CrockPot Mahi Mahi With Asparagus, Broccoli, and Spinach

Day 139.

It's been hot here. It's been hotter, but we are definitely having a mini heat-wave. The heat doesn't bother me too awful much at home, but it does when I'm out in the car or running errands.

Adam also just signed us up to run a half-marathon this summer. Which means I've got to go back to eating mostly light and lean foods for the next eight weeks or so.

Except for the days off.

Because I'm totally planning for those!

I had a long run planned last week, and I knew it was going to be hot. When it's hot, I'm not interested in eating too awful much, but knew I needed some protein.

After digging through the freezer, I found a neglected package of frozen mahi mahi with some sort of lemon-pepper marinade.

I had it for lunch with a bunch of fresh veggies; it hit the spot, it didn't heat or stink up the house, and I had enough good-for-me-food floating around inside to go for a proper run.

The Ingredients.

--16 of mahi mahi or other favorite fish

--> ours was seasoned already. If you have unflavored fish, rub with some olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, chili flakes, or other seasoning blend that you really enjoy.

--fresh somewhat-soft vegetables. I use broccoli, asparagus, and spinach.

--a touch of water, or lemon juice (about 2T)

The Directions.

Wash all your veggies, and put damp into the crockpot. Top with your fish. I squeezed the marinade out of the fish, because it seemed awfully oily.

I added 2T of water to the crockpot and cooked on LOW for approximately 2-3 hours. Mahi Mahi is pretty thick; if you are using thinner fish (such as tilapia) check after 90 minutes.

The Verdict.

I was very happy that I made this and ate it for lunch. I sort of forget about lunch a lot, and grab whatever is lying around, or pick at leftovers. I've also noticed the kids are more inclined to try new foods in the middle of the day, before the 4 o'clock crankies hit. My three-year-old ate this with me, and my six-year-old had it as an after school snack. The stars must have been in proper alignment or something, because there wasn't any fuss about having fish and vegetables as a snack.

I don't expect a repeat of that performance any time soon, but I am happy that it occurred!

CrockPot Pineapple Chicken Recipe

Day 140.

This is a very simple dish--and chances are you have all four ingredients already! The sweetness of the pineapple works great with the salt from the soy sauce and the touch of spice from red pepper flakes.

The Ingredients.

--enough chicken for 4

--20 oz can of pineapple chunks

--1/4 cup soy sauce (Tamari wheat free or La Choy are gluten free)

--1 t red pepper flakes

The Directions.

plop the chicken into the crockpot. I used frozen breast tenders. Drain the pineapple, and add the chunks with the soy sauce and the red pepper flakes.

cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 3-4.

The cooking time will depend on how thick your pieces of chicken are, and if they are frozen or not.

My frozen breast tenders only needed to cook on low for 4 hours.

Serve over rice, quinoa, or on a bed of fresh spinach.

The Verdict.

We ate this over spinach and ate outside. It was a hot evening, and we were in swimsuits. The kids had a ball feeding the guinea pigs any spinach that fell to the ground. I liked the flavor a lot, and the kids ate the chicken and picked at the pineapple. I did open a fresh can for them, though. Eating hot pineapple weirded them out. I added more red pepper flakes to my dish, and I can't remember what Adam did.

Our chicken was dry. I'm always a touch disappointed when I use the frozen breast tenders after using thighs for a while. The breast pieces just don't retain moisture the way the thighs do. I don't seem to remember this while I'm at the store, though.

CrockPot Falafel Recipe

Day 142.

Last weekend I went through the pantry and put like items together. Since I had helpers, it took a really long time, and it sort of looks the same way it did when I started, but I now have a pretty good idea of our inventory.

We have a surplus of garbanzo beans.

So I made falafels.

In the crockpot.

I've never made falafels before, but figured if it didn't work out, at least I'd have a nice story to tell.

But it worked! I am ecstatic to have a new meal to put in our repertoire--a light and healthy dinner to have on a warm evening.

The Ingredients.

 

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

1/2 onion, finely chopped (I used a yellow onion, red is okay too, if you like that flavor)

1 tablespoon dried parsley (dry is better than fresh because it's too wet)

2 cloves minced garlic

1 egg

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 juice from 1 lemon (that's a lemon. a weird looking lemon, but a lemon nonetheless)

1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I have gluten free crumbs made from a loaf of brown rice bread that I keep in the freezer)

2 tablespoons olive oil (for the bottom of your crock)

The Directions.

