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.

Homemade Beef Stock in the CrockPot

Day 147.

mmmm. Doesn't that look appetizing? It's a big pot of cold swirly beef juice. Yum.

Like a bunch of things I've done this year, I've never before attempted to make my own beef stock. I've made chicken--but not beef. It was Erin's idea, because I wanted to make her Pho (coming tomorrow!) Homemade beef stock tastes much better than the canned stuff. It is well-worth the effort involved.

I used a combination of a recipes that Chris and Kalyn posted as a guideline, but with ingredients I had on hand. I put the broth on at 5am, and had a sick kid in the house. Running to the grocery store was not an option.

The Ingredients.

--4 lbs oxtail (leftover package from when I made oxtail stew)

--1 cup baby carrots

--1 onion

--head of romaine lettuce (supposed to be celery)

--8 cloves garlic

--1 T Italian seasoning

--1 t kosher salt

--1 t pepper

--1 T apple cider vinegar (not pictured)

--water

The Directions.

This will take two days. Prepare yourself.

I used oxtail because I already had it in the freezer. Ox tail is rather expensive to use for beef stock---I ended up cutting the meat off the bone and mixing it with barbecue sauce to have over rice for lunch. Kalyn recommends saving scraps of meat for a few months in the freezer, and Chris recommends asking your butcher for free bones, or stealing them from the neighborhood dog. Your choice.

Roast whatever meat or bones you are going to use in a high-ish sided cookie sheet in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

While the meat is roasting and releasing a bunch of flavor, wash and coarsely chop your vegetables to put in the crockpot. They do not need to look pretty.

When the meat is done, let it cool a bit, then scrape the meat and the juices into the crock. Add your spices and vinegar, and cover with enough water to fill the remainder of the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

--about the vinegar-- My broth was half-way through the cooking time and I received an email from Chi who mentioned that a nutritionist recommends adding the vinegar to help suck out the flavor from the bones. So I added it then. You should add it with the spices.

Let your crockpot cool down on the counter top, and then place the removable stoneware in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning the fat will all have floated to the top. It will be really gross.

Pick off the fat with a wooden spoon. Put a colander inside of a large pot or bowl, and pour the contents of the crockpot into the strainer. Discard the bones and vegetables.

Your stock is now ready to be used in your favorite soup or stew, and can be frozen for later use.

The Verdict.

I used this beef stock the next day for Vietnamese Pho--coming tomorrow! It worked well, and was full of flavor. But it was a lot of work, and took a lot of time. I'll probably make stock again, but not for quite some time. Touching the gelatinous fat is not something I am eager to do anytime soon.

Mongolian Beef CrockPot Recipe

Day 157.

Ever since I made Lynn's fabulous Lemon Chicken, I've wanted to make Mongolian Beef. Yesterday, I gathered enough guts to give it a go.

The results were phenomenal.

I gave myself a pat on the back.

This is an excellent crockpot meal. Since we are gluten free, I needed to play around a bunch of sauces and flavors because we can't use packaged Hoisin sauce. If you can use hoisin sauce, you might want to simplify by following this recipe. 

But my concoction worked, and surprised Adam and the kids---one of whom has never had "real" Mongolian Beef.

The Ingredients.

Hold on to your hat!
There are a lot of ingredients --- don't get mad!

(updated: I've discovered that a few companies are now putting out a gluten free variety of Hoisin sauce. Feel free to use that if you don't want to make your own! And if you aren't gluten free, just ignore me! ;-)  )

FOR THE MEAT:

1 1/2 pounds flank steak

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 sliced green onions--one is for garnish

1 teaspoon dried minced onion (or 1/2 fresh onion, diced very small)

THIS IS THE SAUCE -- if you have bottle Hoisin, go ahead and use it here instead

1/2 cup soy sauce (I used La Choy)

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup cooking sherry

1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar (optional--I forgot to add it!)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon molasses

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 tablespoon peanut butter (if allergic, use black bean paste)

3 tablespoon brown sugar

AND THEN: 

1/4 cup cornstarch (to dredge meat--don't add to sauce mixture)
1 teaspoon red chili flakes --- optional -- if you don't like things spicy, you can add at the table if you'd like.

