"Smoked" Pulled Pork

Versatile pulled pork with good flavor.  I used bone-in, which typically gives more flavor in the cooking process (and it's cheaper), and the bones easily pulled right out.

• 3 1/2 lbs pork carnitas meat, shoulder or butt roast
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (I used Liquid Aminos)
• 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

1. Quarter the pork and then place pork in bottom of Instant Pot or the slow cooker. Pour all the other ingredients over the top of the pork.
2. For the Instant Pot: Cover and make sure valve is on “sealing.” Set the manual button for 70 minutes. When the time is up let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Release any extra pressure by gently pushing the valve to “venting.” For the Slow Cooker: cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours, or until meat is very tender.
3. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and shred with a fork. It should be ultra tender.  You can also put the meat in a Ktichenaid bowl and use the paddle attachment to quickly shred.
4. Serve meat plain, on sandwiches, in a salad, in a taco or however you want! If you want to add bbq sauce to make it more flavorful you can do that too.

Slow Cooker Pork Posole

 Long after we finished eating, my husband walked by and said, "That posole is a keeper."  That's my cue to record the recipe so I don't forget what I made!  I've used a different posole recipe for years, but decided to try something a bit different and, as Ryan stated, it's a keeper.

• 2 ½ pounds Boneless Country Pork Ribs (or pork butt)
• salt and pepper
• 3 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white or yellow hominy, drained (do not rinse)
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes with juice
• juice of 1 lime

• Trim any visible fat from the pork and cut into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the pork pieces to the pan and cook until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add the browned pork to the slow cooker. Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan and once shimmering, brown the remaining pork. Remove to the slow cooker.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the last teaspoon of oil to the pan. Once heated add the chopped onions. Sauté the onions until softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano to the onions. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic mixture to the slow cooker.
• Add the minced chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, hominy, chicken broth, bay leaf and fire roasted canned tomatoes to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover and cook until the pork is very tender, about 6 to 7 hours on high or 7 to 8 on low.
• Turn off the slow cooker and remove the bay leaf. Skim any fat from the surface of the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the juice of 1 lime. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Crockpot Crispy Caramelized Pork Ramen Noodle Soup

I've saved my favorite meal from the menu swap to share with you last.  This, right here, is some real deal sophisticated ramen soup.  Jessie said this was her favorite meal from 2015, and I immediately understood why after my first bite.  The broth is full of fantastic flavor.  Add in some unique toppings (curried miso roasted squash?!) and good 'ol ramen noodles, and you have yourself a bowl of goodness that you'll slurp to the very last drop.  Take the extra ten minutes to caramelize and crisp the pork.  It's totally worth it.

• Soup
• 2-3 pounds pork shoulder roast (or butt)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth, plus more of needed
• 1/4-1/2 cup + 2-4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 
• 1/4 cup + 2-4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional)
• 2 tablespoons thai red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (chili paste) (or to taste)
• The juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 cups wild mushrooms, left whole - or button mushrooms, sliced
• 4 packs Ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
• 4 soft boiled or fried eggs, for serving
• Chopped carrots, sliced jalapenos, cilantro + green onions, for serving
• Curry Roasted Acorn Squash
• 1 medium acorn squash, seeded + diced
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (I use spicy curry)
• 1 tablespoon white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Pepper, to taste

Add the pork to the bowl of a crockpot. Pour the chicken broth, 1/4-1/2 cup soy sauce (depending on your taste), 1/4 cup rice vinegar and fish sauce over the pork. Add the thai red curry paste, ginger, sambal oelek, juice of 1 lime, Chinese five spice powder, black pepper and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours (I recommend going low and slow).

About 40 minutes before you are ready to eat, roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix together the melted coconut oil, curry powder, miso, brown sugar and a good pinch of pepper. Add the cubed squash to a greased baking sheet and pour the curry mixture over the squash. Toss well. Bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing a couple of times during cooking. You want the squash to be lightly browned and crisp.

Meanwhile, remove the pork from the crockpot and add the mushrooms. Cover the crockpot and crank the heat up to high. Lightly shred the pork with two forks or your hands.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame oil. Once hot, add enough pork to cover just the surface of your skillet, do not over crowd the skillet. Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the pork, add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, toss. Allow the pork to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Stir and allow the pork to continue to caramelize, about 3-5 minutes total. Remove the pork from the skillet, repeat with the remaining pork. Keep the pork warm.

