A Year of Slow Cooking

Italian Beef Sandwiches, and other Super Bowl- Type Food

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:08:00 +0000

I must admit that I don't watch very much football. I grew up in a 49er household, and that's pretty much the only football I'll watch, and even then I kind of daze in and out unless it's a rather exciting game. I did watch last week's game, and followed along until the bitter end.

when we lost.

That said, I'm a sucker for parties, and for hearty comfort food. We aren't hosting a super bowl party this year because 1) it snuck up on me, and 2) I'm not even sure exactly who is playing. Those East Coast teams all look/sound the same to me.

(~~ ducking~~)

BUT! You should TOTALLY have a party. And make these sandwiches. Because they rock.

The Ingredients.

serves 8-10 for sandwiches, 6 if spooned over rice

3 to 4 pound beef rump roast

1 onion, sliced in rings

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon anise

1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes (undrained)

1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (Redbridge, by Anheuser Busch is gluten free)

8 hoagie rolls (I use gluten free bread)

8 slices of mozzarella cheese

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the meat into your cooker (frozen is okay). Top with sliced onion, and all the dried herbs and spices. It will seem like there are way too many herbs—try not to worry. Add the entire can of tomatoes and bottle of beer. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until meat shreds easily with two large forks. Shred the meat completely, and stir well.

Serve on toasted rolls with melted mozzarella cheese.

The french bread shown here is gluten free--it's from the Against The Grain Gourmet, and comes frozen. I can only find it at one of our fancyish family-owned grocery stores, but there are distribution phone numbers on their website.

All I did was thaw the bread, slice it down the middle, then bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the bread felt toasty, and the cheese was melty, I took it out.

The Verdict.

Having a party? This is a fantastic pot-luck meal, or game day feast. The resulting meat is fall-apart tender and nicely seasoned. The cayenne provides a bit of a kick, but not enough to bother sensitive palates. If you’d like more heat, sliced pickled jalapeño peppers works great as an additional sandwich topping. I sent the leftover meat home with my friend Sharyl, and she reported back that her three kids LOVED their sandwiches the next day.

other rocking sandwiches and football-type fare:

peperoncini sandwiches
bbq beef and bean

party little smokies (two recipes here)

Honey Beans and Spinach Slow Cooker Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:24:00 +0000

HELLO THERE! I'm sorry for shouting. I just wanted to prove that I was still here, alive and kicking. I sort of took an extended vacation for the holidays. I was planning on one week, and then all of a sudden it was m u c h longer.

but I'm back! and it's 2012, and that means I've been writing on the Internet for 4 years, which in cyberspace time is an ETERNITY (there I go again with the yelling).

I'm a slow cooking dinosaur.

Was your New Year's Resolution to cook more? Save money? Eat lighter/healthier fare?

mine too.

I wanted to make a vegetarian dinner that we would all enjoy, and thought about making Honey Lentils, since it's always such a hit, but desperately needed to use up the sweet potatoes and spinach from the produce drawer. The end result was PHENOMENAL (shouting warranted, this time).

enjoy!

The Ingredients.

serves 4-6

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 onion, diced finely

2 medium (or 4 tiny) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced (not pictured)

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground corriander

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup honey

1 (12-ounce) bag baby spinach, washed (even if the bag says washed, rinse it off again)

2 tablespoons cream cheese (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Drain and rinse both cans of beans, and dump them into your crockpot. Add the onion, garlic, and sweet potato. Add dry spices, and stir in honey and lemon juice-- you want the beans and veggies in the pot to be coated with them. Rinse off your spinach, and add it to the pot. You'll need to squish it all in, but I promise it'll fit. Plop a dollop of cream cheese on top. Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for about 3. Stir well before serving over a bed of white or brown basmati rice.

The spinach on top may stick to the edges of the pot and get a bit crispy. This is okay-- just peel them off and stir them in. The bit of cream cheese mixes with the lemon and honey to create a fabulous sauce. If you'd like to keep the dish dairy free, just omit the cream cheese; it's not necessary and won't be missed unless you do a side-by-side comparison, which would be kind of a weird thing to do if you're avoiding dairy.

The Verdict.

I get it that I can't rave about every dish each time I write and have it be believable. BUT I LOVED THIS. Dishes like this make me happy that I've learned how to cook with the slow cooker. I never ever ever would have attempted such a dinner 4 years ago; the ingredient list would have sounded funky.

ps: the kids ate salami and cheese.

more stuff you might like:

the slow cooker diet

write on/wipe off chore charts

artichoke pasta

hot and sour soup

restaurant-quality tomato soup
Totally Together & More Make it Fast giveaway at Lee Woodruff's blog

Not Your Mother's Meatballs -- slow cooker recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:39:00 +0000

Oh they're just so pretty! I've got a meatball recipe for you today that will become a new family favorite. I'm not going to lie -- you're going to have to dirty up your hands a bit, but you won't have to wash a frying pan.

Those beautiful meatballs pictured up above? They held their form and browned beautifully all on their own in the crockpot --- no pre-browning required.

score!

The Ingredients.

makes 24 golfball-sized meatballs

1/4 cup chopped Italian Parsley

1.5 pounds lean ground beef

4 slices smoked bacon, diced (raw; don't cook it)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup Panko-style breadcrumbs (I used Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Bread Crumbs)

2 eggs (the eggs pictured are duck eggs! thanks, Grandpa John!)

2 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

additional ingredients:

1 cup flour (I used rice flour)

2 cups chicken broth (can use beef)

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Spray the inside of your cooker with cooking spray, or rub it down with a bit of olive oil (don't go crazy, just a little glisten) and set aside. In a good-sized mixing bowl, combine the chopped parsley, ground beef, and diced bacon. Add in Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs, and the dried spices. Combine well--- I'd use your hands (remove rings, wash appropriately, and all that good stuff that if I had a legal team they'd tell me to include).

After the meat is mixed, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil. Pour 1 cup of flour (I used rice flour) into a shallow dish (pie pan works great).

Roll meat into golfball-sized balls and then lightly dust each meat ball with flour before placing onto the lined cookie sheet. When all the meat is gone, put the whole cookie sheet into the freezer for 1 hour, or until completely frozen. It's okay to freeze overnight, if you'd like to break this into two days (put in sealed dish/tupperware if freezing for longer).

Once your meatballs are frozen, place them one-by-one (this means don't dump!) into your lightly greased slow cooker. It's okay to stack them. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the broth and tomato paste to create a gravy. Pour this evenly over the meatballs. Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the meatballs have browned and are fully cooked. I cooked the meatballs pictured above on low for 5 hours, then let them sit on warm for another 3 1/2 hours before dinner was served.

Serve alongside pasta or rice, or all on their own. These are filling!

The Verdict.

You will love these. I couldn't stop taste-testing these throughout the afternoon and kept texting Adam to come home quick because dinner was going to rock.

and it did. I shared the leftovers with my dad who is somewhat of a meatball connoisseur and he *really* liked them. I learned about the flour-and-freezing trick from Pinterest--- it worked great, and is such a fantastic technique to keep the meat together. I already knew meatballs didn't need to be browned in the slow cooker beforehand but dredging them in flour first gives a bit more of a "crusty" texture and thickens the tomato gravy beautifully.

The internet is so much fun!

more meatballs in the crockpot:

apple, cheddar, and turkey meatballs

meatballs in peanut chile sauce

Albondigas (meatball) Soup

turkey meatballs with cranberry barbecue sauce

two little smokie appetizer recipes (but you can use meatballs!)

mercury in food, a last-minute gift giveaway, and the best ham(s) ever

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:03:00 +0000

this is a compensated post. I was asked by BlogHer to help spread the word about Mom's Clean Air Force.

I stopped eating tuna fish about 11 years ago, when I first became pregnant. I took my baby-prep research seriously, and followed all the "rules" the "experts" told me I should and shouldn't do.

After my first was born, I remember quizzing the pediatrician, "I can eat tuna again, right?"

I will never, ever forget her non-answer: "I don't think anyone should ever eat tuna. It's just not worth the risk since we don't know enough about it."

She was talking about mercury poisoning. Until a few days ago, I didn't know much about mercury except that it was bad. I didn't know it actually came from burning coal, and the coal emissions get in the clouds, which then get into the water supply through rain and snow. Every state in the country has issued a fish advisory of some type because of unsafe mercury contamination.

If you really think about it, everything has a high level of mercury because it's in our water supply; all fruits and vegetables are watered with it, and all of the animals we eat have consumed it.

Mercury is linked to Alzheimer's disease, cancer, premature birth, brain damage, premature death, and birth defects.

I can't fix this.

All I can do, and all you can do, is become educated. Be aware. I've been asked to share the Moms Clean Air Force website with you. Please consider joining, take the time to read the literature and pass it along; change happens from the bottom up.

I've also been asked to share this youtube video for further information.

Hug your kids tight.

thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

in other news, I've got book giveaways over on the review page for you. I've got my friend, Crystal Paine's (the Money Saving Mom) new book, Hallie Klecker's new cookbook, The Triumph Grocery Guide, two DVDs that Elana Amsterdam sent, and 5 copies of Totally Together. Last minute gift ideas? No problem, I've got you covered!

also, our buddies at DinnerTool wanted to share that they are feverishly working on adding new recipes. They are eager to share their Chili Cook Off recipes with you, and would like to give you a head's up that in February they will be hosting a slow cooker recipe contest.

Gluten Free Home for the Holidays is happening right! now! at Gluten Free Easily. Tune in each day for the whole month of December for a new recipe and new giveaway. The grand prize is a Vitamix!

Ham! I've got ham! Every day this week I've gotten an email about ham in the crockpot. Yup, it works, and it is WONDERFUL. Here are our favorites:

maple ham

honey glazed ham with thyme

have a wonderful day.

21-Ingredient Chili Slow Cooker Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:35:00 +0000

quite possibly the world's best chili

This is not an ordinary chili recipe. I received an email from Jennifer D., at the beginning of October.

Her email read: I'm not a chili fan after having endured my mom's "chili" (really ground beef, a can of kidney beans, a can of stewed tomatoes), but I love this recipe. Like would eat it every day kind of love. It's a lot of ingredients, but it's well worth it. And gluten-free.

I made Jennifer's chili over the weekend and while I balanced the cans and spice bottles for the "before" photo, Adam walked into the kitchen. I believe his exact words were, "this better be a damn good chili."

It was.

Adam, the baby, and I each had THIRDS. Thank you, Jennifer!!

The Ingredients.

serves 8

a lot of ingredients. don't freak out.

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut in 1-inch chunks)

1 onion, diced

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can corn (drained and rinsed)

1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes (whole can)

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and grated

1/2 cup spicy brown mustard

2 tablespoons soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari Wheat Free are gluten free)

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder (this has heat, if you are sensitive, start with 1 tsp. 3tsp = 1tblsp)

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon white pepper (this has heat, if you are sensitive omit completely or go slow)

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

2 cups chicken broth

add salt to taste at the table, if needed

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your cooker; frozen is okay, but cut it into chunks. Add the diced onion, canned beans, tomatoes, chiles, corn, and grated sweet potato. Now add the mustard, honey, and dried spices. Carefully stir well to distribute spices the best you can. Pour in the chicken broth.

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until chicken easily shreds with two large forks. Although you could cook this on high in 4 hours, the flavors will meld best when cooked low and slow. Stir very well and serve in a large bowl with your favorite chili toppings. We like shredded cheese and sour cream.

The Verdict.

Such. Good. Chili. This is a whole meal in a bowl. I thought I was going to make cornbread to go with, but the day got away from me. We didn't need it, though--- this is incredibly hearty and has a fantastic range of flavors. My tongue was first hit with sweet, then a slow heat came out. The children ate their servings---it was not overly spicy (the baby had three helpings!). The heat is from the white pepper, not the chili powder. If you've got sensitive palates, cut back on the white pepper (you can always add more at the table).

Thank you again to Jennifer D.!

additional chili recipes:

What to Do With Your Turkey Bones and Leftover Meat

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 22:06:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey, what are you doing on the computer on Thanksgiving day anyway.....?

hmm.

it's okay. I won't tell.

Are you wondering what to do with your leftover turkey meat and the bones? Look no more--I've got you covered!

Here are three completely different but absolutely wonderful soups. I can't decide which one I'm going to do this year, but I'm leaning towards the stew because it's good cold-weather food and it's supposed to rain the next few days.

enjoy your family! and don't pick fights with the crazy uncles...

{PS: click on the words under the pictures--- for some reason Blogger isn't letting me add a URL to the photos today. grrr.}

turkey and wild rice soup

turkey stew

old fashioned ~~chicken~~ turkey and noodle soup

Have an absolutely wonderful day with your family.

updated, November 28: Happy Cyber Monday! I'm giving away 5 Hamilton Beach Slow Cookers this week! Click on over to my review page for your chance to win!

A Slow Cooker Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:13:00 +0000

Be thankful for your crockpots this year.

It sounds peculiar, and maybe even a bit stupid, but if you stop to really think about it, your crockpots are providing a gift. The gift of time.

thanks to this simple machine you have more time in your day to do the things you really want to do: garden, read, play, tickle, sleep, write, create, and spend time with your family.

life is good.

traditional stuffing

cornbread stuffing

candied sweet potatoes

homemade cranberry sauce

amazing mashed potatoes

sweet and sour caramelized onions

perfect turkey breast

creamed corn

spinach artichoke dip


crustless pumpkin pie


even MORE holiday food!

and just in case...


how to company clean in 30 minutes or less

have a wonderful Holiday! We're hosting again this year, and I'm looking forward to having all of our family in one place instead of making the rounds. As an added bonus, my birthday falls on Thanksgiving--pumpkin pie as birthday cake! yum.

I'm hosting a new giveaway this week: a Deny Designs Bling Box, an approximate $150 value. Click on over for your chance to win!

gobble ~ gobble ~ gobble

Italian Minestrone Soup in the Slow Cooker

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:32:00 +0000

The temperature has followed the clock's lead, and has turned back a notch. It's officially cold outside, and we're ready for soup season.

mmm.

There is something terribly soothing about minestrone soup--- regardless of your age, curling up with a bowl of hearty soup is as if you're being cuddled from the inside.

simply lovely.

The Ingredients.

serves 6-8

1 pound lean ground meat: pork, beef, or turkey. I used beef.

