Slow Cooker Ramen

I have been wanting to try ramen for a good long while. Despite the fact that the calendar says September, it's not exactly chilly fall weather. Ramen is a cold-weather comfort food, for sure, but I decided I couldn't wait any longer to make it.

Notes: Ramen is all about the broth. The time you take to build the flavor and pay attention to it is 100% worth it. 

Remember those chicken wings I made? I saved the bones after we ate them and used them in the broth. In all the recipes I read, bones were considered essential to getting the right depth and texture. If you want your ramen to be properly vegetarian, leave them out. You might need to supplement and add more soy sauce to make up for the flavor loss. 

When you put all the ingredients in the broth, don't bother chopping or peeling. You'll fish out all the big pieces so you can strain the broth later, so all the solids will end up in a strainer.

Is this traditional ramen broth? Hardly. I'm not a fan of buying speciality ingredients that I'm not sure I will like or use. So, when I do recipe research, I usually try to replace the specialty stuff with similar things I use. For example, I don't have fish sauce or miso, both of which are traditional for ramen. But, I do have anchovy paste, which has some of the same flavor notes. Also, I left out the traditional soft boiled egg because Scott doesn't eat eggs.

Speaking of specialty ingredients, ramen noodles in the Asian section of the grocery store are kind of expensive. Ramen noodles in the pre-packaged food section are cheap. So, I bought a six-pack of those. You follow the directions on the package, but you skip the step where you add the little flavor packet (holy moly, that thing is chocked full of salt). 

This recipe makes enough noodles for two bowls. If you're feeding four people, I'd use two packages of noodles. 

Haven't used bok choy before? It's in the cabbage family and is often in Asian dishes. The green tops and the white lower parts are both edible. It had a nice mild flavor and the white parts have a great crunch.

Ingredients:

For broth:

4 cups (32 oz) beef stock

4 cups water (preferably filtered)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 dozen bones from chicken wings (approx)

2 carrots

2 spring onions

1 stalk rosemary

5 garlic cloves

1-inch piece if ginger (or 2 tablespoons grated ginger)

2 tablespoons anchovy paste (or 4 anchovy filets)

For serving:

1 package of shitake mushrooms

1 bunch bok choy (or 2 bunches baby bok choy)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 small bunch cilantro

2 spring onions

1 carrot

1 package of ramen noodles + 2 cups of water (see notes)

Sesame seeds

Red pepper flakes

Olive oil

Directions: In the slow cooker, combine all the broth ingredients and set on low for 8 hours. When time is up, remove the large ingredients with a spider or tongs and discard.

Put a stock pot in the sink. Take a strainer, line it with cheese cloth, and place it inside the stock pot. Pour the broth through the strainer. Put the broth on the stove and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to a simmer while you prepare the rest of the ramen.

For the base, slice the mushrooms and boy choy. Add a bit of olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium high. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and cook until just starting to brown (about 7 minutes). Add the bok choy, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes, stirring frequently, until the bok choy is wilted and tender. Sprinkle in some sesame seeds toward the end of cooking.

For the noodles, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the noodles from the ramen package (do not use the seasoning packet). Cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender.

For the toppings, use a peeler to make ribbons with the carrot. Rough chop the cilantro and finely slice the spring onions.

To assemble, place a little pile of noodles in the bottom of soup bowl. Ladle in the broth, filling the bowl about 3/4 full. Spoon in some of the mushroom and bok choy. Top with carrot ribbons, cilantro, and spring onions. Serve, slurp, and enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie Risotto

It's just like me to decide that the hottest day of the summer is also the day to make risotto, a dish that you have babysit on the stove. It's a good thing this turned out well.

Notes: Risotto can be fussy, but it's worth it. The rice has a creamy, rich texture that you just don't get from regular rice. You make risotto using arborio rice, which you can find at the majority of grocery stores these days. It's usually right there with the other rice. You use a special method to make it. Instead of bringing water to a boil and then adding the rice, you add the warm liquid to the rice. This allows the starches to develop, which is how you get the creamy texture. 

This is essentially chicken pot pie over rice rather than in a pie crust. You make the filling just as you would if you were planning to bake it into a pie.

