CROCK POT SALSA CHICKEN

I am back from my two week hiatus. We just got so busy that I really didn’t have any time to experiment with any new crock pot recipes. So for the last few weeks I just repeated some of our favorite recipes like the pepperoncini pot roast and angel hair chicken. My crock pot really does save my life. Without it we would’ve been eating fast food every day. Anyway, I am so excited to have a new recipe for you to try! It is really quick and easy and very yummy. The chicken was moist and tender and had a wonderful taco flavor. We shredded the chicken, added a little sour cream and wrapped it in a flour tortilla. It was awesome! Try serving this with some Spanish rice and chips and queso for a complete Tex- Mex meal. The leftovers were just as good the next day. If you try it please leave me a comment on how you liked it. Oh and don't forget the margaritas! They go really well with this dish. 

 

 

 INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken
1 cup of salsa
½ cup of water
3 tbs. of taco seasoning
1 cup of grated cheese
fresh cilantro for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Spray the crock pot with PAM. Then take the taco seasoning and rub it all over the chicken. Place the chicken in the bottom of the pot. Pour the salsa and the water over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. About 30 minutes before serving cover the chicken with the grated cheese and fresh cilantro. Serve with sour cream, tortillas, and Spanish rice.  

RANCH MUSHROOMS

 I was planning on grilling some steaks for supper so I decided that I wanted some mushrooms. That gave me the perfect opportunity to try out this appetizer recipe for ranch flavored mushrooms. With only 3 ingredients it went together really quick. Four hours later the mushrooms were tender and had that distinctive ranch flavoring to them. They were very tasty. It was a good thing that only two of us liked mushrooms. We had a few left over for dinner the next night. I would easily double this recipe if I were inviting company for dinner. These mushrooms will go quick especially if you served them with some marina sauce, some cool ranch dip or even just by themselves.

 

 

INGREDIENTS:
1 lbs. of mushrooms
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 pkg of ranch dressing

DIRECTIONS:

Spray a small 2 quart crock pot with PAM. Put the freshly washed mushrooms in the bottom of the pot. Next pour on the ranch dressing and place the stick of butter on top. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

BROWN SUGAR CROCK POT HAM

Happy Easter everyone! I could hardly wait to post this recipe today. I had bought a spiral sliced ham for our dinner and decided to cook it in the crock pot. It turned out very moist and juicy. The only problem I had with it was it turned brown and just fell off the bone. Otherwise it was very tasty.  My mom and daughter really enjoyed it. The flavor was awesome, probably because of the maple syrup. I think the next time I would use a regular picnic ham and then slice it. Anyway it will make wonderful sandwiches all week long and the bone is already in the freezer for beans!

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:
6-7 lb. ham
2 cups of pineapple juice
¼ cup of maple syrup
1 cup of brown sugar
1 crock pot liner bag

DIRECTIONS:

Place the liner in the crock pot. I used this for two reasons. First for easy clean up and second for easy lifting out of the pot. Next put a layer of brown sugar on the bottom. Then place the ham in with the flat side down. Pat the remaining brown sugar all over the ham. Mix together the maple syrup and pineapple juice and pour into the crock pot along side of the ham. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Now my lid did not fit flush and that’s ok. Put a piece of foil over the top of the ham and make a tent. Then put the top on top of that. The aroma will  seep out and the ham will still cook. Be careful taking the ham out of the crock pot. I tried several different ways and it kept falling off the bone. I finally took the crock pot to the sink and lifted it out by the bag and let all the juice run over in the sink. Then I was able to flip it on its side onto a plate. 

 

 

 P.S. Here are some cool tie dye Easter eggs we made last night from a tutorial from www.momto2poshlildivas.com    

 

 

CROCK POT RANCH PORK CHOPS

Ever get tired of eating the same old dinners each week? I know I do. So I found this recipe for chicken and thought why not just try it on pork chops for a change. It turned out wonderful. My family actually enjoyed it more than my regular pork chops and potatoes that I make. Sometimes change is for the better especially when you’re trying out new recipes. The pork chops were tender and the cream of chicken soup mixed with the ranch dressing provided a nice thick and creamy gravy for the pork chops. I served them with white rice. Didn’t really need a flavored rice because of the tasty ranch flavored gravy. Campbell’s could probably make a fortune if they came out with a cream of ranch flavored soup. Think about it. The base could be either chicken, beef, or even vegetable flavor. Then you wouldn’t need to add the ranch dressing mix. Hidden Valley might not like that idea so much but it would be one less thing to add to the pot. So if you like the flavor of ranch give this recipe a try. I know your family will really enjoy it and want seconds. I even added mushrooms to mine to make it extra good!    

