Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Boneless Pork Loin Ribs

I was super excited for these. The house smelled gorgeously of bbq & honey... Mmmmm... 8 simmering hours. I made these on a day when we were home, in advance because I'm a bit freaked out by leaving something plugged in on all day. Anyone else? So at the end of the cook-time, I tasted the melt-in-your-mouth pork... it was absolutely delicious. Then I did something really stupid. I dished the steaming hot contents into a bowl, topped it with tinfoil for the cool down process. And.left.it.OUT.on.the.counter. OVERNIGHT. (Anyone else?) Bye bye pork ribs :(

I shall be making these again, very very soon! This is the perfect dish if you want BBQ or it you want something delicious without turning on the oven. 

<3 Lishie


Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Boneless Pork loin Ribs

End Product

• 3 to 4 lbs boneless pork loin ribs
•  S&P
• 1/4 c light brown sugar, packed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c honey
• 1 bottle barbecue sauce

Spray the insert of a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker. Place pork, fattier side down into the pot. Sprinkle pork with s & p, brown sugar, & minced garlic; turn the pork ribs to coat all pieces. Pour honey & BBQ Sauce evenly over the pork. Cover & cook on LOW for 8 hours. Serve w/ more BBQ sauce on the side.

Some meals have "seasons" & I think beef briskett goes along with Passover like corned beef goes along with St. Patrick's Day. The supermarkets think so too since it these cuts of meet go on sale to coincide with the respective holiday. Place price aside, & brisket is the perfect cut to make in the slow-cooker. It's a tough meat that benefits from the long braising time.

This meal was oh so good.
This was break apart, delicious.
Don't wait for a holiday, make it for dinner soon.

<3 Lishie
 

Slow-Cooker Brisket & Onions 

slightly adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 5 medium carrots, cleaned & peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 first cut of beef brisket* (4 lbs.), trimmed of excess fat
• Coarse salt & ground pepper
• 2 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 TBSp chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, lay the carrots on the bottom. Season brisket with salt & pepper & place, fat side up, on top of the carrots in slow cooker. Place onion & garlic on top. Add broth. Cover & cook on high until brisket is fork-tender, about 6 hours. Remove brisket & thinly slice against the grain. Serve with onion & some cooking liquid; sprinkle with parsley.

I served with herb-buttered noodles, alongside.

*Lishie (& Martha) tip- For this recipe, look for the leaner first cut, or "flat cut."

Slow-cooked "Roast" Chicken pieces

Here is another yummy slow-cooker meal. The chicken falls off of the bone. Easy & simple, yet delightful! 
<3 Lishie

Slow-cooked "Roast" Chicken pieces

• 3-4 carrots, cleaned, whole
• 3-4 celery ribs, cleaned, whole
• 2-3 lbs chicken pieces, bone-in, with skin
• Paprika
• S & P

Place the carrots & celery length-wise along the bottom of the slow-cooker. Place the chicken pieces, skin-side up on top of the veg. Sprinkle liberally with the paprika, then the s & p.

Set the slow cooker to High for 1 hour, then turn down to Low for about 8 hours, or until the chicken is no longer pink & the juices run clear.

Slow-Cooker Country Chicken Stew

Comfort food! That is what we need!!! Especially after all of the storms, etc. And wait? ANOTHER NorEaster is predicted for Thanksgiving week in NJ? You don't say. Sigh. I'll start praying now it won't wreak much havoc to our already damaged state.

I made this "Before the Darkness" as some of us are calling the hurricane period. I loved it. My mom & pop-in-law loved it. The tot loved it. I think the cat loved it too. Who did not? My hubby. Whatevahs. This.is.so.good. Chicken fall off the bone good. Make a big pot of it & relax....