Take a deep breath. It looks like there are a lot of ingredients, but this comes together awfully quick. I seriously only spent 25 minutes from start to finish. The hardest part was getting all the spice bottles arranged for the photo.

Drain garbanzo beans. Dump them into a mixing bowl and smash them with a fork. Set aside.

Get out your blender or food processor (I used our vitamix. I love that thing!). Blend together all of the spices, the onion, the garlic, the egg, and the lemon juice.

Pour on top of your smashed garbanzo beans. Use your fork to mix together, and add the breadcrumbs slowly until the mixture is wet and sticky but can be formed into balls nicely. I needed 3/4 of a cup of breadcrumbs.

Pour 2 T of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot stoneware insert.

Form squished golf-ball sized patties of falafel. Dip each side into the olive oil and then nestle into your crockpot. It's okay if they overlap or are on top of each other.

Cook on high for 2-5 hours. Ours cooked on high for 3.5 hours--you will know that the falafels are done when they turn brownish-golden. You can flip them halfway through the cooking time if you feel like it, but they will brown on top even without flipping. (I know. I don't get it either.)

Serve with yogurt sauce or mayonnaise. I made a quick yogurt sauce with Greek yogurt, celery seed, dill, salt and pepper and lemon juice.

The Verdict.

These were awesome! I never would have imagined that a delicate falafel would turn out so nicely in a slow cooker. I am thrilled that this worked and even more thrilled that my kids didn't run screaming from the kitchen when I showed them what we were having for dinner. They had plain pasta, but were polite with their "no thank yous."

Adam and I ate ours on corn tortillas with lettuce, tomato, and the yougurt sauce. This is enough food for a family of four. We were stuffed. Falafels are filling.

When I make these again, I'm going to add a bit more salt and at least double the cayenne pepper.


and you can make gyro, too! :-)

 

CrockPot Vietnamese Pho Soup Recipe

Day 148.

Phee Phi Pho Phum.

this is good.

you should make some.

I think one of the best things about making this soup was the day of jokes. The jokes rock.

"You made this? Pho reals?"

"Pho sure I did."

Every Monday Adam goes out to lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant and has pho. I've never gone out for pho, and he has never brought me back any. After about the sixteenth week, I stopped secretly hoping he'd bring me some and started whining about it out loud.

I was thrilled when I discovered Erin's blog and read her Pho recipe. I could tell that it would transfer nicely to slow crockpot cooking, and was excited to have some pho of my own.

Although I used homemade beef stock for this recipe, it's okay to use a can or a carton.

The Ingredients.

adapted from The Skinny Gourmet

--6 cups beef broth or stock
--2 inch chunk of ginger (I just read that Erin said to use 1/4-1/2 inch of peeled ginger. oops. I didn't peel and just threw a hunk in)
--3/4 t anise
--1 cinnamon stick
--2 sliced green onions
--1 lb thin sliced beef (I used stir-fry meat from the butcher)
--package of rice noodles (usually in the ethnic aisle in the grocery store)
--1 t fish sauce (anchovies, salt, water. ethnic aisle again. it smells horrible.)
--1/2 t kosher salt
--1/2 t black pepper



The Directions.


Put all of the broth into the crockpot. Add the meat, green onion, ginger, fish sauce, and spices. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 4-6. It's done when the meat is fully cooked. I used a 6qt Smart Pot for this recipe and it took a good 4 hours on high for the large amount of broth in my crock to get hot enough to cook the meat.


15 minutes before serving, add the entire package of rice noodles to the pot. Push them under the liquid with a wooden spoon, and cover.


By the time you set the table, the noodles will be tender and glass-like. Serve in bowls. We didn't add any additional garnish, but you can add bean sprouts, fresh cilantro or basil, and lime wedges.



The Verdict.


This has a very nice mellow flavor. I loved the hint of anise (tastes like black licorice) and the cinnamon. I needed to add more salt because I used the homemade stock as the base. Adam said it tasted the same as the restaurant's, but not as oily or as salty.


The next day the flavors were even more pronounced (but the noodles got weird. Next time I'm not going to add all the noodles at once) and made a lovely lunch. The night I prepared this, we had company and the children were playing too hard to stop and give it a taste test. But the little one ate quite a bit the next day for lunch.



Thank you, Erin!

CrockPot White Bean and Sausage Soup

Day 146.

We went from a hundred million degrees to freezing in the course of about 4 days. Weird.