4 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 cup chopped carrot

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes

1 tablespoon dried oregano

4 cups beef broth

2/3 cup dried elbow pasta (to add later; I used Tinkyada brand which is gluten free)

kosher salt (add to taste at the table)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Brown the first four ingredients on the stovetop, and drain the fat. I know, I hate cooking before I cook too, but this is a good thing because you're draining the rendered grease/fat.

Add meat to the slow cooker, and your vegetables. Add the whole can of tomatoes, the oregano, and beef broth. Stir to combine. Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours. 30 minutes before serving, stir in the dry pasta. Flip to high, and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until pasta has become bite-tender.

Serve in wide-mouthed bowls with a bit of shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

The Verdict.

I served this soup last week to my family of five, my parents, and my grandma. We didn't have any leftovers. I am beginning to really prefer beef broth to chicken in my heartier soups that have tomatoes--- it's just a more rich flavor.

If you plan on freezing this soup, I wouldn't add the noodles until you reheat and serve; they'll break up on you in the freezer.

additional soup season favorites:

Albondigas Soup

Tortilla Soup

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Doro Wat

Black Bean Soup

Corn Chowder

Clean out the Pantry Minestrone

End of Summer Harvest Soup

African Peanut Soup

GIVEAWAY!! I'm hosting a giveaway for Chime.In over on the review page, and I have a FREE Amazon Kindle Fire for a lucky (randomly selected) winner!

Slow Cooker Shredded Korean Beef Tacos

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:45:00 +0000

I can tell you've been really good lately. And because of that you deserve a really, really good crockpot recipe.

Not mediocre.

Not eh, it's okay, I guess.

Nope.

A REALLY GOOD RECIPE THAT'S ALSO REALLY EASY AND ALSO PRETTY CHEAP.

here you go:

The Ingredients.

serves 6-8

3-4 pounds beef roast (I used a trimmed chuck roast)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari Wheat-Free are gluten free)

1 head garlic (peeled, but leave cloves intact--approx 10 cloves)

1/2 onion, diced

1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 whole jalapeno, diced (be careful! use gloves!)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Okay. This truly can't be any easier. I didn't brown my meat, but I did trim off the visible fat. I can make these directions complicated and tell you to add this or that first,

but it honestly doesn't matter. This is going to cook on low all day long, and the ingredients will distribute just fine all on their own. Throw everything in however you'd like.

Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat has fully shredded--- you can help it out by cutting the meat into pieces an hour or so before serving time. Serve in soft corn or flour tortillas (we are gluten free, and used tiny corn tortillas that are labeled gluten free) with shredded cabbage salad and white or brown rice.

this is how I made my shredded cabbage:

1 bag shredded coleslaw from the grocery store's produce section

1 tablespoon soy sauce (la choy or tamari wheat-free)

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

toss together and serve immediately (it gets too wilty if you make it early in the day)

The Verdict.

Oh gosh. I must admit I've never had an authentic Korean taco off of a food truck because I'm not sure of the ingredient list, but I can't imagine they'd be any better. I was so pleased with this ingredient combination I was eager to share with my brother and sister-in-law and the neighbors. Everyone gave high praise.

My own children ate everything off their plates--- the jalapeno leaves a slight tongue burn, but it sneaks up and really isn't anything major--- just mostly smokey.

yum.

Head's up--- the wonderful people at DinnerTool.com want to let you know that they are in the midst of a $1000 American Express giveaway right now to help with Thanksgiving grocery shopping (that's a LOT of groceries!) and get a head-start on Holiday shopping. This contest will run until November 15.

Halloween Slow Cooker Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:02:00 +0000

Happy Halloween! Put your slow cooker to good use this weekend to keep all the goblins in your life happy and well-fed.

Witch's Brew. Green, slimy, sweet, and sour. The star anise look like tiny little spiders--fun!

Caramel Apples. YUM. I made these for the first time on my daughter's 7th birthday. Now she's 10, and her LITTLE sister is 7. I'm not okay with this.

Autumn Sausage Casserole. A bowl full of fall. Great dinner to fill the belly before heading out for the night.

Chocolate and Marshmallow Fondue. Skip the waxy supermarket Halloween candy and make the good stuff.

Jamaican Pumpkin Soup. A rich, velvety, creamy soup-- restaurant quality and super delicious. You decide the amount of cream to add at the table.

Mulled Wine. Warm up after a chilly night out with a hot mug of mulled wine. The perfect by-the-fire adult drink.

Pizza Soup. The kids have requested this for dinner this Halloween--liquid pizza. If you normally order pizza delivery before heading out, make this instead to satisfy your pepperoni craving.

Pumpkin Spice Latte. The one and only!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds in the Slow Cooker. Yes, you can roast pumpkin seeds in the crockpot. But that doesn't mean you should. It's kind of a pain.

Orange Glazed Beets. Food that bleeds! Fantastic for Halloween--- if you're a beet fan, you'll like these an awful lot. If you aren't a beet fan, you probably never will be. That's okay. I'm not either.

Stewed Tomatoes. They look like baby animal hearts, which is great for a spooky dinner, but taste A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. ---even if you aren't a big tomato fan.

Have a wonderful Halloween weekend, and enjoy your trick-or-treating! Viva la Crocktober!

Sausage and Lentil Stew Slow Cooker Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:33:00 +0000

I love one-pot meals. This is a nutritiously sound meal that will hopefully keep your meat-loving husband, your carb-conscious mother-in-law, and veggie-hungry aunt all happy.

And that there is a very steep order.

The Ingredients.

serves 4-6 depending on the size of the people

1 cup lentils

2 cups beef broth

1 (12-ounce) package smoked chicken or turkey sausage, sliced--your choice of flavor. I used a spicy mango chicken from Aidell's.

1 cup chopped carrots

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

9 ounces (or so) fresh spinach (to add at the very end)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Rinse your lentils under cold water, and place them into an empty slow cooker. Add beef broth, and sliced sausage. Add the entire can of tomatoes and a cup of chopped carrots. The broth and the seasoning from the sausage is enough to flavor this dish-- there is no need for additional spices.

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, then stir in fresh spinach. It'll look like a lot at first, but the spinach will wilt and I promise it will all fit. Cover again and let the spinach soften for about 15 minutes. Serve in a shallow bowl with cornbread.

unless you don't like cornbread. then you really shouldn't eat it.

The Verdict.

We all ate it! I usually pick a sausage that has a bit of heat instead of the sicky-sweet sausages (think chicken apple) when I make casseroles or stews because the spice dissipates enough to not upset the kid tongues, but there is still a great amount of flavor. I am now such a fan of lentils--- they're cheap, filling, fat free, and full of fiber.

I've partnered up with DinnerTool.com, and wanted to share their new recipe and grocery list maker with you. It's completely free, and uber-easy to use. Which is good, because yesterday I spent 45 minutes at Lucky's only to walk out without the one thing I walked in for: bananas. grr.

All Hail the Lentil!

Honey lentils

Indian spiced lentils with chicken

Moroccan Lentil Soup

16-bean soup (I'm pretty sure there's a lentil in there somewhere)

Slow Cooker Troubleshooting

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:24:00 +0000

We have two new family members! Meet Sugar and Oliver (Ollie)--- who were in the house all of 45 minutes before I decided to throw them in a crockpot. [PETA disclosure; it wasn't plugged in, they weren't drugged---all just fun and games!]

While cooking in the slow cooker is pretty easy, sometimes things don't go exactly quite as planned. Since I've used the crockpot eight million and fifty-six times I have a few tricks up my ~~robe~~ sleeve that might be of some help to you.