<3 Lishie

Slow-Cooker Country Chicken Stew

• 1 1/2 lbs baby red potatoes
• 4-5 carrots, cleaned & cut into thirds
• 4-5 parsnips, cleaned & cut into thirds
• 4-5 celery ribs, cleaned & cut into thirds
• 1 medium onion, skinned & cut into quarters
• 2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs & drumsticks
• 1/2 c water
• 1 TBSp herbs de provence
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 
• 1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
• 3 TBSp cornstarch
• 1/2 c milk

Prep slow cooker with cooking spray. Place potatoes, carrots, parsnips, celery & onion in slow cooker. Place chicken on top of vegetables. Mix water & seasonings in a small bowl until well blended. Pour over chicken & vegetables. Cover.
 

Cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
 

Last hour of cooking- combine the cornstarch & milk in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into sauce in slow cooker. Cover & cook 15 minutes longer on high or until sauce is thickened.

Serve over egg noodles.

Crockpot Lasagna

OK, this recipe is good if you really have no time to put together a traditional lasagna & want to eat it that night. Also, if you have no luck with lasagna noodles, this is your recipe! It was ok for me. It was filling, my hubby liked it enough but 2 bothersome things- the "crunch" on top of course is missing & al dente? Ha! The noodles are VERY well cooked. Still, if you want lasagna fast, without much prep, make this:
<3 Lishie

Crockpot Lasagna

• 1 lb.  ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large can (24 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 container  (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
• 2c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/4c  grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 egg
• 2 TBSp  chopped, fresh parsley
• 6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Brown meat in large skillet until most of the pink is gone, then drain & return to stove. Add in onion & garlic. Stir in sauce & oregano. Simmer for 20 minutes.  Mix ricotta, 1-1/2 c mozzarella, 2 TBSp Parmesan, egg & parsley.
Layer into Crock-pot:  Meat sauce/noodles (broken to fit)/spread cheese mixture. Meat sauce/noodles (broken to fit)/spread cheese mixture. Meat sauce/noodles (broken to fit)/spread cheese mixture. Cover & cook on slow for 4 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses & allow to melt before serving. 

Slow-cooker Pulled Pork ~ so easy!

OK, if you read my blog you may have caught on that I do not like taking shortcuts in cooking nor do I like to use packaged goods- mixes, boxed things, etc. But I make an exception for this meal- my slow-cooker pulled pork. Why? because I can overlook the preservatives & sugar this one time for the taste that comes from this as well as the ease. Plus, I only use a little of the reduced sauce on my sandwich, the rest is pure pork. Oh so delicious pork at that!!! I am almost embarrassed to blog this. Almost... try it. Between the simplicity & the quickness + the amount it yields, it just may become a staple in your home. It is a once a month treat in mine. And my Mother & Father-in-law love it. Add the fresh rolls my Father-in-law contributed & you have:

Slow-cooker Pulled Pork
1 pork loin, shoulder or butt*, 4lbs or larger
1 Bottle of BBQ sauce, your favorite flavor*


Squeeze a little sauce onto the bottom of the slow-cooker. Place the pork onto the sauce, then top it with the rest of the bottle. Fill empty bbq sauce bottle with water & add it to the slow-cooker. Cook on LOW, 8-10 hours. Shred & serve.

ENJOY.

* Tonight I used a 4 lb. Loin. It yielded 4 heaping sandwiches + extra
* I love Kraft Honey BBQ

It is juicy & delicious. The sauce reduces & caramelizes the outside of the pork. Dollop some on top of your sandwich! Or eat it shredded in tacos, on it's own, etc. It is that good.

Gingery Chicken ~ Slowcooker

So it's back to work after a long, beautiful Memorial Day weekend. I had the prep time so I went ahead & readied this dish for the day back to work. I recently got America's Test Kitchen "Slowcooker Revolution" Cookbook & I was so excited. I love ATK & their recipes are delicious & trustworthy. Plus they explain why some things work & some things do not. This recipe is adapted from one in their book. Since I only have a 6 Quart Crock-Pot, I made 3 split chicken breasts which is enough for our family.


The chicken came out mighty juicy & the sauce is yummy... I made white rice on the side & poured the gingery sauce over it. As another side, I made roasted cauliflower, adding one tsp of fresh, minced ginger to the dressing. Silly me was too tired/too sick- forgot to take pictures of the dish all gussied up! ;) Sorry! 

