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Day 250.
I can't believe I've sat and typed at a brand "new post" screen for 250 days in a row. I am beginning to not remember what I used to do each morning. I certainly didn't eat cold meatballs for breakfast with my coffee.
I hate it that I'm posting this on a Saturday, because Internet traffic is terribly low on Saturday, and these are so good I feel like bowling them down the street. 1) to show-off these terribly awesome meatballs, and 2) to dissipate the pack of tweens with skateboards hanging out on the corner.
The Ingredients.
--1 1/2 pound extra lean ground turkey
--1 egg
--1 tsp kosher salt
--1 tsp ground black pepper
--1 tsp onion powder
--1 green apple, peeled and shredded
--1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
--1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
The Directions.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the ground turkey with the ingredients. I used my hands.
Make golf-ball sized meatballs, and drop them into your crockpot. I used a 6 quart crockpot, but you could use any size over 3 quart, probably. These made enough meatballs to feed our family of 4 for dinner, with 8 leftover for breakfast and lunch. If you have a large family, or would like to cook enough to freeze, double or triple the recipe. You can definitely stagger-stack the meatballs on top of each other.
Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 5-9---the cooking time will depend on how many meatballs are in the crock, and the size of your machine. The more full it is, the longer it will take to cook.
I cooked 1 1/2 pounds of meatballs in a 6 quart for exactly 4 hours on high. I could have left them in a bit longer to brown the ones on the very top, but we were hungry.
While they cook, juice will collect on the bottom of the crock, and the meatballs will start off getting bright white and slimy looking. Don't be alarmed---they will continue to cook and will begin to brown. They (miraculously enough!) don't seem to stick together in a big blob---you'll be able to separate them.
The Verdict.
We all really liked these a lot. They're delicious. Moist, flavorful, and fun to pop in your mouth. I did need to fish the cranberries out of my three-year-old's plate, because evidently eating warm cranberries is "wrong."
Day 249.
Chicken pot pies are a staple in a lot of homes---it started as a way to use up all the leftovers from the fridge, but now has changed into a meal made all on it's own.
I haven't had very many pot pies. I've never ordered one at a restaurant, and am only really familiar with the frozen ones put out by Marie Callender's. I figured that since the tamale pie and the bbq chicken topped with cornbread transferred so nicely to crockpot cooking, a chicken pot pie would too.
Adam thought it tasted like stuffing. It kind of did. My taste buds are all out-of-whack from a funky cold. Everything kind of tastes like metal.
The Ingredients.
Filling:
--2 chopped up skinless chicken thighs or breast halves (raw, but chopped up)
--1/2 cup chopped carrots (these were fresh, but frozen would work)
--1/2 cup frozen corn
--1/2 cup frozen peas
--1/2 t marjoram
--1/2 t thyme
--1/2 t celery seed
--1 t onion powder
--canned cream-of-something soup (or see homemade alternative down below)
--2 T low fat milk
Homemade Soup Alternative:
make a roux on the stove top with the butter and flour, then whisk in the other ingredients.
--1 T butter
--3 T flour (Pamela's or other GF baking flour)
--1/2 cup low fat milk (I used soy)
--1/2 cup chicken broth
--1/4 t salt
--1/4 t black pepper
Biscuit Topping:
--2 cups biscuit mix (I used Bob's Red Mill biscuit mix. I much prefer Pamela's but my favorite store has been out of it for a few weeks)
--1/2 T white sugar
--1/2 cup melted butter (that's a whole stick)
--3/4 cup low fat milk (stick with 2% or lower; I used soy)
The Directions.
I'm already tired of typing. This is a long one. Sorry.
I used a 4 quart crockpot for this recipe. There really wasn't too awful much filling---I used what I had on hand, but if you have a large family or would like leftovers, I'd double the filling.
Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Chop up the chicken and put it into the crockpot. Dump in the vegetables. Add all of the spices. Stir in the cream-of-something soup and add 2T of milk to the can, squish it around to get all the good stuff out of the can, and pour in the rest. Stir well.
In a mixing bowl, make up the biscuit topping. The dough will be pretty playdoughy, and I pretty much mixed it with my hands. Spread the dough on top of the chicken and veggie mixture.
Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours, or on low for 6-7. This is done when the biscuit topping is golden brown, and is hard to the touch in the middle. I cooked ours on high for 4 1/2 hours, and it got a bit too crunchy on the very edges.
If you find that your crockpot seals really well and you have a bunch of condensation building up, you can prop open the lid with a wooden spoon or chopstick. I tried the paper towel trick with this dish, and wasn't impressed. I laid a double-layer of paper towels over the top of the crock, then put the lid back on. The condensation made the paper towels really wet, and they drooped into the food. Also, when I took off the lid and then removed the towels (they were very wet and very hot) I got a blast of steam on my hand that hurt. I'm going to stick with venting with a chopstick.
The Verdict.
