Crockpot BBQ Chicken

I am envious of those of you who take beautiful photographs of the main dishes you've prepared. I struggle to get the shot set up and still eat before everything is cold. This is one of those photos! Photo aside this is a great chicken recipe. Chicken is a staple at our house and I am always looking for new recipes.

I found this one over at One Crazy Cookie. Tiffanee, thanks for a great addition to my chicken repertoire.




Crock Pot Barbeque Chicken
chicken pieces (I used 4 chicken thighs)
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (I used balsamic vinegar)
1/2 cup pop (I used Root Beer. Tiffanee says Cherry Coke Zero is her favorite to add. )
1 Tablespoon minced onions
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
Place all ingredients in crock pot. Stir to combine and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Update: (Optional) About 30 minutes before you are going to eat mix up 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch in a little bit of water and mix it in the sauce. Replace the lid, keep it on low and cook about 30 minutes. Stirring occasionally. This will allow the sauce to thicken up a bit.

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesday's at The Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Your Recipe My Kitchen!

Slow Cooker Smoky Apple Butter Ribs

I've been using my slow cooker a lot more these days, on average at least one if not two days a week. There are certain types of foods that are perfectly suited for the slow cooker, soups, stews and meat. These ribs become tender after the long cooking time. This recipe creates perfect, tender delicious ribs. They are flavored with a slight hint of smoke and a sweetness from the apple butter. Be careful with the liquid smoke, too much can overpower the dish!



Crock Pot Smoky Apple Butter Ribs
Recipe adapted from Crock Pot Recipe Exchange

3 lbs boneless pork country-style ribs
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion sliced
½ cup of apple butter
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. In 3 ½ to 4-quart slow cooker, place ribs. Cover with onion slices. In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients, pour over ribs and onion.
2. Cover; cook on Low heat 8-10 hours.
3. Remove ribs from cooker; place on serving platter. Cover to keep warm.
4. Pour juices from cooker through strainer into 1 quart saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium. Cook about 5 minutes or until sauce has slightly thickened. Serve sauce with ribs.

I am linking this to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

I don't think I've had Salisbury Steak since I was a kid. It's one of those recipes I just never think of making. When I saw this recipe was a slow cooker version, why not give it a try? I added potatoes to the slow cooker because they seemed a natural with the steak and gravy. In looking at this picture, I wish I'd added some carrots or something for some color. Picture aside, this was delicious. The packaged onion soup gives the hamburger a great flavor, the mushroom soup and au jus make for a hearty gravy. Just add a veggie or salad and you have a perfect week night meal!

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
Recipe adapted from Christina's Taste Test Project
2 pounds ground beef
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup milk
¼ all purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (I used cream of mushroom)
1 (1 ounce) packet dry au jus mix
¾ cup water

1. Mix together ground beef, onion soup mix, breadcrumbs and milk
2. Shape into 8 patties
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat
4. Dredge the patties in flour to coat and quickly brown on both sides
5. Place browned patties in slow cooker, stacking like a pyramid
6. In a separate bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, au jus mix and water
7. Pour over patties
8. Cook on low setting for 4 to 5 hours or until meat is well done

SUGGESTION: You can form and brown the patties ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to use.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

I get home late two nights a week and try to do slow cooker meals on those nights. It's been really cold here, perfect soup weather. I was thumbing through Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker cookbook looking for a new soup to try. When I saw the French Onion Soup, I was hooked. French Onion Soup in the slow cooker, seriously?

If you've made French Onion Soup you know it's an afternoon project. I was excited to think I might be able to make French Onion Soup while I was at work. I did some searching on the internet and found a few other slow cooker French Onion Soup recipes. With the recipe from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker cookbook recipe as my inspiration, I created my own version. Most recipes call for dry white wine, cognac or brandy, I decided to use leftover champagne. I think it added a wonderful depth of flavor. The recipe in Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker cookbook cooks the onions for 10 - 12 hours, adds the wine and broth and cooks 1 -2 additional hours. I felt the soup would have a better flavor if the broth cooked longer. I also thought the original recipe was lacking in some spices, so I chose to add bay leaves and thyme.