I get cold easily, and really felt like some soup. I'm making my way through the garbanzo bean surplus and threw together a soup with what we had on hand.

The Ingredients.

--1 can white kidney beans

--1 can pinto beans (I guess these aren't really white)

--1 can garbanzo beans

--1 t thyme

--2-4 spicy chicken or turkey sausage

--1/2 chopped yellow onion

--1/2 cup leftover rice pilaf (if you want to use raw rice, you should have enough liquid to add 1/4 to 1/3 cup without losing soupiness)

--2 cups chopped fresh vegetables (I had broccoli, carrots, asparagus)

--1 quart chicken or vegetable broth

The Directions.

Drain your beans (I didn't rinse, for no reason other than sheer laziness) and throw them into your crock. Chop up whatever vegetables you are going to use in tiny pieces. I used my Pampered Chef handy dandy chopper. Slice the sausage that you are going to use. I chose to use two spicy turkey sausage---if you would like your soup to have a kick, use more than two. Two just kind of gives flavor without spice.

Cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The soup is done when it's heated through and the vegetables are tender, but it's not going to hurt anything to cook it longer and give the flavors more time to meld.

The Verdict.

This was super easy to throw together, because I had everything on hand. I am usually tempted to throw tomatoes into soup, and was glad that I refrained this time. The broth was mellow and wasn't too spicy for the kids. I served it with shredded Parmesan cheese on top.

CrockPot Salsa Chicken Recipe

Day 177.

I got an email last week from Beckie, who suggested that I make her salsa chicken recipe. I'm so glad that I did! This is a super easy, super delicious meal, that is very low in fat, and filling. We had it over some rice, and scooped up the extra sauce with corn tortillas.

The Ingredients.

--6-9 chicken thighs, or equivalent body parts
--1 can rinsed black beans
--1 cup chunky salsa
--1 cup frozen white corn

The Directions.

Put your chicken in the crockpot; mine was still frozen. Top with the rinsed black beans, salsa, and corn.

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. Cooking time will vary depending on whether or not your chicken is frozen, and how big the pieces are.

If you decide to use breasts, increase your salsa by 1/2 cup. Breasts are drier than thighs.


The Verdict.

This was a really yummy dish, and I liked how low in fat it was. If you don't have enough meat in the house, or would like to stretch the dish, you can add a 1/2 block of cream cheese, a cup of sour cream, or a can of cream-of-something soup to the ingredients. I really liked it like this, though---but I know that I've made something similar in the past with a creamyish sauce.

Thank you, Beckie! This was a great meal for my family, and I'm enjoying the leftovers as nacho topping.

CrockPot Sweet and Sour Tofu

Day 187.

I was so excited to see that our grocery store has started carrying La Choy brand sweet and sour sauce.

So I bought a bunch.

La Choy uses soy instead of wheat starch to make it's soy sauce, and the sweet and sour sauce is labeled the same way. So there's no gluten! yippee!

We hadn't had tofu in a while, and after the french dip sandwiches, needed some lighter fare.

The Ingredients. -1 pound extra firm tofu, drained
- 4 cups fresh vegetables (I used 2 bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli)
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 10 oz jar of La Choy sweet and sour sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon water
- 1 T butter

The Directions.
You know how in Chinese restaurants the tofu is always really crispy on the outside and has a nice texture? I learned a trick last week to help create that at home without deep-frying. Cube your tofu, and put it in a zipper bag with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Shake the tofu until it's coated completely in cornstarch.

Then fry on the stove on medium heat in a tablespoon of butter. Resist the urge to flip the tofu often. Let it get a nice crusty coat before turning.

While that's cooking, wash and trim your vegetables and add to the crockpot. When the tofu is done, put it in also. Pour the entire bottle of sweet and sour sauce on top of the tofu and vegetables.

Add a 1/2 tablespoon of water to the "empty" jar, and shake. Pour the contents on top. Toss gingerly.

Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours.

This is finished when the vegetables have reached desired consistency. We like the veggies to have a crunch, so I didn't let it cook very long. The broccoli was not very crisp, but the onion, bell pepper, and carrot still were al dente.

The Verdict.

My kids each ate 2 helpings. They didn't eat the onion or bell pepper, but happily ate the tofu, carrots, and broccoli.

The sauce is a good flavor; it tastes like take-out. I might add red pepper flakes to the adult servings next time.

We ate this over white rice, outside. It was a really nice night.

CrockPot Quinoa Casserole

Day 209.

