This was one of those things that I'd seen several recipes and always thought, "I should try that" and then never did. Today I did it. I made sugared (also called spiced) nuts in the crockpot! Verdict: so good that I'm making walnuts this afternoon after making pecans this morning! Fantastic snack addition to the Friday night family movie night snack lineup! Seriously, these were very easy to make. This recipe could easily be adapted to various spice/seasoning combinations, and it could definitely be used on a wide variety of nuts or nut combinations. To store, I would think they would keep in an airtight container for a month or so with no problem, and longer storage would be easy in the freezer. Go ahead, try these. They're easy, delicious, and basically nuts so good for you, right?
The recipe came from Recipezaar (Charmie777), and the one problem I had with the recipe is that it neglected to say what size crockpot to use. I used my big, oval, 6 quart crockpot, and that is definitely a great one to use, as it allows for very even heating. If you double the recipe, maybe tweak the amount of butter used or be prepared to let it cook a little longer since you have more liquid to cook off.
Crock Pot Sugared Nuts (I'll save this one as Spiced Nuts)
1 lb nuts
1/2 c. unsalted butter or margarine, melted
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1. Preheat crockpot on high for 15 minutes (lid on).
2. In preheated crockpot, stir together the nuts and butter until mixed well.
3. Add the powdered sugar, and stir to coat evenly. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low and uncover, and slow cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, cooking until the nuts are coated with a glaze and there isn't any liquid left in the bottom.
5. Transfer the nuts to a bowl, a sheet of waxed paper, or a sheet of parchment paper.
6. In a small bowl, combine the spices, then sift them over the nuts, stirring to coat them evenly. Cool before serving.
Showing posts with label crockpot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crockpot. Show all posts
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Soup is on! Serving Beef Fajita Soup from the crockpot!
Two weeks ago, a slip on the ice landed me square on my shoulder and gifted me with some sprains and strains that have made cooking tricky. Thank goodness for the freezers and the pantry, but they are starting to look a little bare in the ready made foods department! I had planned on making beef fajita soup in the crockpot on Monday and then realized that I couldn't reach the meat in the bottom of the chest freezer without using my injured arm, so that was postponed until today. Having asked A to get a packet of venison out of the freezer before he left for work, I was able to easily put together this soup with minimal arm movement. It's a new recipe for us from *The Slow Cooker Bible*, and after having tasted a small bowl of it in anticipation of dinner, I'm going to say it's one we'll do again. In fact, if the leftovers freeze well, I'll definitely be adding this soup to our list of core soup recipes! The flavor was very nice, the textures were good (onion was tender crisp, meat was tender, peppers were tender but held their form, the beans were the same as the peppers, and the diced tomatoes added a nice smoothness. The colors were beautiful, even with me using a large green bell pepper instead of a small red and a small green pepper. Tonight I'll serve this soup with piping hot cornbread muffins and local honey, but next time I will have dishes of shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh pico de gallo, and chopped cilantro to allow diners to add these to the top of their soup. This would be a very interesting soup course to precede enchiladas or to serve with a taco dip or empanadas. The success of this recipe also is a good omen for trying more recipes from this collection of recipes!
Beef Fajita Soup
1 lb beef stew meat (I used 1 lb 7 oz venison roast cut into bite sized pieces)
15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained (I used a can of petite diced tomatoes and add 1 tsp garlic powder)
14 oz can beef broth (I used 2 tsp better than boullion and 16 oz boiling water)
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced (we love onion, so I used a medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges)
1 1/2 c. water
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp seasoned salt (I used Lawry's)
1 tsp black pepper
1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. (I used my 4 qt round crockpot.)
2. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours. (Who really does 8 hours? You're at work for at least 9! I started mine at 9 a.m and served it at 6:30 p.m. and it was fine. This one has some flexibility but don't go too long or the peppers will be mush.)
3. Serve with desired toppings.
Recipe from *The Slow Cooker Bible*.
Beef Fajita Soup
1 lb beef stew meat (I used 1 lb 7 oz venison roast cut into bite sized pieces)
15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained (I used a can of petite diced tomatoes and add 1 tsp garlic powder)
14 oz can beef broth (I used 2 tsp better than boullion and 16 oz boiling water)
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced (we love onion, so I used a medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges)
1 1/2 c. water
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp seasoned salt (I used Lawry's)
1 tsp black pepper
1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. (I used my 4 qt round crockpot.)
2. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours. (Who really does 8 hours? You're at work for at least 9! I started mine at 9 a.m and served it at 6:30 p.m. and it was fine. This one has some flexibility but don't go too long or the peppers will be mush.)