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ LBS. of bone in or boneless pork chops
1 pkg. of ranch dressing
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of mushrooms (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Spray the crock pot with PAM. Next place the pork chops and mushrooms in the bottom of the pot. Then sprinkle the ranch dressing on top followed by the soup. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

CHICKEN MARENGO

This recipe is so unlike my other recipes. It wasn’t quick or easy, but the end result was well worth the time it took sautéing everything. The breaded chicken in the wine sauce was just heavenly. The aroma of the sautéing vegetables with the wine had my mouth watering. I could hardly wait for dinner. So I settled for a glass a wine instead. I don’t think I would change a thing on this recipe. It was that good. I served it over some angel hair pasta with some crusty French bread. Story has it that Napoleon was served this dish after he won the Battle of Marengo in the early 1800’s. It soon became one of his favorite dinners and he wouldn’t allow his chefs to change anything either. So when you have some time and want to create a truly wonderful tasting dinner give this recipe a try. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup of flour
2 tbs. of butter
2 tbs. of olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 tsp. of minced garlic
1 cup of white wine
1 14 ½ oz. diced tomatoes
1 cup of chicken broth
1 tsp. of thyme
12 oz. of chopped mushrooms
1 tbs. of basil

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together the salt, pepper, and flour in a small bowl and dredge the chicken. Saute’ the chicken in the olive oil and butter until brown. Spray the crock pot with PAM and place the chicken in the bottom. Then sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Serve over rice or noodles. 

 

 

CROCK POT BRAISED BEEF

I woke up last Friday morning to the third day of rain here. Very depressing for my days off, so I decided that I needed a great dinner tonight with a lot of leftovers for the weekend. I had a lot to do today because I procrastinated doing errands the past two days because of the rain. So I got my crock pot out and started searching for new beef recipes. Everything I found sounded too complicated for me so I just through a few of my favorite things in the crock pot. This is what I came up with. My version of braised beef ribs. They turned out so awesome! Who would ever think that brown gravy mix tasted better with red wine than water? I am so glad my daughter is older now because I don’t think I will ever mix gravy with water again. The gravy turned out so rich and yummy I am not sure I ate any beef. No, really the beef of course was cooked to perfection. It was fork tender with such a delectable flavor there wasn’t much left over. I paired it with a salad, macaroni and cheese, and some rolls for soppin up the gravy. Everyone was fat and full after dinner that nobody even wanted dessert.  My dinner was a big hit and so easy to cook that I rewarded myself with a glass of wine after the dishes were done. I am now wondering if ranch dressing tastes better with wine, maybe white wine ? I will definitely be doing some experimenting with that one. I’ll let you know how it comes out. P.S. I didn’t take any before pictures just pictures of the finished product. Kind of got in a hurry to get it done. The four ingredients went together in a snap and I just kept moving along with my day. By the end of the day my home and garage smelled so wonderful I am surprised the neighbors didn't come over to see what was cooking!

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs of boneless beef ribs
1  cup of red wine
1 pkg. of Lipton onion soup mix
1 pkg. of brown gravy mix

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with Pam. Drop the ribs in to the crock pot. Sprinkle the Lipton soup and gravy mix over the ribs. Then pour on the wine. Cover and cook on low for 8 -10 hours.

 

 

KOREAN BEEF TACOS

This is a really quick and easy recipe to throw together before leaving the house. It’s really a no brainer. I was a little confused at first as to what rice to serve with this dish but fried rice is the way to go I think. The flavor of the beef was out of this world. I was ready to quit my day job and buy a taco truck and make a fortune. Then my daughter told me that her college had a Korean Taco truck. I wondered why I haven’t  had one of these before. They were awesome! The savory flavor of the beef and crispness of the coleslaw made for a delectable meal. Everyone really enjoyed them. They were even better as leftovers the next day. The flavors just fused together. I couldn’t believe it. I can’t wait to make these again. So here is my new favorite recipe for the week.  