There are several steps to this dish, so you should do some things ahead of time. To make shredded chicken, I throw chicken breasts in a slow cooker for about 5 hours on low (set it for 8 and then check it at 5, if it comes apart easily and there's no pink, it's done). I did this step the day before I made the risotto. I also roasted the vegetables this morning and just kept them in the fridge until I was ready to make dinner. 

If you'd rather not do that much work, feel free to get a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. You can also use some of the frozen mixed veggies. 

Ingredients:

For the rice:

1 cup of arborio rice

4 cups of water or chicken stock (approx)

2 tbs of butter

Salt and pepper 

For the chicken pot pie filling:

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1.5-2 cups each of:

-Broccoli florets

-Celery, diced

-Green beans, cut into bite-size pieces

-Carrots, diced

-Frozen peas

-Frozen corn

1 onion, diced

5 tbs butter 

1/3 cup of flour

2 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of milk (not skim)

Olive oil

Nutmeg (a pinch)

Salt and pepper

Directions: Start with your roasted veggies. Put green beans, carrots, and broccoli on a baking sheet (you can mix them together). Drizzle them with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast them at 425 for about 15 minutes. When they're done, set aside while you prep everything else. 

For the risotto, pour the 4 cups of chicken stock into a sauce pan heat it on medium. Heat a large skillet on medium-high and add a little butter. When the butter melts, add the dry rice, stir, and toast it just for a minute. Add about four ladles of stock to the rice and stir. Let the rice bubble away until it starts to look dry and then add two more ladles of stock. Continue this process until the rice is done. The timing will depend on your rice, it will be between 25-40 minutes. 

When the rice is about halfway done, start the pot pie filling. 

In a large skillet or stock pot, heat the 5 tablespoons of butter on medium-high. When it's melted, add the diced onion and celery to the pot and cook until translucent. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the flour. Cook for about 3 minutes and then whisk in the 2 cups of chicken stock. Stir well and then add the milk. Add the nutmeg and season again with salt and pepper. If the mixture gets too stiff, just add a little more milk until it loosens up. 

When the milk mixture thickens a little, stir in the chicken, the roasted veggies, the peas, and the corn. Let everything heat together (about 5-7 minutes). Add the rice and stir everything to combine. Serve (preferably on a day that isn't so hot) and enjoy!

Baked Spinach and Chicken Taquitos (Slow Cooker Option)

Happy New Year, everyone! As often happens, the blog took a back seat to school last term. No matter! It's a new year and a new day, so time to get back to cooking.

For you, I have a fun and delicious finger food: taquitos! Taquitos are often fried, but these are baked. If you're trying to eat healthy for the new year, you've got a good recipe to start with.

Notes: I modified this recipe for my taquitos. You'll notice that these are freezer friendly, which is great. I made enough filling to make two batches, so I might try freezing some. So far I've just made one round.

I made my filling in the crockpot. If you wanted to cut down on your prep time, you could use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. As long as you have about three cups of shredded chicken, you're good.

Make sure your tortillas are warm or at least room temperature. If they're too cold, they'll crack when you try to roll them.

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken tenderloins (see notes)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 onion
2 heaping tablespoons chili powder
2 heaping tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Hot sauce to taste
1 package of 12 taco-sized tortillas (corn or flour will work)
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 to 1.5 cups shredded cheese (I used colby jack)
Cooking spray
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
If using a crockpot to make the chicken, slice the onion and lay the slices in the bottom of the slow cooker. Lay the chicken on top and the season the chicken with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and hot sauce. Pour the diced tomatoes on top. Set the slow cooker on 8 hours on low.

When the filling is ready, heat the oven to 425. Roughly chop the spinach. Shred the chicken with two forks. Mix the spinach, chicken, and cheese (I mixed it right in the slow cooker) until combined.

To assemble the taquitos, place a small amount of the filling (about 2 tablespoons) toward the bottom of the tortilla in the center. Roll it up and put the taquito seam-side down on a baking sheet (the baking sheet needs to be lined with non-stick foil or parchment paper). When you've rolled all the taquitos, spray them lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos with Kale Honey Lime Topping

The weather is getting chilly, which is the perfect time to break out your slow cooker. But what should you put in it? How about something with just four ingredients? These slow cooker chicken tacos are perfect for a busy weeknight meal.

Notes: This an easy meal with just a few ingredients. It take no time at all to put together. When you get home from work, the chicken is ready for you whenever you're ready for it.