Give this soup a try! It is almost, if not as good, as French Onion Soup cooked on the stove.



French Onion Soup
Adapted from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook
Serves 2

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon flavorful olive oil
2 large onions
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons dry white wine (I used champagne)
2 cups beef broth
Thick slices of French bread, small enough to fit inside the rim of the soup bowl, for each serving
2 teaspoons cognac or white wine (I used champagne)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Approximately 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese for each serving

1. Combine the butter and oil in the slow cooker and cover. Turn the slow cooker on low and allow the butter melt and the oil to heat which you slice the onions.
2. Peel the onions, slice in half lengthwise, slice thinly into half moons. You should have about 4 cups of onion slices. Add them to the cooker. Sprinkle the salt and sugar over the onions. Toss with oil, butter, sugar and salt to coat them. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour, stir. Turn the temperature down to LOW and cook until they are dark brown and caramelized, but not burned. (I cooked mine about 5 hours.) They will have cooked down to a fraction of their original volume and most of the liquid will be evaporated. If you are home, stir the onions once or twice during the cooking time to help them cook evenly. (I didn't stir mine after the first hour and they browned nicely.)
3. When the onions are done, add the wine, broth, bay leaves and thyme. Cover and continue to cook on LOW 4 -5 hours.
4. When you are ready to serve the soup, stir in the cognac. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toast the bread. Preheat the oven to 350. Put the bread slices on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, 10 - 15 minutes. Increase the temperature to 400.
5. Pour the soup into 2 ovenproof soup bowls; place on a baking sheet. Drop a bit of the cheese into the soup. Top each bowl with bread. Pile the rest of the cheese on top of the bread. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and browned, about 10 minutes. You can also put it under the broiler for a minute or two to help brown the cheese. Serve immediately.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday and Souper Sundays!

Slow Cooker Italian Soup

Soup seems to be my theme of the week but since we've all determine it's soup weather. Why not! Soup is perfect for the slow cooker. Cooking all day gives the flavors the opportunity to meld together perfectly. Nothing is better than walking in the house after a long day at work to the smell of a hearty soup!

I am giving you this recipe as it was written. I used white beans instead of garbanzo beans and omitted the kale/cabbage. This is one of those flexible recipes where ingredients can be added or deleted depending on what you have in the kitchen.

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup
Courtesy of An Oregon Cottage
•1 lb. Italian sausage (any kind-ground, links, or precooked)
•4 c. beef broth
•1/2 c. dry red wine (or more broth)
•1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
•1 med. onion, chopped
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 15-oz can garbanzo beans (or freezer beans- and I use whatever type I have)
•2 c. chopped green cabbage, chard, kale, or spinach
•1-2 c. chopped green beans (if using frozen, thaw a bit and add with pasta)
•2 carrots, peeled and diced
•1 tsp. Italian seasoning
•1/2 tsp. black pepper
•1 c. small pasta (macaroni, orzo, ditalini, broken spaghetti, etc.)
•salt to taste
•Parmesan for serving (grated or shaved)
•Parsley for serving (optional)
1.If using uncooked sausage, cook it in a skillet until brown, drain and transfer to the bowl of a large slow cooker.
2.Combine the broth and the wine (if using) and pour over the meat.
3.Add the remaining ingredients except the last four. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or high for 3-1/2 to 4 hours.
4.Add the noodles (turn cooker to high if you used the low setting) and cook for another 45 minutes until the noodles are done. Salt to taste, if needed.
5.Serve with Parmesan and parsley.
Makes 8 servings

I am linking this to Foodie Friday, Souper Sunday and Fat Camp Friday!

Crock Pot Taco Soup

Is it soup weather where you live? Much of the country is in the midst of winter weather! We've been lucky so far this winter. Just yesterday in Omaha we received our first major snowfall of the season in the form of about 8 inches of snow. How much snow do you have on the ground?