 

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 lbs. of beef roast
1/3 cup of soy sauce
½ cup of brown sugar
½ onion chopped
5 tsp. of minced garlic
1 tsp. of grated ginger
2 tbs. of rice wine vinegar
1 tbs. sesame oil
1 seeded chopped jalapeno

COLESLAW:

1 bag of shredded cabbage
1 tbs. of soy sauce
2 tbs. of rice vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

 Directions:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Put the beef roast on the bottom. Add everything on top of the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8- 10 hours. Before serving remove the beef and shred with forks. Return it to the juice. I served this with flour tortillas, coleslaw, and fried rice. 

 

 

TUSCAN CHICKEN PASTA

This recipe is so easy and delicious. At first I thought it wouldn’t go over big at my house but I was wrong! My family really enjoyed it and my daughter doesn’t even like spaghetti sauce. I guess maybe it was because it was mostly tomatoes instead of sauce and it was chicken instead of beef. After I pulled the chicken out to cut up I got a little worried. There seemed to be a lot of sauce left. Well not to worry, just add your noodles and about 20 -30 minutes later it kind of seems you have more noodles than sauce. I was really amazed how much this made. I think I could’ve feed all my co-workers from one crock pot. It made that much. Next time I will have to half the recipe. The chicken of course was very tender and flavored from the tomatoes, garlic and Italian seasonings. The noodles were tender and best of all I didn’t have to use another pot to boil them! I love one pot cooking! Serve this with a salad and some crusty garlic bread and be the hit of the evening.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. of boneless skinless chicken
2 15 oz. cans of Italian style tomatoes
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 cup of water
1 can of mushrooms
1 chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 tsp. of Italian seasoning
6 oz. of uncooked spaghetti noodles

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Place the chicken in the bottom of the pot. Next add all the ingredients except the spaghetti noodles. Stir thoroughly, cover and cook on low for 5 hours. 20 -30 minutes before serving remove the chicken and cut up and return it to the pot. Then add the noodles and stir. Cover and cook on high until the noodles are soft.

 

 

 

CROCK POT RANCH CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

I decided to try this recipe just because it sounded really good. The combination of ranch dressing and taco seasoning was too good to pass up. My first thought was why would I want to finish the enchiladas in an oven? I had originally planned to finish the enchiladas up in the crock pot but everyone got hungry and my margaritas were ready so I opted out for the oven. These enchiladas could have been easily placed in the crock pot, covered and cooked on high for another 1- ½ hours. An alternative would have been to layer the chicken, tortillas, and cheese. These enchiladas were really tasty. The chicken smelled wonderful while cooking. The taco seasoning gave it enough of a kick and the ranch dressing cooled it off a bit and gave it that tangy flavor I love. I served it with cilantro and lime rice, a little sour cream, and chips and queso. Everyone was full and happy especially me! This recipe is by far the best shredded chicken I have tried. This will definitely be going in my rotation of favorites.  

 

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 boneless chicken breasts
1 package of Ranch dressing
1 package of taco seasoning
1 small can of green chilies
1 cup of chicken broth
2 cups of grated cheese (Cheddar, Colby Jack, or Monterey Jack)
1 package of tortillas (corn or flour)
1 small bottle of ranch dressing  

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Place the chicken in the bottom. Mix together in a small bowl the chicken broth, ranch dressing, taco seasonings and the green chilies. Pour over the chicken, cover and cook on low for 3- 4 hours until the chicken is done. Remove the chicken from the crock pot and place in bowl. Shred the chicken with a fork. Pour some of the juice from the crock pot onto the shredded chicken and reserve the rest to use later. Next preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x12” pan. Pour a little of the reserved juice in the bottom of the pan. Take a tortilla and spread some of the chicken on it, then add a line of ranch dressing, followed by some grated cheese. Roll up and place the seam side down in the pan. Repeat until you run out of chicken or tortillas. Take the rest of the juice and pour over the top, then add some more grated cheese. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for about 30 - 45 minutes.  
P.S. Sorry we got in a hurry to eat and I didn't get pictures.