3. Serve with desired toppings.
Recipe from *The Slow Cooker Bible*.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Cherry Oatmeal in the Crockpot
I had made oatmeal in the crockpot once before, and while I love the convenience of wake up and breakfast is hot and ready (and I'm a wake up hungry kind of girl), I didn't love the crust around the edge of the crockpot and it was a bit creamy for my liking. So here was my try number two. The first time I used steel cut oats, didn't spray the crock with cooking spray, and used a newer crockpot (they run hotter than the older ones). This time I used old fashioned oats, sprayed the crock, and used my older one. No crust, no sticking at all, but still pretty creamy. I'm seriously considering getting a light timer to plug my crockpot into and setting it to start cooking only a few hours before breakfast since I like my oatmeal more firm. In the meantime, this recipe yielded 9 cups of oatmeal (not the 7 it said it would), so I have quite a few baggies in my freezer of 1 cup portions of cherry oatmeal, just waiting for me to heat and eat. I don't see why this oatmeal couldn't also use other fruit pie filling varieties such as mixed berry, strawberry, or apple. Warning, though: this was obviously pink oatmeal studded with red cherries. Not for people who don't like eating pink food.
Cherry Oatmeal
6 cups water
1/4 tsp salt, optional (I didn't use it)
3 c. old fashioned oats, dry
1 tsp almond extract (alas, wasn't a noticeable flavor)
21 oz can light cherry pie filling (used regular)
3/4 c. strawberry flavored or regular powdered sugar (now why would you need the extra sweetness, and why use powdered sugar when you just used light pie filling? Obviously, I didn't use this ingredient.)
1. Spray a slow cooker (I had to use my round 4 qt crockpot) with cooking spray.
2. Mix the ingredients in the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. (Yeah, well, if you don't have a timer, and you sleep longer than 5.5 hours.... I cooked mine for 8.5 hours out of basic necessity.)
Recipe from *Busy People's Slow Cooker* by Dawn Hall.
Cherry Oatmeal
6 cups water
1/4 tsp salt, optional (I didn't use it)
3 c. old fashioned oats, dry
1 tsp almond extract (alas, wasn't a noticeable flavor)
21 oz can light cherry pie filling (used regular)
3/4 c. strawberry flavored or regular powdered sugar (now why would you need the extra sweetness, and why use powdered sugar when you just used light pie filling? Obviously, I didn't use this ingredient.)
1. Spray a slow cooker (I had to use my round 4 qt crockpot) with cooking spray.
2. Mix the ingredients in the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. (Yeah, well, if you don't have a timer, and you sleep longer than 5.5 hours.... I cooked mine for 8.5 hours out of basic necessity.)
Recipe from *Busy People's Slow Cooker* by Dawn Hall.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Ham and Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Yes Please!
I managed to get a regular ham for only $1.03/lb, and sweet potatoes were a manageable $0.98/lb, so tonight is ham and mashed sweet potatoes! Going with it will be steamed peas and a warmed loaf of Italian bread, remainder from the bakery bought at 1/3 off the price. Who says I have to bake everything from scratch!
It turns out that 10 pounds of bone-in ham does *not* fit nicely into a 6 qt crockpot no matter which way you lay it, so I cut that big ham in half and put one half into the 6 quart oval crockpot and the other half into my 5 quart round crockpot. I had read up on cooking ham with ginger ale in the crockpot, and several reviews on several recipes said about spreading a paste of brown sugar and dijon/fancy mustard on top after ginger ale is poured over and around, so I gave it a try. The verdict is don't waste your time. The soda was good, as it draws out some of the salt while maintaining or adding a touch of sweetness, but it imparted no flavor and the brown sugar and mustard paste did absolutely nothing, just a waste of ingredients. Also, doing it in the crockpot instead of the oven did absolutely nothing to glaze the ham, just an FYI. I'm really considering getting another ham and trying the soda and baking method (any soda works well with this, and if you bake the ham instead of crockpot cooking it, basting every 30 minutes, it will glaze the ham). As it is, I have ham for dinner, and more than a dozen baggies (each 1 cup of cubed ham) of meat in the freezer to use in omelets, stir fries, hashbrowns, scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, stuffed potatoes, baked potatoes, bean soup, and more, plus I have the bones to make either split pea or ham and bean soup later this week.
1 ham (I used a 10 lb ham hacked in half, using two crockpots)
ginger ale - enough to put an inch of soda in the bottom of the crockpot
crockpot
1. Remove as much fat as you can from the ham. Put it in the crockpot.
2. Pour the ginger ale over the ham. Cover, and turn on low and cook for 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Heck, the ham is already cooked, so 3-4 hours on low should do it. I did mine for 8 hours, and it fell apart as I pulled it out.
Now for the luscious mashed sweet potatoes. I'm sorry to say that I do this to taste every time, and whenever I try to do exact measurements, I end up fussing and fixing it anyway. These are my rough measurements.
9 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. butter/margarine, melted
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1. Bake the sweet potatoes: 400 degrees, 1 hour, don't forget to prick them so they don't explode from steam build up and don't forget to put foil under them to catch the sweet juice drips (which would turn into smelly burnt sugar drips on the oven floor).
2. Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and just kind of shake the insides into a mixer bowl - the skins slip right off, so I just grab the ends, flip it cut side down over the bowl, jiggle, and watch the meat of the potato fall right away.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix until the consistency of mashed potatoes. Melting the butter not only ensure even dispersal but also means that the butter isn't cooling the sweet potatoes prematurely, changing the starch reactions (this is why you should warm your milk and butter before adding to white potatoes when mashing them too!).