When it's cold and snowy, there's nothing better than a warm bowl of soup. If you like tacos, give this one a try. It's a delicious hearty soup that can be made without without the meat!

Courtesy of A Year of Slow Cooking--

2 cans of kindey beans
--2 cans of pinto beans
--2 cans of corn
--1 large can of diced tomatoes

--1 can tomatoes and chiles
--1 packet taco seasoning

--1 packet ranch dressing mix

--1 lb browned ground turkey or hamburger (optional.)
--shredded cheese and sour cream for embelishment
The Directions:
--brown meat if you are going to use it
--drain fat and add to crockpot stoneware insert (the meat. not the fat.)
--sprinkle seasoning packets on top of meat
--drain and rinse the beans and add
--add the ENTIRE contents of the corn and tomato cans
--stir.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5. I think the longer you cook soup, the better, so if you have the time, opt for cooking on low. Stir well, and serve with a handful of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

French Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup is one of the dishes my son Justin says he remembers from childhood. I was happy to hear this is a dish he often cooks now as an adult. I haven't made lentil soup in years. As I think back on it, I think the last time probably was when Justin was still living at home.

When I mentioned to Tim I was going to make lentil soup, I received the look. The look that says, where's the meat? I said it's okay, lentils are a great substitute for meat.

I found this recipe over at Tomatoes on the Vine. Velva has a great blog. If you haven't been there, stop by. You'll find some great recipes and an occasional special cocktail! I love the spice combinations in this soup. Lentils need spice or the soup can be too bland. This is a perfect soup for cold winter day.



French Lentil Rice Soup
Courtesy of Tomatoes on the Vine
Serves 4
Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely diced
3 tablespoons uncooked white rice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence or dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream or sour cream, divided (optional)
1/4 cup chopped parsley, divided (optional)


Directions:
Stir together broth, lentils, carrots, onion, celery, rice, garlic, herbs de provence, salt and pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

Remove 1-1/2 cups soup and puree in a food processor or blender until almost smooth. Stir pureed soup back into the slow cooker.

Divide soup evenly among 4 serving bowls, garnishing each with 1 tablespoon cream and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, if desired.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Souper Sunday's at Kahakai Kitchen.

Countdown to 2011 - Stew

The third installment in SnoWhite's Countdown to 2011 is Soups and Stews. This one was hard for me to choose. We eat a lot of soups and stews, especially in the winter. The recipe I ended up choosing was Beef Burgundy. Although this recipe is a slow cooker recipe, it's one I would serve to guests. Do you have a favorite stew recipe?

If you haven't entered my giveaway, there's still time to enter here!!!

I am linking this to Tuesday's at the Table, Tasty Tuesday's and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Crock Pot Black Bean Enchiladas & A Giveaway!!!

Have you started your holiday shopping? Or do you wait until the last minute? Just in time for gift giving, CSN stores has offered me a $45.00 gift certificate to giveaway to one of my readers (USA or Canada). Have you checked out CSN Stores? CSN Stores has EVERYTHING, from drop leaf tables to cookware.

How to enter is simple!! Sign up to be a follower of my blog and leave me a comment! If you're already a follower, just leave me a comment and you're entered. I will be picking a winner on November 12th. Good luck and thanks for reading my blog!!!

I try to serve as many meatless meals as I can each week. I've mentioned this before but for those of you who are new readers, my husband doesn't think it's a meal without some meat. In fairness, he's gotten a lot better about it the past couple of years. In fact, there's some meals he says he likes and (almost) doesn't miss the meat! This was one of those meals. Black beans are an excellent substitution for meat.

The cooking time for this recipe is 2-4 hours on high. I cooked for 5 hours on low. It was perfect!!

