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 Lamb Vindaloo Recipe

Day 138.

Have I mentioned how much I like Indian food? I love the depths of the flavors, the different spice combinations, the lean meat, and the heat.

I have really been liking spicy things lately.

When we reach for a menu from the take-out menu drawer (that's not weird to have a whole drawer devoted to take-out menus, is it?) we pretty much always go for the Indian place that we have on speed dial in the cell phone and who nicely have stored the credit card number.

Because I've found when you want food, you don't want to have to dig around for the credit card number. You want to sit on the couch and watch the cake decorating competition on Food Network (again) and have food brought to you.

or! You could put on a huge ol' pot of lamb vindaloo in the morning before swim lessons, before the birthday parties, before the Home Depot trip, before the IKEA run, and before you're tired and cranky and don't want to do anything except for becoming one with the couch.

The Ingredients.

--3 lbs boneless leg of lamb (unless you can find lamb stew meat)

--2 T dried minced onion (or 1 medium yellow onion, minced)

--6 cloves of minced garlic

--1/2 t clove

--1 t ginger

--1/2 t red pepper

--1 T ground coriander

--1 T cumin

--1 t cinnamon

--1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

--2 chopped potatoes ("aloo" means potato)

optional:

--1 can tomatoes

The Directions.

I opted to throw in tomatoes to create a bit more of a vindaloo stew. And didn't make any other sides, other than having corn tortillas available for scoopers.

--carefully trim the lamb, and cut into stew-meat sized chunks

--toss in your crock with all of the dry spices and onion

let it sit overnight in the fridge. This could be optional, but having the meat soak up the spice flavor is a part of making a really good vindaloo.

In the morning, put your crock on the counter and let it warm up a bit. It's never a good idea to put a freezing cold piece of stoneware directly into the heating element. Because your stoneware might crack.

And then you will email me. And I will feel sad.

Ad the 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. Toss in the potatoes and the can of tomatoes, if you are using them.

* If you are NOT using the tomatoes, add 1/2 cup of water. *

Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

The Verdict.

Very tasty! There wasn't quite enough spice for me. I think I'm going to be brave and put in a whole teaspoon of the red cayenne pepper next time. Or maybe 3/4 of a teaspoon.

The kids mostly ate the corn tortillas we had as dippers, but did pick a bit at the meat. If the meat is separated from the sauce and cut up, there isn't much of a kick at all.

Adam and I ate it for lunch the next few days in a row, and found that the flavors were intensified the subsequent days.

very yummy; and this dish hasn't any heavy cream, which is good, so then I can eat more sweets!

other fantastic recipes:

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

A-1 and Dijon Steak CrockPot Recipe

Day 141.

Sometimes the easiest recipes taste the best. Which can be kind of a bummer when you put in a lot of time and effort chopping, mixing, and tasting.

oh well.

This tastes good. This tastes really good.

That pretty much sums it up.

The Ingredients.

--4-6 steaks, or a hunk of tri-tip you cut into 4-6 steaks because the internet doesn't know what tri-tip is (insert winks and smiles)

--2 T A-1 sauce

--2 T dijon mustard

--1/4 cup white wine

The Directions.

--combine the A-1 steak sauce and the dijon mustard in a little bowl

--paint the sauce mixture on all sides of each piece of meat

--place the meat into your crockpot

--pour in the 1/4 cup of white wine

cook on low for 6-8 hours.

serve with potatoes or rice or french fries or vegetables or something that you normally want to eat with steak.

The Verdict.

This couldn't have been any easier, and it tasted marvelous. The kids ate their servings eagerly. We had rice pilaf as a side dish, and poured the remaining sauce over the top. It was divine.

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 Chipotle Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Day 153.

This was a fun dish to prepare because I had no idea what I was doing. I completely made it up. And not only did it cook nicely in the crock, it tasted good.

always an added bonus.

The Ingredients.

--enough chicken pieces to feed 4

--10 oz package of mushrooms

--1/2 chopped onion

--3 cloves minced garlic

--1 small sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped in chunks)

--2 green onions, chopped

--1 diced red bell pepper

--1/2 cup chicken broth

--1 t chipotle pepper

--1 t paprika

--1/4 t black pepper

--1 cup sour cream (to add later)

The Directions.

Add the chicken to the crockpot. I used frozen breast tenders. Prepare the vegetables and add on top of the chicken. Put in the broth, and add the spices. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is done and is beginning to shred.