I loved the kale salad, but Scott was not so crazy about it. He thought it was overpowering. I thought it was different and refreshing. You be the judge!

If you didn't want to put the kale on top of the tacos, you could always eat it on the side. Toss some chopped nuts and maybe some fruit in the bowl and you'd have a delicious salad.

Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 onion
Taco shells
Cheese of your choice (I used a Spanish cheese)

Kale Topping
1 small bunch or 1/2 large bunch kale
1 teaspoon honey
1 lime

Directions:

Slice the onion into rings. Lay them at the bottom of the slow cooker. Lay the chicken on top of the onions. Sprinkle half the taco seasoning packet on top of the chicken. Pour the tomatoes over the chicken and onions. Sprinkle the rest of the taco seasoning on top. Set on low for 8-10 hours.

About 30 minutes before you're ready to eat, add the honey to the bottom of large bowl. Slice the lime in half and squeeze out the juice. Whisk until combined.

Slice the kale thin and add it to the bowl. Using your hands, toss the kale in the dressing and massage as you toss. Keep massaging and tossing until the kale starts to get tender and shrinks down. Set aside.

Take the chicken out the slow cooker and shred it on a plate. Return it to the slow cooker and stir.

Heat up your taco shells, shred your cheese, and put everything together. Serve and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Buttermilk Dumplings (Freezer Friendly)

Well, thanks to the hurricane, we had several days of cold windy rain. Luckily, these are the kinds of days that slow cooker comfort food is made for!

Notes: For me, slow cooker meals work best when I've done my ingredient prep ahead of time. No one has time to dice vegetables before they go to work. I usually peel and chop everything on a weekend day or a slow week night, stick it in a container in the fridge, and then it's ready for me whatever morning I'm ready for it. In this case, I did my prep on Sunday and made the chicken and dumplings on a Thursday. Worked perfectly!

Figuring out when the dumplings are done took some work. 30 minutes was about how long it took mine, but it will depend on your slow cooker. You mainly just have to look at them and poke them. They will look darker (not golden brown) and they will look dry on top. You'll be able to move them without your fork sinking into them or tearing them. When in doubt, cut one open and look: does it look like a biscuit inside? Then it's done.

WARNING: don't make your dumplings too big. They expand in the chicken mixture. 1/2 teaspoons will look too small, but once they expand, they'll be the right size.

I used my buttermilk biscuit recipe to make the dumplings. It works great, but you will have leftover dough. No worries! Just use the dough to make some drop biscuits. Once you finish making the dumplings, just drop big tablespoons of leftover dough on to a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 and you'll have made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits. They can bake while the dumplings are finishing.

This recipe freezer friendly. I like to freeze mine in meal-portion sizes using freezable plastic food storage containers. Wait for the chicken and dumplings to cool before you start putting it away.  Pull a container out of the freezer 24 hours before you want to eat it and put it in the fridge. You can heat it in a pot on the stove or in the microwave.

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken
1 pound carrots, sliced or diced
1 celery bunch, sliced into large bite-sized pieces
1 onion, diced
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
32 oz chicken stock
Salt
Pepper
2 cups flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick cold butter
1 cup buttermilk

Directions for the chicken:

Put the chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Put the onion, carrots, celery, and parsley on top. Pour in the chicken stock. Season everything with salt and pepper. Set to low for 8-10 hours.

Before you start the dumplings, take the chicken out and shred it. Return it to the slow cooker and then start the dumplings.

For the dumplings: About 40 minutes before you want to eat, start the dumplings. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and work it into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingers until the butter is the size of large peas. Mix in the butter milk until the dough comes together.

Spoon 1/2 teaspoon balls of dough into the slow cooker on top of the chicken mixture (you'll have dough leftover: see notes). Put the lid on top of the slow cooker and cook for 30 minutes until the dough is cooked.

Serve and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Cheerwine BBQ Chicken

BBQ chicken is one of the best ways to make chicken if you ask me (frying is the other).

Also, if you're asking me, Cheerwine is the best cherry-flavored soda.

Why not combine them and make Cheerwine BBQ chicken? Again, if you're asking me, this sounds like a perfect plan.

Notes: Of course, not everyone has access to Cheerwine since it is the legend of North Carolina. Dr. Pepper makes a great replacement. It won't have the cherry flavor, but it will still be good.