Add the Ramen noodles to the crockpot and allow them to cook 5 minutes. Once the noodles are cooked, stir in only half of the pork. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with extra caramelized pork, curry roasted acorn squash and an egg. Season the egg with salt and pepper, Add the carrots, jalapeños, green onions and cilantro if desired. Happy slurping!

Slow Cook Thai Chicken

Jessie's photo

Such an easy and yummy winner dinner!  The sauce is so rich.  I might try adding a little brown sugar to the sauce next time just for fun.


6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I used chunky)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
3 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts


DIRECTIONS

1. Place the chicken breast strips, bell pepper and onion into a slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth and 1/4 cup of soy sauce, then season with cumin, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to blend, then cover and cook on Low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.
2. Remove 1 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker, and mix this with the cornstarch, peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and lime juice. This should blend into a fairly thick sauce. Stir the sauce back into the slow cooker, and place the lid on the pot.
3. Cook on High for 30 minutes. Garnish with green onions, cilantro and peanuts before serving.

Pomegranate Taco Chicken in the Crockpot

If you decide to make the Pomegranate Beef recipe I posted a few days ago,  (and clearly, I think you should!), then you are on the right track to making this as well!  This is another meat in the crockpot that uses pomegranate juice!  The juice is not cheap.  I get it.  But I think these two very different and very delicious recipes are worth that $5 small bottle of POM sitting there on the shelf.

We first tasted this chicken while having dinner with friends.  They served chicken tacos, and the meat was perfectly flavored for tacos, but tasted much better than if they had just dumped some chicken and a packet of taco seasoning into the crockpot.  Turns out they did just dump chicken and a few things in the crockpot!  The idea was so simple, and the chicken so good, I repeated the meal the following week with my family.  You can use the meat for all sorts of dishes: tacos, burritos, a salad, quesadillas, grilled sandwiches, nachos, as a chip dip mixed with some sour cream and salsa . . . you get the idea!


2-4 chicken breasts (I only used two, but they were very big)
1 onion, chopped
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
pepper, to taste (optional)


Place everything in a crock pot.  Cover.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5.  Shred with two forks and serve.

Pomegranate Beef in the Crockpot

This extremely easy dish is extremely delicious!  I had a strong feeling it was going to be good just from reading the recipe, so I went ahead and made it for the first time when we had friends joining us for dinner.  And because it was so super easy and required no culinary skill on my part, I joined in with everyone else and raved about how wonderful the meat and sauce tasted!  Tender, juicy, and full of tremendous flavor.  The picture is my leftovers over rice, which works.  But it's much better served over creamy mashed potatoes.
  

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (I used 1 tsp. each of basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 pounds beef roast (I used a chuck roast)
4 garlic cloves (whole is fine, or you can chop them)
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup golden raisins

Use at least a 6-quart slow cooker. Swirl the olive oil into the bottom of the stoneware. Add the onion. Combine spices in a small bowl and then rub the mixture on all sides of meat.  Add to the stoneware with the garlic, the whole can of tomatoes, pomegranate juice, vinegar, and syrup. Sprinkle the raisins on top. 

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 5. The meat is done when it has reached desired tenderness. Serve over mashed potatoes, and don't forget to include the sauce on top.

Slow Cooker Honey Pulled Pork

Truly, how many variations of pork cooked in a crock pot can there be?  I don't know, but this is another good one worth trying!  The author had me when she said this was one of her husband's most favorite meals while he was in law school.  I can relate to luring a man away from his study books long enough to enjoy a delicious meal.  And my husband was definitely a fan of this meal (while thankfully not having to study as much these days!).  I regret not making the cornmeal pancakes to serve with the meat, but my gingersnaps acted as though the Hawaiian sweet buns were like manna, so it all worked out.