Slow Cooker Enchiladas
Recipe Courtesy of The Kitchn
Serves 4-6

1/2 yellow onion
2 bell pepper, diced small(any color)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspooncumin1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - we like monterey jack
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa
12 6”-8” tortillas, flour or corn
Optional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef

In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.
Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.
Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.
Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
• To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Beef Burgundy

When you find a recipe you like, what do you do with it? Do you bookmark it, print it or use some sort of recipe software to file it? When I first started blogging, I printed the recipes. I’d file them in my accordion files of recipes. That’s really not a good solution. I end up riffling through the folder to find the recipes plus I don’t like printing anymore than I absolutely have to. So I started bookmarking them. The problem with this was, I couldn’t find a anything. Where were the desserts, the main dishes, the salads? They were all mixed together. After feeling so overwhelmed with all of the recipes, I created folders for each category. I bookmark them and file them by category. It’s a pretty good solution. My accordion file is still filled with all of those recipes I printed before I started this process, not to mention the years of clipped and saved recipes. A few months ago I bought a scanner that will scan larger pages, up to 8 ½". My plan is to scan and file the recipes in my computer. My husband just reminded me, I’ve scanned nothing so far. I keep telling him it’s my winter project. Will you guys remind me in December? Thanks!

This recipe is one of the oldest from my bookmarked file. Not sure where I found it or when I saved it. I think it was before I started blogging. This recipe is perfect for fall or better yet a cold winter day. I asked Tim how this recipe compares with my other stew recipes. This recipe is his second favorite. His favorite is this one and his least favorite is this one. I like them all. The Beef Burgundy is a richer, fancier stew. The other two are more traditional, like those mom made.

Beef Burgundy
12/2006
Cooks Country

Make sure to use the low setting on your slow cooker; the stew will burn on the high setting. Serve with boiled potatoes (the traditional accompaniment), mashed potatoes, or buttered egg noodles.

Serves 6 to 8 8 ounces bacon , chopped
4 pounds beef stew meat (preferably chuck)
1 large onion , chopped fine
2 carrots , peeled and chopped fine
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 1/2 cups Pinot Noir
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons Minute Tapioca
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate and refrigerate. Pour half of bacon fat into small bowl; set skillet with remaining bacon fat aside.

2. Dry beef thoroughly with paper towels. Season beef with salt and pepper; place half of beef in slow cooker insert. Heat skillet containing remaining bacon fat over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook remaining beef in single layer until deep brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer browned beef to slow cooker insert.

3. Add reserved bacon fat to now-empty skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and stir until beginning to brown, about 45 seconds. Transfer mixture to slow cooker insert.

4. Return now-empty skillet to high heat and add 1 1/2 cups wine, chicken broth, and soy sauce. Simmer, scraping up brown bits, until pan bottom is clean, about 1 minute. Transfer wine mixture to slow cooker insert.

5. Stir bay leaves and tapioca into slow cooker insert. Set slow cooker on low, cover, and cook until meat is fork-tender, about 9 hours.

6. When ready to serve, discard bay leaves and stir in reserved bacon. Bring remaining 1 cup wine to boil in large skillet over high heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir reduced wine and parsley into stew and adjust seasonings. Serve.

The final touch, in addition to the rich flavor of the wine, many people consider a garnish of sautéed onions and mushrooms one of the hallmarks of a great beef Burgundy. We think this little bit of last-minute kitchen work is worth the effort.

Instructions for the Garnish: Before reducing wine in step 6, bring 2 cups frozen pearl onions, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 cup water to boil in large skillet over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook until liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add 10 ounces white mushrooms, quartered, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are browned and glazed, about 5 minutes. Stir onions and mushrooms into stew and proceed to reduce wine in now-empty skillet as directed in step 6.

I am linking this to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's, Tasty Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

Root Beer Chicken

We eat a lot of chicken at our house. For me, the challenge is finding new and different recipes. I found this recipe at Monster Mama through Foodie Friday's quite a few weeks ago. If you've never been to Foodie Friday, check it out. There's so many awesome recipes and Michael's site is amazing!

I've made Dr.Pepper Flank Steak but never anything with Root Beer. I don't drink much soda or pop, as we call it here in the midwest. As a kid, Root Beer was my favorite.