I serve this just the way it is, although diners might want to have a pat of butter, drizzle of maple syrup or honey, or a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. To freeze, I put 1 cup portions in baggies, lay flat on a cutting board, freeze, and bag in a gallon freezer bag. Reheating is simple in the microwave, and they are great paired with grilled venison, ham, herbed pork chops, barbeque chicken, peas, broccoli, aspagaragus, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, green beans, almost any vegetable. Try serving with lemon herb chicken and a simple salad of fresh spinach, dried cranberries, candied pecans, thinly sliced red onion rings, crumbled chevre, and a cranberry vinaigrette. Wow!
It turns out that 10 pounds of bone-in ham does *not* fit nicely into a 6 qt crockpot no matter which way you lay it, so I cut that big ham in half and put one half into the 6 quart oval crockpot and the other half into my 5 quart round crockpot. I had read up on cooking ham with ginger ale in the crockpot, and several reviews on several recipes said about spreading a paste of brown sugar and dijon/fancy mustard on top after ginger ale is poured over and around, so I gave it a try. The verdict is don't waste your time. The soda was good, as it draws out some of the salt while maintaining or adding a touch of sweetness, but it imparted no flavor and the brown sugar and mustard paste did absolutely nothing, just a waste of ingredients. Also, doing it in the crockpot instead of the oven did absolutely nothing to glaze the ham, just an FYI. I'm really considering getting another ham and trying the soda and baking method (any soda works well with this, and if you bake the ham instead of crockpot cooking it, basting every 30 minutes, it will glaze the ham). As it is, I have ham for dinner, and more than a dozen baggies (each 1 cup of cubed ham) of meat in the freezer to use in omelets, stir fries, hashbrowns, scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, stuffed potatoes, baked potatoes, bean soup, and more, plus I have the bones to make either split pea or ham and bean soup later this week.
1 ham (I used a 10 lb ham hacked in half, using two crockpots)
ginger ale - enough to put an inch of soda in the bottom of the crockpot
crockpot
1. Remove as much fat as you can from the ham. Put it in the crockpot.
2. Pour the ginger ale over the ham. Cover, and turn on low and cook for 8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Heck, the ham is already cooked, so 3-4 hours on low should do it. I did mine for 8 hours, and it fell apart as I pulled it out.
Now for the luscious mashed sweet potatoes. I'm sorry to say that I do this to taste every time, and whenever I try to do exact measurements, I end up fussing and fixing it anyway. These are my rough measurements.
9 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. butter/margarine, melted
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1. Bake the sweet potatoes: 400 degrees, 1 hour, don't forget to prick them so they don't explode from steam build up and don't forget to put foil under them to catch the sweet juice drips (which would turn into smelly burnt sugar drips on the oven floor).
2. Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and just kind of shake the insides into a mixer bowl - the skins slip right off, so I just grab the ends, flip it cut side down over the bowl, jiggle, and watch the meat of the potato fall right away.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix until the consistency of mashed potatoes. Melting the butter not only ensure even dispersal but also means that the butter isn't cooling the sweet potatoes prematurely, changing the starch reactions (this is why you should warm your milk and butter before adding to white potatoes when mashing them too!).
I serve this just the way it is, although diners might want to have a pat of butter, drizzle of maple syrup or honey, or a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. To freeze, I put 1 cup portions in baggies, lay flat on a cutting board, freeze, and bag in a gallon freezer bag. Reheating is simple in the microwave, and they are great paired with grilled venison, ham, herbed pork chops, barbeque chicken, peas, broccoli, aspagaragus, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, green beans, almost any vegetable. Try serving with lemon herb chicken and a simple salad of fresh spinach, dried cranberries, candied pecans, thinly sliced red onion rings, crumbled chevre, and a cranberry vinaigrette. Wow!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
TNT (Tried N True) Chili Recipe
This is an awesome bean recipe. I originally got the recipe from bean council, I believe, and then I tweaked it a little for us. The original recipe didn't have tomato paste and only called for two cans of beans, plus it called for diced tomatoes with green chiles which we substituted petite diced tomatoes and also canned chiles. The petite diced tomatoes just break down a little better, the tomato paste thickens things up a bit, the extra beans stretch the chili and add a little more texture and color, and honestly, you can't find petite diced tomatoes with green chiles in the can without paying an arm and a leg for them. Make this recipe with ground turkey, and you have a meal incredibly high in protein, low in fat, low in sodium, high in vitamin C and other nutrients. It freezes well too, so freeze in 1 cup portions and have a stash in the freezer to heat and eat with sandwiches, on baked potatoes, or just on its own!
1 lb ground beef or turkey
3 14.5-oz cans petite diced tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
7 oz can diced green chiles
3 14.5-oz cans beans, rinsed and drained - we like a mix of great northern, black, and dark red kidney
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 - 1 medium bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 T chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 T packed light brown sugar
1 T cocoa powder
(the sugar and cocoa powder help to cut the heat so that the chili doesn't continue to heat past your tongue!)