We eat a lot of quinoa in our house. I put it in the rice cooker and we eat it a few times a week as our starch. The kids request it for lunch quite often, and eat it with butter and shredded cheese.

Many people don't know what quinoa is. That's okay. We didn't start eating it until just this past year. Here is a quick article on what it is, exactly. I thought it was a grain (because the Trader Joe's box says so), but the article says that's actually the seed of a leafy plant. Huh.

If you've never cooked with quinoa before, this is a great recipe to try---it is full of yummy stuff, and is a light, yet comforting meal or side dish.

The Ingredients.

--1 1/2 cups quinoa
--3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable; I used chicken)
--1 T olive oil
--1/2 t salt
--1/2 t cinnamon
--1/4 sliced or chopped almonds
--1/3 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

--handful of baby spinach
--1 cup baby tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
--1/2 block feta cheese, crumbled

The Directions.

You are supposed to rinse quinoa. I didn't know this until I made the disastrous overnight brown rice and quinoa pudding, and read all of the comments. I still don't rinse the quinoa that comes in the orange box from Trader Joe's. If you have a different brand, or are using quinoa from bulk, rinse it in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear.

Dump it into the crockpot. I used my 6qt Smart Pot for this dish.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix it around. Add chicken or vegetable broth, the salt, and cinnamon. Stir in almonds and cranberries.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-4. The quinoa is done when you can fluff it with a fork and it is tender. The liquid should be pretty well absorbed, similar to how you know rice is done.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork, and add the baby tomatoes and feta cheese. Stir gingerly to mix. Add a large handful of baby spinach to the top of the crockpot, and close the lid. Cook on high for about 20 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted. Stir again to distribute the spinach.

Serve.

The Verdict.

We ate this for lunch yesterday, and really enjoyed it. I can see adding garbanzo beans for a bit more protein and to up the heartiness. I was quite pleased with the very mild cinnamon flavor, and loved the cooked cranberries and almonds.

The kids both liked this.

This will be made again. Very soon.

Southwestern CrockPot Sweet Potato and Corn Medly

Day 229.

This is a great side dish. The flavors dance in your mouth---which is a saying I never, ever thought I'd ever say (or type), but there you go. That's what they do.

Simple to put together, but looks great on a buffet table--this is a great dish.

The Ingredients.

--3 med. sweet potatoes (1 1/2 lbs)
--1 can corn, drained
--1/4 cup chopped onion
--2 limes, juiced
--1 tsp chili powder
--1/2 tsp kosher salt
--3 T chopped fresh basil leaves

The Directions.

This is a good recipe for a 3-4 quart crockpot. If you have a larger one, consider doubling for leftovers, or stay close by so the sweet potatoes don't over cook and turn to mush.

Peel and cube the sweet potato into 1-inch or so chunks. Plop them into the crock. Add diced onion, the drained corn, and the fresh basil leaves. Sprinkle in the chili powder and salt. Squeeze the limes, and then toss everything so the seasoning is dispersed somewhat evenly.

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or on high for 3-4. This is done when the potatoes have reached desired tenderness.

The Verdict.

A delicious, and incredibly healthy side dish, or in my case, lunch for the next 3 days. The kids didn't like the lime flavor at all.
oh well, more for me!

Indian Spinach and Tofu CrockPot Recipe

Day 234.

I can't seem to get enough Indian food lately. Palak tofu is one of my favorite things to order as a side dish when we get take-out, and although it's not my favorite, I get the little foil packets at Trader Joe's for lunch about once a month. The problem (for me!) is that both the restaurant and the Trader Joe's version is hot and spicy---much too hot and spicy for me and my sensitive tongue. And, if I go digging around on the Internet, I find that many times the spinach is simmered in ghee (clarified butter), and that can't be good for my thighs.

This dish did the trick. It has a bit of a kick, but didn't leave me gasping for air and reaching for bottle after bottle of water. I had it for lunch and dinner yesterday, and am looking forward to today's lunch.

The Ingredients.

There are a lot of spices. Don't get nervous.
You can do this.

--2 boxes of frozen spinach, drained (I used one chopped, and one whole leaf)
--1 lb of extra firm tofu
--1 yellow onion, diced
--3 smashed and chopped garlic cloves
--1 can garbanzo beans, drained
--2 inches of ginger, peeled and grated
--1/2 tsp kosher salt (and then more later to taste)
--1 tsp cumin
--1 tsp curry
--1 Tbl coriander
--1/2 tsp chile powder
--1/2 tsp garam masala
--1/2 cup water

--cornstarch (to coat the tofu)
--butter (to fry the tofu)

The Directions.

