Bean and Barley Soup

Bean and Barley Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup dried multibean mix or Great Northern beans, picked over and rinsed

(I went to Whole Foods & bought 1/4 cup each of random beans - if i find the receipt I will update the specifics)

6 cups water

1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes, with juice

3 cloves garlic, smashed

2 long ribs celery, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup pearl barley

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 tablespoons salt, plus additional for seasoning

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (gives off a rich bacony smell)

3 cups cleaned baby spinach leaves

1 cup grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Put beans, water, tomatoes and their juices, garlic, celery, carrots, onion, barley, bay leaf, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, herb blend, pepper, and porcini mushrooms (if using) in a slow cooker; cover and cook on LOW until the beans are quite tender and the soup is thick, about 8 hours.

Stir in the spinach, cheese, and vinegar, cover, and let the soup cook until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes.

Taste and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and drizzle each serving with olive oil.

Red Quinoa Salad (non crockpot dish)

At the request of my cousin Allison ....... ENJOY!

Recipe: Red Quinoa Salad
1 1/2 cups red quinoa
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3Tbsp olive oil
Zest of 2 limes
3 tbsp lime juice
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin


Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, place bay leaf on top after quinoa settles and boil for about 15 minutes, or until the water is almost completely absorbed. Turn the heat off, remove and discard bay leaf and cover with the lid for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
In other med – small saucepan on med/high, heat olive oil and add garlic, salt and pepper.  Wait 1 minute and add onions, toss around for about 1 – 2 minutes and add peppers.  Lower heat to med-low and cook until peppers are your preferred tenderness.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients.


Toss the quinoa, pepper and onion mixture together; then mix in the cold ingredients.


Add some teaspoons of balsamic if you'd like.


Serve Hot, Warm, Room Temperature, or Cold

Chicken Salsa

Chicken Salsa

Ingredients

3 thick boneless chicken breast
1 16oz jar mild salsa
1 can cannellini beans (use whichever bean you want/have)
1/2 packet onion soup mix
1 cup water

Line your crock pot :-)

Place cleaned chicken breasts into the crock pot.

Sprinkle onion soup mix over breasts (the chicken's, silly).

Pour in can of beans.

Cover with Salsa.

Pour 1 cup of water at the sides.

Cover and Cook for 8-10 hours.

Serve over some yellow rice and enjoy.

Boneless Country Pork Short Ribs - 2 ingredients :-)

Since I am now to be called Super Blogger Slacker .... I cooked 2 things last week and totally didn't blog about it.  Sorry guys, you can all hate me ... I understand.

Boneless Country Pork Short Ribs
5-6 Boneless Country Pork Short Ribs
1 container of your favorite BBQ sauce

Lay flat, 1 sheet of aluminum foil.

Drizzle some BBQ sauce on half the sheet.

Place ribs on BBQ sauce.

Pour BBQ sauce on top of ribs.

Fold up the aluminum foil sealing all sides good.

Talk another sheet of aluminum foil and wrap your packet of ribs again.

Place in crock pot for 6-8 hours

Serve immediately

Swedish Fowl-balls (Chicken Meatballs)

I owe you 2 ..... Here is last weeks.
I don't have pics, I made it for Super Bowl.

Swedish Fowl-balls

1 lb.Ground Chicken

1 c. bread crumbs
Minced onion or chopped onion to taste
1 eggs
parsley flakes, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, basil

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Sauce - 1 cup Ketchup, 1 cup Grape Jelly, 2 tbsp crushed pepper flakes

Mix ingredients together and make small meatballs (about 30). Brown in pan with 2 tbsp heated olive oil.

 

LINE YOUR CROCKPOT

 

Mix sauce ingredients and pour some into the lining.  Place in fowlballs into the crockpot and poir the rest of the sauce over them.

Cook on high for 2 hours.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Leave Your Recipes HERE :-)

Shout out to all my Foodies!

I hope you all have been enjoying the recipes I have been trying out and posting  for you.

I have been getting alot of great feedback and wanted to create this posting sothat you all can share your great CrockPot recipes .... or any recipe.  I will cook it and post the outcomes, if it something I think can be crockpotted.

Right now I am looking for an idea for Super Bowl - the menu for Super Bowl is appetizers only ... so drop some helpful hints or ideas.

Helping me helps everyone else :-)
Have fun all and THANKS!

Glazed Apple Slices

I borrowed (ok, kinda stolen) this recipe from the Reynolds Slow Cooker recipe booklet that was in the liner box.
I made a few changes, but nothing that has an affect on the nutritional value. 
It heated up great the 2nd night without leaving ridiculous amounts of sticky yuck all over my small sauce pot.
Enjoy!!!!

Glazed Apple Slices

6       large apples **, peeled, cored and cut in eight wedges each

1     tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½    cup granulated sugar             
½    cup packed light brown sugar

2       tbsp flour

1       tsp ground cinnamon

1       tsp ground nutmeg

6     tbsp butter, melted                                                       

PLACE apples in the slow cooker liner; drizzle with lemon juice.

MIX granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Sprinkle mixture over apples.

DRIZZLE with butter. Place lid on slow cooker.

