Tyler Florance's Shredded Beef Burritos in the Crock-pot

This recipe is actually a stove top recipe, but honestly, who has 3 hours to babysit a top on the stove top? Not me that's for sure. I really wanted to try this recipe, however during the work week, this is not the type of meal that I could just make whenever I arrive home from work. So I thought why not make this in the crock pot. I have to say, that this has to be one of the best crock pot recipes that I'm made in a long time!

I was so pleased with the way that it came out. The beef came out so moist and jammed packed with flavor. I was so please with the way it came out in the crock-pot that I'm not even going to try to make in on the stove top, why mess with perfection.

Recipe source...http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/mexican-pot-roast-tacos-recipe/index.html (this is the stove-pot version)

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

2 pounds beef shoulder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced (I like red onions)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon smoked cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 avocado cut into chunks
1 med tomato cut into chunks
1/2 habanero pepper minced
6 wraps
lite sour cream

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

Season all sides of the beef with a fair amount of salt and pepper.

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, onions, canned tomatoes, beef cayenne pepper, and cumin to crock-pot.

Let cook on LOW for 7-8 hours. Beef should be fork tender and falling apart.

Remove beef from pot and using 2 forks shred beef into bite size.

TO ASSEMBLE YOUR BURRITO:

Take one wrap, and take a teaspoon of sour cream and spread on wrap.

Add shredded beef, and top with chopped tomatoes, habanero pepper, and avocado.

Wrap burrito and eat!

Weight Watchers Crock-pot Beef Stroganoff

I have to admit, I had fallen into the rut of making the same few dishes over and over again. Maybe it has to do this the fact that I just wanted to come home after work and make something for the family that didn't involve to much thinking, or maybe, I would rather stick with something I knew, apposed to making something that could be a complete failure and have nothing as a back-up. Whatever the reason was, I had to get out of the funk.

Long story short, I decided it was time to break out the crock-pot, and try a few recipes I had bookmarked. I must say that this was such an easy meal and was a great idea for today. We had so many things that we wanted/needed to do today that it was nice to be able to assemble this meal in the morning and when dinner time rolled around we had our meal made. I will surely keep this recipe and make it again on days that I have a lot going on. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did! Happy cooking!

Adapted from: The Weight Watchers Magazine
Serving Size : 6-9

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 1/2 lbs beef, (trimmed off fat)
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium red pepper chopped (can be omitted)
8oz of sliced mushrooms (I just chopped them into large chunks)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons dried parsley (I used fresh)
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (can be omitted)
1/2 teaspoon dill dried (I used fresh)
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 can fat-free beef broth
3/4 c low-fat sour cream (I use fat-free)
6 cups of cooked egg noodles

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

Trim fat from steak.

Wrap steak in heavy-duty plastic wrap; freeze 30 minutes.

Unwrap steak; cut steak diagonally across grain into 1/8-inch thick slices.

Place steak, onion, and next 7 ingredients in a 3-quart electric slow cooker.

Combine flour and broth in a bowl; stir with a whisk until blended.

Add broth mixture to cooker; stir well.

Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours or until tender.

Turn slow cooker off; remove lid. Let stand 10 minutes.

Stir in sour cream. Serve stroganoff over cooked noodles.

Per serving: 436 Calories; 8g Fat (17% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 53g Carbohydrate; 133mg Cholesterol; 409mg Sodium

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Being that I work late one night a week, (12 hour day) I needed to find some recipes that could just put in the crock-pot, so that my husband wouldn't have to go crazy making dinner for himself and Jonathan. This Chicken Cordon Bleu was one of the easiest recipes I have ever come upon. I love the fact that it assembles in a matter of minutes, and cooks while I'm out. I promise this recipe will leave them asking for more.

Recipe source: "Fit-it and forget-it" 5 ingredient favorites

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (seasoned with a little of salt and fresh ground pepper)
1/2 lb deli-sliced cooked ham
1/2 lb Swiss cheese sliced
10oz can cream of chicken soup (I prefer to use fat-free)
1 box dry stuffing mix, prepared according to the box.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

Layer all ingredients in the order they are listed above into crock-pot.