Slowcooker Gingery Chicken, adapted from America's Test Kitchen

• 2 TBSp Canola Oil
• 3 Split, bone-in Chicken Breasts
• 1 Onion, chopped small
• 3 large Garlic Cloves, minced
• 3 TBSp fresh Ginger, minced
• 1/4 cup AP Flour
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 3 TBSp Soy Sauce (I always use low-sodium)
• 1 TBSp Sugar
• S & P
• 2 Scallion stalks, Optional topping

On medium-high, heat the canola oil & brown the chicken breasts on both sides. Do it in batches if you need the room. <<*My crock-pot is stove-top friendly. If yours is not, use a large saute pan.>> Remove the browned chicken pieces. In the same oil, saute the onion till it is clear, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic & 2 TBSp of the ginger... saute for another minute. 

Mix in the flour & cook while stirring for a minute. While whisking, add in the chicken broth & get all of the good, brown bits up! <<*If you are using a saute pan, TRANSFER to the crock-pot now.>> Add in the soy sauce, sugar & S & P & whisk till combined. Nestle in the chicken pieces... 


Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. Remove the chicken & place on serving platter. Skim the fatty oil off of the top of the sauce then add in the last TBSp of ginger. Ladle sauce over chicken pieces. Serve the chicken topped with scallions.

Recipe Swap: Crock-Pot Asian Beef & Noodles

I am absolutely loving this recipe swap! It's really exciting to see what recipe I'll get & from which friend! This week's theme was "Asian" & I got my friend Lauren's (over at Lauren's Kitchen) Crock-Pot Asian Beef & Noodles recipe! I made some changes in the recipe to better serve my family's needs as I've blogged below.  Lauren's recipe has a much easier & faster prep time than mine but both are tasty! I took her advice on the saltiness completely to heart & tweaked a lot of ingredients. I like to choose what vegetables go into my stir fries & we're not big fans of frozen veg, so I changed the frozen up for fresh. Another big difference is with the Ramen noodles. Delicious as they may be, they have way too much sodium for us so I substituted with fresh, Chinese noodles (found by the wonton wrappers in your grocery store).

Oh! & I only have a 6 Quart Crock-Pot:

My hubby thought the veg looked so "pretty" in there- he said to take a pic!
Fresh, goodness! The "before" shot ;)

Crock-Pot Asian Beef & Noodles (Adapted from Lauren's Kitchen)

• Cooking Spray
• 1/2 head of Broccoli
• 1 large Onion
• 2 red Peppers, chopped into large chunks
• 8 oz. package of snow peas
• 1/4 cup button Mushrooms, quartered
• 2 lbs. Stir fry Beef/Beef Round
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/4 cup Sesame Oil
• 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
• Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon
• 12 oz. Water
• 2 TBSp. Corn Starch
• 9 oz. package Chinese Noodles
• 1/4 cup Scallions, chopped

Spray Your Crock-Pot with cooking spray. Place the first five ingredients (all Veg.) in the bottom of the cooker & lay the beef on top.


In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice & zest, & water. Dissolve the corn starch into the liquid. Pour the mixture over the beef & veg.


Cover & cook for 5 hours on high or 9 hours on low.


10-15 minutes before cooking time finishes, carefully incorporate the Chinese noodles & scallions into the crock-pot & cover again. Allow to finish cooking.

Not-so-pretty (it blinked!) but it was tasty

The beef was so tender & flavorful from the crock-pot cooking! But, I have to say, it's doubtful I'll make it again soon. The negatives for our family? The veg was too mushy & it's color was "stewed" out. Now this may be my fault for subbing fresh in for frozen! But we love fresh veg with "bite" to them. If I were to make it again, I'd tweak it so that I'd slow cook the beef in 3/4 of the sauce then add the different vegetables at varying times which, in effect, defeats the purpose of a crock-pot meal! LOL Also, I'd use the scallions as garnish instead of placing them in the pot. Still, the meat & the noodles were delicious with the sauce & I was happy to try something new- me, cooking/eating-wise & the family, taste-wise.