Before serving, stir in the sour cream. If needed, heat on high for 30 minutes to bring back to desired serving temperature.

Serve over pasta or brown rice.

The Verdict.

This is a wonderful dish. The heat from the chipotle is nicely mellowed by the sour cream and the sweetness from the sweet potatoes. I would serve this to company---very yummy.

My kids ate this, but I did separate the chicken and the mushrooms for them, and gave them the rice in a separate bowl.

Blogger is giving me problems with extra spaces. It's quite annoying.

CrockPot Moroccan Chicken Recipe

Day 156.

I've been reading a lot of cookbooks lately, and the flavors of Moroccan food have intrigued me. I played around with ingredients I had on hand and put together a Moroccan CrockPot Chicken dish---that is good. It's not mind-blowing, but it's good. I think it needs more spice to please me, but the flavors were pronounced, and because it wasn't too spicy, I got the kids to give it a try. They particularly liked the raisins.

updated 1/12/09: I have since made and updated this recipe. The spices are now spot-on and are quite tasty. I'd recommend using chicken thighs instead of breast pieces--about 6 or so.

The Ingredients.

There are a lot. Don't freak out.

--frozen chicken pieces--the equivalent of 4 breasts

--1 cup salsa

--1/4 cup chicken broth

--2 t Tobasco sauce

--1/3 cup toasted almonds (I threw my raw almonds into the microwave for 2 minutes)

--5 cloves smashed and chopped garlic

--1/3 cup raisins (I used black, but I think golden would be better)

--2 t honey

--1 t cumin

--1/2 t cinnamon

--1/4 t chipotle chili powder

--1/2 t saffron threads

Moroccan food is traditionally served with couscous. We used quinoa.

The Directions.

Put the frozen chicken into your crockpot. If you are using fresh, this will cook awfully quickly because there isn't anything in the crock but chicken and sauce. If you are up to it, mix the spices, salsa, and broth in a separate bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. I didn't do this, and dumped everything in on top, then gave a stir when the chicken thawed a bit. Add the raisins and almonds.

Cover and cook on low for 4-8 hours. I used frozen breast tenders and because the pieces were so thin, our dinner cooked in 4 hours and was ready at noon. oops.

I served the chicken on top of saffron quinoa.

The Verdict.

I liked this, but wanted to love it. I could taste the different spices on their own, but once the chicken met the quinoa, the flavors disappeared. I think I would have liked this stuffed into a corn tortilla wrap or a pita, more than with the quinoa. When I make it again, I will increase the tobasco and the cumin. The vinegar in the tobasco gives a nice flavor that weirdly goes well with raisins.

This is a recipe I could tweak and play with for quite some time.

CrockPot Meatloaf Recipe

Day 165!

only 201 left to go....

ack!

In honor of Retro Week, I finally made meatloaf last night in the crockpot. If you google meatloaf in crockpot or crockpot meatloaf you will get a bazillion different ways to make meatloaf in the crock. I got overwhelmed reading them, and decided to make it the way that I always make meatloaf: throw in what I feel like at the time and hope for the best.

The very first time I made meatloaf kind of traumatized me, so I don't make it very often.

We were living in a 2-bedroom apartment with shag-green carpet, and the kitchen was teeny-tiny. My eldest was a newborn, maybe only 6 to 8 weeks of age, and the kid DID. NOT. SLEEP. like at all.

I hadn't gone back to any sort of work yet, and had regained some energy, so I decided to pop her into the sling and walk to the store, hoping she'd fall asleep on the way. She did. I called Adam and told him I'd make whatever he wanted for dinner. He picked meatloaf. Okay, then, meatloaf it was. I gathered the ingredients I thought I would need, and remembered to sway and jostle properly, so the baby wouldn't awaken. I somehow managed to get home the mile walk from the store, with a bag in each hand without waking the baby.

I was ecstatic.

I unloaded everything--except the baby. There was no way that I was going to disturb her sleep for anything.

I remember flipping on the stereo, and opening the front door and the windows to get a bit of air into the stuffy apartment while I got to work on the meatloaf. I had no idea what I was doing, but started cramming different shredded vegetables, breadcrumbs and pasta sauce into a bread pan.

I cracked an egg, and heard a bellow from the open front door, "UPS!"

I screamed, and dropped the egg.

Into the sling, and onto my newborn's head.

She was covered in raw egg.