KING CAKE IN THE CROCK POT

Alright I just had to try this! Here it is ready to go just before Fat Tuesday. One of my co- workers and I were talking about Mardi Gras one day and she commented that she had never eaten a King Cake. Well then I commented that I had never made one before. So I decided we needed to correct those wrongs. After googling and finding what I thought would be an easy recipe I decided to vamp it some more and put it in the crock pot. It turned out pretty amazing if I say so myself. The pictures do not do it justice. The cake was very light and sweet, the filling was lemony and cheesy, and the icing with the sprinkles just made it all the sweeter. I decided I would make it at work so at 6:00 in the morning I took the bread dough out of my freezer. It thawed by 9:00, so after breakfast I was able to roll it out, make the lemon cream cheese filling, roll it up, and add the little plastic baby. It sat and rose until after lunch when I put it in the crock pot and let it cook for 2 hours. I took it out and let it cool off, iced it and it was ready for tea time. I think everyone really enjoyed it. It was gone within 15 minutes. The Rhodes bread dough came in a bag of 3 loaves so I can actually make 2 more flavors of king cake if I don’t just eat the bread the way it comes. I can change the flavor by just changing the lemon for strawberry, blueberry, cinnamon, or even adding some chocolate to the cream cheese would be awesome. Some people might even try Nutella if they like the hazelnut flavor. I think I’ll stick with the berries or chocolate myself. Like I said the pictures don't do it justice. I think it kind of deflated a little. I texted the picture of the finished product to a friend of mine who texted back that it looked like an internal organ. We ate it anyway. So give it a try. I don't think you'll be sorry. It was really good! Drop me a line and let me know how it comes out.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Rhodes frozen bread loaf
1 8oz. block of cream cheese
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 tsp. of lemon
1 egg, beaten
1 ½ cups of powdered sugar
¼ - ½ cup of water
Purple, green, and yellow sugar sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

First let the bread dough thaw to room temperature. It will rise in a couple of hours. Then flour a cookie sheet and roll the dough out to a 10 x 18 inch rectangle and let rest. In a bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and lemon extract. Then spread the filling over the dough. Brush one of the lengthwise edges of the dough with the beaten egg. Start rolling up the dough lengthwise by the other side. Pinch the seam together and form it into a ring. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise one more time for about an hour. Now place a piece of parchment paper in the crock pot and spray it with PAM. This will keep the dough from sticking and burning. Place the cake into the crock pot and cover. Cook on high for 1 ½ - 2 hours until the dough springs back and is done. It won’t be brown but you’re icing it anyway. After its done remove it from the crock pot and let it cool off. Then mix together the 1 ½ cup of powdered sugar and water to make the glaze. Spoon over the cake, then sprinkle with the colored sugar sprinkles.

PEANUT BUTTER FONDUE

I have always wondered what to use my lil’ dipper crock pots for. They have always seem too little for anything. But then again I have always had a lot of people around to feed so dips and fondues were always done in a big crock pot. Not anymore it’s usually just the three of us so I had come across a few recipes for fondues in the crock pot. This one sounded really interesting.  I had everything on hand except the half and half so I substituted it with some white chocolate mocha coffee creamer. I figured it was only a ¼ of a cup and that it might add a little more flavor to it. I was not disappointed. It was awesome. I cut up some apples and bananas and we had a little feast. It was warm, sweet, and very creamy with just the right consistency for dipping fruits, butter cookies, or even more marshmallows. I think this would be a big hit as a quick and somewhat healthy afternoon snack or even an after dinner dessert. Just be sure to double the recipe and use a bigger crock pot if you’re having company because it goes real quick.

 

INGREDIENTS:                                                                                            

¾ cup of peanut butter
¼ cup of brown sugar
¼ cup of half and half
1 tsp. of vanilla crock pot
4 large or a handful of mini marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:     

Spray the crock pot lil’ dipper with PAM. Put in all the ingredients in the pot and stir. Do not cover with the plastic top. It will all melt together in about a hour. Give it a stir occasionally. After the marshmallows melt, serve with a variety of fruit if there is any left in the pot.

CROCK POT APPLE COBBLER

The other day I had a craving for a rich gooey dessert. So since my last dessert in the crock pot wasn’t my best (peach cobbler) I decided to try apple cobbler with a cake mix. It was easier and so much better using the cake mix than the pie crust. I think I might have perfected the recipe! We ate on it for almost a week. My daughter preferred it warm, my mother loved hers warmed with vanilla ice cream on top and I of course preferred mine right out of the crock pot with only a spoon. Yes it was one of those I could eat right out of the pot kind of desserts. I timed it to be ready about an hour after dinner. That was a mistake! We barely made it thru dinner. The aroma of apples and cinnamon kept wafting thru the kitchen and dining room. Good thing was I had left overs dinner for the next night because everyone saved room for dessert. So here is my recipe for some awesome apple cobbler. It was also very tasty cold right out of the refrigerator too. I don’t have a calorie count for this dish but I do know if you invite company over to eat it, one serving is not as many calories as eating the whole crock pot. It would easily be done and finished so there wouldn’t be any late night temptations. I guess sharing is how I am going to count my calories this year. So I can have my cake, cobbler, or pie and eat a slice too?