Part 3 of Frequently Asked Questions. 1 and 2 are here.

Cleaning Baked on Gunk.

If you make a casserole in the slow cooker, like a lasagna, sometimes the baked on gunk is hard to get off. Don't use a brillo pad, or harsh abrasive scrubber to scrape it off. Instead, fill the crock with hot water and drop in a fabric softener (dryer) sheet, and let it sit over night. In the morning, rinse out the crock and wash it normally (either by hand or in the dishwasher).

Do You Use the Slow Cooker Liners?

I don't. But that's because I use my pots so much (I have 7 plugged in today!) it wouldn't be cost-effective for me to do so. If I think what I'm making will be difficult to clean, I'll spray a bit of cooking oil on the crock before loading it up. Otherwise, I just clean promptly, or use the above fabric softener sheet trick.

Hard Water Stains or Bean Residue.

The white, filmy stuff left behind on a black stoneware is lime scale, and comes from hard water, soap scum, or bean goop. Once you wash your pot with hot, soapy water, it's fine to use, even with this white discoloration. If it really bothers you, you can use a mixture of water and vinegar to wash away the stains, or make a big pot of tomato-based something or other (chili, stew, marinara sauce) to get rid of the stains.

I live in an area with hard water, and have these stains pretty often. I simply ignore them and keep cooking.

There is Water Trapped in The Handle of the Glass Lid of My CrockPot.

Ew. This happens if you don't have a tight seal on the handle of the glass lid and you run it through the dishwasher. The best thing to do is to unscrew the lid, wipe out the water, and then hand-wash the lid from now on. I'm sure you could hunt down a rubber gasket from a hardware store to make the seal tighter, but usually the glass lids don't get so dirty you can't just hand wash them.

The Handle Fell off the Glass Lid and it's Broken and I Need a New One.

You can order new glass lid handles from the Crock-Pot main website. You'll need to get the model number from the bottom of the heating element before seeing what type of knobs are available.

Or, you can go to a hardware store and get a single screw drawer-pull and use that instead for a new handle.

The Glass Lid is Broken.

You can order replacement glass lids from the Crock-Pot website (again, have your model number ready), or you can use a few layers of foil as a lid. Crimp the edges tightly, and cook your food the same way. Be super careful when removing the foil, the steam will be quite hot!

Which Slow Cooker do you Recommend?

I have all my recommended slow cookers and accessories listed on the Store page of the website.

What Do I Do With the Temperature Probe My Slow Cooker Came With?

Throw it in a junk drawer. I don't use the temperature probe, and none of my recipes call for using one, because I try to keep them pretty simple. If you are cooking a whole chicken or a fancyish piece of meat and would like the meat to turn off when it reaches a desired internal temp, use the probe. The probe is not to be used as an instant-read meat thermometer, but as a tool to turn the pot to a "warm" setting once the desired temp is reached.

I Only Have a 6-quart. How Do I Make Recipes that Call for a 4-quart or 2-quart?

Slow Cookers work the best when they are pretty full---about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full. You can still use them if they aren't to this capacity, but your food will cook faster.

If you are making a smaller recipe in a 6-quart, you can load the ingredients in and shorten the cooking time, or you can insert an oven-safe dish and then load the food into that. I recommend a Pyrex or Corningware-type dish, although a metal loaf pan or baking dish would work fine also. It's okay if the food mounds over the top, or overflows.

This is also what I use to make creme brulee or cheesecake.

I hope this helps! I have other answers listed in this Frequently Asked Year of Slow Cooking questions post and this one, too.

If you have any other questions, please let me know and I'll try my hardest to answer them the best I can. I hope you're enjoying your Crocktober!

Smoky Country-Style BBQ Ribs in the Slow Cooker

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 17:34:00 +0000

A few years ago I was in a Buffalo Wing phase--- my tongue itched for the spicy tang of Buffalo Wing sauce pretty much always.

It was a fun time.

This year, though, I seem to be on a rib kick. I love testing out new BBQ restaurants and trying to recreate the "oh-this-is-the-best-sauce-ever" flavor at home.

and in the crockpot.

I think we've hit the jackpot with this particular combination. The sauce has the perfect blend of twang, sweet, smoke, and heat without needing to brown the ribs beforehand, leave the house, or get dressed.

I used 3.5 pounds of pork baby back ribs, but you can certainly use beef if you'd like, or use this sauce on chicken thighs. I did NOT brown the meat at all--- the color shown up above was achieved solely in the slow cooker.

The Ingredients.

serves 4, unless you're really hungry.

3-4 pounds ribs

1 large yellow onion, sliced in rings

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 (12-ounce) bottle chili sauce (in the ketchup aisle)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (read labels for gluten. Lea & Perrins, made in the USA is GF)

4 chopped garlic cloves

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

1/4 teaspoon Liquid Smoke

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Cut the rack of ribs in half with a large knife or poultry scissors and make sure they fit all the way in the cooker, with the lid on. Now take them out.

Place the sliced onion in your pot, then put the ribs back in. Combine the dried ingredients: brown sugar, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub this mixture all over the ribs.

Wash your hands well.

Now combine the wet ingredients: chili sauce, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Tabasco, and Liquid Smoke. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of your ribs.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until the meat is tender, and has begun to pull away from the bone. The longer you cook the meat, the more tender it will become. Before serving, flip the ribs over a few times to get all sides nice and saucy.

The Verdict.

These are lick your fingers (and your forearms) good. Yum.

I could put this sauce on an old tire.

more ribs? no problem!

Hawaiian Ribs
Red Ribs

Slow Cooker Caribbean Jerk Chicken Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:50:00 +0000

Happy Friday! It's the last day of September, which means CROCKTOBER begins tomorrow!

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

In honor of the end of September, and the official beginning of Crock-Pot season, I'm hosting a giveaway for a brand-new (not even in stores!) Crock-Pot countdown, and copies of my three books. This is a 24-hour giveaway, and will end Tomorrow, October 1 (7am pacific), so make sure to enter today!

Today's recipe is one of my new favorite chicken recipes. I used a whole chicken, but this spice rub would work great on whatever you've got in the house---it might be really fun to do party drumsticks or wings, too.

I skin my chickens because of my weird issues. If you don't want to skin the bird, you don't have to. You can also insert a rack under the bird to let the drippings settle away from the bird, if you'd like. If you don't have a wire rack, you can make a foil snake (3 feet long, then twist up and create a coil at the bottom of the pot) and use that instead.

The chicken pictured was skinned as much as I could with poultry scissors, then cooked in the crock, breast-down. I didn't throw in potatoes or use a rack, but you certainly can if you'd like.

The Ingredients.

serves 4 to 6

4-5 pound whole chicken

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon all spice (not a typo, I used a whole tablespoon!)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 limes, juiced (about 1/3 cup)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Skin the bird as much as you can (or don't. it's your choice.) and place it into the slow cooker. I prefer to cook my chickens upside down, to keep the breast meat as juicy as possible. Make sure all the giblets, neck, etc. are out!

In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and dry spices. Rub this spice and sugar mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Pour on the lime juice.

Cover, and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4. Check doneness with a meat thermometer, or cut in to make sure the meat is no longer pink. Usually the bird falls completely apart--which is great. Moist, juicy, wondefully-flavored meat.

