Steak and Black Bean Crock Pot Chili

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe.  Life has become hectic between the kids, work, the husband and my new little  play dough business (Love Bubs Scented Play Dough- check it out!).  So, trying out new recipes have taken a bit of a back seat.

I do apologize.

A big change that has happened in our house is that Abe got braces today.  He had bite issues that was causing some issues, so after a lot of thought and consultation, poor Abe had to get braces at the young age of 45.  Brought me back to, um, middle school.

Since he can't eat and we had a defrosted steak that needed to be used up, I searched for a way to cook the steak down enough that Mr. Brace Face (don't worry, he lets me use that term) could eat.

And yes, it's the first day of July and I'm making chili.  Crazy lady.  But it was a cold and rainy July 1st, so I think I got away with it.

The chili was a hit with both Abe and the kids.  Ava actually licked her bowl and she's been hard to get any food in her belly lately.  So, that's a good sign.    The meat sort of shreds and blends into the chili and Abe said there was a good balance of spices.  

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and jalapeno, if you like it spicy.  Corn muffins and a green salad would be a yummy addition, too.

I got the recipe from Food.com.

Steak and Black Bean Crock Pot Chili
Serves 6

2 lbs boneless beef cubes, for stew
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chili-style chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
salt and pepper, to taste
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese

Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes.

1. Place beef in slow cooker and turn it on low.

2. Sprinkle the chili powder, garlic powder and cumin over the meat.

3. Add onion and green pepper.

4. Drain and rinse the cans of beans and add them to the slow cooker.Add tomatoes and sugar.

5. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

6. Uncover and sir in the tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Garnish with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

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Crock Pot Beef Dip Sandwich

Courtesy of Google Images

Abe went to Boston to visit a life-long friend.  We was gone for 5 days, so long enough for me to really miss him (you know the first few days are known as Oh Good, I Can Watch Real Housewives Without Ridicule Days).  So, I wanted him to come home to a special treat.

This recipe is crazy easy.  Like, I was a bit embarrassed at how much praise I got because all I did, really, was dump some stuff in a crock pot and walk away.  But, hey, I'll take it.

Can also be made in a covered dutch oven in the oven at 275 degrees for 5-6 hours.

I adapted this recipe from The Pioneer Woman. 

Crock Pot Beef Dip Sandwich


1 whole beef chuck roast, 2.5 To 4 pounds
1 can beef consomme Or beef broth
3 Tablespoons Italian seasoning (I used a packet of Italian salad dressing)
1 teaspoon salt (don't add if you are using salad dressing)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup water
1/2 jar (16 Oz) pepperoncini peppers, with juice
 
Buttered, toasted deli rolls
Cheese of your choice 

Combine all ingredients in  crock pot.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 9-10 hours or until fork tender.

Remove from crock pot. With two forks, completely shred all meat, leaving no large chunks behind.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls with some of the peppers, if desired. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired. Serve with juices from the pot.

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

It was football day today and the little kids and I were going to join Abe to root their big brother on.  Which meant I wouldn't be home in time to cook.  Enter one of my 3 crockpots.  Yes, I have 3 and could easily see myself getting another soon.

My chicken thighs were frozen, so I set the crockpot at high for the first 2 hours to defrost them and then switched over to low.  If yours are defrosted, just stick to the low.

I didn't have the green pepper that the recipe called for, but the family loved it just the same.  So, don't feel pressure to run to the store just for the pepper.  I added some baby carrots to use them up and it seemed to go nicely, even though I don't think carrots are traditionally in cacciatore.

The house seemed like a fabulous Italian dinner when we got home.  Even this vegetarian thought it smelled yummy.

I tried to use the cornstarch and water slurry to thicken the liquid up, but the hungry crew staring at my back at the stove made me feel it best to hurry, so it was more like a delicious broth than a sauce.  If I had more time next time, I will give it the time it needs.

I served it over white rice, but egg noodles would be great too. 

Recipe adapted from Busycooks.about.com.

 Crockpot Chicken Caccitore
Serves 6

3 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
14 oz. can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. water

Place all ingredients except cornstarch and water in 4-5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender.