 

INGREDIENT:

1 box of yellow cake mix
2 cans of apple pie filling
½ cup of melted butter
1 tsp. of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Spray the crock pot with PAM. Then pour the apple pie filling in the bottom. Next sprinkle the cinnamon over the pie filling. Then in a medium bowl mix together the cake mix and melted butter until it is crumbly. Spoon it over the pie filling. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Then uncover and place a double paper towel on top and cover again for another 30 minutes to help absorb the extra liquid. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whip cream.

CROCK POT CHICKEN LO MEIN

I was home on Friday and decided that would be my day to try out this new recipe for crock pot chicken lo mein. I had bought all the ingredients on Tuesday and waited for my next day off. Well I was in for a surprise.  Now remember I said I bought the ingredients but I didn’t really read the instructions. You know I kind of favor the dump and go kind of recipes. Not this one from www.lifemadesweeter.com . Obviously this women has a little more time to devote to cooking, blogging, and picture taking then I do. Her pictures were so good looking I wanted to eat the food right from the screen. So Friday after my 2 cups of coffee I pull out everything for my dinner and pulled up the recipe. OMG! It took forever to get there. First off I hadn’t even marinated my chicken. I thought about for a minute. Did I really need to do this? What the heck it’s my day off and it’s only for 30 minutes. I could have some more coffee! So into the plastic bag goes the chicken and all the seasonings. Thirty minutes later the chicken goes into the crock pot to cook on high for 2 -1/2 hours. Then I remove the chicken and place all the vegetables in with the sauce for 30 more minutes. Okay then she talks about browning the chicken as an option. Not happening here! I need to go straight to adding the noodles and getting done with this. I’ll let you in on my secret. I wanted precooked noodles so I could save time by not boiling noodles and messing up another pot. Those Miki noodles in her recipe I couldn’t find so I just substituted Top Ramen noodles which are kind of precooked. I left out the seasoning packet which in thinking about it now I could have used it for the cup of chicken broth. Anyway about 3 ½ hours later and a couple times into the pot my chicken lo mein was done. It was awesome! I was very pleased and surprised even though the recipe called for a lot more attention than my usual recipes. I did cut out a few things like not browning my chicken and thickening my sauce so it saved me some time. I wouldn’t however suggest cutting out the marinating of the chicken. I think this step helped to enhance the flavor of the chicken and also give it a little color too. The Top Ramon noodles worked out great. They were soft and ready to eat in about 15 minutes. Cooking them in the sauce really made them take on the flavors of the sauce. I can see myself making this again and adding maybe some snow peas or broccoli, maybe even using beef strips instead of chicken. This makes a lot of noodles, enough to take a pot luck dinner or feed a hungry crowd at home. I am including the picture from www.lifemadesweeter.com and my picture just so you can see how really good it looks.

 

INGREDIENTS:
CHICKEN MARINADE:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp. of soy sauce
¼ tsp. of sesame oil
½ tsp. of corn starch
Dash of ground pepper
1 plastic bag

SAUCE:
1 cup of chicken broth
2 tbs. of soy sauce
2 tsp. of sugar
1 tsp. of sesame oil
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tsp. of minced fresh ginger

VEGETABLES:
2 cups of baby bok choy leaves washed and sliced
½ cup of matchstick carrots
2 green onions sliced
2 packets of Top Ramon noodles without the seasoning packet

DIRECTIONS:
In a plastic bag combine the marinade and the chicken and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Then spray the crock pot with PAM. Place chicken and marinade in bottom of the crock pot and cook on high for 2- ½ hours until done. Remove the chicken and cut it into bite size pieces. Next place the bok choy leaves on the bottom with the carrots and green onions. Throw the cut chicken back in the pot on top of the vegetables.  Mix together the chicken broth and seasonings and pour over the chicken and vegetables and cook on high for 30 minutes. Then add the noodles uncooked in to the pot. I rearranged everything and put them on the bottom in the sauce. Cook on high another 10- 15 minutes until the noodles are soft. Stir everything together and enjoy.