You can serve with lime wedges for a bit of extra citrus flavor, if you'd like.

mmm.

The Verdict.

My family and my friend Sharyl's family ate this chicken and we all loved it. Even my super-picky 10-year-old (I can NOT believe she's ten. #nothappyaboutthis) ate her serving and said it was good.

Sharyl asked for the recipe, which is always a good sign.

The bit of heat from the cayenne is there--- but not enough that any of the kids (six in all) complained. The pan drippings would be great to cook your rice in as a side dish.

more chicken? no problem!

lemon roasted

herb garden roasted

chicken with summer tomatoes

Vietnamese roasted

20-40 garlic clove

rotisserie-style

Have a great weekend! Make sure to enter the giveaway!

Slow Cooking in the Real World

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:08:00 +0000

Crock-Pot plugged in the garage, on the dryer

We're doing a tiny bit of remodeling right now. Nothing fancy---- we're (and by we, I mean not me) tearing up the linoleum that came with the house and having tile installed in the kitchen.

This was my anniversary present to Adam. I promised that if he got me tile, I'd never again complain about the flooring.

I'm such a giver.

the last of the nasty linoleum

Because our kitchen has pretty much been rendered useless (the refrigerator is plugged in the dining room, and the stove/oven combo and dishwasher are under a sheet behind the couch) I've been needing to utilize my own advice and use the MANY MANY MANY slow cookers we own to get dinner on the table.

Crock-Pot loaded with baked potatoes
in an otherwise unusable kitchen

and it's been kind of fun.

The kids wanted a baked potato bar the first night. No problem. Then they wanted brown sugar chicken. Not an issue---I already had it frozen in a ziplock, so I thawed it in the fridge overnight then squeezed the contents into the slow cooker in the morning. Tonight, we're having baked sweet potatoes and foil-packet tilapia (the fish won't go on until later this afternoon).

and so far, so good.

the coffee pot is also a necessity

I get a lot of emails, and some of my favorites are from readers who use their cookers in non-traditional ways. Last night I got an email from a construction worker who leaves a crockpot plugged in the trailer so he doesn't have to rely on fastfood or soggy sandwiches for lunch and dinner.

I like hearing from people who travel with their crockpots and plug it in the hotel room while they are out sight-seeing for the day.

I have great kids, but after a long day of vacationing, sometimes they aren't up to "restaurant manners"--- and it's nice to come back to a pot full of Korean Ribs or BBQ Beef and Bean sandwiches.

My friend Mir brings her crockpot camping. They have a pop-up trailer and she likes knowing dinner is taken care of before leaving camp for the day to play in the water. The crockpot also came in handy when an unexpected rain storm left barbecuing outside impossible.

We recently got back from a roadtrip to Oregon, and stopped at a few pioneer museums that were built along the Oregon Trail. Talk about hardships! A bit of rain, a torn up kitchen? That's nothing.

We are so lucky to be living in the time we are living----roughing it just really isn't roughing it anymore.

What about you? Do you have any odd or different uses for the slow cooker?

I'm greatly enjoying my month of 24-hour Give Aways---today I've got 5 copies of the More Make it Fast cookbook to give away. These recipes were all chosen to be budget-friendly. Pop on over and enter yourself to win!

and speaking of budget-friendly, it looks like Amazon has my book for sale for an unheard of $7.61 today. Ouch.

Have a wonderfully great day.

Honey Garlic Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:28:00 +0000

Good morning! It's the first day of school in our house, and I'm typing super quick to get this recipe out to you so I can bask in the fact that the baby is napping, the sun is shining, and the HOUSE IS QUIET.

QUIET QUIET QUIET

I may go do cartwheels on the back lawn...

right after I watch a soap opera marathon while eating a box of bon-bons...

This is a quick, easy, and super-tasty chicken recipe. I'd highly recommend using thighs--- they hold up better in the slow cooker and dark meat just tastes better. :-) I use boneless, skinless thighs. If your thighs have bones and skin, fish them out of the pot before serving (the chicken will separate from the bone and it'll be pretty easy).

The Ingredients.

serves 4

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 (La Choy or Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey

The Directions.

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 (I'd go with low---).
Serve with basmati rice and steamed or roasted vegetables.

The Verdict.

My kids adore this chicken. The ketchup and honey taste a bit like barbecue sauce, but slightly more tart. The basil gives it a different, herby flavor which I like a lot. If you are into freezer meals, this is a great candidate--- load all the ingredients into a freezer bag (raw chicken, the sauce ingredients) and then freeze. Thaw the bag overnight in the fridge, then plop the ingredients into your cooker for a fast morning plug-in.

Enjoy!

I've been doing a GiveAway a Day for the whole month of September. Today I'm giving away 5 copies of my new book, Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life. Click on over for your chance to win!

Teriyaki and Apricot Pork Chops in the Slow Cooker

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:30:00 +0000

I've got another quick, easy, and painless recipe for you that requires no washing, chopping, and only a tiny bit of dish-washing

---- always a bonus when you're getting dinner on early in the morning before a super busy day.

I also wanted to bring to your attention that it's the last day of August, and starting tomorrow (september! already!) I will be hosting 30 Days of Give Aways to help get a jump-start on your holiday shopping/gifting so you can sit back and relax (LOL.) during the hectic winter months.

I've got books, jewelry, slow cookers, gift cards, food items, and household gifts lined up, with hopefully more on the way!

okay, back to dinner---

The Ingredients.

serves 4

4 pork chops

2/3 cup apricot preserves

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat-free are gluten free. If you don't have teriyaki in the house, you can make your own with equal parts soy sauce and brown sugar)

1 teaspoon dried ginger

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. If you only have a super large cooker, that's okay. You can throw in some baked potatoes or corn, or you can put an oven-safe dish into your cooker (Pyrex, corningware, baking pan) to create a smaller cooking vessel--- then load the porkchops into it.

Put the chops into your slow cooker. Frozen is okay. In a small bowl (sorry about this, you're gonna have to wash the bowl. bummer. ) mix together the sauce ingredients and then pour evenly over the top of the chops. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Your chops are done when they have reached desired tenderness.

Serve with rice and sauce spooned over the top.

The Verdict.

I used to be allergic to pork, but somehow am not anymore, which opens SO many doors for new meals! If you'd prefer to not eat pork, this sauce is fantastic on chicken (I'd go for thighs).

Everybody in the house ate it up---I only had a half a chop leftover which I ate cold for lunch the next day (leaning over the sink so I wouldn't have to wash a dish).

I'm pretty sure we had the kids so I could get out of washing dishes.

other stuff you might like:

Peking Pork Chops

Apricot-Orange Pork Chops

Peanut Butter Pork

Apple Cinnamon Pork

Cajun Pulled Pork

Cranberry Pork Roast

Back to School Slow Cooker Menu (ravioli lasagna and pizza chicken)

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 05:01:00 +0000

I'm done with summer.

The school can have my kids back.

I'm ready to get on track with routines, schedules, meal-planning, and quiet.

mostly the quiet.

I've written about my love for meal planning in a bunch of spots. If you're looking for a how-to, you can read this post, or this one, or this one.

If you'd like inspiration, Laura, from I'm an Organizing Junkie hosts Menu Planning Monday each week (I have a webTV interview with Laura, here).