This was neat to try, and I'm glad that I did, but I don't see making it again unless someone specifically requests it. And I don't think anyone will. The kids picked out the peas and chunks of chicken but that was about it. I thought it was impressive that the biscuit topping cooked, but since I needed to use Bob's Red Mill, didn't really like the flavor.
The filling was good. Adam's right, it tastes like stuffing. Is that the marjoram?
Day 248.
It's like it's hot chocolate... but it's a brownie! in a mug! baked in your crockpot!
Melba emailed me yesterday with a brownie-in-a-mug recipe, and I knew the second that I opened the email, I was going to have to make it. Right then and there.
But in the crockpot.
The Ingredients.
--mugs. I fit 4 mugs inside of a 6 quart crockpot. Don't pick fancy-schmancy mugs--use the ones that you don't think twice about throwing in the dishwasher or heating up in the microwave.
--your favorite brownie mix
--the stuff your favorite brownie mix tells you to use
The Directions.
Mix up the brownie mix according to the directions listed on the package. I used the new gluten-free brownie mix from Trader Joe's.
(psst. I did NOT spray the mugs first with cooking spray. You might want to. They're kind of a pain to clean.)
Spoon brownie mix into each mug, filling it about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way. The brownie mix I used only makes an 8 x 8 pan, so each of my mugs were 1/2 filled.
Put the mugs in the crockpot.
Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 3 hours.
Our brownies were finished at 2 hours, 15 minutes (see note down below). You will know they are fully cooked when they have risen, pulled away at the sides and you can insert a knife and pull it back out clean.
Unplug the crockpot, and let the mugs sit with the lid off. They will be TERRIBLY HOT. Don't get burnt. Leave them alone for a bit before removing.
When the mug is coolish to the touch, top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
The Verdict.
Perfect! A wonderful, fun dessert that we all enjoyed, and that will evoke fun memories for the kids. We had a ball sitting on a blanket in front of the TV eating our "hot chocolate."
This was a really fun idea, and something I will do quite often, now that Melba gave me the heads up!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
added 9/5/08 2:08 a.m because I totally have insomnia after eating so much chocolate...
GO see Amie's hysterical video about making brownies in a crockpot. It will complete you.
Life with the Boys CrockPot Brownie Video. Amie used Duncan Hines Brownie Mix---it is thinner and it makes more than the batter I made up with the TJ's GF mix; therefore the longer cooking time.
Day 247.
mmm, lamb. I feel very carnivorous when I eat lamb. I made the mistake of having the "yes, the lamb at the store is from actual baby sheep--like the ones at the petting zoo" conversation yesterday.
oops.
The kids ate rice, garbanzo beans, and avocado slices.
But
that left more for me and Adam, and we enjoy eating fluffy white lambs that could follow us up the hill to school one day (if they aren't EATEN).
The Ingredients.
--4 large lamb chops (mine were frozen solid because that's how Trader Joe's sells them)
--1 red bell pepper
--1 yellow bell pepper
--1 medium yellow onion, sliced in rings
--1 tsp cumin
--1 tsp smoked paprika
--1 tsp ground coriander
--1/2 cup chicken broth (or beef stock)
The Directions.
A 4 quart crockpot works the best for this meal.
Slice the onion into rings and place them on the bottom of your crockpot. Nestle the lamb chops on top. Pour your spices on top of the lamb. It would probably be better to rub the spices on all sides of the meat, but I didn't feel like touching meat yesterday. We were trying to get out of the house quickly.
Slice up the bell peppers, and toss on top of the lamb.
Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. I cooked our meat on high for 6 hours. It was cooked well, and quite tender. If I had taken it out about an hour earlier, it wouldn't have fallen off of the bone so easily---which is really the only problem with cooking too long.
The Verdict.
Adam and I really enjoyed the flavors. We both added salt, though, to our meat. I really like the flavor of lamb, and the smoky spices were subtle, and pleasant. I don't know if it's better to add the salt while it's cooking, or just know that you'll need to at the table.
I will make this again. We had it over basmati rice.
Day 246.
This recipe is taken directly from The Pioneer Woman. We had the best weekend, ever, and spent the night with our good friends at their new house. My friend, Nancy, says, "bring your crockpot and make something really good. I'm going to invite my sisters, and their boyfriends, too."
Nothing like a little pressure....
But you really can't go wrong with a PW recipe, and I had bookmarked her spicy barbecued shrimp eons ago, and was waiting for a good occasion to make it.
I know I've said it before, but the crockpot rocks. It totally and completely rocks. I love bringing food to people's houses, but it always becomes a bit awkward when you need to prepare and cook the food while you are there. Will the oven be available? How about a stove burner? You just don't come across that problem when visiting with a crockpot dish. There is always, always an available outlet, and you can easily stash the crockpot in the bathroom or garage if your host is low on counter space.
The Ingredients.
adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!
--2 pounds fresh raw shell-on shrimp (ask the fish guy for shrimp in the 21-25 per pound size range)
--1 stick of butter (it's a lot, but it was supposed to be 2!)
