

I promise that when I don't post regularly it's not because I'm sitting around watching bad day time TV and eating bon-bons.

Although, I do secretly wish that was true.

maybe not so secretly.

Sometimes when you write on the internet for a while people want to give you stuff. Mostly I ignore the stuff that is offered, because it doesn't fit into slow-cooking, our particular lifestyle, it isn't gluten-free, or it's icky (think viagra).

But sometimes something comes along that is just-too-good-to-pass-up, and would directly benefit our family for the better.

And I feel like I'd be a do-do if I didn't say yes.

A few weeks ago was one of those times. I'd like to share with you our brand-new free thing, and the opportunity for you to win a $200 gift card so you, too, could have a brand-new free thing.

Just in time for the holidays! Although I promise not tell if you keep the card for yourself.

I'd also like to share a new post on Totally Together: The Art of Being Present
and
a write-up on BlogHer.com I did about Helping Children Express Feelings. (edited: I guess the link isn't live yet. When it is, I'll update. )

and that's it. Now go! Go win some of other people's money!

More Give-Aways! The Tassimo Hot Beverage System and the Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook

Good morning!

When I said I had more stuff to give away, I wasn't kidding.

I'm happy to share that I have two new review posts over at Totally Together Reviews.

The first is for a Tassimo Hot Beverage System---you can make a perfect coffee house drink in the comfort of your home or office whenever you'd like.

and what do you need with coffee?

pastries!

I have never tasted better pastries than those made with almond flour. I have 2 copies of Elana Amsterdam's The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook to give away over at Totally Together Reviews.

It's not too late for last-minute shopping or gift-making, either. How about:

Holiday Gifts to Support Bloggers
Roasted and Spiced Nuts
Peanut Clusters
Peanut (not brittle) Candy
Glycerin Soap
Recycled Candles
Salt Dough Ornaments
Apple Butter
Shrinky Dink Crafts
Playdough (fun gift for small kids---wrap in a cellophane bag, and tie on a cookie cutter)

have fun, good luck, and thank you for entering the contests! (not here---you need to click over to Totally Together Reviews. Comments left here are NOT counted.)

HP TouchSmart and $5 Dinner Mom Give-Away!

I've got a super cool computer I'm giving away, courtesy of HP and BlogHer. You can read all about it and enter for a chance to win over at Totally Together Reviews. The contest will run until 12/24/09, 5pm pacific.

I also have 3! copies of Erin Chase's soon-to-be-released cookbook, $5 Dinner Mom to give away also over at Totally Together Reviews. This contest is running until Jan 1, 2010.

and? more stuff is coming. Check back in a day or so, I'm working on some other freebie goodies to share with you!

xoxo steph

oh! and yes, I'm still pregnant. I'm about 35 weeks, which puts me in the eensy teensy tiny bit cranky all the time stage...

Wrapping It Up

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

Even though I didn't post daily in 2009 the way I did in 2008, this year has continued to be all slow cooker all the time in our house. It's been a glorious, energetic, nutty and somewhat surreal year.

I can't even imagine what 2010 has in store, yet I'm ready. Bring it on!

Although she has been teasing me for weeks and weeks, I do think the newest addition to our family will NOT be making her presence before Christmas. She may arrive before New Year's---I just can't tell. Whoever said every pregnancy/delivery is different is right, although truth be told, I'm getting a little annoyed by that saying.

But I feel good, the kids are happy, family is close by, and we're all healthy. There is nothing left to ask for. I feel super lucky.

I'm going to take a bit of a break for the holidays, and am going to step away from the computer. If you need help with recipes/your slow cooker, hopefully your answer is provided in the
Frequently Asked Questions part 1
Frequently Asked Questions part 2

also, there are reader comments and suggestions underneath each recipe that you might find helpful. This is exceptionally true in the case of the Slow Cooker Yogurt Recipe.

If you are cooking for the holidays, the list of Slow Cooker Holiday food has you covered.

I've still got a few contests running over on Totally Together Reviews.

The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook is over, and winners have been contacted, but if you didn't win, go ahead and pick yourself up a copy. It's a wonderful cookbook and resource.

The HP TouchSmart Computer giveaway will run until *tomorrow*, 12/24 at 5pm pacific.

The Tassimo Hot Beverage System is running until 12/31, 5pm pacific,

and the

$5 Dollar Mom Cookbook giveaway will end on 1/1/10, 5pm pacific. Erin's book was just released, and it's fantastic. She has more opportunities to win copies over on her website.

I plan on hosting more reviews and giveaways in the New Year, and I also plan on getting on the ball with posting over at Totally Together Journal. I've really slacked at posting, but am feeling motivated to get that site more active. My thought is to go through the manuscript that I have and post a simple chore or family activity daily. I certainly look forward to getting our house back in shape this upcoming year, especially once I can bend again!

And lastly, I'd like to thank each and every single one of you for the overwhelming support, love, and kindness you've shared with me through the Make it Fast, Cook it Slow book launch. I am completely blown away by the touching emails I wake to each morning, and for all of your sweet words.
Not a day has passed in months, where I'm not moved to tears. Thank you so so much for being so wonderful.

The cookbook seems to be doing well, and I have all of you to thank. Your buzz to friends, family, and over the internet, has helped so very much. I am so beyond amazed that in the December 27 issue of the New York Times, Make it Fast has made the best seller's list at lucky #13.

Wow.

(updated. well, darn. That link worked yesterday, and now they are asking people to register in order to see it. I hate stuff like that. Here's a scanned image, although I think you'll have to click on it to make it bigger.)

Like last year, I promise that the website isn't going to vanish into thin air. It will still be here, and I'll continue to add to it when I can, because quite frankly, slow cooking is the only way I get dinner on the table! I think I'll continue with budget-friendly slow cooker meals for 2010. I've got quite a few I'm itching to try out, and would love any and all suggestions. I have always thought of this website as a group project.

Have an absolutely joyous Holiday Season and a fantastic 2010. It'll be a good one.

xoxoxo

Slow Cooker Stuffing with Apple and Sausage Recipe

This is it, the time we've all been waiting for. The weather is cooler, we can wear baggy sweaters, put on elastic waist pants, and eat.

Really eat.

it's your patriotic duty, you know.

We're having a bunch of people over for Thanksgiving. I'm not sure how many---somewhere between 24 and 33. It's a wide range.

we really shouldn't talk about it too much.

I might hyperventilate.

But! there will be lots of food. And? a rocking stuffing that has both sausage and apples.

I'm a giver.

The Ingredients.

serves 8 (at least)

12 cups dried bread cubes (I used brown rice bread.)

8 ounces ground pork or turkey sausage, browned and drained

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 cups chopped Granny Smith apples (no need to peel)

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups diced celery

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth, plus an additional 1/4 cup if desired

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker (or larger if you have one). Cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping once, or until the bread is golden brown and toasty. While the bread is toasting, brown the sausage on the stovetop and drain. Toss the bread cubes and sausage together in your slow cooker, and pour in the melted butter.

Add apples, vegetables, and seasonings. Use two large spoons to toss the ingredients and disperse the spices. Pour in 1/2 cup chicken broth, and stir gently to coat bread and veggies with broth. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours. When the bread is browned on the top and edges, and the vegetables are tender, your stuffing is done. Stir well, and keep on the warm setting until meal time.

Add an additional 1/4 cup of broth before serving and stir again if you'd like added moisture.

The Verdict.

This was the first time I've  made a stuffing with sausage, and I loved it. I liked the savory, smoky bits strewn throughout the bread cubes, and I loved the way the spices all worked well together. 

 gobble gobble gobble.

Utilizing your slow cookers this Thanksgiving, or any other big honking family Holiday:

Plan ahead. Make your meal plan a week or so before the event, and purchase non-perishable food.

