Category — Slow-Cooker

Let’s preface today’s recipe by saying that I love beans.  I love their subtle flavor, their versatility, their healthfulness (ooooh, all that fiber and protein in a little vegetarian package) and I love that they’re cheap.  My love affair is long:  Beans kept me well-nourished and on a budget through 2 graduate programs.  And today, they allow us to eat meatless meals while still feeling satisfied.  But in the interests of full-disclosure, let’s also say that D. is not so much of a fan of the bean, and so he was not a huge fan of this recipe.  He is in the “beans are OK if they’re an accompaniment to other stuff” camp.  He turns up his nose at a side of black beans, or at refried beans in Mexican food.  You get the idea.

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Now here’s a frugal dish:  chicken thighs and dried beans.  Sure, there’s jarred salsa, and I’d encourage you to buy a good brand because the flavor will take center stage, but really, this is a cheap and easy one today, folks.  And so tasty!  [Read more →]

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Let me start by saying that although their price is right, I’m usually not a fan of boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  I’ve tried to like ‘em.  I’ve made tagines around them, chopped them up for Chinese, etc., but they end up slimy and icky.  And this from a woman who has to hold back on the roasted dark meat because her daughter is also a lover.  But now, with this soup, I’ve found a home for those puppies.  No slime.  Just yummy deliciousness. 

This is very easy and very flavorful – great the night you make it and also yummy as leftovers.  [Read more →]

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What? North African cuisine in the Crock-Pot? Yeah baby!  When I saw this recipe, I immediately tagged it and made a note: “MUST MAKE THIS RECIPE!”  [Read more →]

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In my seasonal quest for more delicious and unique Crock-pot dishes, I’m turning to my own bookshelf. 

I have a lot of cookbooks. 

I love collecting and reading cookbooks . . . and even though I cook little bits out of nearly all of them, but I don’t feel I know each one intimately on its own.  I’ve often thought about starting at the beginning of one and working my way through (à la “Julie & Julia” (only less whining)) . . . but I’m not a linear sorta cook.  I’m more often driven by mood, whimsy and desperation, so I’ve never buckled myself down to do that.  Consequently, I miss stuff.  Like this yummy recipe.  In my adaptation, I do away with the browning of the chicken before adding it to the cooker – like I’ve said before, I’m a dump-n-go slow-cooker gal and if I’m using the Crock-pot, I don’t want to dirty up a pan and the stove . . . . so this recipe is that much easier.  Just a little slicing and dicing, then leave it alone and come home to dinner.  What’s not to love about that?

Drunken Chicken adapted from (The Slow Cooker Recipe Book by Catherine Atkinson)

Place the onions, garlic apples, almonds, plantain and raisins in the cooker.  Pour in the sherry, stock and tequila and stir to combine.  Salt and pepper each chicken breast half and place it in the pot, pressing them down into the stock so that they’re covered at least part-way.  Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6 hours.  Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if desired.  Sprinkle each serving with chopped cilantro before serving with either plain rice or tortillas.

Serves 4.

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School’s in, practices and lessons are in full swing, and the weather is cooler . . . a perfect time to haul out that slow-cooker you say you never use enough.  I’m a dump ‘n’ go slow cooker recipe person.  What the heck is the point of a slow-cooker recipe if you have to cook ingredients before you throw them in the pot??  Really?  This thing is supposed to streamline my dinner processes.

I know there are many new readers since last fall, so once again, I’d like to point you to one of the most comprehensive slow-cooker recipe resources on the ‘net, A Year of Slow Cooking.  Lots and lots of inspiration there (yes, beyond creamed soups! there is flavor! there are vegetables! nary a pot roast with onion onion soup mix in sight!).  I urge you to check it out and please, do report on what you like there . . . lots of us need weekly inspiration!  For past Semi-Sweet recipes using the Crockpot, including more links to other sites, click here.