The Directions.

--slice your meat in thin strips and toss in a Ziploc bag with cornstarch.

--add all of the liquid and dried spices to your crockpot, and the peanut butter, and mix well. Add the garlic and three of the sliced green onions. If you are using fresh onion, add that now, too.

--put your meat on top, and toss gingerly to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Flank steak is thin and have very little fat, and will cook quickly. There isn't a lot of liquid in this dish, so if your crock tends to cook hot, please check it after 3 hours.

The meat is done when it is no longer pink and has reached desired tenderness. I cooked our meat in a 6qt oval Smart Pot and it was done after 4 hours on low.

Serve over steamed or fried rice, and garnish with freshly sliced green onion.

The Verdict.

This serves enough to feed 2 hungry adults for dinner. If you have a large family, you're going to need more meat and double the sauce.

Delicious. This is so good---before this year I would not have attempted to make something so "complicated" in a crockpot. But really, the only complicated thing was figuring out what flavors would work and assembling the ingredients---the actual cooking and food preparation was a snap, and the kitchen was clean and mopped at 12noon.

We had all of the ingredients on hand for this meal, except for the meat and the green onion. Much better for our wallets, than take-out, and much, much, much less greasy than take-out. And it was gluten-free!

enjoy!

CrockPot Hamburger Patties Recipe

Day 159.

School is officially out, which means many more meals at home. Usually the "cooked" lunches around here are canned chili or soup, but I tried my hat at making hamburgers yesterday. Tracy (hi, Tracy!) emailed me earlier in the day to report that she was trying to make hamburgers, and I thought it was a great idea. She was a few hours ahead of me, and when she reported back she said that they worked, but there was a bunch of grease left in the crock.

That got my brain buzzing and I scoured the kitchen and garage for a little grill that would fit inside of my large, 6qt crockpot. I couldn't find one.

So I made a grill out of aluminum foil. This is a fun, easy way to make hamburgers for lunch (I could only fit 2 pre-formed burgers) without grease splatters on the stove. And I have yet to figure out the barbecue. That thing scares me.

The Ingredients.

--2 pre-formed hamburger patties, or 4 hand-made small ones

--a bit of seasoning (I used seasoned salt)

--slices of cheese; optional

hamburger fix'ens

The Directions.

Insert a tiny grill into your crockpot to keep the meat from cooking in grease. Unless that's okay with you.

Put the meat on top of the grill--I did not thaw the meat.

cover and cook on high. Check after 1 hour. Our burgers were completely cooked in 90 minutes. Although it's not shown in the picture, I did add a slice of cheddar cheese 15 minutes before turning off the crock. It melted nicely.

Drain on paper towels, and serve on a bun, or rice cake.

Top with all of your favorites.

The Verdict.

These were a hit! My six-year-old said it was the best hamburger she ever ate. I am very happy to have another easy lunch to put in the rotation this summer.

I really love my crockpot.

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.

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.

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 Philly Cheesesteak Soup Recipe

Day 178.

mmmm. Philly Cheesesteaks. I made them earlier in the year, and they were delicious. But perhaps maybe you don't have bread in the house, or you don't want a bunch of carbs, or you don't want to chew a lot... guess what? I have a solution!

Make Cheesesteak soup! In the crockpot!

This was a nice weekday dinner for us. I got the soup prepped and plugged in by 9am, and we spent the day out and about and came home to a hot, flavorful, and hearty soup that we all enjoyed. We served it with two salads: spinach and potato.

This would be a fun (and memorable) dish to take to a pot-luck or recipe exchange.


The Ingredients.

--1 pound thinly cut beef strips (I used beef chuck steaks that I cut with kitchen shears)
--4 cups beef broth
--2 cups skim or 2% milk
--1 T butter
--1 yellow onion, cut in chunks
--2 bell peppers (I used one green, one red)
--2 t gluten free Worcestershire sauce
--3 cloves chopped garlic
--1/2 t black pepper
--1 t kosher salt
--8oz provolone cheese (to add at the very end)


The Directions.