I'm serving:

cranberry sauce

mashed potatoes with cream cheese and sour cream

traditional stuffing

cornbread stuffing

(or maybe I'll combine the two and add the sausage and apples from this one? not quite sure. I'm leaning that way though...)

candied sweet potatoes

sweet and sour caramelized onions

dijon brussels sprouts

we're doing turkey in the oven and ham on the bbq

dessert is being brought. If I was making it, I'd do crustless pumpkin pie and ice cream.

need more? crockpot holiday food 

I will do as much as humanly possible in the next few days to keep Thursday from being beyond bonkers.

I suggest making cranberry sauce as early as Monday, chopping all vegetables and keeping them in sealed plastic bags on Tuesday, you can boil potatoes, sweet potatoes early, make dessert a day or 2 ahead of time, etc.

and delegate!

I'm *very* lucky in that Adam enjoys being in the kitchen (probably more than I do!), and likes to chop onions and vegetables. (I'm not ever going to be a person to have a zen moment while chopping onions. It's just not who I am.) 

I also make sure the house is clean days before having company. I've always stuck to my Daily 7, and then just kick it up a notch a few days before expecting a houseful of people. The last thing you need to worry about on a Holiday is whether or not the toilet is clean!

and my last tip? Get 3 large rubbermaid garbage cans, and put them in the middle of the living room. Plop a kid into each one and don't let them out until the event is over.

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA! :-)

What are your make-ahead secrets for a stress-free (or lesser) Holiday meal?

two quick giveaways, a new recipe on the way!

How was your Thanksgiving? We had a great day. The food was perfect, the kids behaved, and all of the relatives got along.

win win win.

We're pretty much recovered, and the kids have begun decorating for Christmas. There is a garland of kid-cut snowflakes hanging over my head. I'm pretty sure our living room will never look like it was taken from the pages of a Pottery Barn catalog.

but it's perfect. I love it.

I do have a new slow cooker recipe to post----I made this chocolate creme concoction with a layer of ganache on top. IT'S WONDERFUL.

but the pictures are on the desktop, which is in the room where the baby is napping. And I'm not going to disturb that scenario for anything.

anything!

In the meantime, I've got two giveaways to share with you in honor of Cyber Monday. 

1) an Olay 7-in-1 review is up on Totally Together Reviews because I'm getting so old I now need an anti-aging moisturizer. And! Olay is giving away a $100 Visa giftcard just for reading all about it.

2) I'm done holiday shopping, thanks to Uncommon Goods. I fell in love with this catalog even before they decided to give me free products to host a giveaway. That's up on Totally Together Reviews, too.

Do you have  a turkey carcass in the house? (I type the word carcass way too often. It's kind of morbid.)

you should make turkey and wild rice soup! or turkey stew!

I will write about the crockpot chocolate pots de creme as soon as I can. 

maybe after the well-baby check up.

or clarinet lessons.

or the PTA silent auction meeting.

oh, that reminds me. Does anyone have any good ideas for silent auction items? Or how to best organize a silent auction? Or how to best not lose your mind while trying to organize a silent auction?

Happy Cyber Monday!


[If you read my site regularly through a feedreader or through email, you'll notice that I've enabled a shortened feed. I'm not happy about this. I HATE shortened feeds. I've done this because my site content has been taken directly from the feed and posted on other sites without my permission. The quickest and easiest way to keep content from being stolen is to no longer publish a full feed. The good news is that everything is still up on the website, and is only a click away.  I'm terribly sorry for any inconvenience, and greatly appreciate your support.]

The One Where I Send You Elsewhere

Well, hello there! 

Happy You've Practically Made It Through Tuesday Which Means That It's Almost Wednesday, And That Means That The Week Is Pretty Much Over Since No One Really Does Any Work After Noon on Thursdays Anyhow Day!

Grab a cup of coffee, or hot chocolate, or a shot of tequilla, or whatever it is that you like to drink, and enjoy!