Use a 3 or 4 quart crockpot.

Drain your tofu. Squeeze it in between some paper towels or a clean dish cloth if need-be to get as much of the liquid out as you can.

Cut it into 1-inch cubes and toss it with corn starch. Fry in butter until golden brown--resist the urge to flip; tofu takes a while to brown. I made some here, and there are pictures.

While the tofu is browning, squeeze out all of the moisture from the spinach and dump it into your crockpot. Dice up the onion, and mince the garlic. Add that, too. Drain your garbanzo beans, and pour them in. Add all of the spices.

Stir in 1/2 cup of water.

Add the tofu to the very top of the spinach.

Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours. This doesn't take very long to cook. Serve over white rice, and scoop up with naan, pitas, or corn tortillas.

The Verdict.

I loved this. Adam did, too. The kids each picked out a few pieces of tofu, but mostly they ate the tofu after it was fried in the butter, and ate rice with Parmesan cheese.

I will make this again. It's a very satisfying lunch, or flavorful side dish.

Other Indian food you should make and have a party and invite me:

lamb vindaloo
Indian coconut curry
vegetable curry
Indian chicken
tomato curried potatoes

Moroccan Lentil Soup CrockPot Recipe

Day 262.

I found this lentil soup recipe earlier in the year, and bookmarked it to try. Yesterday I woke to a foggy sky, wet grass, and I contemplated turning on the heater. Soup season has officially begun.

I got the funniest email back in July from Kathy, who wanted me to cook with lentils. She forwarded this great article from the Seattle Times about how healthy and packed-full of protein lentils are. They're cheap, too.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I have never cooked or even bought lentils before the other day. When I emailed Kathy about not even knowing where to find them in the grocery store, she wrote back:

Stephanie…MUST I come THERE and accompany you to the grocery store?? :-) (How I would LOVE that! Any excuse to escape up-coming move.) You should be able to find “some” lentils on the same shelf as rice – look to the BOTTOM shelf, of course, as they are not particularly popular in this country. As the writer of the article I sent you clarifies, different types of lentils equal different flavors and textures, so you must experiment. Also, you might try the soup aisle, but, if you’re in a HURRY, ASK the sales clerk!

Kathy is a smart lady. The dude at Whole Foods brought me right to the display. I chose the green ones.

The Ingredients.

--1 cup dried lentils
--1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
--1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
--1 onion, chopped
--2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
--1/2 cup chopped celery
--1/2 cup chopped carrots
--28 oz can of diced tomatoes (and juice)
--4 cups vegetable broth
--1 1/2 tsp garam masala
--1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
--1/2 tsp cumin
--1/4 tsp nutmeg
--1/4 tsp cinnamon
--1 inch ginger, peeled and grated

The Directions.

Use at least a 5 quart crockpot for this. It makes a lot.

Chop up all of your vegetables and add them to the crockpot. If you are rushed in the morning, consider chopping the vegetables at night---it took me longer than I wanted it to. Drain and rinse off the beans, add to the pot. Add the dried lentils. Grate your ginger, and add it along with the dried spices. Stir in the vegetable broth and tomatoes.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Soup tastes best the longer you cook it, and it is even better the next day.

Before serving, use an immersible blender and pulse to blend some of the vegetables and beans together. This isn't necessary, but it really improves the texture of the soup and melds the flavors nicely.

The Verdict.

Adam and I really liked this a lot and are excited to have a bunch left for lunches throughout the week. This makes a lot of food, but I've learned through this year that many times soups, stews, and chili dishes taste better the next day than they do on cooking day.

The kids were not interested. They're kind of done with the crockpot.

CrockPot Applesauce Chicken Recipe

Day 263.

This is a good chicken recipe. Don't be concerned by the name--the chicken doesn't turn into applesauce, it gets cooked in it, but still keeps shape. You should make this.

When I made applesauce earlier in the week, I meant to save a bit to try out Amiyrah's from (4 Hats and Frugal) Famous Applesauce Chicken. But the kids ate it all. So I used store-bought.

The Ingredients.

--4 frozen chicken breast halves or thighs (I used 2 of each)
--1 1/2 cups of applesauce
--1 T dried onion flakes, or 1 yellow onion, chopped finely
--1 T apple cider vinegar
--1/4 tsp cinnamon
--1/2 tsp black pepper
--2 cloves garlic, minced
--1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, I used them, and added more to the adult servings)

The Directions.