I am giving you the recipe as written on Monster Mama's site. I decided to make this a slow cooker recipe. I doubled the sauce and cooked it on low for about 5 hours. It didn't have the same thick glazed finish as Monster Mama's did but it was delicious nontheless. You could put it under the broiler for a few mintues to carmalize the glaze. This one goes in my make again file.

Root Beer Chicken
Recipe Courtesy of Monster Mama
1/2 bottle of root beer (about 1 cup)
1/2 c dark brown sugar,packed
1/2 c of ketchup
1 tbsp BBQ sauce
2 tbsp pepper jelly or other jam/jelly
1 tsp spicy mustard (I used Dijon)
4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into halves
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced and thickened. Hold over a very low heat until needed. Separate the sauce into two bowls (one for brushing on raw chicken and one for serving with your chicken on the side)
Preheat oven to 350º and line cookie sheet with foil or spray with non-stick spray.
Season your chicken with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder on both sides. Place on baking sheet and brush them with the root beer sauce. Bake about 10 minutes then turn over and brush with more root beer sauce and continue baking in oven until they are done how you like them and thoroughly cooked through - about 15 minutes more.


I am linking this to Tuesday's at the Table, Tasty Tuesday's and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's.

Pacific Rim Chicken

Do you participate in the Tuesday blog party, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's? If you don't, you should check it out. Not only is it a great way to showcase your blog, you can find all sorts of great recipes to try!

A couple of weeks ago Lisa posted a recipe for Pacific Rim Chicken. The flavors in this recipe are some of my favorites and as a bonus this recipe goes in the crock pot. I've mentioned before the crock pot is my friend. Especially on a Monday or any other day when I know I may not feel like cooking after work.

I prepared this recipe with chicken thighs. Until recently, I never cared much for chicken thighs. Besides their nice flavor, they're so reasonably priced. I just bought a large package at Costco for .99 cents a pound. Seriously, it doesn't get any better than that!!!

I served this with brown rice. One of the challenges with brown rice is the cooking time. I've read recently if you soak brown rice prior to cooking, it cooks much faster. After soaking mine for four hours, it cooked in about 25 minutes in the rice cooker.

Pacific Rim Chicken

1- large onion, finely chopped
1-large green bell pepper, chopped
4-5 large chicken breast halves, skin and fat removed (about 3 1/2 lbs)
1- 8oz can crushed pineapple, including juice
3/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup dry sherry (I used Mirin)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/3 cup long-grain white rice, cooked according to package directions (I used brown rice)

In large crock pot, combine onion and green pepper. Arrange chicken over vegetables. In medium bowl, combine pineapple and juice, broth, sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, salt, if desired, and black pepper. Stir to mix. Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on high 1 hour. Reduce heat to low, stir chicken into sauce, and cook an additional 5-6 hours or until chicken is done.

Remove and reserve chicken in medium bowl. Transfer liquid and vegetables to saucepan. Quickly boil down sauce, stirring frequently, to thicken slightly. Meanwhile, slice chicken meat. Arrange rice on serving platter. Arrange chicken slices over rice. Pour sauce over all.

I am linking this to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's, Tasty Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

Weird Spaghetti

Have you ever had Cincinnati style chili? I first experienced it years ago at Skyline Chili. I loved the flavor. It's a combination of chili and spaghetti with a unique, cinnamon flavor. I've made Cincinnati chili before but it's been years. Recently, while browsing The Food Network site, I found Guy Fieri's recipe for Weird Spaghetti! Weird Spaghetti is Cincinnati style chili.

I am always looking for ways to adapt a recipe for the crock pot. Since I am lucky enough to work close to my house, most days I come home for lunch. I made this sauce at lunch and cooked it on low in the crock pot for the rest of the afternoon. Then all we had to do when we got home was boil the noodles. The night we had this I had yoga class after work and Tim and Michael were going to the baseball game . They boiled the noodles and ate before I got home. I forgot to ask how they liked it until the next morning. They both really liked it but couldn't figure out the spices. If you're looking for a fun and easy meal, give this one a try. Stop back and let me know if your family liked it as much as mine did.





I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Presto Pasta Nights.