Thank you, Lauren!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Crock-Pot Brisket & Cabbage, Potatoes & Carrots

It's March 17th- St. Patrick's Day! Our town has it's parade on Sunday & we'll be eating corned beef with my mother-in-law. Tonight I made a brisket with the fixin's adding carrots for the little one. This is a very Irish-American meal but it is oh so yummy. 

Crock-Pot Brisket with Cabbage, Potatoes & Carrots

• 4 Carrots, Cleaned & cut in thirds
• 5 Potatoes, skinned & halved
• 1 large Onion, skinned & quartered
• 2 & 1/2-3 lb. Brisket 
• 3 TBSp Pickling Spices
• S & P
• 2 Cups Chicken Stock 
• 1/2 half Cabbage, cleaned & shredded

Line the bottom of the slow cooker with the carrots as if they were a roasting rack.  Place the potatoes & onion pieces around the carrots. Place the brisket on top of the carrots. Add in the pickling spices. Pour the chicken stock over the brisket. Add in enough water to cover the meat. Place the shredded cabbage over & around the brisket. Cook on Low 8 Hours. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

*Lishie tips- make a corned beef hash from the leftovers . Or  a cottage pie: Cut up the leftover brisket, cabbage &  carrots into little pieces & mix together. Add a little worcester sauce. Place this mixture into a small casserole dish. Take any extra potatoes & mash them & place them on top of the meat mix. Sprinkle with some shredded cheddar cheese. Place under the broiler till the cheese melts & it's golden brown on top. 

Sandwiches! French Onion Roast Beef Au Jus (Slow-Cooker)

Oh this was really, really delicious... The house was enveloped in the simmering scent from early on. When I came home from work, the aroma was intoxicating. Make this!!! It is truly a treat, especially after a hard day. It is so good!!!!!

Serve with Potatoes Romanoff on the side!

So how to make it? Au Jus simply means “in it’s own juice” the jus part is juice. Simple enough but most recipes call for adding pre-made packets, etc. which I try really hard not to use. Why not? They are packed with sodium & words I cannot pronounce disguised as preservatives. I had to figure out how to make this fresh since I love to use fresh ingredients. That being said, I took a tiny shortcut & used a little Lipton Soup powder. Please forgive me?!

French Onion Roast Beef Au Jus (Slow-Cooker)
(French Dipping Sandwiches)

• 1 2.5 lb. beef roast (I used bottom round)
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tsp oregano
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1 TBSp fresh parsley
• 2 TBSp- of the “powder only” from a 1-ounce package dry onion soup mix
• 2 c. water
• 32 oz. beef broth
• 6 large buns OR French crusty bread
• Your favorite cheese (ours- either provolone, mozzarella or cheddar) 

Spice up the entire roast with salt & pepper. Sear the meat on all sides in a dutch oven or saute pan (I used my crock-pot since it's stove-top friendly). Place the meat in the slow-cooker & brush it with the garlic & oregano. Add the onion slices, parsley, soup powder, water & broth.

Set on LOW for 8-10 hours (I cooked mine for 9 hours- perfection). Shred the meat into it's own juices. Serve on crusty French bread rolls BUT dip the bread into the "jus" FIRST! Top with cheese. (We had it with sharp, white Cheddar because the side had the same cheese.) Serve with a little bowl of the "jus" along-side. DeLish!!!

The roast after simmering 9 hours

Shredded

"jus"

I shared some with my Mother-in-Law & I will be bringing in some for lunch too, plenty leftover.

Crock-Pot Peppered Steak, Made, as always, with LOVE

Today was my local Moms Group's Valentines Party & it was so much fun! Everything was potluck & wow, so delicious!!! I decided, after checking on what everyone was bringing, to make peppered steak. When you hear "Crock-Pot", it generally brings to mind the words "simple" & "unattended". BUT when you are making food for 30+ people (not counting the 21 kids) it's never easy... I have tweaked a recipe for this a couple of times & I finally have it just right.