And she woke up.

And we both cried.

I didn't make another meatloaf for four years.

BUT! I made one yesterday. For you people. ;-)

The Ingredients.

This is what I did. You can use your favorite secret family recipe.

--1 lb lean ground turkey

--1/2 lb lean ground beef

--1 chopped red bell pepper

--1/4 cup uncooked brown rice

--1 14.5 oz can of tomatoes with Italian seasoning (the whole can, juice too!)

--1 T A-1 sauce

--packet of onion soup mix

--1 egg

--1/4 cup (or so) of ketchup

The Directions.

--in a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the ketchup and mix. I always use my hands, because that's what my mom does. Remember where you put your rings!

--squirt the ketchup all over the top.

You can put the entire meat mixture directly into your crockpot, or you can put it into a heat-resistant dish inserted into your crock. It is your choice. I used my 6qt Smart Pot, and put a loaf pan into it. What I like about using the loaf pan is that the fat kind of bubbles up and out over the top of the pan and then collects in the crock.

I wish I had one of those insert things that goes in the loaf pan for meatloaf with the little holes so the fat can drain. But I don't.

If your crock is only 4 qts, just plop the meat into the crock. You can suck away some of the fat that collects on the top with paper towels a few hours into cooking time if it grosses you out.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8. The meat is done when it is brown and fully cooked when you cut into it.

Let the meat sit for about 30 minutes before you slice and serve.

The Verdict.

I didn't let my meat sit long enough and it fell apart. It was kind of like meatloaf hash. It tasted wonderful, but I was bummed that it didn't slice the way that I knew it could if I hadn't rushed the process.

My parents came for dinner and liked it, and took home some leftovers. They fed the kids while Adam and I went for a run, and the kids ate it for them. I think grandma and grandpa should come over for dinner more often---the kids eat MUCH better for them.

CrockPot Sloppy Joes Recipe

Day 162.

Good morning! It's day 3 of Retro Week, and last night we tried sloppy joes for the first time as a family. I think I was in second grade the last time I had a sloppy joe---and I was pleasantly surprised that it was pretty good, and not overly sweet as I had remembered.

Cooking the sloppy joes in the crock is incredibly easy. I didn't bother to pre-brown the meat, and it cooked and browned nicely for me. I chose to use lean ground turkey because I'm a weirdo with fat and grease--but any ground meat would work great.

The Ingredients.

--1 pound lean ground meat

--packet of sloppy joe mix ( I always use McCormick for spice mixes)

--1 6oz can tomato paste

--1 cup of water (the package says to use 1 1/4. I chose to use 1 because the condensation doesn't escape in a crock)

UPDATED 11/08: guess what? McCormick's spice packet now lists wheat starch. ugh. Use this instead:

--1 T onion flakes
--1 T paprika
--2 T brown sugar
--1 tsp cumin
--1 tsp salt
--1 tsp cornstarch
--1/2 tsp garlic powder
--1/4 tsp ground mustard
--1/4 tsp celery seed
--1/4 tsp pepper

The Directions.

This really will work the best with thawed meat. If you meat is frozen solid, you might want to defrost in the microwave---or be prepared to mix the ingredients into the meat an hour into cooking time.

Mix the meat with the sloppy joe mix and the tomato paste. Add the cup of water, and stir well.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 3-5.

The meat is done when it is crumbly and fully cooked.

Serve with hamburger buns, or on top of rice.

The Verdict.

These were delicious! The kids enjoyed the "ketchup meat" and liked that they were kind of messy. I made hamburger buns out of a box of Whole Foods 365 Gluten Free sandwich bread, the same way I did for the Philly Cheese Steaks. The bread came out well--and held up with the sloppiness of the meat.

Tuna and Noodle Casserole in the CrockPot

Day 164.

Hello! It's day 5 of Retro Week. So far we've had instant mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sloppy joes, and cabbage rolls. Today I'll show you how I made tuna and noodles in the crockpot.

I grew up on tuna and noodles, and loved them. I remember eating them cold out of the pot for breakfast because I loved them so much. We either used cream of mushroom soup or golden mushroom soup, and mixed it with a can of drained tuna and cooked noodles. It was wonderful.

I was certain that the tuna and noodles would work well in the crockpot. I have done pasta before, with the ziti, spinach and cheese noodles, and the lasagna. But this didn't work. Well, it cooked, and it was edible, but no one liked it, and it most certainly didn't taste like my childhood tuna and noodles.