If you want a thicker sauce, combine cornstarch and water in small bowl and mix well. Stir into crockpot; cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes until thickened. Serve with hot cooked pasta, if desired. 6 servings

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White Bean, Artichoke and Chard Ragout with Fennel Relish

I know this dish might sound complicated, but when you realize that the crock pot does most of the cooking for you, it suddenly doesn't seem daunting at all.

I was a little worried that Abe wouldn't like this at all.  I mean, it's got fennel in it.  Not the go-to veggie for a lot of people.  But I had ordered a box of organic fruits and vegetables delivered to my house from Groupon.com and needed to use the fennel I found inside.  I pretty much hate anything licorice tasting, but for some reason, like it when it's in a savory dish.  So, off I went to find a suitable recipe. 

And surprise!  Abe really enjoyed it.  I think he actually enjoyed it a bit more than I did!   See, things can still surprise you in a marriage even after several years.  Abe did comment that he did like it with a lot more lemon juice than the recipe called for, so I added that, and a few other modifications, to the recipe.  I'm going to write it where you add additional lemon juice to the final product, to taste.  Some of you might not be as big of sour pusses like we are!

Just in case you are wondering what the heck a ragout is (and I did too, so don't worry), it's a French term for main course stew.  There you go, just a fancy term for stew.  Impress your friends next time at dinner when you tell them you're making them a ragout (pronounced ragu).

Don't be tempted to skip the fennel relish.  It makes the dish.  Even Abe, who I suspect doesn't like fennel, said so.  He told me to make double the amount next time.  Look who likes fennel after all!

Oh, and I took the picture before I remembered to add the chard.  Oops!  So, yours will look a little bit different.

Base recipe was found at CookingLight.com.

White Bean, Artichoke and Chard Ragout with Fennel Relish
Serves 6

Ragout:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)
1 cup (1/2-inch-thick) slices carrot
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cooked cannellini or Great Northern beans
2 1/2 cups chopped fennel bulb (about 1 large)
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed red potatoes
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 cups chopped Swiss chard

Relish:

1 cup boiling water
6 sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil (or homemade, recipe below)
3 cups shredded fennel bulb (about 1 large)
1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Lemon wedges for serving 

To prepare ragout, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek, carrot, and garlic; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender.

Place leek mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Add beans and next 13 ingredients (through artichokes). Cover and cook on high 8 low (or 4 hours high) or until vegetables are tender. Add chard; stir until chard wilts.

To prepare relish, combine boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes; let stand 15 minutes or until soft. Drain; chop. Combine sun-dried tomatoes and remaining ingredients; let stand 30 minutes.


Ladle ragout into a shallow bowl, add relish on top and squeeze lemon wedge to taste.

Roast Pork with Apples

I belong to a great playgroup in my town.  I've met so many wonderful friends there and we get together pretty regularly.  One of the perks of the group is that whenever one of the women has a baby, we all get together and make the family a meal.  I got 3 weeks worth of meals after Ava was born!

A friend from the group recently got a job offer that sent her out of town for a full month for training.  She's got 2 small children, so it was a bit of a scramble to find care and to make her time away as easy as it could be on her kids and husband.  So, the group got together and decided to make her husband a month of meals so he would have one less thing to do and so our friend wouldn't worry while away.

So, I threw this in my crock pot, hoping that it would taste good.  Abe got half of the meal (hey, I'm not going to cook 2 dinners if I can help it!) and declared it very tasty.  The meat becomes so tender and juicy that it practically fell apart when I tried to slice some for the photo.  The apples cook down to a chunky applesauce. 

I got the recipe from my Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook.

Enjoy!

Roast Pork with Apples
Serves 4-6

Cooker: Medium or large round or oval
Settings and Cook Times: High for 1 hour, then Low for 7 to 8 hours

One 3 to 4 pound boned and tied pork loin roast, trimmed of visible fat (I was lazy and skipped this)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 7 tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and quartered
1/4 cup apple juice, fruity white wine or champagne
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat the broiler.  Season the pork roast with salt and pepper and place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.  Brown it on all sides under the broiler or in a skillet over high heat to remove excess fat; drain well.

Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Put the apple quarters in the cooker and set the roast on top of them. Combine the apple juice, brown sugar and ginger in a small bowl and spoon over the roast, rubbing it all over.  Cover and cook on High for 1 hour.