This recipe deviates from my standard use of slow cookers in one way: I typically hate slow cooker recipes that call for cooking something ahead of time. What's the point?! The slow cooker is supposed to do ALL the work for you as far as I'm concerned. Given that, if you wanted to skip the heating of the sauce and the marinating, be my guest. Just melt the butter and whisk in the brown sugar. Then stir all the sauce ingredients together in the slow cooker before you turn it on, add the chicken, and set it. I'm sure it would be just fine.

That said, marinating the chicken kept it nice and moist. So, if you have time, you might as well do that step.

We used spicy ketchup and hot sauce, so ours was nice and spicy. Spicy ketchup isn't something people typically keep on hand, so I left it out.

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breasts
1 tablespoon butter
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Cheerwine (see notes)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Hot sauce to taste

Directions:

In a sauce pan, heat the butter until it melts. Cook the garlic for a couple of minutes over medium heat. Add in brown sugar and stir continuously until it looks wet and soft. Add in Cheerwine and stir. Stir in ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, salt, onion powder, and paprika. Bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from heat and allow it to cool.

Once the sauce cools, pour it over the chicken breasts and marinate in the fridge over night (see notes).

In the morning, rub a little oil in the slow cooker just to help prevent the chicken from sticking. Put the chicken and the marinade in the slow cooker. Cooker for 8 hours on low.

30 minutes before you want to eat, take the chicken out of the cooker and shred it. Return it to the sauce and finish cooking.

Serve with your favorite BBQ sides (and a Cheerwine to drink!) and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup

We had another snow day this week. People keep claiming it's the last gasp of winter, but I'll believe when I see it. Until then, you'll find me at home in my fleece pants waiting for a delicious dinner in my slow cooker.

Notes: This is just about the most comforting soup I could ask for on a cold snow day. It also gave us plenty of leftovers.

The peas and corn will be better if you don't add them in the slow cooker at the beginning. I have the recipe written so that you add in them in the last two hours, but that's flexible. You could put them in when you get home from work or an hour before the soup is finished. You just put them in when it works for you. If you don't want to bother, substitute some fresh chopped green beans and you can just add those when you add everything else.

Ingredients:
1 pound stew beef
1 26 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 onion
5-6 carrots
5-6 stalks of celery
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 small bunch fresh oregano
1 small bunch fresh parsley
A few drops liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup of water
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Peel and slice the carrots. Slice the celery and dice the onion. Chop the herbs.

Put the onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Put the stew beef on top and season it with salt and better. Add in the celery, carrots, and tomatoes. Season with more salt, pepper, liquid smoke, and Worcestershire sauce. Add in herbs and water. Set the slow cooker to 10 hours on low.

With about two hours left on the time, add in the frozen peas and corn (see note). Stir everything together and break up the stew beef with the spoon. Serve piping hot and enjoy on a cold winter's day!

Slow Cooker St. Louis Spareribs

It was another wintry icy day here. Luckily we went to the grocery store yesterday and took care of all our errands. I had planned to make these ribs anyway and it just worked out that the gross icy day turned out to be slow cooker ribs day!

Notes: These were delicious! If you like saucy ribs, warm up a cup of your favorite bottled sauce before the ribs are done and paint it on when you take them out of the slow cooker. I liked the dry rub all by itself, though we did add a little hot sauce.

Stay tuned: I'm planning to use the leftover rib meat for another recipe.

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork spareribs (sometimes labeled St. Louis style or country style)

1 onion

Dry rub:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 heaping tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon cumin

5-6 drops liquid smoke

Directions:

The night before you want to make ribs, mix together the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Break up as many of the clumps as you can to form a smooth mixture. 

Put the ribs in a glass baking dish and rub each one with dry rub. Massage the dry rub in thoroughly. Cover with foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. 

In the morning, slice the onion into rings and lay them at the bottom of your slow cooker. Put the ribs in meat side up (fit them in as best you can). Set the slow cooker for 10 hours on low.

Pull the ribs out carefully (the meat will fall off the bone). Serve and enjoy!

Baked Potatoes in the Slow Cooker + Veggie Pot Pie Spud

When you're busy during the week, the slow cooker is your friend. As it turns out, the slow cooker is more of a friend than I realized. 

Did you know you can make baked potatoes in the slow cooker?! 

This is a game-changer. 