--1/4 cup olive oil
--1/4 cup gluten free Worcestershire sauce
--1-2 T Tabasco sauce (I used 1 1/2)
--1 tsp ground black pepper
--1 tsp kosher salt
--3 lemons, juiced
--1 T chopped fresh basil
The Directions.
You'll need a 5 to 6 quart crockpot for this meal.
Rinse the shrimp, but don't soak them too much. Dump them into the crockpot.
Add the stick of butter, olive oil, and Worcestershire sauce. Measure out the tobasco, salt and pepper, and throw that in there, too. Juice the lemons, and add that, and top with the freshly chopped basil. Toss just a bit with a big spoon to mingle the flavors. The butter will be in a big stick, but that's okay.
If you are wearing a white shirt, it will get sprinkled with oily Worcestershire spots. You will feel sad, but a good friend will hand you a raspberry martini so you'll stop caring.
Cover and cook on high for about 2 hours, checking every 30 minutes. You'll know the shrimp is done when it has turned pink, and can be peeled easily. I turned ours off at exactly 2 hours. It was perfect.
Serve with bread to sop up the juice. We did do that. My little one who has celiac wouldn't touch a shrimp if it was covered in chocolate, so I wasn't terribly worried about gluten goobers. If you are GF, I'd make a fresh loaf of your favorite bread to go along with this. The juice is amazing.
The Verdict.
This was so good, I think I only got to eat one or two. We had 8 grown-ups and at least 2 kids who gobbled the shrimp. This is a very fun get-together dish, something that I would definitely serve again. I was thrilled with the way the shrimp cooked in the crockpot--they were perfect.
Day 245.
Happy Labor Day!
I made some fish yesterday. In the crockpot. It was terribly easy.
This is the lazy way to make fish. My brother and his wife (Hi Andy! Hi Karen!) went to Italy this summer and brought us back a bottle of genuine Italian pesto.
I put it in the crockpot.
The Ingredients.
--1 to 2 pounds of white fish. I used Sole.
--bottled pesto
--shredded Parmesan cheese
--foil
The Directions.
Spread out a layer of foil on the counter top. Put a piece of fish in it. Cover it with a spoonful of pesto. Sprinkle on some shredded Parmesan.
Fold over the foil to create a little packet. Put the packet in the crockpot.
Continue to layer in foil packets until you run out of fish.
If you are feeling spunky, go ahead and layer in some asparagus, spinach, squash, zucchini, or some other vegetable you feel goes well with fish.
I fit 4 large foil packets into a 6 quart crockpot, and could have added a few extra.
DON'T add water. I promise it will cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. You really should check it after 3 hours. The fish is done when it is fully white and flakes nicely with a fork. The stuff on the bottom will cook the same as the stuff on the top.
The Verdict.
Moist, delicious, flaky fish. With no fish smell! My 6-year-old ate two platefuls and decided that she was only going to eat fish from now on. Every day (just in case I didn't realize from now on meant every day...).
Day 244.
That title is a mouthful. It's the last of the tomato recipes! If you still have some tomatoes on hand, and they're beginning to get squishy, this is a great way to use them up if you aren't in the mood for a heavy marinara.
These aren't tomatoes that I grew. I have never successfully grown anything other than the children. And morning glories. But my mom has a great tomato crop, and we live close by to an awesome produce stand.
This is a great, easy pasta sauce with a bit of a bite due to a handful of sundried tomatoes and capers. I was supposed to toss in some frozen peas at the very end to make it more of a full meal, and I completely forgot. We didn't miss them, but I'm going to add them to the leftovers.
The Ingredients.
--1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and rinsed
--5 fresh tomatoes, chopped
--1 medium onion, minced
--8 garlic cloves, chopped
--2 T capers, drained
--1 T Italian seasoning
--1/2 cup frozen peas, optional
--fresh Parmesan cheese, optional
--1 pound cooked pasta (I used Trader Joe's brown rice penne)
The Directions.
Use a 4-6 quart crockpot for this sauce.
Chop up the tomatoes, garlic, and onion and toss them into your crockpot. Add the tablespoon of Italian seasoning. After draining and rinsing off as much of the oil as you can from the sundried tomatoes, add 1/4 cup of them whole to the crockpot. Chop up the remaining 1/4 cup, and then add that. Stir in the 2 T of drained capers.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in the frozen peas 20 minutes before serving. Toss the sauce with hot cooked pasta. Garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese.
The Verdict.
This was a great meal, and we all really enjoyed it. My kids aren't quite sold on capers, but they enjoy pasta a lot, and ate quite a bit.
This was a great dinner on a Saturday night. I love turning the crockpot on during a weekend morning---it saves us from ordering take-out on a busy day.
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While they cook, juice will collect on the bottom of the crock, and the meatballs will start off getting bright white and slimy looking. Don't be alarmed---they will continue to cook and will begin to brown. They (miraculously enough!) don't seem to stick together in a big blob---you'll be able to separate them.
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