Today’s recipe is easy and tasty and makes great leftovers.  Serve it atop hot cooked rice, or if you’re jonesing for more vegetables in your belly, on top of more baby spinach.  When I reheated this for lunch on subsequent days, I put it in a bowl with a few handfuls of baby spinach and microwaved it all up . . . . and be sure to add some Tabasco to individual servings for those heat-lovers in your house.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Curried Chicken Stew (adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)

Lightly coat a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray or olive oil.  Add the chicken in one layer, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the onion, garlic, curry powder, and ginger to the slow cooker and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.  Add the chickpeas, undrained tomatoes, broth and bay leaf.  Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.

Give the whole thing a stir, then add the lime juice into the cooked stew.  Stir the spinach leaves into the stew and let it stand for 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted.  Stir again and taste – adjust the seasonings by adding more salt & pepper, curry powder, some Tabasco, etc.  Serve with rice.

Serves 8.

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Today’s recipe saved my you-know-what last week.  On Thursday, we chaperoned 16 Brownie Girl Scouts through the rainy woods of an Audubon Sanctuary until dusk.  I arrived home at dinnertime with a very damp, very tired bubba who was bordering on hypoglycemia.  Luckily, I had the foresight to take some chicken breasts out of the freezer, and because I’m sorta nuts, I had all these ingredients in my pantry/freezer . . . at noon I dumped it all in the Crockpot (the chicken breasts weren’t even fully thawed).  When we arrived home at 5:45 p.m., you could smell the warm, home-cooked spicy goodness when we opened the door.    

This is from a site called Gina’s WW Recipes, which, for all you Weight Watchers devotees, is a great resource.  Gina’s got lots of good recipes, and you can even search her recipes by points value.  Even if you’re not a WW devotee, if you’re interested in healthful recipes, she’s got a lot of inspiration for you. 

D. ate this over rice, which was great.  I spooned it over shredded romaine lettuce, which was also very good.  It’s delicious stuffed into a whole-wheat tortilla (I had that for lunch the next day), with or without cheese (I abstained, mostly because I was thinkin’ of making a cheesy dinner that night).  Any way you eat it, it’s a great dump-n-go slow-cooker meal to have in your arsenal.

Slow Cooker Southwestern Chicken (adapted from Gina’s WW Recipes)

Combine all the ingredients except the chicken breasts and salt & pepper in the slow cooker. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and lay them on top. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Approximately one half-hour before serving, remove the chicken breasts and shred them. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker, stirring to combine. Taste the mixture and add additional salt & pepper to taste. 

Serves 8.

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I’m not sick of soup yet, and I hope you aren’t either.  While D. did request a “solid meal” when he returns end of week, even he’s been digging the soup lately.  And who wouldn’t?  They’re hearty, healthy, flavorful, warm, cheap and easy.  D. gets dinner made for him, most nights, but easy on me is easy on him.  ‘Cause as we say in our house, “if mama ain’t happy, no one’s happy.” 

This soup takes a bit longer to prep than the Slow Cooker Taco Soup I made the other day – but not too long.  It’s about 40 minutes of your time, total – that includes rolling up the little meatballs, which are so cute, and so tasty, you’ll be glad you made the effort.

Slow Cooker Escarole Soup With Turkey Meatballs

 In a large (mine is 6-qt.) slow cooker, combine the carrots, escarole and chicken broth.  Cook on low for 4 hours, making sure your escarole gets submerged in the chicken broth.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the turkey, 1/3 c. cheese, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, eggs and some salt & pepper (best way to do this is with your hands).  Rinse your hands and fashion the turkey mixture into 1-inch meatballs.  Place on a plate or cookie sheet and cover.  Keep in the refrigerator until it’s time to place the meatballs in the soup.  After your veggies have cooked for 4 hours, carefully put the meatballs in the soup, recover the slow cooker, and cook on high for another 3 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through.  Stir and taste for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper as needed.  Serve topped with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano sprinkled on top.

Serves 6.  You could add some small cooked pasta to this just before serving if you like.  Good with a crusty loaf of bread, and if you’re L., slather that with LOTS of butter.  Mmmmmmm.

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