Here are two super simple weeknight meal recipes. I'll throw them in together instead of writing up separate posts since they are so easy.

oh! the verdicts on each were great. The kids ate every last drop, and Adam did the dishes. :-)

Slow Cooker Pizza Chicken

4 chicken breast halves (or about 6 thighs)

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced

1 (14-ounce) jar pizza sauce

20 pepperoni pieces (read labels carefully for hidden gluten, I used Hormel)

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

I used a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into your cooker and top with the cut up veggies and pizza sauce. Put the pepperoni pieces evenly over the top, and add lots of cheese. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or about 4 on high.

Slow Cooker Ravioli Lasagna

I'd wanted to test out the ease of ravioli lasagna for a while, but couldn't find gluten free ravioli that fit the budget. The ones pictured are from Mariposa which has a kiosk in the Ferry Building in SF. I have also seen frozen Conte's gluten free ravioli at Costco. If you can't find some locally, check with your local GIG group for suggestions.

If you aren't gluten free, use whatever you've got in the house!

1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained

1 (28-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce

25-30 frozen cheese or meat ravioli (I used gluten free; please mind labels!)

2 cups shredded cheese (I used Italian blend-- mozzarella, parmesan, etc)

2 tablespoons warm water

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. After browning the meat in a skillet, drain well and add the pasta sauce (save the jar!) to the meat in your saute pan. Stir to combine.

Scoop a large spoonful of meat sauce and spread into the bottom of an empty slow cooker. Add a layer of frozen ravioli. Then add another layer of meat sauce. Continue layering until you run out of ravioli and sauce. Sprinkle cheese evenly all over the top.

Put 2 tablespoons of water into the empty pasta sauce jar, and shake. Pour this water over the top of your "lasagna."

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for about 4. Your lasagna is done when the pasta on the ravioli is tender and the filling is heated through.

School starts for us on September 6th. I love having the kids home with me, I really do. But we've done summer. We've had the pool parties, the sleep overs, the camping trips, the roadtrips, and the all-day-tv veg days.

What's on your back to school menu?

other stuff you might like:

back to school year resolutions

real moms making real money: Amy Lynn Andrews--bloggingwithamy.com

back to school, back to work

How a Mom Gets Ready for School

Slow Cooker Venison Roast Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:02:00 +0000

My apologies to the vegetarians and vegans amongst us. You might want to divert your eyes. How about a lovely black bean soup? or sweet potato chili? maybe a vegetarian shepherd's pie? oooh! I've got a vegetable no-noodle lasagna for you!

did they leave?

is the coast clear?

I cooked Bambi. Our neighbors, Sandy and Sherman ( you remember them, they brought us Potluck Beans) hunt (well, Sherman hunts-- I think Sandy tolerates.) and were very generous with their last bounty. Venison is pretty lean meat, and has a tendency to be tough and dry if not cooked in a moist environment--

like in a slow cooker.

The Ingredients.

serves 4-6

2 onions, sliced in rings

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

2 pounds venison roast (if you have a bigger piece, that's fine, too!)

1/2 pound bacon

1 cup beef broth

1/4 cup butter, sliced (to add later)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Peel and slice the onions, and separate the rings. Place them on the bottom of your slow cooker. Rub pepper and Worcestershire sauce directly into the meat, and place it on top of the onion. Wrap bacon slices around the roast, overlapping if necessary, and tuck in the ends of the bacon underneath. Pour on the beef broth.

Cover and cook on low for 7 to 10 hours, or until meat has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will become. If the center of the meat isn't as juicy as you'd like, cut the meat into a few pieces, then return to the pot to cook on low until it begins to break down. Dry meat isn't the sign of over-cooking, it's a sign of under-cooking.

Slice, meat, and dot pieces of butter on it to melt. Serve with mashed or baked potatoes (or sweet potatoes) and something green.

The Verdict.

All Bambi jokes aside, this was quite delicious. Venison does not taste like beef or pork. It has a different flavor--many describe it as "gamey" which means that it has a different feel to the tongue, kind of tangy and more savory than sweet (beef and pork taste sweet when eaten right after). I liked it, and so did Adam and the baby (the big kids ate leftover mac and cheese (boxed, Trader Joe's)). I added the bacon and the butter to inject a bit of fat and moisture.

I've been watching a lot of documentaries lately on Netflix Streaming (we downgraded our cable package, but now have Streaming-- not sure we're actually saving any time or money--- gah.) related to food politics. When I think too much about where our food comes from, and why this or that is priced the way it is, and why this other thing costs so much more my head hurts.

and I want to dig a hole and hide.

I'm not sure where I'm headed with this---- I just know that while I was eating this meal I had an odd (and kind of morbid) satisfaction that I knew where this meat came from. What it ate, how it died, and who butchered and packed it up.

and that's all I have to say about that!

it's back-to-school season--have an itch to get organized?

Have a wonderful week. xoxo

Pineapple Salmon Slow Cooker Recipe (flop!)

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:51:00 +0000

When Adam and I were in our first year of marriage we lived in an apartment about a half-mile away from his brother and family. We were lucky enough to be invited over for dinner pretty often, and always happily accepted.

Adam's sister-in-law, Angela, is an excellent cook. Her family owns restaurants, and she's grown up in the kitchen and around food. I've always been quite impressed with the way she can open a fridge and just start throwing things together to make a really fantastic meal--- no recipe required.

She made us a salmon dinner one night (gosh, a good 12 years ago) that I still think about. It was the best salmon I have ever eaten. Ever.

ever.

She says she doesn't remember what she marinated the salmon in, but I knew pineapple juice was involved. and soy sauce.

I think.

I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to recreate this salmon. Last week I tried again.

It did not go so well.

The Ingredients.

(do NOT make this!)

4 salmon fillets

1 fresh pineapple, skinned and cubed

1 large orange, juiced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 teaspoon red chile flakes

aluminum foil

an outdoor garbage can

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker (but not really. don't attempt to make this. please.) In a blender combine the pineapple, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and chile flakes. Blend until you have a creamy sauce (the color will not be pretty. that should have set off some bells and whistles for me...)

Place the salmon fillets into a flat baking dish with high sides (a pyrex or corningware with a lid works best). Pour the sauce blend evenly over the top. Refrigerate your fish in the sauce for two hours or so (or don't. this tastes really bad and you shouldn't be doing any of this anyhow.)

After the time has elapsed, spread a length of foil out on your kitchen countertop. Place the fish inside (lots of the sauce will stay in the dish. this is fine. trust me, you don't want the sauce.) and crimp the sides of the foil to make a fully enclosed packet. You can stagger-stack all the fish fillets to make one large packet with all of the fish, or you can wrap each fillet individually.

Your choice.

Put the packet(s) into your crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Taste.

Then take outside and throw away.

The Verdict.

The "finished" picture up top is taken on the brick outside by the garbage bins. Thankfully I made this the night before the garbage was picked up---

I've made fish in the crockpot dozens and dozens and dozens of times, and have NEVER had this happen. The fish smelled really really fishy (I think it was a weird chemical break-down with the vinegar?) and the sauce tasted just how it looked.

really, really bad.

We had baked potatoes for dinner instead.

still want fish? these are the good ones!

Salmon with Lime Butter

Sweet and Spicy Salmon

My Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life book/planner hits bookstores today. You should get it! :-)

have a great day! have any flops? feel free to share!