1) Zesty Pork Chop recipe over at Smithfield.com

2) Michelle Stern has her new website up and running: What's Cooking With Kids!

3) Amy Green at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free has a bunch of stuff lined up this week to help with planning your Thanksgiving dinner.

4) Shirley at GFE (gluten free easily) has her famous No-Roll Pie Crust recipe up and is giving away copies of my cookbook and the Spunky Coconut cookbook.

5) Speaking of Thanksgiving, here's a round-up of Slow Cooker Holiday Food and a write-up on how to have an allergen-free (aware?) holiday meal that I did last year.

6) If you live in the SF area, Sheryl, from Breaking Bread Blog has a fantastic compilation of Bay Area GF restaurants/foods for T-Day
Also, if you are in the Bay Area, I'm going to be at the Livermore Library on Sunday the 14th at 2pm for a book talk. And crustless pumpkin pie!

7) and! I have a bunch of books to give away over on Totally Together Reviews to help with your Holiday meal(s).

I hope you're having a great whatever-day-it-is!

Slow Cooker Chocolate Pot de Creme (with ganache!) Recipe

 

YUM. Chocolate.

I've got a root canal (or two) scheduled in the very near future (you can read about my teeth here. and here. in case you're interested. which you probably shouldn't be, because that's kind of weird. but whatever. you might be a weird person, and that's okay with me. I don't judge.) and so I've decided that I might as well just eat huge bowlfuls of sugar.

and enjoy myself.

Because life is short and modern dentistry is *wonderful*!!

I'm fascinated at how the crockpot can make a delicate dessert when it's used as a bain marie, or water bath. It's both fancy and easy at the same time. Easy Fancy.

that should be a magazine.

The Ingredients.

serves 8

 

5 egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup baker's sugar (I like how fine the granules are in baker's sugar)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (not a typo. a whole tablespoon!)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

ganache topping:

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker with an inserted oven-safe dish that fits all the way inside your stoneware. (I use a 1 1/2 quart oval Corningware dish. ) Add water around the dish until reaching the halfway point on the side (about 1/2 to 1 cup of water).

In a mixing bowl, whip together the yolks, cream, sugar, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Pour this mixture into your inserted dish. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours. Your custard should be set in the center and not too jiggly. Touch it lightly with your finger---you shouldn't get a bunch of gook on your finger.

Unplug your cooker and let it cool for an hour or so, or until you can safely remove the inserted dish. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, or until fully cool. 

To make the ganache (this is optional, but it's so good and so easy, you really should just make it and impress yourself):  Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave (not long---30 seconds or so, then add a few at a time--don't scorch the chocolate!), and whisk in the heavy cream until it's fully incorporated. Pour evenly over the top. Return to the refrigerator for ANOTHER 2-3 hours (this is the hard part) before serving.

The Verdict.

Sometimes I feel stupid writing these verdicts. This is chocolate cream mousse with an additional layer of chocolate frosting.

HOW COULD IT NOT BE GOOD?!

seriously.

you should also make these yummy crockpot creations:

creme brulee (if you haven't made crockpot creme brulee yet, you really should. really. it's fool-proof)

cheesecake

pumpkin cheesecake

chocolate mousse

frito candy

tapioca pudding

turtle pudding (no turtles involved)

apple dumplings

peanutbutter fudge cake

peanut clusters (these make fantastic Holiday gifts!)

I've got a few contests running over on Totally Together Reviews---good luck!

What?! It's March? What happened to February?

 

recycled picture. originally from crockpot party

Dude. February completely disappeared. 

that's not okay.

