Category Archives: Slow Cooker

Golden Apple and Raisin Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes & Carrots

I love my slow cooker! We were out and about yesterday since it was my sister’s last day in town, and my husband was coming back to NC, I wanted to make sure we all came home to a hot homemade meal. 

It only took me a few minutes to brown the meat and throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker. Before you knew it, we were out the door to enjoy the beautiful Eastern North Carolina 80 degree weather. 

The house sure smelled good once we got home. 

This recipe Yields: 6- 8 servings 

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

(1) 2-3 pound boneless pork loin

8 ounces unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon chicken base (I prefer penzeys)

8 ounces of boiling water
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon dried parsley 

1/2 teaspoon kosher Salt

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 medium- large sweet potato, quartered  

1 (1 # bag ) of baby carrots

1 small yellow onion, quartered 

1/2 cup raisins 

Directions:

1. In a large nonstick skillet on medium high heat brown all 4 sides of the pork loin in the olive oil.

2. While the meat is searing, go ahead and mix the next nine ingredients in the slow cooker vessel (applesauce-garlic). Turn the slow cooker on the low heat setting. 

3. Once the meat is finished browning cut in half and rotate the meat in the applesauce mix. Place the pork sides next to one another on top the applesauce mixture. Now arrange the carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, & raisins on top of the meat. Cover the dish with the slow cooker lid and allow to cook for 8 hours on low. 

Enjoy! 

Slowcooker Drunken Roasted Beef & Vegetables

Happy New Year! Welcome 2017! 

Traditionally I make pork and sauerkraut today in honor of my husband’s family tradition to ring in the New Year. However; since we are a guest at a home where pork is not consumed I am preparing a beef roast instead. 

I decided to throw in one of my husband’s favorite beers for good measure, hence the name drunken beef roast. 

Ingredients: 

1.5 pounds small gemstone potatoes, multicolor 

1 pound baby carrots 

3 stalks of celery, cut into 3 inch pieces

1 large yellow onion, quartered 

2 cups beef stock, low sodium 

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1, 12 ounce can Yuengling light

4 whole cloves garlic 

1 package of dry low sodium onion soup mix

3 pounds bottom round beef roast, seared (fat trimmed off)

Tools for the job:

Slowcooker

Large sauté pan

1-2 Tablespoons Olive oil for searing 

Prework: make sure to rinse and clean all the vegatables prior to using preparing as indicated above. Also, trim the fat off the beef & sear the meat until some caramelization  appears on both sides in the sauté pan. 

Directions:

1. Place the first 8 ingredients in the slowcooker. Arrange evenly and diversely. 

2. Sprinkle with half of the onion soup mix. Set the prepared meat on top of the mixture. Sprinkle the meat with the remaining onion mix. Cover the dish with the slowcooker lid and let the ingredients merry for 8 hours on low. 

Enjoy with some homemade bread! 

Spicy Stuffed Pepper Soup


We had so many green peppers in the garden this year! I was stuffing them like crazy! At work we have stuff Pepper Soup on the menu all the time. I thought I’d give it a try in the slowcooker. I have made Stuffed Pepper Soup before with vegetarian soy crumbles and you can most definitely do that with this recipe. 

This is a perfect fall dish for the crisp weather this time of year and a good way to use those heirloom green peppers from the garden. 

This recipe yields: 12 serving

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound spicy sausage

1 pound extras lean ground beef (93/7)

32 ounce canned no added salt tomato sauce

1 (10 ounce can) rotel (undrained)

1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 quart of low sodium spicy v8

1 quart of water   

2 cups of diced green peppers

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1 small jalapeño, diced

2 cups of uncooked brown rice 

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoon penzeys beef base

Directions: 

1. In a large nonstick pan brown the beef and sausage over medium heat. Make sure no pink meat remains. Drain the meat to remove excess fat. 

2. While the meat cooks prep and pour all other ingredients into a 6 quart slowcooker. Once meat is done dump the meat into the slow cooker and stir. Set the soup on low for 8 hours. Stir occasionally. 

Enjoy! Goes well with cornbread! 

Pizza Stew


The other day I was meeting with a client and we were talking slow-cookers and warm fall recipes. She explained to me this marvouis idea of pizza soup. 

My client went on to tell me she makes the soup thick to serve almost as a gravy over baguettes or crusty bread. Well she had me at slow-cooker and I told her I would have to make this creative twist on a classic comfort food this weekend. 

Let me just say it’s so easy… bonus you can all your favorite pizza toppings. 

Prep time: 10 minutes       Cook time: 8 hours

Yields: 6 servings (1 heaping cup)

Ingredients: 

2 cups of cooked crumbled Italian sausage

1 cup cup of Italian hard pepperoni sliced and quartered 

1/2 cup diced green pepper

1/2 cup diced red pepper 

1/2 cup diced onion

1 (2.25) can of sliced olives, rinsed & drained 

1 tablespoon of pizza seasoning

1 large can (22.3 ounce) of condensed  tomato soup, healthy request

1 cup of tomato sauce (we used our favorite)

12 ounce of water 

1 ounce of pesto (our recipe)

3/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

2 large baguette, cut into 2 slices 

4 quart slow-cooker

Directions:

1.Place the first 11 ingredients into the slow-cooker & give it a good stir. Place the lid on the vessel. Set the crockpot to low for 8 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to broil. Portion out 6 servings into individual ramekins. Place one piece of baguette into the ramekin to submerge and top with two tables of cheese. Place the ramekins on sheet a baking pan. Allow to bake for 2 minutes. Remove from oven with caution & enjoy!