Chicken on the bottom, a couple of slices of ham, cheese, cream of chicken soup on top of that, and then top it all off with prepared stuffing.

Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours on high for 3.5-4 hours until chicken is tender but not dry.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken

I have to admit, I never heard of 40 clove garlic chicken until I joined a food website/broad where other women who enjoy cooking post recipes, and questions. Because of this broad, I have found myself thinking more outside the box. I have also tired to make things that I would never have thought I would be capable of creating. So for that, my family and I thank you.

This recipe is so easy and requires little to no work on your part. All you have to do is the prep work, which should take no more than 10 minutes from start to finish, and then your crock-pot will do the rest. This is the perfect dish for long days in the office, or on days that you are out running around all day. Being able to come home to a hearty meal is always a plus.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Happy cooking!

FYI....I highly recommend that you brine your chicken to insure that it stay moist. It is not necessary, however I have found that a chicken that has been brine is always so much better.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 tablespoons butter
40 cloves garlic peeled about 4 head
3 1/2 lb chicken pieces (I like to use chicken breasts)
2 onions chopped
4 stalks of celery diced
1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves
2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
1/4 freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 Cup dry white vermouth or white wine

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

Place chicken into bottom of slow cooker. (chicken can be added frozen)

In a skillet melt butter over medium-low heat.

Add garlic and cook, until soften and turn a golden color then transfer garlic to slow cooker

Add onions and celery to pan and cook stirring until softened.

Add basil, salt, peppercorns and nutmeg and cook, stirring for 1 minute

Add vermouth and bring to a boil.

Pour over Chicken.

For the most important step...once everything is the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or 3-4 hours on high, until juices run clear when pierced with a fork.

This dish I like to serve with white rice, a veggie such as broccoli or corn, and some fresh bread, which I like to spread with the garlic cloves from the chicken. So yummy, I'm ready for leftovers. LOL!

Carne Adovada

I would have never thought of making this dish on my own. I had a 3lb pork shoulder in my freezer that I wanted to use up, and both my husband and I weren't in the mood for pulled pork again so soon. I then, turned to the ladies on the nest and BridgetMc posted this recipe which appeared to be something completely different from anything I had ever made. Needless to say...I was so excited to try something new.

Not only is this recipe easy and tasty, but its also lite and not fatty. My husband and I enjoyed this so much that I can't wait to make it again.

FYI....This is a spicy recipe so if you have stomach issues, or do not like spicy foods, then this recipe is not for you.

Thanks Bridget!

Recipe from BridgetMc blog link below
http://www.crumblycookie.net/2009/11/18/carne-adovada/

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
16-18 dried red chili pods
hot water
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt (adjust salt to taste, I had to add more)
1 tablespoon dried oregano (I omitted this because I didn't have any in the house)
4 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of thick layer of fat and sliced ½-inch thick

Remove stems and seeds from the chile pods (I left the seeds, because we like spicy foods.)

Place the chile in a large bowl add enough hot water to cover them.

Soak for 1 hour. Strain, reserving the soaking liquid.

Place the chiles, garlic, and salt in a blender and add enough soaking liquid to just cover.

Blend until the skins disappear and the mixture is smooth, 2-3 minutes.

Pour the sauce over meat, cover tightly, and marinate in the refrigerator for 24-28 hours. (I ended up marinating the meat for over 36 hours and it gave the pork a wonderful flavor.)

Directions for baking in oven... heat the oven to 350ºF.

Place the meat and chile sauce marinade in a baking pan and cover tightly with foil.

Bake the carne adovada until the meat is falling apart tender, about 4 hours.

Directions and the way I made it...crock-pot carne adovada cook on low heat for 7-9 hours.

When the meat is done, shred it or cut it into 1-inch pieces. Serve with your favorite Mexican sides. I served this with yellow rice and guacamole. Yummy!