 

 

ADOBO CHICKEN

So in keeping with my New Year’s resolutions I came up with this light and healthy recipe for chicken adobo. My friends and co –workers at work make this dish a lot at home and would never think of putting in a crock pot. So of course I had a AHHA moment. I quickly ran to my laptop and started googling chicken adobo in the crock pot and to my surprise there were a few recipes. So with weeding thru internet recipes and homemade recipes I have come up with this version which I think turned out pretty good. The chicken was of course very tender and could easily be shredded with a fork. The rice vinegar, soy sauce and garlic infused into the chicken and onions with plenty of the savory sauce left over to pour on some rice. I used some brown wild rice I had on hand. White rice would be really good too because it would just soak of the flavor of the sauce a little more. So if you are short on time and wanting a home cooked meal this chicken adobo is quick and easy and will surely please the entire family. In researching this recipe I found out that the word Adobo is really a cooking process use in the Philippines. The process involves simmering anything from seafood, vegetables, or meat in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and oil. I’m thinking of trying seafood adobo next with a lot of vegetables and then throwing in some fresh shelled shrimp about 30 minutes before eating. Doesn’t that sound good! All those vegetables have to be healthy right! Low fat and low in cholesterol with a savory sauce. Yum!      

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. of bones skinless chicken strips or breasts
2 medium onions thinly sliced
2-3 cloves of minced garlic
1 5 inch piece of fresh ginger cut into 1 inch pieces
1 bay leaf
¾ cup of lite soy sauce
¼ cup of rice vinegar
1 tbs. of sugar
½ tsp. of ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Spray the crock pot with PAM. Then place the onions, garlic, ginger, and bay leaf in the bottom of the pot. Arrange the chicken on top. Then in a medium bowl mix together the soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and sugar and pour it over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 4 -5 hours or low for 6-7 hours.

 

        

               

 

 

 

SLOW COOKER PORK CHOPS

I have been very busy this week. I worked the Chevron Houston Marathon race last Sunday in the major medical section and had an awesome time. Those athletes are a dedicated bunch of people. I don’t have any plans on running 26 miles at all. The stories they had to tell for why they were running were just amazing. I was just very glad to help them out at the end of their journey. Then I had to work several days, had several doctor visits on my days off, and then finally had to prepare for the big freeze for our area on Friday. I did however find time to put a few dinners in the crock pot. Some were new and some that are in my usual rotation. My doctor however told me my cholesterol was high and I gained a few pound this past year. I wonder if this had anything to do with my blog? So I think this year I will try to find recipes that are still quick and easy but low in fat and cholesterol. Hopefully there are some out there. I happened to find this one for pork chops that turned out really good and I used only a little olive oil and a lot of spices. The pork chops were fork tender and had a lot of flavor from the spices. I served them with some wild rice and a dinner salad had had my healthy dinner for the night. Now I had several pork chops leftover which I plan on shredding and adding some BBQ sauce and having BBQ quesadillas for supper one night. Can’t be good all the time. I figure maybe one healthy meal to one semi- healthy meal? Got to use up the left overs! Drop me a line if you have any healthy crock pot meals I could try. I’ve already got a few lined up but there are 56 weeks in the year and at least 1,095 meals to eat not counting snacks. 

 

INGREDIENTS:
4 thick boneless pork chops
¼ cup of olive oil
1 cup of chicken broth
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tbs. of paprika
1 tbs. of poultry seasoning
1 tbs. of garlic powder
1 tsp. of dried oregano
1 tsp. of dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Place the pork chops in the bottom of the pot. In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, chicken broth, and all the spices. Pour over the pork chops cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

 

SLOW COOKER LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN

I cannot believe it! Tomorrow is the anniversary of my first blog! This will be my 54th posting. I have succeeded with a least one of my many 2012 New Year's Resolutions. Tomorrow I think I will celebrate with my crock pot apple pie moonshine that I made about three and a half weeks ago. I'll let you know how it comes out. A friend of mine texted me this link for this wonderful lemon garlic chicken from Melissa @ www.number-2-pencil.com . It looked really good so I had to try it out. It was very easy to put together and I had everything in my cabinet and on my lemon tree outside for it. The only thing I did different was to use bone in chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken. The chicken turned out very moist and tender with just the right hint of lemon and garlic flavor. I even threw an extra pod of garlic in the pot to roast to throw in my mashed potatoes. Yumm! Dinner was awesome! I wished I had done more chicken than just 2 breasts. So give it a try. I think your family and friends will really enjoy it.  

 

                                               MY TREE STILL HAS LEMONS!