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add less for less heat - I only used 1/4 tsp for the kids' sake, but they probably could have handled a bit more)
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced with white and green parts divided
• 1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) pork loin, trimmed of excess fat
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• Bob’s Red Mill Cornmeal Pancake Mix (or your favorite cornmeal pancake recipe)
• 
  
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, garlic, cayenne, and white part of the scallions (reserve the green parts for serving).
• 
  
• Spray insert of a 5-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork loin in the insert, then pour the honey mixture over the top. Cover and slow cook for 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high, until the pork registers 165 degrees F on a thermometer and is no longer pink in the center. With tongs, gently remove the pork from the slow cooker and transfer it to a large plate, reserving the pork juices in the slow cooker. With two forks, shred the pork. Set aside.
• 
  
• Transfer the pork juices remaining in the slow cooker to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water, then add to the cooking liquid. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Return shredded pork to the slow cooker and pour the thickened sauce over the top. Toss gently to combine, then turn the slow cooker to low to keep the pork warm.  
• 
  
• Place rack in the center of oven and preheat oven to 200 degrees F. When ready to serve, prepare the cornmeal pancakes. As you cook the pancake batches, transfer them to a baking tray placed in the oven to keep them warm if needed.
• 
  
• To serve: Top cornmeal pancakes with pulled pork. Garnish with reserved green onion tops and serve warm.

Cajun Chicken Spaghetti

This could be a very yummy hassle-free dinner.  I made extra work for myself by making my own alfredo sauce, but the flavors were great and after getting everything in the crock pot, I didn't have to think about it again until dinner time!  

10 

ounces (about 2/3 of a 1 lb box) dried spaghetti noodles

1 

15 ounce jar Alfredo sauce

1 

medium (about 1 cup) yellow onion, diced

2 

cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 

pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 

pound andouille sausage, sliced (I used keilbasa sausage)

1 

green bell pepper, diced

1 

14.5 ounce can Muir Glen Fire-roasted Tomatoes

1 1/2 

tablespoons Creole seasoning

1/4 

cup heavy cream

1/2 

teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

• Get all the ingredients out. You’re going to do just a tiny bit of chopping and then a whole lot of dumping – it’s that simple!
• Dice the chicken and slice the andouille sausage.
• Dice the onion, chop the green bell pepper, mince the garlic and you’re done! That’s all the prep work. Now we’re just going to add everything to the slow cooker.
• Pour 1/3 of the Alfredo sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and stir in the onions and garlic.
• Layer the chicken pieces on top of the saucy onions.
• Sprinkle ½ of the Creole seasoning over the chicken.
• Layer the green bell peppers over the chicken.
• Layer the andouille sausage over the chicken.
• Next pour the tomatoes (including the juice) over the sausage.
• Sprinkle the remaining Creole seasoning over the tomatoes.
• Pour the remaining Alfredo sauce over the tomatoes.
• Close the lid and cook on low for 4 hours.
• Open the lid, enjoy the whiff of the delicious sauce, and give it a stir to combine everything.
• Add about ¼ cup of heavy cream to make the sauce that much creamier and yummy. Add the salt. Add more according to taste or add more Creole seasoning if desired.
• Break the spaghetti noodles in thirds and place them in the sauce. 
• Stir the noodles around in the sauce until completely coated and submerged in the sauce. Make sure they’re not sticking out. Raise the heat to high and cook for another 20-25 minutes. Keep in mind that once you turn the slow cooker off, the sauce and noodles will continue to cook for a few minutes and you don’t want to overcook the noodles. So if you’re not going to eat immediately, reduce the time you cook the noodles.
• Give your Slow Cooker Cajun Spaghetti a good stir or two and you’re ready to rock n’ roll!

Sour Cream Pork Chops

Be careful when you take the pork chops out of the crock pot on this one.  The meat is super tender and falls apart so easily! 

6 pork chops

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil.

Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Pour chicken broth over chops. Cover, and cook on Low 7 to 8 hours.

When meat is almost done, preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).

After the chops have cooked, carefully remove from pot and transfer to the oven to keep warm. Be careful, the chops are so tender they will fall apart. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons flour with the sour cream; mix into meat juices. Turn slow cooker to High for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over pork chops.

