AS I sit here doing my hip and back exercises on my balance ball (all the while hoping that the birth instructor is right and this will make my birth easier) I am enjoying the smell of one of my favorite recipes cooking in the kitchen, letting the new bathroom cleaner soak and do its magic before I rinse both tubs, and typing to you. It is multitasking at it's most domestic. I thought I would pass on some of our favorite (my favorite because they are quick and easy, my husbands favorite because they taste great but help keep his diabetes under control) crockpot recipes.
1. (and the one that is currently cooking) Chicken Curry
3-4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes (I find that a lot of the diabetic cookbooks call for chicken breasts so I usually buy them in bulk from Costco each month and it really saves time and money)
1 small to med onion, chopped (you can add more onions and apples if your crockpot is big enough. I find by adding an extra onion and apple or two it almost doubles this recipe)
1 clove garlic, minced (I am sure if you are in a time crunch, garlic powder would work also)
3 tart apples, pared, chopped ( I usually use granny smith apples)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder ( I use curry paste (usually red but you can find green and yellow curry paste also) that I buy at the oriental or Indian markets in big tubs that once you open, will last almost forever in the fridge)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 to 3 tablespoons flour
another 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 cups milk (I only buy skim or fat free milk and this recipe works fine with it)
wash and cut chicken, put into slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, apple, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, salt, and water. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours. (I have heard that you can cook this on high and cut the time in half but I have never tried it) About 15 minutes before serving, turn slow cooker to high. Mix flour, last 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder and milk together. Stir into chicken mixture; heat until thickened and bubbly. (this part doesn't take too long) serve over rice (I use minute rice when time is short and balsamic rice if I feel like using my rice cooker)serves 5-6
2. Spareribs and Sauerkraut
1 large can sauerkraut
1 large can tomatoes (you can use canned stewed tomatoes with added spices and vegetables to add variety, I like stewed tomatoes with oregano and basil best)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds ( I have also used hulled, salt-free sunflower seeds and it worked well)
1 large onion, chopped
2 pounds spareribs, cut (I buy these from costco also so I often separate the package into two freezer bags before I freeze them so I have enough for two sparerib dinners. I also only buy the boneless spareribs)
salt and pepper to taste
Combine first four ingredients. Pour into slow cooker. Top with spareribs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Serves 5-6
3. Swiss steak
2 pounds round steak, cut into serving sizes
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, thinly sliced (again you can double this recipe by adding more onions and bell peppers)
1 16 ounce can stewed tomatoes ( I have used 2 cans of stewed tomatoes to make this more saucy and it worked well)
1 green pepper, sliced
season steak with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. Add onion and green pepper. Pour tomatoes over all ingredients. Cover and cook on high 1 hour; turn to low for 6-8 hours. Serves 6-8 (this is great with mashed potatoes and a nice dinner salad)
Okay for some Hispanic crockpot dishes; 4.Tamale Pie
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 egg, beaten
1 pound lean ground beef, browned and rinsed
1.25 oz. Envelope dry chili seasoning mix (this is a standard envelope from your spice isle in the grocery store)
16 oz. Can diced tomatoes (I will often make this with a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (think Rotel))
16 oz. Can corn, drained (you can also find can corn with chilies added and that works too, you can double the corn and tomatoes in this to make it more soupy)
1 cup grated fat-free cheddar cheese
combine cornmeal, milk, and egg. Stir in meat, chili seasoning mix, tomatoes, and corn until well blended. Pour into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 1 hour then on low 3 hours. Sprinkle with cheese and cook another 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Serves 8
5. Green Chili Stew
2 tbsp. Oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 pound lean ground beef or sirloin
1/3 pound ground pork or Italian sausage
3 cups low sodium chicken broth (you can use equivalent water and chicken bullion in a pinch I have heard but I haven't tried it)
2 cups water
2 4 oz. Cans diced green chilies (you can add can tomatoes to this also)
4 large potatoes, diced
10 oz. Package of frozen corn
1 tsp. Black pepper