Add the 1 tablespoon of butter to your crockpot and turn it on high to melt. Cut up your meat and add it to the crock, swirling it into the butter to coat. Add the chopped peppers, onion, and garlic. Add the Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Stir in the beef broth and milk.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 5-6. The soup is done when the meat has reached the desired tenderness.

Before serving, stir in the provolone cheese. It will melt in stringy chunks---yum.


The Verdict.

This is a delicious soup. I was very pleased with the flavor of the broth. The broth is thin, if you feel you'd like a thicker broth, you can make a roux on the stove with the butter and some flour before adding to the crockpot. I don't like cooking before cooking, and opted to not bother with this step. But I also don't care if the broth is thin. If thin broth bothers you --make the roux.

My kids really liked this. They didn't eat the vegetables, though. I garnished with a bit of shredded Parmesan before serving.

CrockPot French Dip Sandwiches

Day 186.

Happy Fourth of July! If you are looking for some easy and delicious recipes for a backyard barbecue, try these:

corn on the cob
beans and weenies
barbecued ribs
sweet and spicy chicken wings
chili
frito candy

Or, you can make French Dip Sandwiches. These sandwiches are completely and totally American, because they call for The Two American Ingredients: beer and red meat.

But this isn't just any ordinary beer---it's gluten free! I finally tracked down some Redbridge beer at a local Beverages and More. Redbridge's website has a zipcode tracker, but none of the locations were close enough. A quick email later, and Lindsay from Anheuser-Busch confirmed that both our Beverages and More and Whole Foods carry the line. Awesome.

Redbridge is made from Sorghum, so it's completely gluten-free.

Jenny from Lipstick and Laundry shared this recipe with me, and it's fantastic.

The Ingredients.

This is Jenny's Recipe:

4 lbs beef roast, I actually buy Beef Round Sandwich Steak, (meaning it is already sliced)
1 (10.5 oz) can of beef broth
2 (10.5 oz) cans of Condensed French Onion Soup
1 (12 oz) bottle of dark beer (I only use 1/2 the bottle)
1Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
6 French Rolls (I like Sara Lee)
Butter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To make it gluten free, I changed some stuff around. I can't find a gluten free canned French Onion soup, so I used the recipe that I made earlier in the year.

This is my version--use whichever one works best for your family!

- 2 lbs thin pieces of steak meat
- 1/2 T sugar
- 2 T butter
- 3 cups beef broth
- 12 oz bottle of Redbridge beer
- 1/2 t black pepper
- 1/4 cup cooking sherry
- 1 yellow onion, cut in rings
- 3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
- 1 t gluten free Worcestershire sauce

The Directions.

Put the butter into the bottom of the crockpot and turn on. Add the meat, garlic, and onions, and swirl around in the butter.

Pour in the broth, beer, and cooking sherry. Add pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours.

If your meat is still in large chunks, remove it carefully, and slice. Return the meat back to the broth.

Serve on rolls. I made rolls from the Whole Foods 365 bread mix, and added some cheddar cheese to the sandwiches. Traditionally, gruyere is used.

Dip the sandwich into the broth before each bite for a nice juicy flavor and consistency.

The Verdict.

These were so much fun and tasted marvelous! And Very American.

Thanks, Jenny, for the idea. Jenny also has a good tip about slow-cooking in hot climates. We're lucky here in that it never gets terribly hot, but we used to live where summertime temperatures were well over 100 degrees daily.

Jenny shares her tips: "I set the crockpot on an outdoor table and cook outside, I have an outlet right by my sliding glass door, so I cook on our patio, and I can keep an eye on it, then my kitchen doesn't heat up... You can also set it on a workbench in the garage. Just some useful things I personally do for the summer crock potting!"

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!

CrockPot Gyro Recipe

Day 205.

A hundred million years ago, my very first job was working at the Zoo, in the education department. I loved that job---I loved the people, the work, the animals, speaking to the public, and the food.

I really loved the food.

I think I spent pretty much every dollar I made going to the different hole-in-the-wall restaurants ordering food I had never before heard of that were within walking distance. Directly across the street was a Gyro stand. A bunch of us would run across the street and order gyros (in our uniforms; boy I hope we washed our hands first) and stand in an insane line to order and then eat our gyros while we walked back to work.