Crock Pot Cider Beef Roast

This dish is a perfect way to celebrate the first day of autumn.

We had some chopped vegetables and cider leftover from a party we had Sunday. I generally always have a beef roast in the freezer. I thought I’d give this a try. I literally threw this dinner together in less than 10 minutes before I went to work yesterday. 
Honestly who doesn’t have time to put this together and having the stress free feeling of coming home to dinner ready. 
The cider does make this dish fairly sweet. So if you don’t like your beef real sweet consider using 2 cups of beef broth and only 2 cups of cider in place of the full quart of cider. 

Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 8 hours on low

Ingredients:

1 (2 pounds) beef roast

1/2 large yellow onion (quartered)

1/2 medium red onion (quartered)

1 small green pepper, cut into strips

1 pack low sodium onion soup mix

1 cup of baby carrots

1 quart spiced apple cider

Directions :



1. Place the beef in the center of the slowcooked. Surround the beef with the onions,peppers and carrots.  

2. Sprinkle the beef and vegetables with the onion soup mix and lastly pour the cider over the ingredients. Set the crockpot on low for 8 hours. 

3. Enjoy!

Spicy Slow Cooked Peppers


This time of year the homegrown peppers are bountiful. We are lucky enough to have neighbor’s with a beautiful thriving garden. They are very generous and always share their harvest. This recipe is a good way to use up some of those peppers from the garden. Bonus is this recipe freezes really well which allows you to enjoy the harvest more than one time a year.

I made this recipe for our monthly RD meeting. I try and feed the team a home cooked meal to show my appreciation. This recipe makes a lot of peppers so it is good for a meeting or potluck.

The picture below is a half buchel of Hungarian Hot Peppers we canned which  are also good for stuffing.



Prep time:30 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours on low

Ingredients:

1 pound spicy Italian sausage

1 pound 93% lean ground beef

1/2 cup cooked red quinoa

1 tablespoon sriracha

1 cup of your favorite tomato sauce

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

3 green onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

8 large banana peppers, tops cut off and seeded

8 large bianca sweet long peppers, tops cut off and seeded

64 ounce low sodium spicy V8 (you might not use all of this)

Tools for the job:

6 quart slow cooker

Pepper seeder

Directions:

1. Caution wear food safe rubber gloves. Remove pepper stems. Carefully remove seeds and membranes; set peppers aside. Combine the tomato sauce, sausage, beef, quinoa, cheese, onions, garlic, sriracha, salt and pepper; stuff into peppers.

2. Stack peppers longways in slow cooker. Pour V8 over peppers and place cooker on low heat for 8 hours.

Enjoy!

 

Special Tip: The banana peppers can be very tricky sometimes they are hot and sometimes they are not. So if you want to be on the safe side I would recommend using the bianca peppers which are a more sweet pepper. 

Slow Cooked Black Beans Venezuelan Style

black bean

 

I love beans and legumes, they are superfoods, these powerful vegetables contain natural sources of antioxidants and photochemicals. The American Dietary Guidelines recommend Americans consume at least 3 1/2 cups weekly of beans, which equals out to 1/2 cup daily. This is so easy to do. I add them to my salads, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, pastas, puree them to make dips for my carrots and snap peas. I also puree them to add to baked goods to add creaminess and moisture. I place the hummus on the top of pizza instead of tradition tomato sauce on pizza.

Beans contain more protein per serving than any other vegetable.  They are a cheaper source of protein compared to animal products.  I love that beans are naturally sodium free and fat free.  Plus these powerful beans are high in fiber to keep us regular.

I personally am not a huge fan of canned beans unless they are a high quality bean brand like Bushes Beans.  That said canned beans contain a high amount of sodium. I specifically made these low in sodium for my grandpa, so they are heart healthy for all. If you wish and you do not follow a low sodium diet you can add more salt to these beans. If you cannot make a fresh batch, I honestly would rather have frozen.This black bean recipe is so easy and inexpensive, you will question your next canned bean purchase.

The following recipe was generously provided to me by our dear friend from Venezuela, she makes the best black beans ever. We used to live next door; however, we moved and I have been craving them! We would always trade my sweet baked goods for her Venezuelan dishes. Luckily she provided me with her recipe to have whenever I want.