Notes: These potatoes couldn't be easier. They came out great. They were a little brown (probably a bit over done?), but they were fluffy and soft. The skins where nice and tender, so eat the whole thing! The skins have lots of good minerals in them. 

If you're like us, you love a stuffed baked potato! Having them in the slow cooker means that all you have to do when you get home is make the topping. An easy and healthy weeknight meal awaits!

Ingredients:

4 Russet potatoes

Butter

Salt

Aluminum foil

Directions: Rub each potato with a very small amount of butter and sprinkle with salt. Wrap each one in foil. Put them in the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low. 

Need a serving idea? How about veggie pot pie spuds!

Ingredients:

1 can chicken stock

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

1/2 bag of frozen mixed veggies

1/2 bag of frozen lima beans

Salt

Pepper

Directions: In a 2-quart sauce pan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook for just a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in all the frozen veggies. Cook until the mixture thickens and the veggies are tender. 

When the potatoes are done, spilt them open and top with pot pie mixture. Serve and enjoy!

Pot Roast Spud + Slow Cooker Chuck Roast

Lots of my posts start out talking about our favorite restaurants and this one is no different.

McAlister's Deli in Lake Charles fed Scott throughout the two years we lived apart. He probably ate there three times a week or more. One of his favorite dishes was their pot roast spud: it's a baked potato with pot roast and gravy poured on top of it. It's easily something you can make at home, so I decided to try it using the slow cooker.

Notes: The slow cooker wins again! The pot roast is delicious: the meat is super tender and flavorful. You can use this in a number of different ways and it makes enough (at least for us) for plenty of leftovers. Having cooked meat in the fridge is such a help during the week when you have to get dinner on the table. It's so versatile, you can use all week without getting bored!

I have tried several methods for cooking baked potatoes. This is the one that works best for me. Every time I've tried it some other way, the potatoes are never cooked all the way. The salt and butter just makes the potato skin that much tastier, but you can omit it if you'd like.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Chuck Roast
1 3-pound chuck roast
2-3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon ground thyme
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cumin
Pepper to taste

Directions for Slow Cooker Chuck Roast

Slice the onion and put the slices in the bottom of the slow cooker. Whisk together the thyme, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin to form a paste. Rub the paste into the chuck roast. Put the roast on top of the onions in the slow cooker. Set for 8-10 hours on low.

When the roast in done, use tongs or a fork to shred the meat.

Ingredients for Pot Roast Spud
1 Russet potato per person (this recipe will serve 2 people with leftovers or 4 people with no leftovers)
1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 large onion
1 pint mushrooms (I used cremini)
1 cup beef stock
2-3 cloves of garlic
2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Shredded cooked chuck roast (however much you want)
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup of milk
Salt
Pepper

Directions for Post Roast Spud

Heat the oven to 400. Prick potatoes with a fork. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and rub them with butter. Wrap them in foil and bake for 1.5 hours.

While you're waiting, slice the mushrooms and mince the garlic

When the potatoes are nearly done, heat a large skillet on medium high and add three tablespoons of butter. Add in the mushrooms and cook until they start to give off liquid. Add the garlic and Worcestershire sauce.

Sprinkle in flour and stir to coat. Whisk in the beef stock and milk. Allow the mixture to thicken a little. Stir in the mixed vegetables and slices of beef. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

When the potatoes are done, slice them open and fluff the insides with a fork. Scoop the pot roast mixture over top. Serve and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup with Kale

Well, the snow just keeps piling up and I am OVER IT. I'm officially going on record as anti-snow. It may be pretty when it's falling, but once you've dealt with it for weeks on end, it loses its charm.

Since winter won't quit, neither will my winter comfort recipes. It was time to break out the slow cooker again for some soup.

Notes: The slow cooker is a winner again! This soup is hearty and exactly what you need on a cold winter night.

I used canned beans, but you could used dried beans as long as you soak them the night before. You can add those to the slow cooker with the other ingredients. Canned beans will fall apart if you cook them for 8 hours.

On ham hocks: you'll find them in the meat section of grocery store with the large hams and ham steaks. I would have liked a smoked one, but I couldn't find one. The one I got was a "country" ham hock, so it was salted. If you get one of these, DON'T add more salt to the soup. I used 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning and my soup was a bit on the salty side. I'd err on the side of caution and use your favorite salt-free seasoning. A nice mix of cumin, paprika, and garlic powder would be a good. Use some red pepper flakes if you want some spice. You can always add salt if you need to.