I know we pronounced them wrong when we went to order. Nobody cared. That was nice.

We had these last night for Adam's birthday; he turned 24. again.

I followed the fantastic recipe online by Sarah Christine Bolton, the Savvy Slow Cooker of CDKitchen. Sarah knows her stuff---I recommend spending some time checking out her recipes.

The Ingredients.

For the gyro meat:

--1/2 pound ground lamb
--1/2 pound ground turkey
--2 t oregano
--1 t paprika

--1/2 chopped onion
--3 cloves minced garlic
--juice from 1 lemon

For the Tzatziki sauce (optional, but not really):

--1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
--1 cup plain non fat yogurt
--1 T olive oil
--3 cloves minced garlic
--2 T chopped fresh mint
--juice from 1 lemon

Extra stuff (optional. for reals.):

--pita bread (but we used corn tortillas)
--lettuce
--tomatoes
--feta cheese
--olives

The Directions.

Don't freak out about the number of ingredients. This comes together very quickly. I promise. Chop up the onion, and 3 cloves of garlic, and put them in the bottom of your crockpot. In a small mixing bowl, combine the two kinds of ground meat with the paprika and oregano. If your spices don't have a fresh smell anymore, or if you think they may have been purchased in the 90s, consider buying fresh bottles for this dish.

Make a little meatloaf with your hands. Put the meatloaf log on top of the chopped onion and garlic in your crockpot. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the top of the meat.

Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, or on HIGH for about 2.

I, um, forgot to plug in the crockpot until 2pm yesterday and cooked this on high for exactly 2 hours.

It worked!

While you are waiting for the meat to cook, make up a batch of the yummy Tzatziki sauce and put it in the fridge.

You will know when the meat is done, because it will not be raw when you cut into it. This is all so very technical, you know.

Carefully! remove the meat from the crockpot and slice it thinly on a cutting board.

Serve it with pitas (or corn or brown rice tortillas) with the Tzatziki sauce and whatever desired fixings you have chosen.

The Verdict.

I loved making these! I hadn't used garlic and onion just as a flavor infuser before, and was really excited to learn a new trick. This is not greasy, and the flavor was good. It was not the same as how I remember the gyros from across the street at the Zoo, but close enough that I would definitely make them again. I remember a lot more grease, and a lot more salt. and since I'm not sixteen anymore, I'm no longer interested in that, anyhow.

Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your Slow Cooking Savvies.

Five-Spice Steak Strips CrockPot Recipe

Day 210.

Two hundred and ten! eek!

Yesterday, I had some projects to tie up, miles to run, laundry to fold, and a kid with a double ear infection.

I forgot to turn on the crockpot until about 3pm. It completely slipped my mind. I did it, though. But the meat I cooked would have been much, much better if I had plugged it in earlier in the day and let it stew, or better yet if I had had the meat sit in the fridge overnight in the marinade.

I bought Chinese Five-Spice Powder a few weeks ago, when I found myself in the grocery store all alone. I love grocery shopping alone. I get a mocha from Starbucks and wander each and every aisle, and always find something "new" that I didn't know I needed, or something that I wanted but didn't take the time to properly scout out. Some people like massages. I like solo-grocery shopping.

Lydia, from The Perfect Pantry, has a marvelous write-up about the wonders of Five-Spice Powder. I found it in the Ethnic section of my regular grocery store.

The Ingredients.

1-2 pounds thin steak meat (I used flank steak)
1/4 t kosher salt
1 t Five-Spice Powder
1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t black pepper
6 cloves minced or chopped garlic
2 T soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat-free are GF)
1 T white wine vinegar

The Directions.

In a small bowl, mix the dry spices. Rub the mixture on all sides of your meat.

Put the meat into a ziplock bag and add the chopped garlic, soy sauce, and white wine vinegar. Seal the bag and refrigerate for as long as possible; preferably overnight.

I did not do this. Your meat will taste better if you do.

When the meat has fully marinated, cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 5-6. This is very thin meat and will cook quickly, since there isn't much liquid. If you are going to be out of the house for a while, add 1/2 cup of beef broth. I used my 6qt Smart-Pot, and it was not really enough food for it; this would work best in a 4qt.