Chicken With Beer

Is there a help group for cookbook addiction? If so, I think I need to join. I haven’t done a cookbook count lately but I know I have over 100. I started blogging so I would use recipes from my library of cookbooks. So what do I do? I just keep buying more cookbooks. I really like my recent cookbook purchase, Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker. I’ve made three recipes from this book and they’ve all been a hit. Beef Stew, which I liked and Tim thought was okay. A wonderful Chicken with Beans which I forgot to photograph. Sometimes we’re so focused on eating, we forget the camera until it’s too late. We forgot to photograph this recipe as well but snapped a quick shot of the one leftover thigh. Not the best picture but you get the idea.

I made a few changes to this recipe. Because it was cooking all day, I wanted to have plenty of liquid. I added a little more beer and some chicken stock. I also added potatoes and would have added carrots but I didn’t have time to peel before work. I found this recipe interesting because it used Herbs de Provence. I wasn’t sure exactly what that was so I did some reading. I found several recipes, some with lavender and some without. I like to cook with lavender but I wasn’t convinced the floral flavor was what I wanted for this chicken. My spice drawer contained everything except the savory, so I made my own version of the herbs. This chicken was delicious. It has a nice hint of beer and a beautiful herb flavor.





Chicken with Beer
Recipe adapted from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

About 1/2 cup flour
4 boneless chicken breast halves, with skin on
(I used 2 breasts and 4 thighs)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup beer
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspooon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
2 bay leaves, broken in half

Put the flour on shallow plate or a pie plate. One piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, coating both sides and shaking off any excess.

Drizzle the olive oil into a large skillet over medium high heat. When it begins to sizzle, add the chicken, skin side down and cook until deep golden brown on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Add the beer and chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Pout over the chicken. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and herbes de Provence. Tuck the bay leaves among the chicken pieces. Cover and cook on HIGH 8 to 9 hours.

Herbes de Provence
3 tablespoons oregano leaves
3 tablespoons thyme leaves
1 teaspoon basil leaves
1 teaspoon sage leaf
3 tablespoons savory
2 tablespoons lavender flowers
1 teaspoon rosemary
Combine and mix well. Store in a cool, dry place.

I am linking this to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday , Tuesday's at the Table and Tasty Tuesday's.

Mom's Beef Stew - Foodie Friday

Have you ever purchased any "used" books on Amazon? If you haven't, you should check it out. That's how I've purchased several of my most recent cookbooks. Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook was a real bargain, $2.68, plus $3.99 shipping. You can't even tell these books are used.

I love my crock pot/slow cooker. It's funny how slow cookers seem to come and go. I've always been a slow cooker fan. Anytime I can come home after a long day at work and dinner is waiting is a good day for me.

I thought the flavors in this stew sounded interesting and delicious. I decided to omit the potatoes and serve over noodles. I totally forgot the peas, until after we'd started eating. I guess I am not used to adding anything to the slow cooker at the end of the cooking time. This was a delicious, thick stew, tasting much better than this picture looks. When I asked Tim what he thought he said, "It was okay but I like your other stew better!" Me, I liked this stew as well, if not better than the other stew. The Refrigerator Stew has a much thinner broth, almost like a chunky soup. This stew was thicker and almost had no broth. It's a comforting and easy weeknight meal.

Mom's Beef Stew
Recipe courtesy of Not Your Mom's Slow Cooker

8 to 12 small, flavorful potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
4 large carrots, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch lengths
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, trimmed of any excess fat, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
1 large onion, cut into a total of 6 or 8 wedges
1 large rib of celery, sliced 1/2 inch thick
6 to 8 medium sized mushrooms, cut in half
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of ground cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small bay leaf
2 sprigs flat parsley
One 10 ounce package frozen peas, thawed

Place the potatoes in the slow cooker. Top with the carrots.

In a zippered top plastic bag or a bowl, combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper.
Toss the beef in the mixtures, shaking off any excess, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining meat.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. Add the meat, being careful not to crowd the skillet. Turn to brown on all sides. Once the meat is brown, using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker.