This is what I did. If anyone can "fix" it---please let me know!

The Ingredients:

--1 lb dried pasta

--6oz can of tuna (I mistakenly got it packed in oil. that set off a domino effect of bad tuna casserole karma, I believe.)

--2 cups homemade cream of mushroom soup

--2 cups soy milk

--1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

--1 cup frozen peas (to add later)

--1/2 cup crushed tortilla or potato chips (to add later, optional)

If you'd like to use canned cream of something soup, measure it out and add enough milk to achieve 4 cups of liquid.

The Directions.

Spray your crockpot with cooking spray.

Add the dry noodles into the crock, and mix in the soup, milk, cheese, and drained tuna.

Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours.

I was AMAZED at how quickly this cooked on low. It was pretty much done at 2 hours. I couldn't believe it.

30 minutes before serving time, stir in frozen peas, and make sure the crunchy pasta on top gets moved to the bottom of the crock. Top with chips, if desired.

The Verdict.

There was nothing wrong with this, but we didn't like it. The pasta got overly cooked and was kind of gloppy and starchy. It needed more seasoning---and I should have thought to add a bunch of salt because I was using my own soup.

We went out for Japanese.

and now my kitchen has a crockput FULL of tuna and noodles sitting in it, that needs to be scraped out since we left it out all night. We might have to move.

--> I just saw that on The Crispy Cook's website, she has compiled a huge list of 70 gluten-free blogs! Holy toledo, what a resource! <--

Cabbage Rolls CrockPot Recipe

Day 163.

I've never had cabbage rolls before. I didn't even know they existed until I started this blog and kept seeing them pop up here and there on different slow-cooking sites. The very first cabbage roll recipe that I bookmarked, was Sandra's, on a Slow-Cooking Thursday. I thought they sounded intriguing, but couldn't imagine that they tasted good. In my mind cabbage was for the cabbage soup diet.

I was way wrong.

Cabbage was invented for cabbage rolls. And for hiding babies. Or is it growing babies? Or for producing babies whose bodies are too big to fit into any regular doll clothes so you need to go out and get a specific type of doll clothes just for that one doll.

hmmph.

Anyhow, these cabbage rolls were wonderful. And since it's day 4 of Retro Week, you should make them. My photo did not come out anywhere near as good as Sandra's so just pretend that they look better. Because they taste awesome.

The Ingredients.

--1 head of cabbage

--1 egg

--1 8oz can tomato sauce

--1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

--1 envelope onion soup mix

--1 lb lean ground turkey

--1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

--2 cups**(see note below) regular V8 juice

The Directions.

--core your cabbage, and save it for the guinea pigs.

--very carefully, peel off large cabbage leaves (8-12, I used 8, Sandra used 12) and wash them. You need to lightly steam the cabbage leaves to wilt them enough to handle. I put the leaves in a covered casserole dish and microwaved on high for 2 minutes. They were perfect.

--in a mixing bowl, combine the turkey meat, raw rice, the egg, the onion soup mix, the cheese, and the can of tomato sauce. Mix well---the mixture will be like very gloppy meatloaf.

--Using a spoon, scoop about 1/3 of a cup of mixture into each cabbage leaf and roll or fold. Put the stuffed cabbage leaves into the bottom of your crockpot, seam side down.

If your cabbage has a bunch of nice leaves, use them all. I was stuck with only 8 good ones, and got frustrated and fed the rest of the cabbage to the guinea pigs.

It's okay to stack the rolls on top of each other in the crock.

**Top with 2 cups of V8 Juice. I used 2 cups of juice because I made 8 rolls. If you are using more rolls, use another cup of juice. The original recipe called for an entire 46 oz bottle of V8 which is an awful lot. I didn't want to use that much, and did not fully submerge my cabbage rolls. They steamed and cooked fine in less juice.

Cover crock and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Ours cooked for exactly 6 hours, and the meat was cooked and the rice was tender. That's what you're looking for.

The Verdict.

I didn't think I would like these, but I really did. I am greatly looking forward to making them again. Adam and I each ate 3. The kids had packaged macaroni and cheese. I offered it to them, and was not surprised when they ran away. The rolls look really weird, but they taste fantastic.

Cajun Roasted Turkey Breast CrockPot Recipe

Day 166.