COOK on HIGH for 2-3 hours until apples are done.  Stir apples around the 1 1/2 hour mark.

CAREFULLY remove lid to allow steam to escape.

Spoon warm apples over ice cream, with ice cream; serve with cookies, if desired; serve with whipped cream; Serve with all of it! tee hee. I served mine with a scoop of Strawberry ice cream.  Yummmmmmeeeeeeeeee!

Number of Servings: 8-9 <-- I made this more like 4 or 5 servings

Nutrition Information:
(Per Serving)
Calories                                 232
Grams fat                                   9
% Calories from Fat               33

Milligrams Cholesterol           23

Milligrams Sodium                   7

Grams Carbohydrates           40

Grams Fiber                              2                 


**I used 2 Granny apples, 2 Red Delicious, 1 Gala, and 1 Honeycrisp.  It's what I had in the house.  Original recipe calls for 6 Granny Apples.

Chicken Stew-ish ..... Soup-ish ..... ish

This recipe is inspired by a Chicken Stew Recipe my longggggggggg time friend Jennifer sent me.  Thanks Jen!!!
I will make that recipe, but I didn't have all of the ingredients and I wanted it like yesterday .... which is when I ate it :-)
So here is my CrockPot take on it!  Enjoy.

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs (with bone and skin - I removed the skin after it was done cooking)
1 can cut carrots (I hate canned, but it's all I had - I will use 2 cups fresh next time)
1 can cannellini beans (use any beans you want)
1 can peeled plum tomatoes, drained
2 cups of water (approx)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
LOTS OF GOYA ADOBO
garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, paprika

Line your pot (-:

Add oil and then sprinkle adobo to create a yummy barrier between the thigh and the liner.  Add garlic and onion powder, paprika, and black pepper (more than you would usually).  Place chicken in pot. 

Sprinkle adobo over the tops of the chicken.  Toss in beans, carrots, and tomatoes. 

Add water to pot until just the chicken is covered, about 2 cups - maybe more.** 

  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  I served it with yellow rice.  Enjoy! 

** If you are using fresh carrots, add enough water to cover them as well.

Chocolate Cherry Cobbler (Crockpot Dessert)

Time for some DESSERT!

Chocolate Cherry Cobbler <----- easy easy easy

1 box French Vanilla cake mix (use whichever flavor you like)
1 stick of butter (melted or softened - you choose)
1/4 cup - semi sweet chocolcate chunks
21oz can - cherry pie filling
Baking spray

Line your Crockpot - Spray liner with baking spray <-- another life saver

Place cherries into pot and spread out to cover the bottom.

 Scatter chocolate chunks over the cherry filling

With a wooden spoon: mix cake mix and butter together until it is all crumbly and cover the filling in the pot.

Cook on High 2 hours, scoop and serve.  It is super yum with some vanilla fudge ice cream getting melty all over it :)

It looks messy and gross .... but that's why you cover it with ice cream and/or whipped cream (just kidding)(no I'm not)...... everything looks happier with those 2 ingredients on it!

Pot Roast with Onion Soup Mix Rub

Onion Soup Mix has soooooooooooo many uses.  This is one of them.  Shout out to my office roomie Lori  .... We were talking about onion soup mix on Friday and it inspired me.  Thanks ..... So I made this on Sunday.  Enjoy!

Pot Roast with Onion Soup Mix Rub

1 3-4lb Pot Roast
1 packet onion soup mix
Baby Bella Mushrooms (as many as you want)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp steak sauce
1 tbsp Cumin
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup water

Line your crockpot :)

 Place the pot roast into the pot and shake the onion soup mix all over is. 

 Rub the mix onto the roast on all sides.

In a bowl, mix - onions, steak sauce, cumin, salt and pepper and water. 

Place mushrooms on top of the roast.

Pour over roast - Put on the lid - Med 6 hours

I serve it with egg noodles - YUM!

Beef Mega-Chilada Soup - HAPPY NEW YEAR

Close to a Beef Enchilada Soup - But MEGA style!
Part Crockpot/Part Stovetop

Beef Mega-Chilada Soup

1lb beef stew meat (raw)
1/2lb beef stir fry strips (raw)
1 large onion, chunked
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
Cumin, Salt, Black Pepper, Goya Adobo
12oz shredded cheddar
4 cups beef broth
2 cups whole milk
small can corn, drained
1 small can of diced tomatoes (with chili and chives)
12 oz green taco sauce
1/2 red, orange, and/or green pepper (sliced thin, long ways)

In a large pot or saute pan:  add oil and butter - med high heat, 30 seconds - add garlic, stir for about 1 min, add onions.  Stir around until onions are sweaty.

Liner your crockpot: Place beef into pot, sprinkle all of your seasonings over the meat.  Pour garlic/onion mixture over meat.  Add taco sauce, beef broth, corn, and peppers.
Cook on low for 10 hours.

Around the 9 1/2 hour mark - or when you are ready to reheat the soup; in a large pot bring milk to a boil.  Drain juices from tomatoes into soup and pour the tomatoes into the milk.  Bring to boil and reduce heat to med/low.  Slowly add in the cheese until all is melted.  Add the beef stew to the mixture and continuously stir until until the broth and milk mixture look good and blended.