Ingredients:
2 15 oz. cans of cranberry beans or pinto beans
1 ham hock
5-6 celery stalks
5-6 carrots
3-4 cups of unsalted chicken stock
1 onion
1 small bunch of kale (I used Lacinato)
Seasonings of choice (easy on the salt, see note)

Directions:

Peel and slice the carrots. Slice the celery. Dice the onion. Put the onion in the bottom of the slow cooker and place the ham hock on top of them. Add in carrots, celery, and stock. Season to taste. Set the slow cooker for 8-10 hours on low.

When there is an hour left of cooking time, rinse and drain the beans and add them to the slow cooker. Remove the bones from the ham hock and break up the pieces of meat, discarding the fat and skin. Once the time is up, thinly slice the kale and stir it in. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve.

The slow cooker: the number one chill killer! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Lisa over at 100 Days of Real Food is a genius and I am indebted to her forever for this recipe.

It. Is. Amazing.

I've been looking for more slow cooker recipes now that school has started again. It's so easy to just throw everything together before I go to work and when I come home dinner is ready!

I'm skeptical of meat in the slow cooker because I've had some bad luck with it. So I was nervous to try this recipe. But Scott loves pulled pork and he convinced me to do it. I'm SO glad I did.

Notes: This is quite literally the greatest slow cooker meat I have ever eaten.

If you get a pork butt or shoulder that's particular thick, you might want to cut it in two pieces. Mine was pretty normal, so I didn't do anything to it.

The pork doesn't have a sauce per se, so if you're thinking you're going to get a thick BBQ sauce like the bottled kind, you're barking up the wrong tree (or pig). You end up with really tender pulled pork with a great flavor, but it's not saucy. I dashed some hot sauce on mine and it was all I needed. The flavor of the pork is so great, you don't need much else!

You'll end up with plenty of leftovers, so plan accordingly. We're going to make pork tacos tomorrow night!

Ingredients:
1 3-3.5 pound pork shoulder or pork butt (I used bone-in)
3 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon of chili powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian herb mix
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
10-15 shakes of hot sauce (to taste)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion

Directions:

Take the pork from the fridge and let it sit out for about 30 minutes to come closer to room temperature.

Slice the onion into thick rings and lay them on the bottom of the slow cooker, making a layer for the pork to rest on.

Stir together all the dry ingredients (cumin, salt, chili powder, pepper, garlic powder, Italian herbs). In another bowl, stir together the wet ingredients (oil, vinegar, hot sauce, and honey). Put the wet and dry together and stir or whisk to make a paste.

Put the pork in the slow cooker and pour the paste all over the pork. Rub it in and then set the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.

When the time is up, shred the meat with a fork. Serve and enjoy!

Served here with roasted potatoes and lemon garlic green beans!

Slow Cooker Apple Cider BBQ Chicken

This semester has been pretty busy, so I'm experimenting with more slow cooker recipes. We have some long days during the week and it's nice to come home to a meal that's already made. Some of my recipes have turned out well, some not so well. This one is not great for a week night, but it is great for a weekend. It has a short ingredient list and the results are delicious.

Notes: Scott and I prefer dark meat, but if you want white meat, by all means use chicken breasts.

If you don't have fresh apple cider, you could easily substitute apple juice.

Ingredients:
1 lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 1/2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 cup fresh apple cider (or apple juice)
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Add the chicken thighs to the slow cooker and season them with salt and pepper. In a large bowl whisk together the BBQ sauce and apple cider. Pour over the chicken, making sure all the meat is covered (if you need some more liquid, just add a little water). Set the slow cooker for 4 hours on high.

30 minutes before the cooking time is up, take the chicken out an shred it with two forks. Put the shredded chicken back in the slow cooker to finish up. Serve and enjoy!

Pictured here with French roasted potatoes

Slow Cooker Black-eyed Peas with Okra and Mahogany Rice

Time for another edition of slow cooker beans!

This week's star is black-eyed peas.

Isn't she loooove-ly?

I cooked them in much the same way I cooked the black beans for the tacos. Only this time, I wanted to make them generically flavored so that I could add them to any dish I wanted. So, I went with some standard aromatics.

The slow cooker method once again yielded the perfect bean. Tender, but not mushy. So exciting! I took sulfababy's suggestion and froze the ones that I didn't use. I'll let you know how they turned out the next time I use them.