Slice the meat thin and serve over rice with vegetables, or on top of a spinach salad. We had our meat on top of salad.

The Verdict.

Since I didn't put the crockpot on until 3pm, my meat had very little flavor, except for the very outer skin. We ate it, and it was fine, but it could have been much, much, better. I have meat leftover, and am going to re-rub it with the spices and let it sit for a while, then chop it up for fried rice to have for lunch.

CrockPot Ginger Beef with Onions and Garlic

Day 214.

Good morning! I can not wrap my brain around the fact that it's August already.

August!

We had this for dinner last night before heading to the park for a community concert. It was a rather chilly night, and I was glad that we had some hot food in our bellies before heading out.

The Ingredients.

--1-2 pounds beef strips
--1/2 cup broth, white wine, beer, or apple juice. I used chicken broth.
--1 yellow onion, cut in rings
--1 whole head of garlic, peeled
--1/2 t ground black pepper
--1 inch peeled and grated ginger

The Directions.

Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray, or put a bit of olive oil in the bottom. Add your meat. Chop up the onion, and peel all of the garlic. Throw that into the pot. Add the ginger and black pepper. Top with whatever liquid you plan on using.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, depending on how thick of a piece of meat you are using, and whether or not it's frozen. I used fresh beef strips and it cooked VERY quickly on low---it was completely done after 6 hours.

I should have used a smaller crockpot. This is a good amount of food for a 4qt. If you are going to use a larger crockpot, consider adding a whole cup of liquid.

The Verdict.

I served this over brown rice pasta. I was pleased with how tender the meat was and how the garlic caramelized. I'd make this again, but in a smaller crockpot. my 6 qt was much too big for this amount of food. The meat wasn't spicy, and the kids ate it fine. I didn't offer them any of the garlic or onions.

This will give you stinky breath. Consider yourself warned.

You Can Use Your CrockPot as a Smoker

Day 220.

Alternative title: CrockPot Smoked Brisket Recipe

I have been reading Jared's blog, the CrockPot Alchemist, with interest this year. He has the same think-out-of-the-box (crock!) mentality I seem to have when it comes to crockpotting, and not only does he come across as an awfully nice guy you'd like to have dinner with, he is quite funny.

Jared likes things to taste smokey. He uses Liquid Smoke, and has written about how it isn't a super-scary-chemical-concoction.

But I can't find it. I've looked in about 6 grocery stores around here, and just. can't. find. it. I've emailed a few people who have given me liquid smoke recipes and they can find it at Walmart. We don't have Walmart here. I guess I need to take a Walmart field trip, which is fine by me, because they have the most comfortable tank tops I've ever worn, and I'd like to stock up on layering options for fall. (in case you were wondering. you may have been.)

Anyways---since I couldn't find any liquid smoke, and because I was spurred on by the Last Food Network Star when the comedian guy built a smoker, I turned the crockpot into a smoker yesterday.

And it totally worked.

The Ingredients.

--3-4 lbs beef brisket or comparable hunk o' meat
--1-2 cups mesquite wood chips (depends on size of crockpot), soaked
--favorite spice rub. I used McCormick's Roasting Rub.
--1/2 cup of water. or beer. or wine. or broth.
--parchment paper

The Directions.

Soak your wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes, and drain the water.
Spread out a good-sized length of parchment paper on the counter, and put the wood chips inside.
Fold over the edges of the paper to enclose the wood chips and make a packet, similar to a foil packet (I was worried foil would rust), that fits inside your crockpot completely.
Put it in.
With scissors, cut teeny tiny holes here and there in the top level of the parchment paper to let smoky steam escape.
Rub all sides of your meat with spice rub. Put it in the crockpot, directly on top of the parchment paper packet (lots of Ps, there).
Cover with whatever liquid you are going to use. I stuck with water.
Put the lid on and cook on low for 8-10 hours. The meat is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired tenderness. I wanted ours to fall apart, and cooked it on low for 9 hours.

The Verdict.

It worked!