Using 2 cups of the broth, I used it to make white rice.  Served the soup on top of some rice with some multi grain tortilla chips.

Enjoy and Happy New Year to all of my Mega Foodies!

Seafood Bisque

Seafood Bisque - Slow Cooker 2 hours

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium chopped white onion

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons paprika

8 ounces crab meat

4 to 8 ounces small cooked shrimp

8 oz of cooked crawfish tails (out of shell)

1/3 cup sherry

1 large potato diced

3 cloves of garlic, smashed once each

1/2 cup fresh shredded parmesan

Bag your crock pot.  Put in oil, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Add garlic, onion, cheese, and potato.

Add all of your fish.

Pour in milk and sherry.

Stir and cover - High 2 hours.

At the 1hr 45min mark.  Take out about 1  cup of the broth and whisk in the flour until liquid thickens.  Pour into bisque and stir.  Cook for remainder 15min and let sit for about another 15 before serving.

Super Easy Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork
As an FYI - I use both Crockpot and pot - mainly because I cook the Pork over night, pull it apart in the morning, and finally heat it up for dinner and add more BBQ sauce for extra yummy goodness.

3-5 lb Pork Shoulder or Butt (teehee)
2 cups of water
1-3 medium onions chopped (depends on how much you like onions)
3-4 crushed cloves of garlic
24oz of BBQ Sauce split (16oz and 8oz) Add more/use less if you like
salt, pepper, and cumin

In Crockpot, set liner and place onions, and garlic at the bottom.  Place the pork on top and add seasonings.

Pour in water and drizzle (that means big bottle squeeze) BBQ Sauce across the top of the Pork.

Cook on Low setting for 10 hours.  Using tongs, pull out the bone. 

There may be more that one peice of bone so be aware as you shred down the pork. 

NOTE* Use a metal utensil like a fork so that you will hear if you hit a peice of bone*

Use a bowl or a sauce pan and put the shredded chucks of pork.

Once you are clear of bone, pour out the excess liquid and then you can put the pork back in the Crockpot for 1-2 hours on high heat. 

Mix in the rest of the BBQ sauce and cover.

Or-On the stove on a low/medium heat, mix in more BBQ sauce and stir until you are happy with the pork/bbq mix.

I served mine on a fresh roll that I made into garlic bread and melted some mozzarella cheese on it.



Stuffed Peppers with Shrimp - Crockpot or Oven - You Choose

Santa said you all have been NICE so I am posting what I made for dinner last night cause it was YUMMMMMeeee!

Stuffed Red Peppers with Shrimp and White Rice

4 Medium Red Peppers (tops cut and insides cleaned out)
2 Cups - White Rice (cooked)
2 Cups - Chicken broth
1 lb Jumbo Shrimp (cleaned, deveined and chopped or halved)
1 small onion (finely diced)
1 12oz can - Diced Tomatoes (drained)
2 cloves of garlic (finely diced)
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp butter
salt, pepper, adobo, and grated parmesan

Set Crock pot with liner at 2 hours or Preheat oven at 375 degrees

In a skillet heat your oil and butter on med low, approx 1 min.  Throw in garlic, salt and pepper - stir around for about 30 seconds and add onions.  Once onions start to sweat, add in shrimps, top with a thin layer of adobo. Stir constantly until shrimps are cooked - Approx 3-4 min.  Add cooked rice and tomatoes into mixture and mix well - you shouldn't see any WHITE rice - it should have a nice coloring to it.  Add more seasoning as you see fit.

Take a knife and poke through the peppers in 3-4 spots on the bottom of the pepper.  Take handfuls or spoonfuls of mixture and stuff the peppers to the tippy top.  Place them in the crockpot or oven safe pan.  Pour the 2 cups of Chicken Broth over and around the peppers.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese enough to cover the tops of the peppers.

If using the crockpot - put lid on and let cook for 1-2 hours (depends on how cooked you like the pepper).
If using the oven - cover dish with aluminum foil - tent style - and cook for 1-2 hours (depends on how cooked you like the pepper).

This was my lunch the next day after microwaving it for 3 1/2 minutes .... YUM!



Creamy Tomato Meatball Soup

Broth Ingredients:
1 35oz can of Crushed Tomatoes
1 cup Cream of Tomato Soup (I use Trader Joe's)
2 cups Beef bouillon
2 tsp grated parmesean
salt, black pepper, garlic powder

Soup Vegetables:
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, cut anyway you like

Meatball Ingredients:
1lb 96/4 ground beef
3 tbsp grated parmesean
1 egg (I use brown eggs)
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
dried basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder

Line your crockpot with the liner :)

Add in crushed tomatoes and creamy tomato soup

Mix all of the meatball ingredients together and make the meatballs as big or small as you desire.

Place them into the crockpot.

Take all of your veggies and place/scatter them on top of the soup/meatballs.

Pour enough bouillon over into the crock pot to cover the veggies.

Sprinkle seasonings and grated parm.

Cover and Cook on med-low 8 hours.