Reduce the setting to Low and cook until fork tender, 7 to 8 hours.  Transfer the pork to a warm platter and let rest for 10 minutes.  Slice and serve warm.

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken

No exciting story behind this one (you know, as opposed to my other exciting food blog stories..... snicker).  I needed to feed the crew and after Abe being out of the country for business for 2 weeks, I had not a lot in the fridge.  But I needed a slow cooker recipe to make the boys happy, so off I went to search.  And this is what I came up with.  And good lordy, is it easy.

Abe loved it.  Like, really loved it.  I was almost embarrassed about how good he claimed it tasted and for the glowing looks I was getting during dinner because I kept thinking that I probably should tell him it's the cream cheese he was falling in love with, not my cooking ability.  But hey, pleased as punch was I.

Jimi on the other hand did not like the black beans and I am pretty sure he freaked himself out over seeing tomatoes in the dish (HATES tomatoes).  Even when told it was just salsa, which he loves very much, he still had a "I see tomatoes in my food!" look on his face.  He did say the chicken part (you know, the only thing left) tasted good.  Abe declared how wrong he was and promptly snatched up Jimi's plate and finished his portion of chicken for him. 

Did I mention Abe really liked it?

The only thing I didn't like about the recipe was that not all of the cream cheese melted into the dish, so clumps were visible.  I think that was because I didn't give the cheese enough time to melt before feeding the hungry ones.  I'd give it a good 1/2 hour on high to melt.  It didn't affect the taste, just the appearance.

I got the recipe from grouprecipes.com.   I served it over rice, but it looks like it would be good over egg noodles too.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken
Serves 4-6

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts(can be frozen)
15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
15-ounce can corn, drained
16-ounce salsa
8-ounce cream cheese

Add chicken to slow cooker and cover with black beans, corn and salsa.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked.  Place cream cheese on top and cook an additional 30 minutes.  Serve.

Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot

I've always shied away from putting an entire chicken in a crock pot.  I know the boys like their whole chickens to be crispy and roasted.  But I had a chicken to make and we were going to be at baseball tryouts all day.  So I bit the bullet and found a recipe.

What a success it was!  And for how easy it was, I'm certainly going to use this one again.

The white pepper can be found with the spices.  It's got a more delicate pepper taste, but black pepper can replace it.

I got the recipe from Recipezzar.com.

Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot
Serves 4


4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large roasting chicken
1 cup onion, chopped


In a small bowl, combine the spices.  Remove any giblets from chicken and clean chicken.

Rub spice mixture onto the chicken.

Place in resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight. (This step can be skipped).

When ready to cook, put chopped onion in bottom of crock pot.  Add chicken. No liquid is needed, the chicken will make its own juices.  Cook on low 4-8 hours.

Vegetable and Chickpea Curry

I love Indian food.  I love the ginger, coconut milk, curry, spices.  Get me near an Indian buffet and I will eat until I'm sick.  Hey, how many places serve so much vegetarian?  Can't blame me.

I made this for Abe and me in our quest for a healthy January.  It's low in calories and fat, but ripe with flavors.  I served it over rice.

I got this from Cookinglight.com.

Vegetable and Chickpea Curry
Serves 6

1  tablespoon  olive oil
1 1/2  cups  chopped onion
1  cup  (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot
1  tablespoon  curry powder
1  teaspoon  brown sugar
1  teaspoon  grated peeled fresh ginger
2  garlic cloves, minced
1  serrano chile, seeded and minced
3  cups  cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 1/2  cups  cubed peeled baking potato
1  cup  diced green bell pepper
1  cup  (1-inch) cut green beans
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1  (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
3  cups  fresh baby spinach
1  cup  light coconut milk
6  lemon wedges

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic, and chile; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth). Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and coconut milk; stir until spinach wilts. Serve with lemon wedges.

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

Oatmeal in a slow cooker?  Why even bother?   Because the cooker takes a pretty average breakfast meal to completely delicious.  I mean, the best oatmeal you'll ever taste.

This is perfect when you have overnight guests or just for a cozy Saturday breakfast.  Heck, you can even make it for any day of the week.  Who doesn't love waking up to breakfast already made?

It's key to use a small slow cooker (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 quarts).  Anything larger and the oatmeal will overcook. 