Brown the meat in a skillet, draining off any fat if necessary. Stir in the bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and saute the mix until the onion and pepper begin to soften.
Mix all of the ingredients in a 6 qt crockpot. Cook on low for anywhere from 4 hours to 12 hours. This is a forgiving recipe, and the flavors will blend best with the longer cook time. I put this recipe in the crockpot at 8 a.m., I will scoop some out at noon for me to take to work for my dinner, and A will be able to dish up a bowl for himself at 6 or 7 this evening for his dinner, putting the rest in the fridge for leftovers. We'll be eating this with yesterday's pinto bean bread too!
1 lb ground beef or turkey
3 14.5-oz cans petite diced tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
7 oz can diced green chiles
3 14.5-oz cans beans, rinsed and drained - we like a mix of great northern, black, and dark red kidney
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 - 1 medium bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 T chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 T packed light brown sugar
1 T cocoa powder
(the sugar and cocoa powder help to cut the heat so that the chili doesn't continue to heat past your tongue!)
Brown the meat in a skillet, draining off any fat if necessary. Stir in the bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and saute the mix until the onion and pepper begin to soften.
Mix all of the ingredients in a 6 qt crockpot. Cook on low for anywhere from 4 hours to 12 hours. This is a forgiving recipe, and the flavors will blend best with the longer cook time. I put this recipe in the crockpot at 8 a.m., I will scoop some out at noon for me to take to work for my dinner, and A will be able to dish up a bowl for himself at 6 or 7 this evening for his dinner, putting the rest in the fridge for leftovers. We'll be eating this with yesterday's pinto bean bread too!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Mexican Chicken Soup
Tonight's bean dish was Mexican Chicken Soup. This is one of our favorites, is great in the crockpot, freezes beautifully, can be made using leftover roast chicken or turkey, and is packed full of protein and vegetables - one of the most perfect dishes I know! The bean in this one is the black bean. It's size is very complimentary to the corn, the color makes a nice contrast, the flavor is mild while being strong enough to hold up to the strong flavors in the soup, and has a good texture for soups - creamy but firm.
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed and sauteed until done or 1 1/2 lb cubed or shredded leftover roasted chicken or turkey
1 envelope taco seasoning or 2 tsp chili powder and 1 tsp cumin
32 oz can V8 juice
16 oz salsa
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
10 oz (2 1/2 cups) corn
toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and minced fresh cilantro
Combine all ingredients in a 5 qt crock pot. Cover and cook on low at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours (newer crock pots cook hotter, so in my new one, I leave it on low for 10 hours and then switch to warm).
Recipe from Taste of Home.
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed and sauteed until done or 1 1/2 lb cubed or shredded leftover roasted chicken or turkey
1 envelope taco seasoning or 2 tsp chili powder and 1 tsp cumin
32 oz can V8 juice
16 oz salsa
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
10 oz (2 1/2 cups) corn
toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and minced fresh cilantro
Combine all ingredients in a 5 qt crock pot. Cover and cook on low at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours (newer crock pots cook hotter, so in my new one, I leave it on low for 10 hours and then switch to warm).
Recipe from Taste of Home.
Friday, August 28, 2009
If At First You Don't Succeed.....
Feedback on crabapple jelly and pineapple jam: crabapples and crabapple juice might have a lot of pectin but it still takes a heck of a long time to cook to gelling point and I will *not* be doing a pineapple jam recipe without added pectin again (it was the one in the Ball Blue Book). I am re-affirming very loudly that I am not a fan of no pectin added jams and jellies. With a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old, they take too darn long to cook and require too much attention. On a brighter note, the crabapple jelly is a stunning red color, beautifully clear, and bursting with a warm, spicy flavor. The pineapple jam is a jar of captured sunshine, warm and bright in flavor and hue. I'll just be looking for variations on the recipe that keep the flavor and color but speed up the process!
While checking out crabapple recipes after we had done the jelly, I did find a recipe for crabapple butter that used the pulp from having made the juice (to make the juice: cover the tiny little crabapple with water and simmer for 20-25 minutes, then drain through cheesecloth). Being the type of person who doesn't like to compost anything before I must, I leaped at the chance to use the pulp before putting it on the compost pile. I milled the big bowl of pulp I had set aside and came up with 12 cups of crabapple sauce. I did have to add a few cups of water to it as I was milling, as it was fairly dry. I stirred together in my 6 qt crockpot the crabapple sauce, 4 cups white sugar, 2 T orange juice concentrate, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. It's cooking on low from mid-afternoon until bed time tonight, and I'll stir it a few times. At bed time, I'll turn it to warm if it's simmering and let it do it's thing until morning. When I get up tomorrow, it will be ready to can, and I think I'll get 14 jelly jars (14 cups) of crabapple butter. Judging by the smell, it should be a warm, spicy, sweet-tart spread that can't help but make one think of fall. And now the pulp that is left can finally go to the compost pile.