A 3 or 4 quart crockpot is the best size for this, but I did use a 6 quart. If your pot cooks fast, err on the lower end of cooking time.

I decided to up the applesauce a bit from Amiyrah's original recipe and omitted the water. I live life on the edge.

Put the frozen chicken pieces into your crockpot. Add the onion (if you are using the dried onion, wait and add it to the applesauce). In a bowl, mix the applesauce, vinegar, garlic, and spices together. Pour on top of the chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4.

Serve with rice or quinoa. I used a butternut squash risotto package I had, and then kicked myself because it was the same color as the chicken. I am never going to be a food stylist.

The Verdict.

The kids ate this! And liked it! And said I was the best mother ever and that I should make this every single night from now on. and it had nothing to do with the long lecture about wasting food and starving people. nothing at all.

Crockpot Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole

Day 268.

I am so excited about this recipe! When Adam and I were about 19, our friends got married. We loved going to visit their new apartment, and felt quite adult when the four of us pulled folding chairs to the table and sat down to eat a home-cooked meal. I helped. My job was sprinkling paprika on top of the chicken and rice bake we learned how to make from a can label.

This is that same chicken and rice bake. But without the fat, sodium, and mono-whatnots.

and you can make it in your crockpot. I came across this last week on Allyson's website. Thank you so much for sharing it, Allyson!

The Ingredients.
adapted from A Heart For Home.

--1 1/2 cups of brown rice
--1 1/2 cups chicken broth
--1 1/2 cups milk, divided (stick with 2% or lower in fat content. I used soy.)
--3/4 cup flour (I used Pamela's)
--1 small yellow onion, diced
--8 oz sliced mushrooms
--3-4 chicken breast halves or equivalent parts (1 used 3 huge frozen breast halves)
--1/2 tsp onion powder
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--1/4 tsp paprika

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker.

You need to use the stove top for one part. This is tricky for me, because I always, always, always have things boil over. Which is why the canned soup in the Little Dipper is so exciting.

I did it again. And needed to be reminded by my 4-year-old that "bad words aren't nice, mommy." But I had JUST cleaned the stove top, and even ran the burner thingy-mabobs through the self-cleaning cycle of the oven last Thursday. So they were spotless.

ahem.

Combine all of the chicken broth (1 1/2 cups) and 1/2 cup of milk in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat on the stove. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk with 3/4 cup flour.
When the broth and milk have begun to boil, reduce heat, and slowly stir in the milk and flour mixture. When everything is fully incorporated, set the pot aside to cool.

Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray.

Add the rice and seasonings to your crock. Chop up the onion, and add it with the mushrooms. Stir in your broth, flour, and milk mixture. The rice will turn a bit red from the paprika.

Lay the chicken pieces on top.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for about 8. I cooked ours on high for 4, and let it stay warm for another 2.

When you take the lid off of the crockpot, stir the rice. If the rice is fully cooked and you have extra liquid, keep the lid off for about 15 minutes. The liquid will absorb quickly.

The Verdict.

Very tasty. I am so excited to have this new cream-of alternative that doesn't use any butter. This is a keeper, and I can see making it quite often in the years to come.

It needs a bit of salt.

The kids ate their chicken separate from the rice.

CrockPot Halibut in White Sauce with Broccolini

Day 274.

Good morning! I made a halibut in white sauce for Sunday lunch. It was good. It wasn't as good as the parmesan tilapia, but that's probably to be expected. I am having fun experimenting with fish in the crockpot. I wouldn't have been pushed to try it out without this challenge, and now I really don't think I'll go back to the stove top or oven---it's just too easy in the crockpot and I can not get over the no-fish-smell.

The Ingredients.
recipe from Slow and Simple

--24 oz halibut (or other white fish. Halibut is pretty hearty, so adjust cooking time as necessary)
--2 T flour (I used Pamela's)
--1 T white sugar
--1/4 cup butter, melted
--1/3 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
--2/3 cup fat free milk
--juice from 1 lemon

The Directions.

Microwave butter in a glass bowl, and whisk in the flour. In a separate bowl, combine the milk and the white wine. Slowly add the flour mixture to the milk and wine, stirring the whole time. Squeeze in the lemon. If you dump the cold milk and wine into the flour mixture too quickly, the flour and butter will separate again, and the butter will harden and create weird gloppy lumps that will float to the surface.

