Slow Cooker |

Braised Baby Back Ribs and Creamy Polenta with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Kaitlin

I’ve mentioned on here many times, I really stink at getting an entire meal on the table. I can usually handle making the main dish and then I just scramble to throw a salad together and call it a meal. So when Cooking Planit told me about their app, it was like they had made it with me in mind! The app, available for the iPhone and iPad (android coming soon) can also be accessed online. Your usage is synced up through your login, so you can browse on your computer, iPhone, and iPad seamlessly. (The app is currently on sale for $0.99 for iPhone and $1.99 for iPad) The overall goal of Cooking Planit is to get a meal, sides included, on the table at the same time. The app includes tons of recipes that come already packaged as meals, but you can also mix and match to suit your tastes. Once you choose your recipes/meal, you can add it to “My Cookbook” to store for future use. When you’re ready to go food shopping, just add the meal to your grocery list. The app gives you the option of planning for 2, 4, or 6 servings … Continue reading →

Wine and Tomato Braised Chicken Thighs

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Kaitlin

It’s no secret that I love tomatoes. So when I was contacted to participate in a celebration of Pomi’s 30 year anniversary, I was more than happy to oblige. To celebrate, each month Pomi sends me a Pomi product and an ingredient that should be paired with the product in a recipe. March’s package came with Chopped Tomatoes and the ingredient of the month was wine, so I loosely used a recipe from Eating Well as a base for a Braised Chicken Thigh recipe with Mushrooms, Peppers, and Onions. (Note: I used my Ninja Cooking System for this recipe but you can use a normal slow cooker as well. I have directions for both below.) Ingredients: 4 slices bacon 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 cup red wine 1 container of Pomi Chopped Tomatoes 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 bone-in chicken thighs (2 pounds) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 container sliced baby bella mushrooms 1 large green pepper, chopped 2 cups uncooked orzo

Slow Cooker Marinara

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Kaitlin

Making a large batch of marinara sauce and freezing it for later use makes dinner on really hectic weeknights significantly easier. My mom used to make pots upon pots of tomato sauce during the first snow of the season which always made the house smell oh so good, especially after coming in from the cold. We haven’t had our first snow yet, but that’s not going to stop me from trying out this slow cooker marinara from Cooking Light. The sauce can be frozen and used for months. The original recipe used fresh tomatoes but I hate peeling tomatoes and the plum tomatoes this time of year just aren’t very attractive. So I used the next best thing, Muir Glen Organic whole peeled plum tomatoes. If it’s summer when you make this, go for the fresh ones! Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 cups chopped onion (about 2 onions) 3/4 cup sliced carrot (about 2 carrots 1/2 cup diced celery 1/4 cup minced garlic (a good dozen garlic cloves) 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste 1/2 cup dry red wine (such as cabernet sauvignon) 3 28 oz cans of Whole Peeled … Continue reading →

Slow Cooker Apple French Toast Casserole

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Kaitlin

I love recipes that make it easy to serve a bunch of people with minimal effort. A slow cooker is usually a go-to for those types of recipes but I’ve never considered using it to make breakfast before. The Ninja Cooking System is the perfect tool for it though. They sent over this recipe for an Apple French Toast Casserole and I couldn’t wait for the weekend to come so I could make it. This recipe makes 8 servings so it would be great for breakfast for a larger group but I also packed up the rest of my servings to reheat during the week. Ingredients: ½ cup butter 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup chopped walnuts ½ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup pure maple syrup 1 loaf challah bread (about 1 pound), cut into cubes 6 large eggs 2 cups vanilla almond milk (or normal milk) 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Pinch salt Confectioners’ sugar

Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Kaitlin

It isn’t Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. We’ve always had the canned cranberry sauce at my Thankgivings growing up; I honestly believed the ridges from the can were there so I knew where to cut. I am all for the canned version, but I thought I’d attempt to make a homemade version in my slow cooker. I based it slightly off of Cooking Light’s Classic Cranberry Sauce but changed up a few ingredients and the method of cooking. Ingredients: 1 12 ounce package of cranberries 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup port wine 1/2 cup orange juice (or 3 oranges, squeezed) 1 tablespoon zest (also about 3 oranges) 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger a dash (1/8 tsp or smaller) allspice

Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Kaitlin

My goodness it dropped in temperature quickly! It feels like we went straight from September weather to December weather. Luckily, I have the perfect warm drink to keep you toasty. This is a (probably) oversimplified version of a drink my aunt and uncle always have at their house for the holidays: Wassail. It’s basically a mulled wine that warms you up from the inside out. I’ve been thinking about Wassail since the change in temperature so I decided to make a quick batch with things I already had in my house. Ingredients: 1 bottle red wine (I used a red zin) 2 cinnamon sticks 3 whole cloves 5 allspice berries 1 orange 2 oz whiskey 1 oz triple sec 1/4 cup brown sugar I like using the slow cooker so that I don’t accidentally boil the wine. This recipe can be multiplied as needed, it cooks down a bit so one bottle of wine renders about 3 glasses. Add the bottle of wine, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and allspice berries to the slow cooker. Cut the orange in half. Squeeze 1/2 of the orange into the slow cooker. Slice the other half into thin slices and throw in the slow … Continue reading →

Slow Cooker Bourbon BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Kaitlin

I’m not even going to pretend to care about football. I have no clue what is going on on the field, nor do I honestly want to. Not even going to school with Flacco could peak my interest in the sport. But I do care about the food aspect of watching football, to no one’s surprise. So with the season in full swing, I figured it was about time for me to figure out how to make ribs. I surprisingly do not have a smoker in my tiny apartment, so I went in search of a slow cooker recipe. This Bourbon BBQ Baby Back Ribs recipe fit the bill. Ingredients: 5 lbs baby back ribs, cut to fit in your slow cooker 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 cup ketchup 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup bourbon 1/4 cup horseradish 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I used Sriracha) Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Add the ribs to a large roasting pan (I didn’t have one so I used a few saute pans). Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Bake the ribs for 30 minutes at 475 degrees. Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, bourbon, horseradish, … Continue reading →

Osso Buco with Gremolata

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Kaitlin

As soon as the weather begins to move into fall, I begin to think of all the hearty meals I will be making in the upcoming months. A slow cooker is such a helpful tool during colder months, it allows you to make a bunch of servings all by dropping them in a pot and just waiting. Slow cooking tough cuts of meat also turns them into the most tender fall-off-the-bone protein. I’ve never tried osso buco before, but a slow cooker version sounds basically idiot proof, so I decided to make it. I actually put this together Sunday night and when I woke up the next morning, spooned out a portion for lunch that day and froze the rest. What a great way to start the week! I had a heck of a time finding some ingredients despite them being pretty common. So I kind of fudged some of the ingredients. For the original recipe, check it out here. Ingredients: 2/3 cup all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided About 5 pounds veal (go for the cheaper cuts—its usually made with veal shank but they were all out at my market – I … Continue reading →

Corned Beef & Cabbage

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Kaitlin

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, which means Americans nationwide are gearing up for a corned beef and cabbage feast. Despite being Irish myself, I’ve never eaten this St. Patrick’s Day staple before. My boyfriend, a huge corned beef fan, was really looking forward to having some, so I finally decided it was time to try to make it. I choose this recipe from Food Network so that I could use my slow cooker and not have to watch over it for hours. 4 pounds raw corned beef brisket Pickling Spice (included with brisket) 1 medium rutabaga, halved, peeled and cut into wedges 5 large carrots, cut into 4-inch pieces 1 bag red potatoes 1 leek, white and light-green parts only, cut into 3-inch pieces 1 yellow onion, chopped 1/2 head cabbage, roughly chopped 1/3 cup Dijon mustard with horseradish 1/3 cup creme fraeche Add the corned beef to the slow cooker. Your corned beef should come with a little packet of pickling spices. Add that on top of the beef. Layer the rutabaga carrots potatoes onion and leeks to the slow cooker. Layer them this way so that they all cook evenly. Add 6 cups of water … Continue reading →

Barbecue Elk Brisket Sandwiches

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Kaitlin

I am having way too much fun trying out all these new meats through Arganica. This week I thought I’d try to conquer elk. Elk has a similar taste to beef and is low in both fat and cholesterol. I thought it was another perfect excuse to use my slow cooker, and to invent my own barbecue sauce! I decided to make a Chipotle-Guinness barbecue sauce. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 bottle of Guinness 1 small can tomato puree 1/4 cup molasses 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon of the sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo 1 tablespoon dijon 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 lbs Elk brisket (can substitute beef brisket) Salt and pepper, to taste Buns, toasted To prepare the barbecue sauce, chop the onions and garlic. I ended up only using one garlic clove, look how big it was! Add the olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Add the Guinness, bring to a simmer, and cook … Continue reading →