While checking out crabapple recipes after we had done the jelly, I did find a recipe for crabapple butter that used the pulp from having made the juice (to make the juice: cover the tiny little crabapple with water and simmer for 20-25 minutes, then drain through cheesecloth). Being the type of person who doesn't like to compost anything before I must, I leaped at the chance to use the pulp before putting it on the compost pile. I milled the big bowl of pulp I had set aside and came up with 12 cups of crabapple sauce. I did have to add a few cups of water to it as I was milling, as it was fairly dry. I stirred together in my 6 qt crockpot the crabapple sauce, 4 cups white sugar, 2 T orange juice concentrate, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. It's cooking on low from mid-afternoon until bed time tonight, and I'll stir it a few times. At bed time, I'll turn it to warm if it's simmering and let it do it's thing until morning. When I get up tomorrow, it will be ready to can, and I think I'll get 14 jelly jars (14 cups) of crabapple butter. Judging by the smell, it should be a warm, spicy, sweet-tart spread that can't help but make one think of fall. And now the pulp that is left can finally go to the compost pile.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
More Crockpot Dinners
First, let me say that the swiss chard recipe I posted yesterday was quite good. It isn't something I'll crave, but I'll heap a big serving on my plate when it's served at dinner! The only other thing I did was to add the garlic when I added the swiss chard stalks to ensure that it didn't burn. It was a very nice dish, made all the tastier that I felt guilt free even with the bacon and bacon grease because there were so many greens and they are so good for you!
Now today is turning into a hectic and very difficult day between meet 'n' greet at the school this afternoon, story time this morning, and S's autism coming out to show itself due to the overstimulation of grandparent visit and school starting. I'm going simple and pulling out the crockpot to make some classic hamburger bbq. We'll probably eat ours rolled up in tortillas (those tortillas really hold everything in!), and A will probably spread nacho sauce on his too. Add some carrots, celery sticks, green onions, and a handful of chips, and I'm calling it dinner. Even nicer: I will freeze leftover bbq in 1/2 cup portions which will be a super quick heat and eat later!
Hamburger BBQ
3 lb lean ground beef (use slightly more if using fattier ground beef such as 73/27 or even 80/20)
1 large onion, chopped
3 6-oz cans tomato paste
9 T ketchup
2 tsp worcestshire sauce
3 tsp prepared yellow mustard
3 T brown sugar
3 T cider vinegar
3 tsp tabasco sauce
optional: 1-2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
Brown the ground beef and drain the fat. Add in the chopped onion and cook just until the onion is softened.
Put all ingredients in a crock pot and stir to combine. Cook on low for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. It can stay in the crockpot for many hours safely, making this a great party, potluck, or on the go food!
This recipe is modified from a sloppy joe recipe on www.Recipezaar.com.
Now today is turning into a hectic and very difficult day between meet 'n' greet at the school this afternoon, story time this morning, and S's autism coming out to show itself due to the overstimulation of grandparent visit and school starting. I'm going simple and pulling out the crockpot to make some classic hamburger bbq. We'll probably eat ours rolled up in tortillas (those tortillas really hold everything in!), and A will probably spread nacho sauce on his too. Add some carrots, celery sticks, green onions, and a handful of chips, and I'm calling it dinner. Even nicer: I will freeze leftover bbq in 1/2 cup portions which will be a super quick heat and eat later!
Hamburger BBQ
3 lb lean ground beef (use slightly more if using fattier ground beef such as 73/27 or even 80/20)
1 large onion, chopped
3 6-oz cans tomato paste
9 T ketchup
2 tsp worcestshire sauce
3 tsp prepared yellow mustard
3 T brown sugar
3 T cider vinegar
3 tsp tabasco sauce
optional: 1-2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
Brown the ground beef and drain the fat. Add in the chopped onion and cook just until the onion is softened.
Put all ingredients in a crock pot and stir to combine. Cook on low for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. It can stay in the crockpot for many hours safely, making this a great party, potluck, or on the go food!
This recipe is modified from a sloppy joe recipe on www.Recipezaar.com.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Another Split Family Dinner
It's Tuesday again, which means A coming home at 5:30 so I can dart out the door to my part-time job, all resulting in a split family dinner. The crockpot is our solution once again! Two small children isn't going to stop us from having complex grown-up foods, but we do try to integrate something into each meal that everyone will eat, often a bread or a fruit since our kids are iffy on the meats and vegetables. Tonight's dinner: turkey brats with spaghetti sauce, peppers, and onions.
I have loads of turkey sausages and turkey brats in the freezer that need to be used (they are over a year old). Digging through my very cold freezer, I found the bag of brats but the bag of sausages was buried under some chicken pieces, so I'm opting to use the brats. I have fresh peppers in the fridge, but I also have some sliced peppers and onions in the freezer that I'd like to replace with this year's crop, so those are getting used instead. Brown the brats, then put brats, onions, peppers, and jar of spaghetti sauce in a 4 qt crockpot, stir gently to combine, then cook on low for 6 hours. I'll serve with fresh rolls for sandwiches for A and me and the kids can eat with peanut butter and jam for dinner unless they are adventurous enough to try the main course. Round out with applesauce, carrots, and celery sticks, and we'll manage yet another split family dinner!