The parchment didn't disintegrate, and the wood chips never touched the meat. The brisket was flavorful and had a definite smoky flavor in each bite.

My spice rub was quite peppery, so after the first few bites, I mostly tasted pepper, but the smoke was infused.

The kids loved it, and called it "the best steak my mom has ever made in the crockpot." It cracks me up that they included the "in the crockpot" part.

I have POUNDS of mesquite chips left, and am interested in smoking some salmon.

Coconut Beef CrockPot Recipe

Day 225.

I bought some really cheap stew meat the other day, and played around with a few different coconut and curry recipes to make a coconut beef. I was concerned that the meat wouldn't tenderize as much as I would like--because I needed to cook it on high in 4 hours, instead of low for 8. I didn't need to worry. The meat was tender and infused with a great coconut creamy flavor.

The Ingredients.

--1-2 lbs stew meat
--1 yellow onion, cut in chunks
--1 can coconut milk
--1 juice from one lime
--2 T of butter (optional. I used it, but don't think it needs it next time)
--2 cloves chopped garlic
--2 tsp brown sugar
--1 tsp curry powder
--1/2 tsp ground coriander
--1 tsp cumin
--1 1/2 T chili paste (or 1-2 tsp red chili flakes)
--1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

The Directions.

I used a 6qt Smart-Pot for this dish. Anything 4qt and up will work.

If using, put butter into crockpot, and turn it on to begin to melt. Add meat, lime juice, and coconut milk. Follow with the onion and garlic. Add the brown sugar and all the spices. Grate the ginger. Toss meat a bit in the liquid and spices to coat.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8.

The coconut milk will be yellow from the curry, and will separate a bit. A quick stir will turn it all creamy again.

Serve over white or brown rice.

The Verdict.

I liked this a lot. So did the kids, Adam, and my in-laws. We will most definitely make this again. Although it looks like there are a lot of ingredients, don't be intimidated. Once you find all the spice bottles, it comes together really quickly. This can easily be assembled the night before. Like always, if you are going to use a crock straight from the fridge, let it sit on the counter for a bit to warm up before plugging in. You aren't supposed to "shock" the crock.

CrockPot Layered Dinner--Steak, Potatoes, Corn on the Cob

Day 232.

I made a complete meal in the crockpot last night, and it wasn't a soup, stew, or casserole. I made rib eye steak, baked potato, and corn on the cob. It wasn't soggy, nor was it dried out, and I was able to leave the house for six hours.

The crockpot rocks.

I had been meaning to try a layered dinner in the crock for a few months, now, but kind of forgot. I am so glad that Julie emailed me! She made steak and sweet potatoes that way last week, with great success.

The Ingredients.

This is what I used. You can use whatever meat or vegetables you have in the house. The trick is to not use too much liquid when cooking the meat, so the potatoes and the corn (or whatever you're using) isn't floating in juice.

--1 1/1 lbs rib eye steak
--1 T of your favorite seasoning rub
--1 T dried onion flakes (a fresh onion would be fine. I wasn't in a chopping mood.)
--2 T Worcestershire sauce (Lea and Perrins is GF)
--1/4 cup tequila (or broth, apple juice, etc.)

--2-4 potatoes
--2-4 ears of fresh corn
--aluminum foil

In my 6 quart Smart Pot, I used 2 whole brown potatoes, and 4 ears of corn. I could have fit another potato in, probably.

The Directions.

Put meat in the bottom of the crockpot. Rub with seasoning and onion, and flip over to get the other side. Add tequila and Worcestershire sauce.

Wash potatoes and cover with foil. Add to the pot. Shuck the corn, and wrap each ear in foil. Add to the crockpot.

It doesn't seem to matter if the potatoes are closer to the meat, or the corn. The new crockpots heat from the sides as well as from the bottom, so everything will cook through regardless of location.

Cover and cook on high for 5-7 hours, or on low for about 8. I cooked our dinner for 6 hours on high. My crockpot was quite full.

The Verdict.

This was a great dinner. It's out-of-the-norm for us to have such a complete meal on a Monday night, which made it fun and new. I plan on doing more layered crockpot cooking---it's so nice to have everything plopped in and the kitchen clean by noon.