When all of the meat has been browned and placed in the slow cooker, add the onion, celery and mushrooms. Stir gently to distribute, trying not to disturb the potatoes and carrots on the bottom.

In a bowl or 4 cup glass meausre, stir together the broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and cloves. Pour into the cooker. If the broth is unseasoned, add salt and pepper to taste. Tuck the bay leaf and parsley sprigs into the stew. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

Discard the bayleaf and parsley. Stir in the peas, cover and cook on HIGH until peas are hot, 10 to minutes.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Slow Cooker Flank Steak

If you follow my blog, you know my husband love his red meat but me, not so much. Normally we grill flank steak but now that the weather has cooled off, I need some indoor recipes. Since flank steak is a tougher cut of meat, I wondered if I cooked it in the slow cooker how tender it would be.

This steak was so tender and the flavor was melt in your mouth delicious. Yes, the not so much red meat eater loved this steak. And the mushroom gravy was to die for. This recipe is a keeper that I will make again, SOON.



Slowcooker Flank Steak

Adapted from Risa's Flank Steak Recipe

1 pound flank steak
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon beef base
1 cup water
1 tbsp Ketchup
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 lb fresh baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

Preheat a grill pan . When hot, place steak on and cook until you sear it well and you have nice grill marks. Remove and place in crockpot.

In a measuring cup, place beef base and water, add. Mix well. Add wine, soy sauce, garlic, ketchup, mustard and onion. Pour over steak. Cook on low heat for 8 hours or until meat is tender.

Turn to high. Place cornstarch and water in small bowl and whisk well to combine. Add cornstarch mixture to crockpot along with the mushrooms. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

To serve: slice meat in thin strips (against the grain) and serve with sauce over noodles or rice.

Apricot Chicken

My husband was telling me about an Apricot Chicken dish he remembered having a child. All he could really remember was it had apricot jelly. I decided it probably had apricot preserves. The internet is such a great thing, hard to remember life without it. I did some searching and the recipe that kept coming up was one with just three ingredients, apricot preserves, onion soup and russian dressing. How simple is that? I decided to make it even easier and use my slow cooker. I work full time and the slow cooker is my friend! There's nothing better than coming home and having dinner ready.

Apricot Chicken

1 1/2 cups russian dressing
1 envelope onion soup
1/2 cup apricot preserves
6 pieces of chicken

Combine and pour over chicken. Cook in the slow cooker 8 hours. Remove the chicken from the the slow cooker, strain the sauce and use a fat separator to drain the grease. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water. In a saucepan, combine sauce and cornstarch mixture. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until thickened. Place chicken in serving dish, cover with sauce. Serve over rice.



My notes on this recipe: I thought this was good but a little bland. I want to experiment with the ratio of dressing to preserves. I think the addition of some herbs or spices would help as well.

Crock - It Cookbook

Have you noticed how cooking with slow cookers or crock pots seems to come and go? Just the other day, one of the food shows on Martha Stewart radio, had a segment on Slow Cookers. I have always loved my slow cooker regardless of whether they were in or out of cooking fashion. It's so nice to come home from work and have dinner almost finished.

This week's cookbook recipe, Refrigerator Stew, comes from the Crock-It Cookbook by Barbara M. Murray. I've had this cookbook for years and it contains several of my go to recipes for the crock pot. The winds are blowing and the weather is cooling off in the midwest. One of my favorite cold weather meals is stew. Refrigerator Stew is filled with flavor and all you need is fruit or a salad and you have a quick healthy meal.


Refrigerator Stew

2 pounds beef stew meat
1 package onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups water
1 onion
4 - 6 carrots
3 -4 potatoes
1 can green beans
1 can corn

Cut meat, onion, carrots and potatoes into bite size pieces. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Stir well. Cook on low 8 - 10 hours.

My notes on this recipe: I like to brown the stew meat before I put in the slow cooker. Tonight the only potatoes in the pantry were fingerlings. I didn't cut them up and they worked great.

I was out of carrots and I do miss the color they add to the dish!