This is a moist, flavorful way to make turkey breast. I like turkey, but don't like the dryness and blandness that sometimes comes along for the ride when making turkey. Cooking turkey in the crock really helps with keeping the meat from becoming overly-dry.

You can rub whatever spices you like on turkey pieces, but I was in a Cajun mood, and was pleased with this spice combination.

The Ingredients.

--turkey breast

--1/2 t black pepper

--1 t kosher salt

--1/2 t red pepper (cayenne)

--1 T onion powder

--1/2 t paprika

--1/2 t thyme

--1/4 t nutmeg

--3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, or 1/2 t dried

--1 cup chicken broth

The Directions.

I used my 6qt Smart Pot Crock-Pot for this dish.

I took the skin off the turkey breast. I know, I'm a weirdo.

In a bowl, combine all of your spices together. Rub the turkey with the spice mixture, getting it in all the nooks and crannies. Put the bird piece into the crock, meaty breast side down. If you have extra spice mix left, go ahead and pour it on top.

Add the 1 cup of chicken broth.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. There isn't much moisture in turkey, so try not to peek too often.

Serve warm with your favorite sides, and save the leftovers for sandwiches.

The Verdict.

This turned out the way that I expected. It was not dripping in moisture the way that a whole chicken is after being crocked, but it was only the white meat of the turkey represented ---where as in the whole chicken you get a nice mix of brown meat, which has tons of juice.

The kids ate it dipped in barbecue sauce, and we've been having leftovers for sandwiches the whole week.

I liked the spice combo--it gave a bit of kick on the outer edge, with out being over-powering.

Orange Chipotle Ribs in the CrockPot

Day 168.

We made a few different types of barbecued ribs yesterday for Father's Day. We made ribs on the outdoor barbecue, and we took a page out of Jared's book and barbecued in the crockpot. Guess what? Jared's right---barbecuing in the crockpot is the way to go.

The meat is much more tender and flavorful, and you don't get that charred meat taste in your mouth that reminds you (me) of the Marlboro Man.

The Ingredients.

--3 pounds beef or PORK ribs

--1/2 cup ketchup

--1/4 cup orange marmalade

--1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

--2 T soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)

--2 T brown sugar

--2 t chipotle chili powder

--1/4 t cumin

--1/4 t ground ginger

--4 cloves smashed and chopped garlic

The Directions.

I used my 6qt smart-pot for this dish--the ribs fit well inside.

I didn't brown or pre-cook my meat at all. It was thawed, however. If you are using frozen meat, it will take longer to cook, but will be just fine.

In a mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the sauce---which is everything listed up there, minus the ribs.

Put the ribs into your crock--you may need to cut the racks up with poultry shears to get them in there nicely.

Pour your sauce over the top.

Close and cook on low for 8-9 hours, or on high for 5-6. The meat is done when it has reached the desired tenderness and is no longer pink. I prefer the meat to fall off the bone, and eat with a knife and fork. If you'd rather gnaw on the bones, pull them out after 4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.

The Verdict.

I was very pleased with the tenderness of these ribs, and with the sauce flavors. I picked a pretty tart orange marmalade, and the orange rind flavor was pretty pronounced. It was good, but I think next time I'll add a touch more brown sugar. I did not find the sauce on the ribs to be spicy, but the remaining sauce in the pot had quite a bit of heat.

The kids have finally begun to appreciate ribs. They still ate a hot dog, but they both ate enough of the ribs that they needed the sauce scrubbed off with a washcloth.

CrockPot Bacon and Cheese Chicken Recipe

Day 170.

I was blog surfing the other day and found a recipe entitled Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken. I knew that this was something that I had to try, and printed it out on the spot.

The internet loves bacon. It cracks me up how the love of bacon makes it's way through the blogosphere---I read about bacon on parenting blogs, life blogs, DIY blogs, and business blogs. Probably because I'm allergic to pork, I don't have an amazing love affair with bacon. I have discovered that beef bacon is very tasty, and according to my pork-eating family and friends, it tastes marvelous, and maybe even better.

But I don't crave the flavor of bacon. Now chicken and apple sausages are another thing...

I actually used turkey bacon for this recipe, since I had a bunch left over from the jalapeno poppers.

The Ingredients.

Adapted from Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken

--2 T olive oil

--4-6 chicken breast halves, or equivalent bird pieces (I used 8 breast tenders)

--12 pieces cooked and crumbled bacon

--1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (I used Tamari's wheat-free that I found at Whole Foods)

--1/2 cup Ranch salad dressing

--1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

The Directions.