I have loads of turkey sausages and turkey brats in the freezer that need to be used (they are over a year old). Digging through my very cold freezer, I found the bag of brats but the bag of sausages was buried under some chicken pieces, so I'm opting to use the brats. I have fresh peppers in the fridge, but I also have some sliced peppers and onions in the freezer that I'd like to replace with this year's crop, so those are getting used instead. Brown the brats, then put brats, onions, peppers, and jar of spaghetti sauce in a 4 qt crockpot, stir gently to combine, then cook on low for 6 hours. I'll serve with fresh rolls for sandwiches for A and me and the kids can eat with peanut butter and jam for dinner unless they are adventurous enough to try the main course. Round out with applesauce, carrots, and celery sticks, and we'll manage yet another split family dinner!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Quick and Easy Comfort Food
Comfort food is different for every person. For me, it usually involves roasted meat, mashed potatoes, and/or gravy. Boiled pot pie in all its Pennsylvania Dutch glory, Thanksgiving dinner, meatloaf with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and savory beef gravy, roast beef crusty brown on the outside and juicy on the inside with creamy mashed potatoes topped with herbed gravy made from the drippings, baked meat pies with flaky golden crusts that I split open to reveal a steaming concoction of rich gravy, chunks of roasted meats, and bright vegetables. Of course, a comfort food meal for me absolutely must include a baked dessert - no fruit salad need apply for a comfort food meal! Creamy brown pumpkin pies that ease across your tongue, apple crisp with crunchy sweet topping and tender sweet apples underneath, cobblers that melt in your mouth and make you swoon, even a fabulous chocolate cake, moist but full bodied, subtle in its underlying flavors like cinnamon but with rich chocolate seducing your tastebuds.
Obviously, today is a day that I'm feeling the need for some comfort food! I don't have the time for boiled pot pie or even baked meat pies and I'm out of baked meat pies in the freezer, darn it. No thawed turkeys, chickens, or beef roasts hanging out in my fridge, either. Things aren't looking good for me! Then inspiration hits: my crockpot and the venison pieces in my freezer can make beef/venison tips and gravy and the mashed potatoes in my freezer can be reheated to go with them. I still have green beans and wax beans in the fridge from my harvest the other day, and I think roasting them will be a great side dish. Now for dessert.... I came across a recipe for vegan raspberry mocha cake the other day, and that sounds made to order for decadent but easy dessert. In fact, the recipe even looks like I can freeze 1/2 the cake for eating later - cut into serving size pieces, flash freeze, bag or put into a freezer container, then get them out to thaw when I want. Convenience comfort food I've made myself using whole foods, no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners, no preservatives, a fraction of the price, and no worries about my food allergies. I love it!
Beef/Venison Tips
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp salt (I prefer kosher salt for its cleaner flavor)
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 c. beef broth/stock (I use 2 tsp beef base from Sam's Club + 2 cups boiling water, which costs pennies and tastes great)
Worcestershire sauce to taste, at least 1 tsp and up to 1 T
2 tsp tomato paste (can substitute in ketchup, but I prefer to use the less sweet, whole foods option of tomato paste)
2-3 lb cubed red meat - beef sirloin tips, beef stew meat, venison chucks, etc.
Optional: 1/2 c. chopped green onions and 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
Thickening paste: 3 T flour or cornstarch + 1/4 cup dry red wine, water, or broth (cool, not hot!)
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and toss with the meat cubes to coat thoroughly. Place in a crockpot. If using green onions and mushrooms, add those.
Combine beef broth, worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste. Pour over everything in the crockpot, and stir well. Cover and cook on low setting for 7-12 hours. Crockpots vary, so check after 7 hours for doneness!
One hour before serving, turn to high setting. Make the thickening paste by stirring together the flour/cornstarch and the liquid until smooth, then stir into crockpot. If you add flour or cornstarch to a hot liquid, it will clump. Mixing it into a cool liquid first results in a thickener that doesn't clump.
Mashed potatoes from the freezer: make extra mashed potatoes, then portion the cool mashed potatoes into quart or gallon freezer bags (1 cup is a nice individual portion, and you can do 1 cup portions in sandwich bags and then put two sandwich bags in a quart bag or several into a gallon bag). I like to lay them on a cutting board and press flat, freeze, then I can stack them easily or stand them on end, plus they are only 1/2" thick or so which speeds up reheating. Reheating takes only minutes in the microwave.
Roasted Green Beans
Experience has made it possible for me to throw any roasted vegetable together. General rule of thumb: 1 lb vegetable (green beans, asparagus, radishes, onions, brussels sprouts, cauliflower) + 2-3 tsp olive oil + 1/2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt + 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Roast at a high temperature such as 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Times vary for each vegetable because of size and initial crispness. Green beans, wax beans, and asparagus take about 8 minutes, while brussels sprouts take closer to 45, cauliflower takes about 25. Vegetables can be placed into a gallon zipper bag with oil and seasonings poured in on top, bag closed, shaken, then poured into a shallow baking pan that can accommodate the vegetables in a single layer.