Turkey meat sauce

I will admit that jarred sauce is so convenient. After a long day at work the last thing you want to do is make sauce, but if you make this sauce ahead of time not only will you have great tasting sauce, but you will also know what has gone into it.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I love to read the labels on jarred foods. I am always impressed by how many ingredients are in jarred and canned foods that I would never use. I guess that's the price that you pay for convenience. I wish I could express to you all how wonderful this recipe is, the only way that you will have a real appreciation for it, is if you try it.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1.5lbs of ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
a few steams of fresh parsley
2 (28-ounce) cans whole Italian plum tomatoes, with their juices


In a large saucepan saute the onion in the olive oil over medium-high heat until soft and lightly golden, about 4 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add ground turkey let cook until brown.

Drain fat and then add the tomato paste, salt, hot sauce, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and basil, and cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, crushing with your spoon in the pan.

Stir to combine well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over any pasta of choice and enjoy! This can also be made in the crock-pot.

Spicy Pulled Pork

What can I say about pork...the other white meat, besides that this dish has made it's way into our lives and will continue to stay for a very only time. My husband is not a fan of pork, mostly because he finds it to be dry. The day I told him that I was going to be making pulled pork sandwiches he didn't appear to be too excited to try it. Which to me was a major bummer because I was looking forward to it.

Once dinner time rolled around he actually eat a huge sandwich and asked if he could have another. After dinner he stated that he was in state of "food comma" but wanted to know if this recipe could be put on our regular meal plan rotation. So I knew that this dish was a hit. Based on his reaction to the dish I have decided that next time I have a Pot-luck dinner to go to, this will be what I bring.

The funny thing about this recipe is that I didn't find myself making all kinds of changes to the recipe like I always do with anything else that I make. I did however take two recipes for pulled pork and combined them to make this one. The outcome of combining the two recipes was amazing. Both recipes I used were great on their own, however I think together it's out of this world. (We are spice fans in this house LOL!) I hope that if you try it that you will come back and let me know how it came out. Good or bad I would love to get your take on it.


This recipe was adapted from...
both Melissa's blogs (http://melissaheartsfood.blogspot.com/2009/07/slow-cooker-pulled-pork.html and BrigetMc food blog http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/05/30/crockpot-pulled-pork/


What you will need

6lb bone-in pork shoulder
2 cans or bottle root beer
1 bottle your favorite BBQ sauce
Burger Buns (We like Whole Wheat Bun)
1 medium tomato sliced (my husband like the fresh crisp taste with the pork)

What you will need for your Spice Rub

1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper

What you need to do....

Mix all dry spice rub ingredients in small bowl.

Rub spices into meat and then Wrap tightly refrigerate over night

Next morning place unwrapped pork into crock pot, cover with root beer, and cook on low for 8-9 hours, until meat falls apart without your help.

Remove pork from crock pot and discard all liquid in crock pot.

With two forks remove any access fat and shred pork shoulder. The meat should appear to be "falling apart" on it's own.

Once meat is shredded place it back into your crock pot and add a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce.

Let the meat heat on low for another hour.

And your done!

Crock pot Cauliflower Soup

I have found myself wanting to "doctor-up" recipes to make them a little more healthy. Besides the benefits being active, Both my husband and I have found that it is important to teach our son how to eat the right foods without having to give up on taste. While I have always said that I wanted to feed my family as much healthy food as possible I also don't want them to miss out on the favor. Just because something is good for you doesn't mean that it has to taste bad. Thus the reason I think soups are a great source of nutrition and favor.

I also have to admit that I have become bored with my veggies and decided that I would buy a head of cauliflower so I could make some cauliflower soup. A friend of mine served this rich creamy soup once at her dinner party and when I asked her for the recipe I wanted to die just thinking of how many calories I took in that night. Of course I wasn't about to use her recipe so I turned to the ladies on the nest and Mary-Ellen was sweet enough to share her's with me. I did follow her recipe to the tea, but I did add a few things and made mine in the crock pot, which was great because all I did was add everything in and let it cook. It was so good that I can't wait to make it again.

adapted from Mary Ellen link below if you would like to see my reference.
http://mecookingcreations.blogspot.com/2007/12/cold-night-comfort-food-soup-and.html

What you will need:

Coarse salt and coarse black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (I just eye ball it)
2 tablespoons butter,
1 large cauliflower cut into small bunches of florets
3 ribs celery chopped in big chucks
1 medium onion, chopped in big chucks
2 cloves of garlic (or you may use garlic powder)
1 carrot chopped into large chucks
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 12oz chicken broth (I almost always use home made chicken broth but this time I ran out and had to use LOW SODIUM stock)
1 12oz of water
1 and 1/2 cup milk (I use 2% but Maryellen recommends heavy cream because it would make it creamer.)
2 tablespoons hot sauce (It is amazing, it adds a little kick and is not over powering)
chopped fresh parsley leaves or chives, for garnish (I skipped this part because I didn't have any)

Directions

-Add all ingredients listed above toss into your crock-pot.
-Let everything cook for about 4 hours on high. Then turn to low.
-Remove all the carrots, onion, celery chunks and put into blender along with half the cauliflower florets. left cool a little before blending.
-Once everything is blended add puree into crock pot. Stir with a wooden spoon to blend everything together.
-Let it cook for another 1 hour on low. After that hour pour yourself a big blow and serve some toasty french bread.

ENJOY!

Easy Ham and Corn Chowder

I am not a fan of corn chowder, actually I'm not a fan of corn period, however my husband and son love corn. Seeing that the temperature keeps dropping here in New England I think that now would be the perfect time to make them a hearty chowder.

By the way this recipe also works wonderfully in the crock-pot.

Not that chowders are meant to be lite but this is my version of a "healthier" ham and corn chowder. Yields about 8 servings
Nutrients per serving (1 cup) Cal 210, Fat 4g, Saturated fat 1g Cabs 34g, Protein 11g,

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 medium unpeeled red potatoes
1 cup cubed cooked ham steak with all fat removed
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 teaspoon of butter
2 tablespoons of AP flour
14 ounces of homemade chicken broth (if you don't make your own you can use one can of store bought chicken broth)
1 can of fat-free evaporated milk
1 can creamed corn
1 cup of frozen corn
2 tablespoons chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste
cooked crumbled bacon

Directions:

Cut potatoes and ham into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside. Dice bell pepper and chop celery. Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat, add bell pepper and celery cook for about 3 minutes until veggies are crisp and tender. Stir in flour heat until bubbly. Add broth, evaporated milk and creamed corn until blended.

On a slide grilled I like to cook cubed ham until they are crispy.

Add potatoes and bring to a boil, reduce heat and add frozen corn. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes (potatoes should be tender). stir in ham, heat thoroughly. Remove from heat stir in chives and season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon.

A Lighter Version of Crock-Pot Potato Soup

So I have been craving some potato soup and while looking for a recipe I was shocked at some of the ingredients that went into this soup so I decided that I would try to makeup my own recipe. The final outcome was that I was able to produce a great potato soup without using heavy cream and a brick of cream cheese. It isn't as creamy due to the substitutions but aside from that, it tastes just as good as the not so healthy version.

8 potatoes chopped into bite size chunks
1 large Onion chopped
2 can of fat free and low sodium chicken broth
1 cup of water
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
1 large carrot diced
1 cup of lite cream
1/2 tsp of black pepper
about 3-4 slices of bacon crispy and chopped into small pieces.
cheddar cheese for topping (optional)
1 Tsp. of corn starch (to help thicken up soup)

Take all ingredients listed above put into crock pot and let cook on low for 8 hours. When done pour yourself a big bowl of soup top with some cheese and chopped up bacon. Serve with some crunchy bread. Great for those cold winter nights!

Turkey Chili

Now that it is getting colder in New England, I decided that it was time to pull out some of my favorite recipes for the Fall and Winter. My Husband is a meat and potatoes type of person, but he loves it when I make this chili on a snowy day. I hope you all enjoy it. You can also convert this reciepe to cook in the crock-pot.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds ground turkey (made white meat)
1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons ground Chile Molido or ground red pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 package chili seasoning
4 cups chicken broth (I make my own)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

2. Add the ground turkey, turkey sausage, smoked paprika, and Chile Molido. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the meat is done.

3. Add the onion, celery, bell peppers, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft.

4. Add the stewed tomatoes, chili mix, and chicken broth, stirring well.

5. Allow the chili to simmer, stirring occasionally.

6. Season with salt and pepper. Delicious served with grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, and corn chips or in a bread bowl.