We've been battling the flu. This was the first cold/flu season in about 4 years where we opted to not get a flu shot (for no reason, really----we weren't reminded by the pediatrician, and were apparently not in the high-risk group), and so I can anecdotally declare that flu shots work.

~~~Quickly ducking so I don't get hit with a squashed tomato from the flu-shots-are-evil people~~~

So anyway, that's where I've been. Tending to sick, cranky people. 

I don't have a new recipe today, but have instead rounded up all of the 2008 Flashbacks that I wasn't able to send out. Fingers crossed that the snot, fevers, and all-around-ickiness (you don't want to know, trust me...) stays away next week and everyone is back at school/work and we get back to normal around here.

Normal. HA!

February days 1-5 are in the loose meat sandwich post
February 6 Philly Cheesesteak (I always type cheesecake accidentally) Sandwiches

February 7 Creamy Apple Oatmeal

February 8 Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker (did you know I used to work at the zoo?)

February 9 Not-too-Spicy Bean Dip

February 10 Stuffed Artichoke  these are such weird vegetables.

February 11 Black Bean Soup

(I'm getting tired of typing out the word FEBRUARY)

(in case you were wondering)

February 12 Creme Brulee (and then I got excited and emailed the Rachael Ray Show)

February 13 Rocky Road Candy (yes, please.)

February 14 Tofu in Peanut Sauce (tofu holds up remarkably well in the slow cooker)

February 15 Fish Chowder

February 16 Tortilla Soup (I've made this twice this past week)

February 17 Peanut Butter Brownies

February 18 Chicken Lettuce Wraps (who needs PF Changs?)

February 19 Pomegranate Beef (how I keep Adam happy)

February 20 Sweet Potato Soup

February 21 Veal Marsala (apologies to the vegans in our midst)

February 22 Overnight Egg and Cheese Casserole

February 23 Original Taco Soup (made this more times that I can count; the internet loves this "soup")

February 24 Chicken and Rice Soup (comfort food. super good for you; low in calories)

February 25 Chocolate Fudge Cake (ooh, I forgot about this one)

February 26 Chicken Parmesan (made this two weeks ago, delicious, then used the leftovers in Pasta Fagioli)

February 27 Hearty Ox Tail Stew (mmm.)

February 28 Creamy Risotto (no better way to make risotto. super simple, and no stirring!)

February 29 (darn leap year!) Buffalo Wing Dip (MAKE THIS. TRUST ME.)

So there you go! Hopefully that'll keep you busy for a while. If you're reading this in a reader, or through email, you may not have had the opportunity to see that I've put together a Table of Contents that you might find useful.

I've got a new post up on Totally Together Journal where I share my new personal motto:

REAL LIFE, NOT A MAGAZINE

It's got kind of a nice ring to it, don't you think? :-)

What's in your pot today? I dug through the freezer bin and threw together a beef stew, since we're housebound and I can't get to the store. I loosely followed my own recipe, but since there as many versions of beef stew as there are missing Barbie shoes, I also tossed in some leftover mixed vegetables and garlic brown rice couscous.

Happy March! Happy Slow Cooking!

Slow Cooker General Tso's Chicken Recipe

 

When I began my everyday slow cooking challenge in 2008, I really didn't think I'd come up with recipes or new uses for the slow cooker. 

I just figured I'd post what I made in the pot and people would click over to see if I really did it or not. Once readers started commenting and emailing me ideas, I got really into the whole challenge and decided that I should not only use the crockpot everyday, the stuff I posted should be brand-new every day.

and that's when I had a mini panic attack.

you see, I like take-out. A lot.

Those late-night Jack in the Box commercials? They were pretty much written for me in mind.

I get sucked in, and I want what's being marketed RIGHTTHISVERYMINUTE, even if I'm full and have already flossed.

and don't get me started on infomercials...

I really shouldn't watch TV.

anyway. 

the good news is that I now have an arsenal of Take Out Fake Out recipes and when I'm hunkering (hankering?) for fast food or takeout, I can whip something up myself and cook it all by myself in my very own slow cooker.

and so can you!

The Ingredients.

serves 4

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut in 1-inch chunks

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use La Choy because it's gluten free)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more to taste at the table if you'd prefer more heat)

1 (16-ounce) package stir-fry vegetables (to add later)

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your crockpot and then add the garlic, brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Toss the chicken to fully coat with the sauce ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, then add the frozen vegetables. Re cover and cook on high for an hour, or until the veggies are fully hot and the chicken has reached desired tenderness.

Serve with white or brown rice.

The Verdict.

The kids and Adam love this sauce, which makes me love it even more than they do. This isn't the traditional General Tso's chicken you order from a local takeout joint, because the chicken hasn't been breaded and deep fried. This is a good thing! Not only is this not laden with gluten, it's better for your wallet, your waistline, and your heart.

a few of our other favorite takeout fakeouts:

falafel (yes! really! falafel!)

Indian Curry

Chow Mein

chimichangas

lemon/orange chicken

Korean Ribs

gyro

tamales (traditional, steamed in corn husks)

hot and sour soup

Thai coconut curry soup

I hope you're enjoying your day---today I took the time to watch grass grow. :-)

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Shepherd's 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 hadn't ever posted the vegetarian chili shepherd's 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 Father's 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

don't want to use canned beans? Here's 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 you'd like a traditional shepherd's pie (well, sort of traditional. you'd need to use ground lamb to make it really truly traditional), here's a recipe for you.

I'm 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. It's just how it all works. I'm immensely fortunate I have the opportunity to work from home while being full-time with my children. But I can't ignore the bills or the mortgage, and it isn't fair to me to work for free.

I've 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.

Pineapple Salmon Slow Cooker Recipe (flop!)

When Adam and I were in our first year of marriage we lived in an apartment about a half-mile away from his brother and family. We were lucky enough to be invited over for dinner pretty often, and always happily accepted.

Adam's sister-in-law, Angela, is an excellent cook. Her family owns restaurants, and she's grown up in the kitchen and around food. I've always been quite impressed with the way she can open a fridge and just start throwing things together to make a really fantastic meal--- no recipe required.

She made us a salmon dinner one night (gosh, a good 12 years ago) that I still think about. It was the best salmon I have ever eaten. Ever.

ever.

She says she doesn't remember what she marinated the salmon in, but I knew pineapple juice was involved. and soy sauce.

I think.

I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to recreate this salmon. Last week I tried again.

It did not go so well.

The Ingredients.

(do NOT make this!)

4 salmon fillets

1 fresh pineapple, skinned and cubed

1 large orange, juiced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)

2 cloves garlic, smashed 

1 teaspoon red chile flakes

aluminum foil

an outdoor garbage can

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker (but not really. don't attempt to make this. please.) In a blender combine the pineapple, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and chile flakes. Blend until you have a creamy sauce (the color will not be pretty. that should have set off some bells and whistles for me...)

Place the salmon fillets into a flat baking dish with high sides (a pyrex or corningware with a lid works best). Pour the sauce blend evenly over the top. Refrigerate your fish in the sauce for two hours or so (or don't. this tastes really bad and you shouldn't be doing any of this anyhow.)

After the time has elapsed, spread a length of foil out on your kitchen countertop. Place the fish inside (lots of the sauce will stay in the dish. this is fine. trust me,  you don't want the sauce.) and crimp the sides of the foil to make a fully enclosed packet. You can stagger-stack all the fish fillets to make one large packet with all of the fish, or you can wrap each fillet individually. 

Your choice.

Put the packet(s) into your crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Taste. 

Then take outside and throw away.

The Verdict.

The "finished" picture up top is taken on the brick outside by the garbage bins. Thankfully I made this the night before the garbage was picked up---

I've made fish in the crockpot dozens and dozens and dozens of times, and have NEVER had this happen. The fish smelled really really fishy (I think it was a weird chemical break-down with the vinegar?) and the sauce tasted just how it looked.

really, really bad.

We had baked potatoes for dinner instead.

still want fish? these are the good ones!

Salmon with Lime Butter

Sweet and Spicy Salmon

Cedar Planked Salmon

Jamaican Salmon

Orange Honey Tilapia

Parmesan Tilapia

My Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life book/planner hits bookstores today. You should get it! :-)

have a great day! have any flops? feel free to share!