Italian Meatball Sub Sandwiches

I'm not sure what prompted the craving, but I really wanted meatball sandwiches last week.  After a bit of searching, I decided to go with this recipe (which I made a few changes to that are reflected below).  I'm a sucker for using the crock pot.  And, whoa, were these great!  I loved the beef and sausage combo (also a winner in lasagna).  There was plenty of sauce to smother over the meatballs, and watching my husband eat the result reminded me of that Carls Jr. commercial that claimed, "If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face"!  This made about three dozen meatballs and my family ate them all in a couple days.



Meatballs:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage

Sauce:
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine or beef broth
1/3 cup water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
Italian rolls, baguette, or other sandwich buns
Parmesan cheese or other preferred cheese for topping


In a large bowl, combine eggs and milk; add the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add beef and sausage; mix well.  Shape into 1-inch balls.  Broil 4 inches from the heat for 3-4 minutes; turn and broil 2-3 minutes longer.

Transfer meatballs to a 5-qt. slow cooker.  Combine the tomato sauce and paste, onion, green pepper, wine or broth, water and seasonings; pour over meatballs.  Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.  Serve on rolls topped with cheese.

Creamy Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup

I've made this twice since trying it out for the first time.  It's simple and a hit with everyone at my table.  You can make the meaty sauce to your liking.  Your goal is to have 6 cups of substantial sauce for flavor and texture.  It's good stuff!


24 oz jar prepared spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb. browned ground beef
1/2 lb. browned Italian sausage
(can substitute above three ingredients for approximately 6 cups of your favorite homemade meaty sauce)
1/2 bag (4.5 oz.) fresh spinach leaves, roughly torn
4 cups chicken broth
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
16 oz. frozen cheese tortellini


Combine spaghetti sauce (and meat if adding it in separately), spinach, cream cheese, chicken broth, and mushrooms in a slow-cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 2-3.

20 minutes before serving, turn heat to high if it isn't already and stir in frozen tortellini.  Cover and cook for 15-20 more minutes.  Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Barley, Black Bean and Corn Burritos

I could eat this sort of thing on a weekly basis.  Easy to put together, hearty, hints of Mexican flavors . . .  My family isn't as enthusiastic as I am about barley (I love the stuff!), but they liked these burritos enough that I'll be making them again soon.

• 2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked pearl barley
• 3/4 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (Rotel)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 
  
• For Topping:
• grated cheddar cheese
• chopped lettuce
• salsa
• sour cream
• avacado
• fresh cilantro

• Place first 11 ingredients in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker; stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in 1/4 cup cilantro.
• Heat tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 2/3 cup barley mixture down center of each tortilla. Sprinkle each with desired toppings, roll up, and enjoy!

Chicken Cacciatore in the Slow Cooker

If you're not already aware, I love using my crock pot.  Thank you, Simply in Season, for another great use of my slow cooker.  I thought it needed a little extra salt, but was otherwise a tasty full-meal-deal in a bowl.  

2-3 pounds of whatever form of boneless/skinless chicken you want to use

4 cups tomatoes, chopped

1 bell pepper (color doesn't matter), cut into strips

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 tsp. dried

1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped, or 1 tsp. dried

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

1 cup mushrooms, chopped (optional)

Combine in slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours.  Serve over pasta or noodles.

Coca Cola Ribs in the Crockpot

Jessie's photo!

Wednesdays are packed for us, so I always do a crockpot meal and you can be sure my family will insist that I make this one again!  My oldest gingersnap said it might be his new favorite dinner - I lost count of how many bones he had on his plate (something about boys and eating meat off the bone!).  The meat was so tender, juicy and flavorful.

3 1/2 pound pork loin back ribs (baby backs)
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion sliced
1/2 cup coke
1 1/2 cups bbq sauce of your choice

Spray inside of slow cooker. In a small bowl mix garlic, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Rub mixture into ribs. Cut into 4 inch pieces. Layer ribs and onions in slow cooker. Pour coke over.


Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Remove ribs, drain and discard liquid. Place ribs on med. heat grill. Brush with bbq sauce. Cover grill and cook for 15 minutes. When we cooked this the meat just fell apart so we put it in the broiler for about 5 minutes with the bbq sauce brushed on.

Chickpea and Apricot Stew

My 10-month-old and I really enjoyed this!  The rest of the family wasn't that impressed.  So it won't be a keeper for the Payne kitchen, but I would still recommend it.  