1 tsp. Crushed dried oregano
1/2 tsp. Ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Salt
brown garlic, onion, beef and pork in minimal oil in a skillet. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low 4-6 hours, or until potatoes are soft. Serves 8
And for a couple of recipes that even the laziest person in the world has time for! (and I have known some lazy horrible cooks in my day and I think even they could make these dishes, although their kitchens and utensils are usually too dirty to warrant eating anything prepared in or with them)
6. Quick beef stew
1 pound lean stew meat
1 packet stew seasoning mix
1 16 oz. Package stew vegetables, sliced (potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and turnips)
1 15 oz. Can stewed or chopped tomatoes
5 cups water
combine all ingredients in slow cooker, cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Serves 6
7. Steak and rice casserole
1 pound round steak, cut in cubes
1 10 oz. Can mushroom soup
1 can water
1/2 cup rice, uncooked
1 package powdered onion soup mix
combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Serves 4
8. Easy pork delight
6 pork chops or steaks
1 10 oz. Can cream of mushroom soup
trim fat from pork. Place in slow cooker. Add soup. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Serves 4 to 6 ( you can add chopped or sliced stew vegetable to this is you have time. Just adjust the cooking time till vegetables are soft)
9. Quick chicken breasts
4 to 6 boneless chicken breasts
1 10 oz. Can cream of mushroom soup
place chicken in slow cooker. Pour soup over chicken. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours. Serves 4 to 6 (again; you can add chopped or sliced potatoes, onions, or carrots if you have time)
10. Quick onion roast
3 pound roast
1 packet powdered onion soup mix
flour
coat roast with flour and place on rack in slow cooker. (I don't use a rack if I am adding vetetables to this recipe)
sprinkle with soup mix. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Serves 6 ( this is also good if you add sliced; carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, or zucchini before cooking)
11. Corned beef and cabbage
2 pounds corned beef brisket
1 head of cabbage
salt and pepper to taste
salt and pepper brisket, brown in a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray. Put brisket in slow cooker. Quarter the cabbage and place on top of brisket. Cover ant cook on low 8 to 10 hours serve with sliced tomatoes and rolls or French bread. Serves 6
12. Chicken and cola
1 fryer cut into pieces with skin removed, or 6 boneless chicken breasts, or a large package of chicken wings
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup catsup
1 can soda (yes I use diet! Diet Dr. Pepper usually)
place chicken in slow cooker. Mix salt, catsup, and cola together and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Serves 6
Can you make desserts in a crockpot? I have and here are a few I love to make!
13. Bread pudding
8 slices of bread, cubed (raisin bread is really good, day old unfrosted cinnamon rolls work also (8 cups), as do many other fruit and nut breads)
3 eggs
2 egg whites
2 cups fat-free half and half
2 tbps. Sugar or sugar substitute
1/2 cup raisins (use only 1/4 cup if you are using raisin bread, you can also use dried cherries, or try other dried berries)
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
sauce;
2 tbsp. Light, soft tub margarine
2 tbsp. Flour
1 cup water
6 tbsp. Sugar or sugar substitute
1 tsp vanilla
place bread cubes in greased slow cooker. Beat together eggs, egg whites, and half and half. Stir in sugar, raisins, and cinnamon. Pour over bread and stir. Cover and cook on high 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook 3-4 hours. Make sauce just before pudding is done baking. Begin by melting margarine in a saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add water, sugar, and vanilla. Bring to a boil, cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve sauce over pudding. Serves 9
14. Scalloped pineapples
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup light, soft tub margarine, melted
3/4 cup milk
20 oz. Can crushed pineapple, drained
8 slices bread ( crusts removed), cubed
mix together all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on high 2 hours, reduce heat to low and cook 1 more hour. Serve with ham or chicken or with vanilla ice cream! Serves 8
15. Chocolate peanut butter cake
2 cups (1/2 of package) milk chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
2 egg whites
6 tbsp. Chopped walnuts
combine all ingredients. Beat 2 minutes with electric mixer. Pour into greased and floured 3 pound shortening can. Place can in slow cooker. Cover top of can with 8 paper towels. Cover cooker. Bake on high 2-3 hours. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Run knife around edge and invert cake onto serving plate. Cool completely before slicing and serving. Serves 11
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