For the party, I DOUBLED the amounts below in my 6 Quart Crock-Pot:

Crock-Pot Peppered Steak

2 lbs. beef sirloin (I use Angus)
1 tsp garlic powder
1-2 TBsp canola oil
1/4 cup hot beef stock 
1 TBsp corn starch
1 large onion, sliced
3-4 large bell peppers, sliced (I use a mix of green & red/yellow/orange)
1, 15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 TBsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
1 TBsp A1 ;) My secret weapon! HA HA!
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp of both, S & P
**1/4 cup beef stock 


Let beef rest out of the refrigerator to get the chill off. Season with the garlic powder... (Either in your crockpot, if you have a stovetop dutch C-P) OR in a skillet, heat the canola oil on medium-high... Sear (brown quickly) the whole Sirloin on both sides, then transfer it to the crock-pot.
Heat the beef stock (I microwave the stock in my Pyrex measuring glass)... then dissolve the corn starch.  Pour it over the meat. Add the tomato sauce, soy sauce, A1, sugar, onion & the S & P. 


*Here's where you are forced to make a decision... convenience & very soft peppers OR a little extra work with the outcome of peppers with some bite still to them? IF you choose convenience, ADD THE BELL PEPPERS HERE... Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. When it's done, use tongs to "break" up the sirloin into bite-sized pieces.


IF you choose the "extra work" option... Place the cover on & cook on LOW for 8 hours... At 6 hours, use tongs to "break" up the sirloin into bite-sized pieces... Ladle the steak pieces out, leaving the liquid, into a bowl, refrigerate. Add the bell peppers into the crock-pot & **1/4 cup of beef stock... Cook on LOW for 1 & 1/2- 2 hours. At last half hour/end of pepper cook time, add in the meat & mix together... If your Crock-pot has a warming option, you are good to go!

Since I was serving to others, not just our little family who loves soft peppers, I decided on the extra work & "bite" option. I definitely think it paid off. The meat was so unbelievably tender, the sauce, delicious, & the peppers, in tact with a bit of a crunch. I *think* it was a crowd pleaser since I came home with an empty crock-pot!

[The "funny" for this post- since I began this @ 10pm  & the steak simmered all night... then I added the peppers early this morning (it was a lunch-time party)... my hubby said it felt like he had eaten it ALL night ;) HA HA! But, of course, he still had some!]

Snowy, Sleety & all-around, Some-Tuesday, Day! Crock-Pot Peppered Steak

I knew today was going to be rough even before the snow started falling last night so I planned on crock-potting it. I am so glad I did! It made the house smell delicious all grey-rainy-sleety-yucky-I-was-off-because-things-needed-to-be-done day. And I had something to look forward to!

So at 8am I prepped the pot with stuffed peppers. This crock-pot meal is not for everyone since the peppers come out extremely soft & just kind of "melt" into the stuffing once it's plated. This is a part the DeMaria household all love, including toddler Gabriel.  And I like to use some combination of green/red/orange/yellow peppers for the prettiness & vitamins. (One tiny note: when I prep bell peppers for any meal I clean the insides extremely well because one of my pet peeves is when seeds are left in the finished meal. I know some chefs even call that "rustic" but I call it lazy. There's just something awful to me about biting down on a little, white seed.) 

"Slow-cooker" Stuffed Peppers
5 bell peppers, cleaned out (I put the tops back on, see picture below) 

Stuffing:
1 lb. raw, ground beef 
32 oz of tomato sauce 
2 cups of cooked, white rice 
I eye amounts: parmesan cheese, s & p, fresh parsley & basil & dried oregano & garlic powder & some bread crumbs

2 cups water

Mix stuffing, stuff peppers, add back their little cap hats :)
Extra stuffing I added to the bottom of the crock-pot. Pour the water into the bottom of the pot for the peppers to be slightly immersed. Cook on SLOW, 6-8 hours (may vary according to your pot).