Slow Cooker Mexican Black Beans Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:59:00 +0000

I've perfected black beans. Which is a good thing, since Safeway had a buy-one-get-one-free deal and I still have 5 unopened bags in the cupboard.

side note: the kids and I are *fascinated* by that Extreme Couponing show--- holy cow! What are they going to do with 84 boxes of Captain Crunch?

anyhow.

It's summer, and I have fully embraced the "I don't want to do anything" vibe that summer gives off. We're staying up too late, sleeping in, watching mindless television, (Wipe Out? really? who comes up with these things?) and sometimes forgetting personal hygiene.

you know, typical summer time stuff....

but yesterday I wanted to have something to show for myself, so I got up early and plugged in the crockpot.

and then went back to bed.

The Ingredients.

serves 8-10 as a side dish

1 pound black beans, soaked overnight, then drained

(if you don't have time to soak overnight, no problem. Put them in a large pot, and cover completely with water. Bring to a rapid boil for 10 minutes, then turn off stove and cover pot. Let your beans sit for 1 hour, then drain water and put beans into crockpot)

6 cups chicken broth (if vegetarian, use veggie broth; I'm concerned water won't provide enough flavor)

6 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, or 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Soak your beans overnight and drain (or use quick soaking method described above).

I've heard that you should water your outside plants with the bean water, but I've never done so--- I really should give that a try.

Put the drained beans into your slow cooker, then add the chopped garlic, broth, tomatoes, cumin, and chili powder. Stir well to combine.

I used bouillon cubes for my broth. If you're on a low-sodium diet, you may want to use low-sodium broth, or only use 5 cups and then 1 cup of water--- I've been cutting out salt and these beans tasted salty to me, but Adam and the kids thought they just tasted "good"---

cover and cook on low for 8 hours. If you live in a high altitude area, you may need to cook for longer. We're at sea level and my beans were perfect at 8 hours.

The Verdict.

Everyone in my house loved these--- I ate them alone, but Adam and the kids had them alongside quesadillas and rice. The baby had 3 servings (small plastic bowls) and then painted the highchair with bean goop.

The seasoning is fantastic--- the cumin and chili powder complement each other nicely and I liked the bits of tomato and garlic. If you want some heat, opt for a can of tomatoes and chiles (Rotel)-- there is no heat here, just flavor.

This morning, the beans have soaked in more of the liquid, but taste marvelous, even cold. If you'd like to freeze in batches, be aware that the beans will break down a bit-- no biggie, unless you'd like them picture-perfect.

would pair well with:

vegetarian tortilla soup

New Look, New Site, New Book, but it's still all the same. I promise.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:22:00 +0000

Hey! What happened to A Year of Slow Cooking?

it's here! it's all right here!

{if you are reading this in a reader or through email, none of this is going to make any sense. I urge you to click through to the main site to see what I'm talking about}

Welcome to the great-big-huge-honking site redesign! It's new. It's different. But all of your favorite (and even your not-so-favorite) recipes are all here, and all of your bookmarks will continue to work forever and ever.

I've wanted to tie my different writing endeavors together for quite a while now, and Jennette Fulda, of Make My Blog Pretty figured it out.

Because she is wonderful.

I'm still playing around with the features and learning the ins and outs of the software (I'm a slow learner) but I couldn't be happier.

I hope you enjoy the new design and the new features in the header. There's also a brand new home page that's pretty cool (it moves! and has random generator thingies!) You'll find links to pretty much anything I could think of that you might want/need, and there's a shiny new downloadable page with free stuff on it.

Just for you.

This website makeover is in honor of my new book: Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life

I began writing this book when my oldest child was a baby---over nine years ago. I was running a drop-in childcare center at the local courthouse and my little one came to work with me every day. I was listening to time management seminars on tape while I worked, and kept thinking that there should be a day timer for moms. Not a blank one--- those already existed--- I wanted someone to TELL me what to do.

I wanted someone (or thing) to tell me to change the sheets, to disinfect the remote controls, to wipe down the blinds, and to call my mom. I wanted to be reminded to do a breast self-exam and to make dental appointments for me and the family. I wanted someone to walk me through the Winter Holiday months (in a non-preachy or judgmental way).

I wanted encouragement. And someone to tell me I was doing a good job, even when I was sleep-deprived and had spit-up in my hair.

So I emailed the Franklin Covey company and told them that they should make a planner for moms. I corresponded back and forth with their development department a few times before I was kind of blown off (they sent me a 15% off coupon and a form letter).

I then did what any good red-blooded American would do. I got mad and made one of my very own.

This book has had a rather long and difficult pregnancy. It took me 2 years for me to find and secure a literary agent, then another 3 years for her to find a publisher (I've got an awfully nice collection of reject letters).

And then that publisher backed out (due to the economy) after it was ready to go to print.

(years 6 and 7)

and it took another year for me to find a new publisher.

(year 8)

meanwhile, the crockpot thing was taking on a life of it's own, for which I am eternally grateful, because if it wasn't for the crockpot thing, this book wouldn't have come to life.

but it's here. And it's because of you.

Thank you.

I really hope you enjoy it.

reprinted from the Introduction:

"There is just too much to do and nowhere near enough time to do it!" All over the world women are faced with the daily dilemma of trying to cram more and more into an already over-crowded schedule. Who has time for a monthly breast self-exam when there is weekly dusting and vacuuming, daily meal planning, hourly diapers to change, a baby to nurse, and a sibling argument to referee every five to ten minutes? How on earth can moms take the time to exercise and floss when showering daily is a luxury in which many don't indulge?

As a new mom I found myself wishing for some sort of guide that laid everything out. Some sort of system that reminded me to make dental appointments for everyone in the family every six months. A planner to help with the daily, weekly, and monthly chores so nothing was forgotten. A little bird to whisper in my ear that it's time to update the baby book and family scrapbook. A pat on the back and a friendly nudge to take a long bath and take the time to shave my legs properly.

I came up with Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life as a way to help me as I waded through the vast number of "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts" that I came across in parenting, housekeeping, and self-help books and magazines. Totally Together gave me the permission and tools I needed to whip through the daily chores and minutiae and move on to what I really wanted to do: spend time with my family and enjoy living life. My hope is that your Totally Together journal will be of help to you and your family, too.

Have a fantastic day. I hope you enjoy the new site, and thank you deeply for your love and support-- it means so very much. xoxo steph

p.s.: if you find any site snafus/weirdness, please email me at contact@stephanieodea.com

Asian Inspired Turkey Breast (in the Slow Cooker) Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:37:00 +0000

Hello! How has summer been treating you so far? We've been laying kind of low, with weekend trips scattered here and there, but mostly we're just enjoying being at home.

While I type, the big kids are watching an "America's Got Talent" marathon from the DVR and the baby (now eighteen months! eeps!) is cooking Lincoln Log soup in the play kitchen.

and the heater is running. because it's 66 degrees in the house and drizzling outside and I AM A GREAT BIG HUGE HONKING WUSS.

I promise I'll turn it off by 10am.

I think.

maybe.

I get emails about slow cooking during the summer time, and my answer is that yes, I do use my slowcooker(s) year round. It helps that it is F R E E Z I N G today, but even on hot days I prefer to use the crockpot than heat up the kitchen by using the stove or oven. I like that fish steams so nicely in foil packets without a fishy smell, and I'm getting pretty good at making lettuce wraps.