Vegan Raspberry Mocha Cake
3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c. cocoa
1/4 c. oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 T vinegar dissolved in 1/4 c. water
3/4 c. strong brewed coffee or espresso (I've added 1 tsp instant coffee to 3/4 c. regular coffee)
3/4 c. raspberry preserves (I'm using homemade red raspberry jam, but I don't see why seedless raspberry jelly couldn't be used for those who hate the seeds!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 cake pan or two round cake pans (guessing on this one since the recipe didn't give a pan size, just said "cake pans").
Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, and cocoa in a large mixing bowl.
Slowly incorporate into the dry mix the oil and vanilla, then the vinegar in water, coffee, and raspberry preserves. When batter is well mixed, it will be smooth and creamy.
Pour into prepared cake pan(s) and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean with no cake/batter clinging to it.
Cool before frosting or sprinkling with powdered sugar.
Recipe from http://vegetarian.about.com.
Obviously, today is a day that I'm feeling the need for some comfort food! I don't have the time for boiled pot pie or even baked meat pies and I'm out of baked meat pies in the freezer, darn it. No thawed turkeys, chickens, or beef roasts hanging out in my fridge, either. Things aren't looking good for me! Then inspiration hits: my crockpot and the venison pieces in my freezer can make beef/venison tips and gravy and the mashed potatoes in my freezer can be reheated to go with them. I still have green beans and wax beans in the fridge from my harvest the other day, and I think roasting them will be a great side dish. Now for dessert.... I came across a recipe for vegan raspberry mocha cake the other day, and that sounds made to order for decadent but easy dessert. In fact, the recipe even looks like I can freeze 1/2 the cake for eating later - cut into serving size pieces, flash freeze, bag or put into a freezer container, then get them out to thaw when I want. Convenience comfort food I've made myself using whole foods, no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners, no preservatives, a fraction of the price, and no worries about my food allergies. I love it!
Beef/Venison Tips
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp salt (I prefer kosher salt for its cleaner flavor)
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 c. beef broth/stock (I use 2 tsp beef base from Sam's Club + 2 cups boiling water, which costs pennies and tastes great)
Worcestershire sauce to taste, at least 1 tsp and up to 1 T
2 tsp tomato paste (can substitute in ketchup, but I prefer to use the less sweet, whole foods option of tomato paste)
2-3 lb cubed red meat - beef sirloin tips, beef stew meat, venison chucks, etc.
Optional: 1/2 c. chopped green onions and 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
Thickening paste: 3 T flour or cornstarch + 1/4 cup dry red wine, water, or broth (cool, not hot!)
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and toss with the meat cubes to coat thoroughly. Place in a crockpot. If using green onions and mushrooms, add those.
Combine beef broth, worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste. Pour over everything in the crockpot, and stir well. Cover and cook on low setting for 7-12 hours. Crockpots vary, so check after 7 hours for doneness!
One hour before serving, turn to high setting. Make the thickening paste by stirring together the flour/cornstarch and the liquid until smooth, then stir into crockpot. If you add flour or cornstarch to a hot liquid, it will clump. Mixing it into a cool liquid first results in a thickener that doesn't clump.
Mashed potatoes from the freezer: make extra mashed potatoes, then portion the cool mashed potatoes into quart or gallon freezer bags (1 cup is a nice individual portion, and you can do 1 cup portions in sandwich bags and then put two sandwich bags in a quart bag or several into a gallon bag). I like to lay them on a cutting board and press flat, freeze, then I can stack them easily or stand them on end, plus they are only 1/2" thick or so which speeds up reheating. Reheating takes only minutes in the microwave.
Roasted Green Beans
Experience has made it possible for me to throw any roasted vegetable together. General rule of thumb: 1 lb vegetable (green beans, asparagus, radishes, onions, brussels sprouts, cauliflower) + 2-3 tsp olive oil + 1/2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt + 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Roast at a high temperature such as 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Times vary for each vegetable because of size and initial crispness. Green beans, wax beans, and asparagus take about 8 minutes, while brussels sprouts take closer to 45, cauliflower takes about 25. Vegetables can be placed into a gallon zipper bag with oil and seasonings poured in on top, bag closed, shaken, then poured into a shallow baking pan that can accommodate the vegetables in a single layer.
Vegan Raspberry Mocha Cake
3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c. cocoa
1/4 c. oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 T vinegar dissolved in 1/4 c. water
3/4 c. strong brewed coffee or espresso (I've added 1 tsp instant coffee to 3/4 c. regular coffee)
3/4 c. raspberry preserves (I'm using homemade red raspberry jam, but I don't see why seedless raspberry jelly couldn't be used for those who hate the seeds!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 cake pan or two round cake pans (guessing on this one since the recipe didn't give a pan size, just said "cake pans").
Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, and cocoa in a large mixing bowl.
Slowly incorporate into the dry mix the oil and vanilla, then the vinegar in water, coffee, and raspberry preserves. When batter is well mixed, it will be smooth and creamy.