19 oz (540ml) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
28 oz can crushed tomatoes or 3 1/2 cups homemade tomato sauce
1 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup/150g medium diced turnip
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots (about 12)
zest of 1 large lemon (I only used half a lemon and there was plenty of lemon flavor)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt


Combine all the ingredients in a slow-cooker and stir to combine.
Cover and cook on low setting for 6 hours, or on high for four hours.
Check turnip for tenderness and taste stew for seasoning. Adjust salt if necessary and serve.

Honey Garlic Chicken

This was a total home run!  We all loved it.  And with my really good rice pot, everything, including the brown rice, was literally ready to eat when we walked in the door from swimming lessons.  I used half the amount of soy sauce because that's all I had and the sauce/gravy tasted great, so I'm guessing it doesn't really need the full half-cup.

1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 or one thigh per family member)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup  soy sauce (or less)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey


Use a 4-quart slow cooker (if using a 6-quart, this will cook faster. Check after 3 hours on high, 5 hours on low).
Put the chicken into your cooker. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4.
Serve with basmati rice and steamed or roasted vegetables.

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork

photo credit

This was every bit as good as I hoped it would be!  A crock pot home run.

1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Beef Pho

This was a disappointment.  The only reason I'm sharing is to throw in my two cents for the many of you who pinned the recipe from my pinterest board.  I love pho.  This was not pho. An Asian-inspired noodle soup?  Yes.  But not pho.  The broth had good flavor, but the uncooked noodles soaked up most of it.  I'll keep trying other ways to make my own until I get back to Pho Bac in Seattle.    

6 cups beef broth or stock
1/2 inch chunk of ginger, peeled
3/4 tsp anise 
1 cinnamon stick
2 sliced green onions
1 lb thin sliced beef (I used stir-fry meat from the butcher)
package of rice noodles (usually in the ethnic aisle in the grocery store)
1 tsp fish sauce (anchovies, salt, water. ethnic aisle again. it smells horrible.)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Put all of the broth into the crockpot. Add the meat, green onion, ginger, fish sauce, and spices. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 4-6. It's done when the meat is fully cooked. I used a 6qt Smart Pot for this recipe and it took a good 4 hours on high for the large amount of broth in my crock to get hot enough to cook the meat. 


15 minutes before serving, add the entire package of rice noodles to the pot. Push them under the liquid with a wooden spoon, and cover.


By the time you set the table, the noodles will be tender and glass-like. Serve in bowls. We didn't add any additional garnish, but you can add bean sprouts, fresh cilantro or basil, and lime wedges.

Apple Steel-Cut Oatmeal in the CrockPot

Another point for the crock pot.  Typically, the last thing I want to think about before I go to bed is what I'm going to serve my family for breakfast in the morning.  You want to eat?  Again?!  But I've been trying to get more creative (and save some pennies) than our standard cereal and milk.  And since I did plan out breakfast the night before, and gave this recipe a try, the four of us enjoyed a delicious and hearty bowl of special oats first thing in the morning with minimal prep on my part, which is never a problem for me!


3/4 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 cup coffee cream (1/2 & 1/2)
2 Tablespoons raw cane sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup
1 medium apple, washed and grated
1/2 cup apple sauce or apple butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water


In a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup*, mix together all the ingredients except the water, and combine well. Add the water and slowly mix to combine.  
*You'll see below that I used two glass jars instead of a large pyrex cup (I never get rid of peanut butter jars!).  Before adding the water, I divided the oat mixture between the jars.  It worked out to be about 1 cup per jar.  Then I carefully mixed one cup water into each jar.


Place the measuring cup in the bottom of a slow-cooker and nearly fill it with room temperature water. It should come up the edges of the Pyrex cup to the same level as the oatmeal.  Cover slow-cooker and place on Low. Cook for 6 hours.  My oatmeal ended up cooking for eight hours and was still good.

Don't mind the nasty film on the water.  There was some paper residue on the outside of one of the glass jars . . .

In the morning, carefully remove lid and take out the Pyrex cup. Give the oatmeal a good stir, then portion into four bowls. Serve with cream, fresh chopped apples and toasted walnuts.