I got this from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook.

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal
Serves 2

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or thick-cut rolled oats
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, to your taste
Pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups water or a combo of water and apple juice
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium apple or pear, peeled, cored and chopped

1. Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours or overnight, or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.

2. Stir the oatmeal well and serve with milk or cream.

Enjoy!

Chinese Sweet-and-Sour Chicken with Sesame Seeds

This is one of Jimi's go-to recipes when he gets to choose dinner.  How often do you come home to homemade Chinese food waiting for you?  Now you can with this easy recipe since it's made in the crock pot.

The recipe calls for a whole fryer chicken, but I just make it with 3-4 large chicken breasts since that's what I have on hand.  The sesame seeds can be found already toasted in the spice section.

Serve with rice and Asian broccoli. 

I got this out of Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes.

Chinese Sweet-and-Sour Chicken with Sesame Seeds
Serves 4-6

One 3 to 4 pound broiler/fryer (or 3-4 large chicken breasts)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dry sherry or apple juice
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 green onions, trimmed and halved
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1  tablespoon water
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant

1. Wash and dry chicken thoroughly.  Trim off fat.  Put chicken in the cooker, breast side up.  Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, sherry, ketchup, red pepper flakes, green onions and garlic in a small bowl; pour over the chicken.  Cover and cook on HIGH until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the thigh reads 180 degrees, 3 1/4 to 4 hours.

2.  Transfer the chicken to a platter.  Remove and discard the green onions.  Combine the corn starch and water and stir the slurry into the sauce.  Cook on HIGH until thickened.  Spoon the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve.

Pork Chops with Tomato Sauce and Mushrooms

I made this for Abe's dinner tonight and while he was initially hesitant, he ended up really enjoying it. It's very easy, just brown the meat and toss everything in the slow cooker.  It made the house smell so good when I came home from work- and that's from a vegetarian!

I served it with green salad.  I will add a side dish of rice next time to round out the meal.

I got this from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes.

Pork Chops with Tomato Sauce and Mushrooms

Serves 4
Cooker: Medium oval or large round or oval

4 thick bone-in pork chops, at least 1 inch thick, blotted dry
8 ounce mushrooms, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into rings or strips
1 clove garlic, minced
Two 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

1. In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, brown the pork chops on both sides.

2. In the slow cooker, combine the mushrooms, onion, bell pepper and garlic.  Nestle the pork chops on top.

3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the tomato sauce, vinegar, parsley, oregano, basil and salt.  Pour over the chops.  Cover and cook on LOW until the meat is tender, 6 to 8 hours.

4.  Transfer the pork to a platter and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.  Transfer the tomato sauce to a medium-size saucepan.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth, and stir the slurry into the sauce.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.  Serve the sauce over the pork chops.

Baby Beef Stew Classico

This is what's on the menu for Abe tonight.  I've made it before and he loves it.   He liked it so much that he asked me to make it for family before.

It's a very classic beef stew, a real comfort food.  You can add which ever veggies you like, but the ones in the recipe are spot on.  It's simple to make and basically foolproof.

I got this from my Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two by Beth Hensperger.

Baby Beef Stew Classico

Serves 2


Cooker: 1 1/2 to 3 quart
Setting: High for 4-5 hours. or Low for 7-8 hours; peas added during last 30 minutes

1 lb. lean, boneless chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground white or black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/4 lb. baby carrots
1 small parsnip, peeled and diced
6 ounces baby red potatoes, halved or quartered
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or marjoram
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup frozen petit peas, thawed

1. Sprinkle the cubes of beef with some salt and pepper.  In a medium-size saute pan over medium heat, heat the oil until very hot.  Add the meat cubes and brown on all sides, 4-5 minutes.

2. Spray the crock with nonstick cooking spray and add the onion, carrots, parsnip and potatoes.  Add the meat, broth, wine, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes and thyme; mix well.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours (or LOW for 7 to 8 hours), until the meat is fork-tender.

3. When there is about 30 minutes of cooking time left, knead the butter and flour together in a small bowl with a fork.  Add the butter-flour ball (known as a beurre manie) to the crock and stir until melted.  Add the peas to the crock.  Cover and cook another 30 minutes.  Season to taste and serve hot.