                                

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole chicken or 2-3 bone in chicken breasts

2- 3 heads of garlic
4 lemons
Fresh rosemary or any fresh poultry herb
All - purpose steak seasoning or salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Spray the crock pot with PAM. Cut garlic pods in half and place in the bottom of the crock pot. Thinly slice the lemons and place them on the bottom along with some fresh herbs. Next season the whole chicken or chicken breasts with the steak seasoning and place on top of the garlic, lemons and herbs. Cover the top of the chicken with more sliced garlic, lemons and herbs. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PEACH COBBLER

Alright now this dessert did take a little prep time. I was originally alright with this but something went horribly wrong while it cooked for 4 hours. It came out a soupy mess. It was very tasty, but still soupy. So instead of throwing it away I decided to bake it. Here is where the Girl Scout comes out in me. Quick, I had to have a backup plan so as not to disappoint anyone. Everyone was waiting on dessert. So first I poured out all the juice and put the rest of the dessert into a 9x 13 pan. Then I mixed up some flour and cinnamon sugar and threw it on top followed by some melted butter. Turned the oven on 350 and let it bake another 30 minutes. It turned out pretty good. The dessert was saved! In looking back at the recipe the only thing I can think of is maybe the cornstarch was old and didn't thicken the sauce? Any way I will have to get more cornstarch and give this recipe another try. I think it would've worked really well if the juice had thicken up some. So I’m not going to rule this out as a total flop because it still tasted good. If anyone tries this before I get another chance please drop me a line and let me know how it works for you.

 4 hours in the crock pot

                                      30 minutes in the oven



INGREDIENTS:       

1 box of readymade pie crusts
3 29 oz. cans of sliced peaches
2/3 cups of sugar
2 tbs. of cornstarch
2 tsp. of cinnamon
½ cup of butter melted
Cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on each layer

 

DIRECTIONS:
 Spray the crock pot or put in a liner like I did for easy clean up. Desserts tend to be very messy. Drain the peaches and put the juice in a medium size saucepan. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch to the peach juice. Heat until thick and bubbly. Add the peaches, stir and remove from the heat. Add half of the peaches to a 4-5 qt. crock pot. Then I thinly sliced the rolled pie crusts while they were rolled up. Then unravel the pie crust slices and scattered half of it on top of the peaches. Drizzle with half of the melted butter and sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar on top of the pie crust. Then repeat the sequence for the next layer. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

CROCK POT BLACK EYED PEAS

Happy New Year everyone! I can’t believe 2013 is over. It was New Year’s Eve and I was taking a friend of mine to the airport when she figured out she couldn’t get her suitcase closed. Now mind you this was my friend who the previous New Year’s Eve talked me in to starting this blog. So as I waited for her to repack her bag she came out with HEB tortillas and a big ham bone. The tortillas found a spot but the ham bone was destined for the trash. Well I knew I couldn’t let a perfectly succulent ham bone go to waste so I quickly snatched it up and declared it for a new recipe I wanted to try.  Crock Pot Black Eyed Peas. Couldn’t be more perfect for New Year’ Day. So I stopped by the store on my way home and picked up the dried beans and cilantro and cooked the peas in the crock pot all night. So while I was waiting for 2014 to roll in my house smelled wonderful. I woke up the next morning at 5 am and wanted peas for breakfast. That was a first. They were perfectly cooked and the ham had fallen of the bone. I scooped them out of the crock pot, put them in a Tupperware bowl and took them took work. My co –workers were pleasantly surprised and we all enjoyed a little good luck for the New Year! I know this a little late for New Year’s Day but it’s never too late to try this recipe especially since we are experiencing this polar vortex. In Texas they have asked everyone to conserve energy. I did my part today by cooking in my crock pot instead of using my oven. Hope everyone stays safe and warm.  

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

½ lb. of black eyed peas
½ lb. of kidney beans
½ lb. of northern beans
1 can of corn
1 ham bone or 1 1/2 – 2 cups of cooked chopped ham
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup of chopped cilantro
½ cup of chopped onions (optional if you don’t like onions)

DIRECTIONS:

Wash the beans and peas to get the dirt and any stones out. Then quick soak the beans and peas in boiling water for 2 minutes and allow them to sit in the hot water for an hour. After an hour pour off the water and add the beans and peas to the crock pot. Add your ham bone or cooked ham. Salt and pepper to taste, then add enough water to cover the beans and peas, Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir the corn, onions, and cilantro about 20 minutes before serving.