Put the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of your crock and spread it around. If you are using thighs or fattier cuts of meat, this step is probably optional.

Put the chicken in the crock on top of the oil.

In a small bowl, combine the teriyaki sauce and the ranch dressing. I kept tasting this---the flavor is so bizarre and tasty; I've never had anything like it.

Pour sauce over the top of the chicken. Add the shredded cheese and the crumbled bacon to the crock, getting between the chicken pieces, if you can.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. The cooking time will depend on how thick your chicken pieces are, and if they are fresh or frozen.

Since I used the tiny breast tenders (frozen) our dinner cooked in only 3 hours on high.

The Verdict.

We all loved this. It didn't remind us of a cheeseburger, though, and most of the dinner conversation revolved around the name and how it would be misleading to throw in the word "burger." I thought the use of the word was cute, but ultimately, I lost 1 to 5. (my brother and his wife were over for dinner. Hi Andy! Hi Karen!)

Very tasty. Thank you to Kevin and Amanda!

Super Easy Fajitas Thanks to the CrockPot

Day 174.


I've mentioned before how much my family loves Mexican food. My kids will eat anything with cheese and sour cream on it, and avocado was their very first food. Fajitas are fun to make (I like the name---they sound much fancier than tacos for some reason), and are very easy to prepare with the help of the crockpot. I get the meat going in the morning, and then can head out for fresh ingredients at some point during the day, or ask Adam to stop on his way home.

The Ingredients. --2 lbs of thin cut stir fry beef (you could use chicken)
--1 or 2 packets of fajita seasoning mix (I said one or two because I've found that it's awfully spicy if I use 1 packet per pound of meat as directed on the label--use what you think is right for your family. Make sure to read labels carefully if GF. I stick to McCormick for their clear labeling.)
--1 onion
--2 bell peppers (I used 1 orange, 1 yellow)
--1/2 cup of water

The Directions.

Dump your meat into the crockpot. It can be frozen or thawed. Cut the onion and the peppers in strips, and add to the crock. Add the seasoning and water. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours, or high for 6. The meat is done when it reaches desired tenderness. I like to cook on low for as long as possible, because I don't like to chew forever. Serve with your favorite fajita fixens'. We really like squeezing some fresh lime over the top of the meat before doctoring it up.

The Verdict.

This is a family favorite. We make fajitas often, and always use the crockpot. I can't imagine taking the time to brown the meat on the stove and then let it simmer in the fajita seasoning until it's tender enough.

CrockPot Beans and Rice Recipe

Day 172.

I had two extra kids yesterday, which is wonderful---it meant my kids were happy and entertained and I could do the things that I've been meaning to do, but haven't gotten to since school has let out.

Like laundry.

Having two extra kids also meant that I couldn't go to the store to shop for elaborate ingredients for dinner, and needed to use what I had on hand in the house. Which was pretty much nothing.


CrockPot cooking rocks for pulling together a meal when you don't have a meal planned. Some of my best soups and meat dishes have come from dumping in a can of this, or adding some herb that I had never used before. I feel safer experimenting with the crockpot than I do on the stove or with the oven---the flavors mellow and I have so long to taste and prod the food, that if the dish needs and extra something-or-other, I can throw it in and nothing is wasted.
Usually.


The Ingredients.
--1 can of black beans --1 can of pinto beans
--1 cup of rice (we were low on brown rice, so I needed to use a bit of arborrio to round out the cup) --1 can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes
--1 T olive oil
--1/2 t kosher salt
--1 t Italian seasoning
--1/2 T dried onion flakes

The Directions.

--put the 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot, and add the rice. Swirl the rice around in the olive oil, until it is coated nicely.

--drain and rinse the beans, and add them

--drain the tomatoes, but reserve the liquid in a measuring cup. I got a little under a cup of tomato juice. Add the tomatoes.

--add water to the measuring cup with tomato juice. You need 2 cups of liquid.

--add seasonings stir well, and cover.

Cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for 3-4. My beans and rice cooked in an oval 6qt Smart Pot for 3.5 hours. It is done when the rice is tender. Brown rice or wild rice will take longer to cook than white rice--- I was surprised at how quickly it cooked. Our dinner was ready at 3:30. oops.


The Verdict.