Ask me how I know this...

Add the sugar to the sauce mixture. Put the fish (mine was frozen solid) in your crockpot, and cover with the milk and wine liquid. Lay the broccolini on top. Cover and cook on high for about 2 hours, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

The Verdict.

It needs salt. My halibut had some bones that I wasn't aware of, which was the biggest problem with this meal. We had it for Sunday Linner? Dunch? (we ate at 3) and all ate a good amount. My kids would have prefered salmon or the parmesean tilapia, though.

CrockPot Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Curry and Honey

Day 276.

I made an interesting soup yesterday. The base was cauliflower and broth, and it had both curry and honey---two flavors I have not had together before. I liked it. I got the recipe directly from Sunday Nite Dinner. Chuck and Hungry Bear made it last year, and I'm so glad that I bookmarked it to try in the crockpot.

The Ingredients.
adapted from Sunday Nite Dinner

--1 head cauliflower
--3 T olive oil
--1 tsp kosher salt
--1/2 tsp black pepper
--2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
--2 cups water
--1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (1/4 was enough for me)
--1 yellow onion, chopped in chunks
--2 1/2 tsp curry
--honey

The Directions.

Cut the cauliflower into florets, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower has begun to brown and turn crispy. You can also roast in the crockpot.

While the cauliflower is roasting, plug in your crockpot and turn to high. Use a 4 quart or larger size. Add the chicken broth and water. Chop the onion and add it along with the cayenne pepper and curry powder.

When the vegetables are finished, add them to the broth.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 3-4. This is finished when the onion and cauliflower are fully tender.

Carefully use an immersible blender to blend the cauliflower and onion. If you are going to use a traditional blender, go slow and blend small batches at a time.

Drizzle honey over the top before serving.

The Verdict.

I could not get the kids anywhere near this. They had bean burritos on brown rice tortillas.

It took Adam a few bites to get used to, but then he liked it. I found the flavor to be mysterious. It was not like anything I had ever had before. This would be fun to serve at a fancy dinner, where guests can squeeze on their own honey. I really like how rich and velvety it tastes without a drop of cream. I have no idea how Chuck and Hungry Bear got the picture they did at Sunday Nite Dinner----my honey sunk right away.

CrockPot Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Day 280.

This is not the best picture. I took it quickly--we were expecting a house full of people. This is a creamy and full-of-flavor soup that tastes like it has a bunch of butter and cream in it. It does not.

The Ingredients.

1 large butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small medium onions, or 2 tablespoons onion flakes
4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
2 small apples, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

The Directions.

Use at least a 5 quart crockpot for this soup.

Cut the squash in half long ways. This is terribly hard to do. If you microwave the entire squash for 2 to 5 minutes on high, the skin will soften, but you will still need to use a pretty powerful knife. If you can find already peeled and cubed butternut squash use that.

I couldn't believe how difficult it was for me to cut the squash. My knife got stuck. 

(reader tip by Carma S. Nov 20 2012: Hi,  I was just reading the crock pot butternut squash soup blog, about cutting the squash in half.  I used to do that, now I put foil on a cookie sheet and bake the washed butternut for about an hour--depending on the size--then cut it in 1/2 (much easier), and scoop out the seeds. Then I lay each half, cut side down onto foil, and  either cook more or peel off the skin and cut up as needed for my recipe.
I also love this soup!)


Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Brush olive oil on the inside of the squash and roast it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until you can peel the skin away from the flesh.

Plug in your crockpot and turn to high. Add the broth, and the onion and apple. Stir in the spices. Cover to let heat.

When the squash has finished roasting, add it to the pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for about 4.

Blend in small batches with a stand blender, or carefully blend with an immersible wand.

The Verdict.

This is a comfort soup. I like to curl up with a mug and watch TV. My mom, grandma, and I all like squash soup, but we're the only ones who do in the family. This is what I'm going to have for lunch this week.

more squash recipes you might like:
candied acorn squash
harvest stew
no noodle lasagna
 
 

Acorn Squash CrockPot Recipe

Day 279.

Autumn is here, and the grocery stores and produce stands are full of squash and colorful seasonal produce. I love the colors and smells of fall and the cooler weather. I purposely find piles of leafs to crunch through when walking the kids to school---this is a great time of year, and the perfect time to dig out the crockpot.