In my ever-increasing efforts to make as many beans 'n grains dishes as possible, I decided to put these over rice. Because my brown rice was hosting some uninvited guests, I used mahogany rice instead. I also had some frozen okra left from my farmer's market creation, so I added that as well.

Notes: I would definitely use a mix of brown rice and mahogany next time. For me, there was something overpowering about the flavor. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it was too strong. Otherwise, it was pretty tasty.

As I mentioned, the bean recipe makes a whole mess o' beans, so be prepared to freeze the leftovers or use them in another dish for the next few nights.

Ingredients:

For beans:
1 lb black-eyed peas (I used Camellia)
1 small onion, root intact, quartered
3 or 4 celery tops or stalks, cut in half
1 heaping tablespoon of salt
6 cups hot tap water
8-10 drops Tabasco
1 capful of liquid smoke

For rice dish:
1 cup mahogany rice
2 1/4 cup of chicken stock
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons of butter (divided)
1 cup of thinly sliced fresh orka (or any veggie you like)
Salt
Pepper

Start by cooking the beans. Put the beans in a colander and rinse them. Pick out an broken or shriveled beans. Dump everything in the slow cooker and and put it on high for 4 hours.

When your beans are an hour away from finishing, start the rice. Pour chicken stock, rice, and 1 tablespoon of butter into a 2 quart or larger sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir once, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45-50 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before fluffing.

Black gold

While your rice is sitting patiently off the heat, add the remaining butter to a skillet and set to medium-low. When the butter has melted, add in the okra and garlic and saute briefly. Add two ladles of beans to the pan (about a cup -- I have a shallow ladle) and mix the beans and veggies together. Season with salt and pepper.

When the rice is finished, dish it up and top it with your beans/veggie mixture!

Slow Cooker Black Bean Tacos

Who doesn't love tacos? Extraterrestrials? Fascists? Gargamel from the Smurfs? Probably, but you don't want to hang out with them, do you? Of course not. You want to eat delicious tacos.

I've been looking to ditch canned beans for awhile, but my one reservation was the pre-soaking step. I like flexibility -- what if I decide I don't feel like a bean dish after I've already soaked the beans? Plus, my track record for remembering to do things before I stumble off to bed isn't exactly stellar.

Enter Smitten Kitchen's recipe for black bean soup. Slow cooker beans with no pre-soaking? Now we're in business!

My favorite way to use black beans is in tacos, so I decided to make my taco filling in the slow cooker instead.

Wedding present we still use

Four hours in the slow cooker and the beans came out PERFECT. Tender, but not mushy and full of more flavor than you could ever get from a can. And no pre-soaking involved! It was cooking magic.

Notes: I like to do a black bean and corn combo for my taco filling. Since corn is in season, I used fresh ears. I like to roast them first, which is an easy task.

Cooorn, corn on the cooooob!

Preheat the oven to 350, throw the ears in there, husks and all. I don't even put them on a baking sheet. 30 minutes later, you have delicious roasted corn. Just let them cool so you can pick them up to cut off the kernels.

This recipe ended up to be accidentally vegan. I hadn't intended it to be; it just so happened that I didn't use any animal fats or byproducts.

It turns out slow cookers vary pretty widely in terms of cooking time. If you've got a small one or an old one, I would try 6 hours instead of four. Ours is relatively new and gets nice and hot, so 4 hours was just fine.

Ingredients:
1 lb dried black beans (I used the Camellia brand)
2 small onions, sliced
6 cups hot tap water
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 heaping tablespoon of chilli powder
1 1/2 tablespoons of cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 heaping tablespoon of kosher salt (sounds like a lot, but beans need salt)
15-20 drops of Tabasco
1 capful of liquid smoke
3 large ears of corn, roasted (see notes above)
Pepper to taste

Directions:

Dump beans into colander. Pick out any broken or shriveled beans and discard. Rinse beans and let them drain.

Put beans in the slow cooker. Assemble all other ingredients except corn and put them in the slow cooker. Stir. Set slow cooker on high for 4 hours (see notes above).

While beans are cooking, roast corn. Allow it to rest and cool. Remove kernels from cob. Add them to the slow cooker during the last hour or 30 minutes of cooking time.

Serve in your favorite taco shells and enjoy!