This is a great summer time recipe---- the turkey is seasoned with soy sauce, a bit of peanut butter, lime juice and some horseradish which creates a touch of surprise heat. The leftover turkey makes fantastic sandwich filling (I can't seem to get enough of that turkey-and-mayo combination).

The Ingredients.

serves 6

1 turkey breast (5-7 pounds)

1/3 cup soy sauce (I use La Choy or Tamari wheat free so it's gluten free)

1/3 cup sesame oil

1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish cream (or 1 teaspoon freshly grated)

3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

2 limes, juiced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

The Directions.

Use the largest slow cooker you've got. I skinned my breast (because I have weird skin issues) and then placed it meat-side down into a 6.5-quart slow cooker. It was not quite big enough, but I made it work (more on that in a sec.).

In a small mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, peanut butter, horseradish, chopped garlic, lime juice, and salt. Whisk together until everything is incorporated. Pour the sauce all over the turkey breast, allowing the sauce to pool up in the ribcage cavity.

Cover. If your lid doesn't fit on your pot completely (mine didn't), cover the top of your stoneware with layers of foil. Crimp the edges as tightly as you can and then place your lid on top. Cook on low for about 8 hours, or until meat is no longer pink when you cut into it and registers 170 degrees. If your turkey has a built-in thermometer it should pop up.

Carefully remove the turkey from the pot and let sit for 10 minutes or so before slicing.

If desired (highly recommended!), pour the crock drippings into a small sauce pan and boil on the stove until the sauce has thickened and reduced (about 8 min or so? I didn't really time this part --- don't wander off --- stirring every so often). Serve with your favorite sides with the gravy drizzled over the top.

We had our meat with salad and roasted vegetables.

The Verdict.

I forget about turkey in the non-Winter Holiday months. It's low in fat, low in cholesterol, and tastes great. I need to make it more often--- especially since the leftovers are so awesome in sandwiches. My kids are growing up, and ate everything on their plates without complaint.

The baby (so far) eats anything and everything.

Including the hairy raisins she finds under the couch.

more turkey? no problem.

whole turkey in the crock

turkey breast with white wine (and butter!)

cajun turkey breast

turkey and wild rice soup
apple, cheddar, and turkey meatballs

absolutely crazy turkey (you probably shouldn't actually make this)

also? I've been adopted! Wendy, from Celiacs in the House hosts an Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger roundup and Sunny from And Love it Too and Shea from Dixie Chick Cooks chose me! Both of these ladies are wonderful, and I urge you to take time perusing their sites.

Shea also writes Ingredient Challenge Monday and is hosting a giveaway for two of my books: More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow, and the new Totally Together Journal: Shortcuts to an Organized Life (out this August).

Thank you ladies for having me and for hosting the contest!

have a wonderful day. stay warm.

:-)

HA!

Reader Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:58:00 +0000

I wanted to put together a favorites page for a while, but couldn't figure out how to properly gauge what were "true" reader favorites. Until I remembered Facebook.

doy.

The following recipes have the most "likes"--- which has got to mean something, right?

Creme Brulee

156 likes

Falafel -- yup, Falafel!

201 likes

Pasta Fagioli: an Olive Garden knock-off

339 likes

Peperoncini Beef Sandwiches

340 likes

Cream Cheese Chicken

346 likes

Taco Soup

589 likes

Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

650 likes

Brown Sugar Chicken/Candy Chicken

716 likes

Pumpkin Spice Latte

over 1k likes

ABC Index of all slow cooker recipes

over 3k likes

Slow Cooker Yogurt Recipe

over 5k likes

When I started this site, I never thought I'd come up with new or innovative uses for the slow cooker. I figured people might tune in to see if I actually kept my resolution, but I had no idea that I'd learn new uses for the cooker or come up with recipes. It has really been a complete trip--- and I'm truly thankful.

Thank you so much.

other stuff I did this week:

Time Management for Moms

2008 Flashback, the complete year of crockpotting, in order
interview with Amy Green: Simply Sugar and GlutenFree
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Sundried Tomato and Artichoke Slow Cooker Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie O'Dea) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:58:00 +0000

This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Kraft.

This is a compensated post by BlogHer and PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese and is part of the Real Women of Philadelphia project. This is the fourth out of four recipes.

Oh my. This will be made again.

I used the Savory Garlic Cooking Creme for this recipe--- and it truly couldn’t have been any easier. The Cooking Creme is perfectly seasoned; no need to add anything but the artichokes and sundried tomatoes.

The Ingredients.

serves 6 (maybe more, but I accidentally ate too much)

1 (10-ounce) container of Savory Garlic PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked, then drained and chopped

chips for dipping

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Scoop out the Cooking Creme and put it into an empty slow cooker. Lick the spoon.

Add the chopped artichokes and sundried tomatoes. Stir (but not with the spoon you licked, because that would be gross). Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or until fully hot.

Serve with your favorite chips.

The Verdict.

DEEEE LISH OUS.

and super garlicy. Keep gum in your back pocket.

I ended up making this back when school was still in session (EONS AGO!) and had a house full of kids after school. I had kids ranging from 13 down to the baby (16 months at the time) for snack, and the dip was finished before the homework was complete.

It was easy to prepare, and a great "something new" to bring along to a backyard barbecue or potluck.

Now for some fun!

There is a GREAT BIG HUGE HONKING LIVE EVENT on June 30^th that you should all know about.

For the last few months, women all over the country have been submitting videos and original PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese and Cooking Creme recipes to RealWomenOfPhiladelphia.com in the hopes of competing in a live judging event hosted by none other, than Ms. Paula Deen.

The showdown will occur at the Lucas Theatre in Downtown Savannah at 7pm (eastern) on June 30^th, and will stream live on RealWomenOfPhiladelphia.com (I did not enter this contest). Winning this event is a big deal: winners receive a cash prize of $25,000, recipes featured in cookbooks, online cooking videos, and will participate in publicity appearances.

The good news for you/us is that all of the finalist recipes are available online, for free on the Real Women of Philadelphia website. Click on over and see which one you should try with your family (slow cooker optional. :-) )

Mark the 30^th on your calendar--- it’s always fun to witness live events in action, and you can participate in the action by joining the online community at Real Women of Philadelphia. I bet there will be a twitter party, too!

Want even more? There are more blogger reviews and recipes posted on BlogHer’s Promotions & Prizes section. Long live Cream Cheese!

other stuff:

I'm still working on the site redesign and am compiling websites/urls for the "everyone is included" blogroll. If you have a website or blog that you'd like listed (and you aren't a spam bot or anything else ridiculously offensive) send me an email at contact@stephanieodea.com with the subject line: blogroll and your site's name and URL.
I'm hoping to get the site stuff up and running sometime after the Fourth.

Also, I've got a new interview up on the webTV section. This time it's with Amy Green, of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. Amy shares how cutting sugar and gluten out of her diet is to credit for her 80 pound weight loss and for completely eradicating the migraines that had plagued her for years.
Also? She's giving away a copy of her new cookbook! click on over and watch Amy's interview and enter to win a book of your very own.

in the crock today: Asian spiced turkey breast (recipe to come--I played around with some new-to-me ingredients for this one). It's starting to smell good---
I'm excited. I've got a hunkering/hankering for a turkey sandwich.

or three.

have a great day!