This recipe yields 2 qts of beans

Ingredients:

2 Bags of dried Black Beans, rinsed and strained (only about $0.80 to $1.00 a bag)

1/2 Yellow onion

6 cloves of garlic

Water

16 ounces Very Low Sodium Vegetable Stock or homemade, or more water

Additional (part two of the recipe)

1 yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, optional

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 Tsp cumin

Salt to taste

Pepper, freshly cracked

4 qt slow cooker

Directions:

  1. Place  1/2 of onion, whole garlic cloves, & beans in a 4 qt slow cooker. Cover with enough water to reach above the beans about an inch. Place the slow cooker on warm for 12 hours. We did this overnight.
  2. After 12 hours has elapsed turn the cooker to low. You may need to add more water and this where you need to add the vegetable stock. Allow the beans to cook for 6 to 8 more hours.
  3. After the beans are tender and to your liking, I like mine slightly firm (not mushy), remove the 1/2 piece of onion and the garlic cloves.
  4. Spray a 10 inch saute pan with cooking spray and saute up the red pepper, garlic, cumin, pepper, and onion. Cook vegetables until translucent. Add the sautéed vegetables to the beans,  stir, cover ,and allow to cook for 10 more minutes on low.
  5. Enjoy!
  6. Serve with quinoa or rice. Place beans in a salad or in enchiladas or quesadillas or my most recent post Tex Mex Lasagna. Also you could puree these beans in a high power blender to make black bean hummus dip to spread on pizza or dip your veggies into it for a snack.

IMG_5891

 

 

Applebutter Pork with carrots & haricot verts

  

I love Sundays and especially I love to use my slow cooker on Sunday’s. I attribute this dish to Sunday classic slow cooker home cooked meals. This dish literally takes three minutes to get ready before you’re off to enjoying your Sunday. There is no reason you can’t number one afford this dish or not have time for a home cook Sunday dinner. 

 This past Sunday it was nearly 70° outside and I couldn’t bear staying indoors so this was perfect to put in the slow cooker and be off to enjoying the sun in the strip District.
Ingredients:

One pork loin or tenderloin 1 to 2 pounds

3/4 cup of apple butter

2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

One bag of baby carrots (approximately 2 cups)

2 cups of fresh Haricot Verts or Green beans 

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder 

1/8 tsp ground pepper

4 quart crockpot 

Directions:

1. Place the carrots and on the bottom of the crockpot. Place the pork on top of the carrots.

2. In a small bowl mix the Applebutter,  pepper, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and vinegar. Place the marinade on top of the pork.

3. Turn the slow cooker on low. Cover and allow the slow cooker to slow cook the meat for 7 1/2 hours. On the mark of the last half-hour (7.5), add Haricot verts. Allow them to steam for the last half an hour which would make the pork cook for a total of eight hours. 

If you don’t like haricot verts use broccoli or another favorite green. 

Enjoy!

Savory Pork Loin

  
I had my sister and her family over for the super bowl and I made this savory Porkloin. This slow cooked meat will just melt in your mouth. My sister literally said this meat melts in your mouth.
Ingredients: 

1 (3-4) pound pork loin

2 bay leaves

2 cups of chicken stock 

4 large potatoes cut into 2 inch chunks, unpeeled

1 cup of baby carrots

1 medium onion cut into large wedges

2 stocks of celery, diced

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard (seeded mustard)

2 tsp dried Rosemary

1/2 tsp dried thyme 

Natures seasoning to sprinkle on meat (if you don’t have this use salt and pepper)

1 tb Rosemary infused olive oil

1 tsp garlic salt
Directions: 

1. Sear the meat in a large sauté pan on all sides, over medium heat, I would suggest for about 6 minutes on each side on medium heat. 

2. Place seared meat in the center of the crockpot. A range the vegetables around the meat. Pour the stock over the meat. 

3. Take the mustard, Rosemary, thyme and garlic salt and make a paste. Place it ontop of the meat evenly. Place bay leaf on top. Cover with lid and allow to cook on low for 8 hours. 

4. Enjoy!

Apple Pork Tenderloin

  
The seasons are changing and I love that you can get fresh apples just about anywhere with fall around the corner. My favorite are from my grandfather’s orchard! I am a lucky girl, I have about a bushel of his granny smith apples on hand. 

While my husband worked in the garage this morning I threw these ingredients into the 4 qt slow cooker. So when he is done we can enjoy the day! 

I think we will take a run on our favorite trail then head off to the local covered bridge festival. The best part of the day will be we will get spend the day together and come home to a hot meal.

Maybe I’ll make some fresh bread to go with it! 

Ingredients:

2 Granny Smith apples (cored and sliced into wedges)

8 oz of homemade applebutter

Salt and pepper to taste 

1.5 pound pork tenderloin

1 TB dried parsley

4 small garlic gloves minced

1/2 cup orange juice 

2 tsp canola oil 

Directions:

1. In a large sauté pan on medium heat heat canola oil. Add pork to pan and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat on all sides to achieve some added flavor. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Spread the apples evenly on the bottom of the slowcooker. Pour the orange juice on top of the apples. Place the browned meat on top of the apples. Pour the applebutter on top of the pork. Lastly sprinkle the meat with minced garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. 

3. Place the slowcooker on low for 8 hours! Enjoy with some parsley potatoes and homemade bread!