The hardest thing about this recipe is cutting through the squash. My mom told me (too late, I had already plopped the pieces in the crock) that she usually microwaves squash for a few minutes to soften the skin before cutting. I look forward to trying that next time. I ended up using the little orange serrated knife that comes with the jack o'lantern carving kit to get through the tough skin.

The Ingredients.

--acorn squash
--2 T brown sugar
--2 T butter
--2 tsp cinnamon
--4 pinches of salt

The Directions.

I use a 4 quart crockpot. Cut the squash in quarters, and scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. I gave the innards to the guinea pigs; they were thrilled.

Put 1/2 T of butter and 1/2 T of brown sugar into each quarter. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of cinnamon onto each brown sugar pile. Add a small pinch of salt to each quarter.

Lower the pieces into your crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for about 3. The squash is finished when it is fork tender and peels away from the skin easily.

The Verdict.

My mom and I ate this, and liked it a lot. I was able to get one kid to try a bite, and she liked it, but I think she mostly got brown sugar. Adam doesn't like squash, but ate a few bites to be nice.

I will make this again. It was simple, tasty, and smelled wonderful. I'll just share with my mom.

Autumn Sausage Casserole

Day 285.

I found this recipe in the Taste of Home Halloween magazine. It traditionally is baked in the oven, but was easily translated to crockpot cooking. This was the first dinner in a long time that we all ate.

The planets must have been in proper alignment.

The Ingredients.


--1 pound sausage (I used chicken with artichoke and garlic)
--1 large, or 2 small apples, chopped (no need to peel)
--1 yellow onion, chopped
--1/2 cup chopped carrots
--3 cups already cooked long-grain rice (I had white basmati leftovers)
--1/2 cup raisins
--1 T dried parsley flakes
--1 T brown sugar
--1/2 tsp allspice
--1/2 tsp cinnamon
--1/4 tsp black pepper (start with 1/8 if your kids don't tolerate a touch of spice)
--1/3 cup chicken broth or water (I used water)

The Directions.

The amount of ingredients fit nicely in a 4 quart crockpot. I'd say this comfortably feeds a family of 4-5 with a bit of leftovers. If you have a large family or teenagers, add more rice and sausage. It's a pretty easy recipe to adapt to your needs.

If you are going to use uncooked pork sausage, I'd recommend browning on the stove top, and draining before adding to the crockpot.

Otherwise, dump all the ingredients into the crock, and stir well.

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4. You're really only heating through, and allowing the vegetables to soften.

This will not stick together like a gloppy casserole; it has the consistency of fried rice. Use bowls to serve rather than plates.

The Verdict.

We decided that eating this felt exactly like eating a bowl full of Fall. The spices are spot-on, and are comforting and hearty. Adam and I each had two servings, and then picked more while cleaning the dishes. I will make this again, often.

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The brand-new ELume Crock-Pot give-away is still going strong. Leave a comment on the give-away post by Sunday, 5pm pacific to be eligible to win.
xox
steph

CrockPot Potato Leek Soup Recipe

Day 290.

Wow, the year is flying by. I meant to make potato leek soup eons ago, and never got around to it. My mom made some on the stove top over the weekend and brought over a container, and it egged me on to recreate it in the crockpot.

It was terribly easy. Especially because Adam was home for the day (I was on call for jury duty. I didn't have to go in, phew.) and did all of the chopping while I answered email.

I didn't add any heavy cream. You can, but I was pleased with the flavor and creaminess without a drop of cream.

The Ingredients.

--3 large leeks, cleaned and diced (you only use the white part)
--1 medium yellow onion, chopped
--1 pound brown potatoes (weigh them---you'll only need 2 or 3)
--5 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
--1/2 tsp thyme
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--2 cloves chopped garlic

--1 cup heavy cream (optional)

The Directions.

Have your husband do all the work.

He used the 6.5 quart eLume---peel the potatoes and chop everything up and toss it in with the broth and the spices.

If you are going to use heavy cream, you don't add that until cooking is complete.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for about 4.

When the potatoes and onion are fully cooked and soft, use an immersible blender to soupify.
If you don't have an immersible blender, blend in small batches CAREFULLY in your traditional blender.

Stir in heavy cream, if desired.

The Verdict.

This is a light, creamy soup that is perfect for a starter course, or for sipping out of a mug on the couch. I'm going to have it for lunch this week.

Adam packed some to take for lunch at work. The kids didn't try it, and thought it smelled gross. It does have an earthy smell while it cooks. I opened a window and turned on a fan.

thank you, mom!