This is a very nice clean-out-the-pantry dish. It's been hot here, and plugging in the crock and then going out in the sprinklers is a great way to spend the afternoon. I liked how the meal was "free"--because last year I would have ordered take-out as a "reward" for having extra kids, and because it was warm out.

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 Jamaican Salmon

Day 194.

I like it when sweet and spicy flavors co-mingle, so I was intrigued by the idea of making a Jamaican dry rub of my own to use on chicken or fish.

That, and when ever I hear someone on TV name a dish "Jamaican Me Crazy" something or other, I simultaneously groan and laugh. Every. Single. Time.

We've had rather heavy meals lately, and needed to lighten it up a bit. Cooking fish in your crockpot is super easy, and results in a perfectly cooked, flaky fish, with no icky fish smell.

and! since you're cooking the fish in foil, the crock is virtually spotless when you're finished; an added bonus.

The Ingredients.

--aluminum foil (go for a good quality, not the cheapy dollar store stuff)
--1 pound thawed or fresh salmon

For the jerk rub:

-- 1/8 t cloves
--1/8 t ginger
--1/8 t nutmeg
--1 t salt
--1 t onion or garlic powder (I used onion)
--2 t white sugar
--1/4 t chipotle chili powder
--1/2 t cayenne pepper (this was TOO much for us. Don't use this much.)
--1/4 t black pepper
--1/8 t thyme
--1/2 t cinnamon

or buy a bottle of Jamaican jerk rub seasoning, and use about 1/4 cup.

The Directions.

Combine all of the spice run ingredients in a bowl. Spread out a length of foil, and put the fish in the middle of it. Rub both sides of the fish with the dry rub. Fold the foil over and make an enclosed packet. If it looks like there is a gap and it might leak fish juice out, use another piece to wrap around, just in case.

Put the foil packet into the crockpot. Do not add any water.

Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Fish doesn't take long to cook. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with rice or pasta and vegetables.

The Verdict.

The salmon cooked perfectly, but the spice rub was way too spicy for me. I needed a big bite of rice with each bite to act as a fire extinguisher. Adam wasn't home to taste it, he'll have the leftovers. I didn't even try to get the kids to eat any---it was much too spicy.

BUT! I still liked the flavor---I would definitely use a dry jerk rub again, but use much less cayenne, or leave it out all together and just stick with the chipotle chili powder and the black pepper.

CrockPot Peppercorn Steak

Day 193.

I have been getting so many wonderful emails and comments with recipes! I'm having a ball sorting through them all.

Krystle emailed me and shared one of her family's favorite meals with me--peppercorn steak.

I just so happened to have a package of frozen steaks in the freezer, and gave it a try yesterday. Her original recipe called for using canned tomato soup, but after a trip to the grocery store, I learned that many cans of tomato soup are thickened with wheat starch--not good in our house. So I tweaked a little, and was quite happy with the results!

The Ingredients.

--4 to 6 steaks (use whatever is on sale, it's going to tenderize nicely in the crock; don't buy expensive meat.)
--1 cup tomato sauce
--1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce (Lea Perrins is GF)
--1/4 cup of water
--2 chopped bell peppers (I used one yellow, one green)
--1 chopped yellow onion
--8 oz sliced mushrooms
--1 T Italian seasoning
--1/4 t black pepper

The Directions.

Put the meat in the crockpot; mine was still frozen solid. Cover with the chopped vegetables. Pour in the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, and water. Add the Italian seasoning and black pepper.

No need to stir.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6. I cooked our dinner for 6 hours on high.

The Verdict.

I liked this! I liked how the steak lifted out of the juice without falling apart, and was able to be sliced like a steak cooked in the oven or on the grill. The flavor with the tomato sauce and the Worcestershire was greats---rich and peppery. I've never used that much Worcestershire before; usually I use only a few tablespoons at a time.

This makes a lot of sauce. I bet you could use the remaining sauce as a soup base or to make a fabulous gravy. We ate our meat and veggies separate on the dinner plate, with a spinach salad.

One kid ate 2 whole steaks and proclaimed that it was the best steak she had ever had and asked if she could eat it every day for "dinner, lunch, and breakfast. And maybe sometimes for snack. After I eat my banana. Of course." And then there was a lot of eye rolling---we've had the same banana in the fridge for the last three days. She opened it, took a bite, then said she was full. There's been a lot of banana talk around here lately...

thank you, Krystle, for a great meal, and a keeper recipe!