Pour into prepared cake pan(s) and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean with no cake/batter clinging to it.
Cool before frosting or sprinkling with powdered sugar.
Recipe from http://vegetarian.about.com.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Thank Goodness for Freezers and Crockpots!
Creamy grain with splashes of brilliant red and flashes of tart sweet flavor laced with cinnamon. Golden brown and buttery outside and soft, feathery, pale on the inside. Slightly sweet, medium dark hot liquid smoothing across my palette. I call it all breakfast! Oatmeal with soy milk and spiced cranberry preserves stirred in, parker house rolls reheated from the freezer, hot blueberry-peach rooibos (red) tea, all made in under 10 minutes and a recipe for keeping me going through the morning! Even better, the kids have chosen breakfast from the freezer too - waffles for S and pumpkin pancakes for C. Every time I make waffles, pancakes, or muffins for breakfast, I freeze them and bag them so that I can pull them out any time and have hot breakfast in under a minute from the microwave. Tip: use a large cutting board or even a baking sheet, and place all of the items you want to freeze, such as muffins, on it and then place in the freezer. When they are frozen, you can safely put them all in a bag without them sticking together! This is called flash freezing.
Okay, so breakfast is under control. Lunch will be sandwiches. Dinner is my next problem. Tonight I work at 6, so A will eat with the kids while I have to eat earlier. What to make that A won't have to fuss with the moment he comes in the door, especially since he's not an avid cook? Often the solution is something from the crockpot, and tonight is no different. It's only supposed to be 75 degrees today, and we have the added wrinkle of tonight C is supposed to be having her first sleepover at a friend's house down the road, so I want something that can sit in the crockpot and still be good at 8:00 if that is when A finally gets to eat. My solution today is chili. I'll do our all-time favorite recipe, which also happens to be one of the healthiest recipes I've ever had. It is also a recipe that can be almost completely done locavore (eating local foods) and is definitely whole foods. No health mysteries, and it meets the needs for my dairy and egg yolk allergies and the Feingold diet we try to do for S's Asperger's Syndrome. Also, the greatest beauty of chili is that it freezes well and can be used in a variety of ways. I will freeze leftovers in 1 cup portions using those plastic re-usable snack containers then popping them out and putting two to a quart freezer bag. The frozen chili can be reheated and mixed with nacho cheese for a dip, put on top of baked potatoes, used to make chili fries, or eaten just as a bowl of chili.
S and C are picky, so S might eat the chili and C won't. As usual, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, rolls, and applesauce will be offered. Whenever I make fresh rolls, I put the extra ones in the freezer, so the family has a variety of rolls to choose from for dinner tonight.
Best Bean Chili
1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
*Note: I mix and match 2-3 cans of beans, using kidney, pinto, black, butter, northern, etc.
3 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles or 3 cans diced tomatoes and 1-2 small cans diced chiles
2 T brown sugar
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Brown meat in a skillet, adding onions, pepper, and garlic and cooking for 5 minutes more.
Place all ingredients in a 6 quart crockpot and cook on low for at least 5 hours and up to 12 hours.
Recipe from the Bean Education and Awareness Network (B.E.A.N.).
Okay, so breakfast is under control. Lunch will be sandwiches. Dinner is my next problem. Tonight I work at 6, so A will eat with the kids while I have to eat earlier. What to make that A won't have to fuss with the moment he comes in the door, especially since he's not an avid cook? Often the solution is something from the crockpot, and tonight is no different. It's only supposed to be 75 degrees today, and we have the added wrinkle of tonight C is supposed to be having her first sleepover at a friend's house down the road, so I want something that can sit in the crockpot and still be good at 8:00 if that is when A finally gets to eat. My solution today is chili. I'll do our all-time favorite recipe, which also happens to be one of the healthiest recipes I've ever had. It is also a recipe that can be almost completely done locavore (eating local foods) and is definitely whole foods. No health mysteries, and it meets the needs for my dairy and egg yolk allergies and the Feingold diet we try to do for S's Asperger's Syndrome. Also, the greatest beauty of chili is that it freezes well and can be used in a variety of ways. I will freeze leftovers in 1 cup portions using those plastic re-usable snack containers then popping them out and putting two to a quart freezer bag. The frozen chili can be reheated and mixed with nacho cheese for a dip, put on top of baked potatoes, used to make chili fries, or eaten just as a bowl of chili.
S and C are picky, so S might eat the chili and C won't. As usual, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, rolls, and applesauce will be offered. Whenever I make fresh rolls, I put the extra ones in the freezer, so the family has a variety of rolls to choose from for dinner tonight.
Best Bean Chili
1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
*Note: I mix and match 2-3 cans of beans, using kidney, pinto, black, butter, northern, etc.
3 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles or 3 cans diced tomatoes and 1-2 small cans diced chiles
2 T brown sugar
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Brown meat in a skillet, adding onions, pepper, and garlic and cooking for 5 minutes more.
Place all ingredients in a 6 quart crockpot and cook on low for at least 5 hours and up to 12 hours.
Recipe from the Bean Education and Awareness Network (B.E.A.N.).
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