Beans

Bean and Ham Soup

4:29 AM


 Bean and Ham Soup

6 cups unsalted chicken stock

1 pound dried Great Northern beans, sorted of debris and rinsed

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

3 garlic cloves, chopped (about 1 Tbsp.)

3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)

2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

1 large, meaty ham bone (about 4 lb.)


Stir together chicken stock, Great Northern beans, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, celery, carrots, and onion in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Place ham bone in the center of mixture; cover and cook on HIGH until beans are tender, about 6 hours. Remove ham bone; let stand until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bone; discard fat, gristle, and bone. Shred meat, and stir into soup. 


Beef

Steakhouse Soup

8:14 AM


 Steakhouse Soup


1/2 cup cup steak sauce

1 carton (32 ounces) beef broth

1-1/2 pounds red potatoes, cubed

1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 package (16 ounces) frozen vegetables of your choice, thawed

2 cups water

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Combine steak sauce and remaining ingredients in a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low 8-10 hours or until steak and potatoes are tender.

Green Peppers

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork

7:31 AM

 


Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup white vinegar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1-1/2 pounds boneless pork loin chops, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup chicken broth

Hot cooked rice


In a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker, mix the first 10 ingredients. Stir in pork, onion, green pepper and pineapple. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until pork is tender. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and broth until smooth; gradually stir into cooking juices. Cook, covered, on low 15-20 minutes longer or until sauce is thickened. Serve with rice.

Beef

Slow Cooker Garlic Sesame Beef

6:02 AM


 Slow Cooker Garlic Sesame Beef

6 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 beef sirloin tip roast (3 pounds), thinly sliced

Additional sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds

Hot cooked rice


In a large shallow dish, mix the first 8 ingredients. Add beef; turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, 8 hours or overnight. Pour beef and marinade into a 3-qt. slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low 5-7 hours or until meat is tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove beef to a serving platter; sprinkle with additional green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with rice.


Beef

Slow Cooker Beef Tips

7:05 AM



Slow Cooker Beef Tips


1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 2 pounds), cut into 2-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 celery rib, coarsely chopped

6 garlic cloves, halved

2 cups beef broth

1-1/2 cups dry red wine

1 fresh rosemary sprig

1 bay leaf

2 cans (4 ounces each) sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Hot cooked egg noodles


Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon to a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker. In same pan, add onion and celery; cook and stir until tender, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add broth, wine, rosemary and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to about 2 cups, 8-10 minutes. Pour over beef in slow cooker; stir in mushrooms. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 6-8 hours. Remove rosemary and bay leaf. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch, water and vinegar until smooth; gradually stir into beef mixture. Serve with noodles.

Bacon

Corn Potato Bacon Chowder

8:21 AM




Corn Potato Bacon Chowder

2 large carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 potatoes, chopped
2 (16 oz ) cans of corn, drained (or one 10-12oz. bag of frozen corn) 
2 (16 oz ) cans of creamed corn
4 cups of water chicken broth
1 lb bacon cooked and crumbled
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons of butter, optional

Place everything except for the evaporated milk, cornstarch and butter or margarine into the slow cooker. Add just enough water or chicken stock to cover the ingredients. Cook on high 5 hours or low 7-8 hours until vegetables are softened. Combine cornstarch and evaporated milk. Stir into slow cooker along with butter 30 minutes before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.



Broccoli

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken & Broccoli Rice

9:09 AM




Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken & Broccoli Rice

1 ½ pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – cut into 1’’ cubes
2 Cloves Garlic – minced
1 ½ tsp Grated Ginger Root gently packed
½ Cup Honey
1/3 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 ½ TBS Sesame Oil
1 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar
1 TBS Light Brown Sugar
4 tsp Cornstarch
Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste
2 large Heads Broccoli – roughly chopped into large florets (about 28 ounces)

Make the sauce: In a medium bowl whisk together the garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, oil, vinegar, and brown sugar. Cook the chicken: Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and place them in the slow cooker. Pour the honey mixture over the top of the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3-3 ½ hours or HIGH for 1 ½ - 2 hours*, stirring halfway through. (Chicken will continue cooking in next step). In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1 ½ tablespoons of water to combine. Carefully add the cornstarch mixture to the slow cooker and stir well to combine. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. Meanwhile, make the broccoli rice: Place the broccoli in the food processor and pulse until it resembles the texture of rice. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the broccoli rice and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes, or until the “rice” is golden brown and slightly crispy. Serve chicken over rice.


















Gravy

Slow Cooker Pork Loin

7:55 AM



Slow Cooker Pork Loin

One 3 1/2- to 4-pound pork loin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil 
2 cups chicken broth 
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
1 tablespoon soy sauce 
3 tablespoons cornstarch 

Trim the visible fat from the loin. If necessary, cut the roast to fit into a 3 1/2-, 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, ginger, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub the spice mixture over the entire surface of the loin. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat and brown the loin slowly on all sides. Drain off the fat. Transfer the loin to the slow cooker. Combine the chicken broth, lemon juice and soy sauce in a small bowl; pour over the loin. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. When the roast is done, transfer the meat to a serving platter and cover to keep it warm. To make the gravy, pour the juices from the slow cooker into a glass measuring cup. Skim off the fat. Measure 2 cups of liquid, adding water to the juices if necessary to make 2 cups. Transfer the juices to a saucepan, reserving 1/2 cup. Stir the cornstarch into the reserved 1/2 cup of juices until dissolved, then stir into the juices in the saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the gravy is thickened and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Slice the roast and serve it with the gravy.



Lisa Moore

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

8:00 AM




Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

2 cups vegetable stock
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and roughly chopped
1 medium (about 3–4 lbs) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 sprig fresh sage, or a pinch of dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 cup canned (unsweetened) coconut milk

Add vegetable stock, garlic, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, onion, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg to slow cooker.Toss to combine. Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high, or until the squash is completely tender and mashes easily with a fork.  Remove and discard the sage.  Stir in the coconut milk. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.  (Or you can transfer the soup in two batches into a traditional blender and puree until smooth, being extremely careful not to fill the blender too full with a hot liquid.)  Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne as needed. Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes.