Slow Cooker Guisado Verde

Thanks to Catherine for sharing this recipe! Here's the way we made it this week.

Ingredients

 

·         1.75 pounds boneless pork loin

·         1 large onion, coarsely chopped

·         4 cloves garlic, crushed then chopped

·         2 containers Herdez salsa verde

·         1 long green pepper from someone's garden (?) diced and seeds removed

·         1 jalapeno pepper, diced and seeds removed

·         1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

·         1 teaspoon dried oregano

·         salt and pepper to taste

·         ~1 quart water (to cover the pork)

      Served with:

      1/4 cup sour cream

·         More fresh cilantro, added to each bowl

Directions

1. Pour one container of salsa verde in the slow cooker, and put the pork loin on top.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Add water enough to cover all ingredients. 
3. Cover, and cook on High for 6 to 8 hours.
4. Remove the cooked pork to a plate, then shred with a fork. 

Notes

We served this in bowls, with a 1/2 cup of brown rice, steamed zucchini, and the shredded pork, topped with the sauce from the slow cooker, sour cream, and some more cilantro. The liquid came out rather watery, so I may try to use less water or more onions next time, to thicken it up.

Crockpot Beef and Barley Stew

I messed around with this recipe from Bon Appetit, my version is below, or click for the original: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/beef-barley-soup-with-wild-mushrooms-and-parsnips-102363

Ingredients

• 1 large can (22oz?) crushed tomatoes 
• 1 1/2 pounds beef short ribs
• 1 8oz container baby bella mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 large carrots, sliced into thick half-round pieces
• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
• 1 32oz container beef broth
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 2 teaspoons dried whole thyme
• oil for sauteeing
• more water as needed 
• Optional/I forgot to add this time: worchestershire sauce, bay leaf

Preparation

1. Set up crockpot and oil the bottom and sides lightly.
2. Pour crushed tomato into crockpot and place beef short ribs on top of it.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, celery and onions. Sauté until mushrooms release their juice and vegetables soften a little. 
4. Add bell pepper and garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. 
5. Add sauteed vegetables to the crockpot on top of the beef
6. Add beef broth, barley, and thyme. Add water if needed to ensure all ingredients are covered. The barley will also absorb water while cooking, so don't worry if it seems a bit watery at this point. 
7. Cook in crockpot on high for about 8 hours.
8. Using tongs, remove meat from pot. Cool slightly and shred meat into bite-size pieces, then return to soup. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper (don't think I added anything). 

This came out as a nice thick stew, with more vegetables than meat. The short ribs were made from chuck, and were a bit fatty. You could use a leaner cut for a less greasy soup.

20 minute Monterey chicken skillet

I want to try this one soon! Pretty high calorie but sounds delish... so maybe we can serve it with acorn squash and green beans or something like that to keep the rest of the meal lighter and more balanced. I do enjoy the occasional dose of bacon and stuff fried in bacon fat.  It's a sometimes food!!

http://www.momontimeout.com/2016/02/20-minute-skillet-monterey-chicken/

20 Minute Skillet Monterey Chicken

Print

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

20 mins

Got 20 minutes? This 20 Minute Skillet Monterey Chicken is just what you want to make for dinner tonight...trust me! Chicken, barbecue sauce, bacon, and glorious cheese come together in this delightful yet simple dish. Sure to become a regular request at your home!

Author: Trish - Mom On Timeout

 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 slices of bacon
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 4 tbsp barbecue sauce (use your favorite!)
• 4 oz Colby jack cheese, shredded
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• salt and pepper, optional

1. Fry bacon in a large skillet until crispy.
2. While bacon is frying, pound chicken breasts to desired thickness. The thinner they are the less cooking time required. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
3. Remove bacon from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel lined plate.
4. Turn heat to medium high and brown chicken on both sides (2 to 3 minutes per side.)
5. Pour chicken broth over the chicken breasts and cover skillet with a lid. Cook until chicken is done, about 4 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken.
6. Turn off heat and spread barbecue sauce on top of each chicken breast.
7. Top with two slices of bacon.
8. Divide cheese evenly among the chicken.
9. Place under the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minute - just until cheese is fully melted.
10. Top with tomato and green onions.
11. Serve immediately.

Pina colada dessert fluff

http://www.momontimeout.com/2015/02/pina-colada-fluff/

I made this for my parents and wife, who teased me about how simple and processed the ingredients are... but everyone enjoyed it!  No rum extract or nuts this time, still tasty and so freakin easy.

Ingredients

• 1 3.4 oz vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple (do not drain!)
• 1 8 oz container Cool Whip (I used lite) - thawed
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Optional:

• 1 tsp rum extract 
• ½ cup chopped nuts (your favorite)

Instructions

1. Combine pudding mix and the entire can of crushed pineapple in a large bowl.
2. Stir until completely combined.
3. Fold in all remaining ingredients.
4. Chill until ready to serve.

Spinach potato burgers

From: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016341-suvir-sarans-spinach-and-potato-patties-palak-ki-tiki

I made this tonight and it was good, although super time consuming. I made bigger patties and got nine. I used more cilantro and more garam masala than it called for. I used a long green pepper that wasn't very spicy so I might use jalapeño instead next time. We served these burgers with the spicy yogurt sauce from a few posts ago, burger buns, and iceberg lettuce for a little crunch. A side salad & a glass of wine rounded things out. Yum!

• 2 pounds red boiling potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• 4 firmly packed cups finely chopped, stemmed, washed spinach - about 3/4 pound leaves. (I used an 8oz bag of spinach and it was a LOT for 2 lbs of potatoes, so I wouldn't recommend doing 12oz of spinach)
• 1 fresh, hot green chili, finely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
•  Salt to taste (Suvir Saran uses about 1 1/4 teaspoons)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I didn't use this)
• 1 cup panko or chickpea flour (you will not use all of it)
• 2 tablespoons oil

• 
  

  PREPARATION

1. Steam potatoes over 1 inch of boiling water until tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wide bowl and mash with a fork. Add remaining ingredients except panko or chickpea flour and oil and mix well with your hands, squeezing the ingredients together. There will still be small chunks of potato and potato skin in the mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning.
2. Scoop out about 1/2 cup of the spinach-potato mixture, roll it with the palm of your hand to make a ball, and coat with panko or chickpea flour. Then press down to flatten to a 3 to 3 1/2-inch cake. Continue with remaining mixture. Chill for at least 1 hour. (I didn't chill at all, seemed fine to me.)
3. When you’re ready to cook, place a rack over a sheet pan. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Swirl pan to coat with the hot oil. Lower heat to medium. Place 4 to 5 patties in the pan (do not crowd), and cook until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and brown for about 4 more minutes. Remove to the rack. Heat remaining oil in pan and cook remaining patties. Keep patties in a low oven until ready to serve. Serve with a salad and your choice of toppings, such as the usual (ketchup, mustard, relish), or yogurt raita, garlic yogurt, or chutney.

Chorizo Plantain and Polenta Bowl

Sort of inspired by a Kashi frozen meal, I made this on Sunday afternoon. It was a ton of work, but really good!

Ingredients:

- 8oz (about) fresh pre-washed kale
- 1 cup grits
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 1 Tbsp Tapatio (or other Mexican-style hot sauce, Cholula, etc)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (to taste)

- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil

- 2 large ripe plantains, peeled and sliced

- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 lb chorizo (veggie or meat)
- 1 15oz can beans, rinsed and drained (kidney, black, pinto would all be good)
- 1 ripe avocado, diced

Optional stuff to serve it with: salsa, cilantro, pumpkin seeds, sour cream, more Tapatio

Preparation:

- Steam kale for 6 minutes, then remove from heat
- Boil water and add grits, then cover and simmer 5-7 minutes, until thickened. Stir in cheddar, Tapatio, and chili powder, season to taste.
- Heat oil in large non-stick or iron skillet. Saute plantain until softened and browned. Remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel.
- Add onion to the empty pan, add more oil if needed, and saute 1-2 minutes, then add bell pepper and saute until softened.
- Add chorizo and break into little pieces. Cook until browned throughout, then add beans and stir well until whole mixture is heated through.
- Combine everything in a bowl, top with avocado, and enjoy!

Ajiaco in the slow cooker (a Colombian Chicken Potato Corn Soup)

I did this today for the second time and tweaked it a bit. I love Colombian chicken soups, and this one came out really well in a slow cooker!! I'm glad to know it comes out tasty, we will be doing this one again.

I put in:
4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin off
5-6 gold potatoes, about 1 pound, quartered
2-3 ears of fresh corn, or 4 pieces frozen corn on the cob, cut in halves or thirds
3-5 green onions, chopped
1/2c (ish) chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp salt
2 cubes beef bouillon
1 Tbsp dried guascas (south American herb, skip it if you want)
7 cups water

Cooked it on high for 9 hours.

Served with:
Plain white rice
Avocado slices
Fresh diced tomatoes
Chopped cilantro
Chopped green onion
Capers
Sour cream

The prep is pretty easy, though getting all the sides together takes a minute. It's worth it, the combination of everything is amazing. I leave out the extra green onion and go heavy on the capers.

Chickpea Spinach Curry, Shepherd's Pie, and Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Chickpea Spinach Curry

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/12/curried-chickpeas-spinach/

This came out awesome!! We used frozen spinach and I think that's the texture you want for this recipe. Anna also did her own thing with seasoning it.

Ingredients:

1 15oz can chickpeas
10oz block frozen spinach
29oz can crushed tomatoes
1 12oz block extra firm tofu, cubed
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced (more would be good)
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (more would be good)
Spices to taste - curry powder, garam masala, and garlic powder.
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Combine it all in a pot and cook! You can saute the garlic and ginger first if you like. Very easy.

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Shepherd's Pie

Haven't done this one yet: http://drhyman.com/blog/2016/09/06/shepherds-pie/

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Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Haven't done this one yet either: 
http://www.joyfulbelly.com/Ayurveda/recipe/Pistachio-Crusted-Salmon-with-Lingonberry-Jam/32783?ref=36264&lnk=159&inf_contact_key=3b839130bebca203375135472b3b0237ca630b9fada898fe52e68e93657994dc

ingredients

1 oz	Lingonberry
1 tbsp	Mustard
1/4 c	Pistachio
1 lb	Salmon

preparation

Substitute cranberry if you cannot find lingonberry.

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Rinse and pat the salmon and place in an oven safe dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
3) In a small bowl, combine lingonberry jam and stone ground mustard.
4) Brush or spread the jam & mustard combination over the salmon, covering the entire top of the fillet.
5) Take 1/4 cup shelled pistachios and chopped coarsely on a cutting board. You can substitute sunflower seeds if you prefer.
6) Sprinkle the pistachios atop the salmon fillet until it is completely covered.
7) Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Serve atop a bed of greens or stir-fried veggies!

Turmeric

I've been thinking about this and might try a few of these ideas.

From: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9206/10-ways-to-get-more-turmeric.html

10 Ways To Get More Turmeric
by Dana James

Turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory spice which can help to decrease muscle soreness after an intense workout. It also neutralizes free radicals which can lead to wrinkles, cellulite, and fatigue. In addition, turmeric improves liver detoxification, so that pesticides and other environmental chemicals are safely removed from the body. It also turns on a gene that enhances the body's own production of antioxidants thereby acting as a powerful anti-aging nutraceutical. Its warm, peppery, flavor and golden color adds a richness and depth to smoothies, vegetables, legumes, nut-pates and eggs. Here are 10 easy ways to add turmeric to your life.


Turmeric elixir.
Boil turmeric root in water, discard the turmeric. Add raw honey, ground turmeric, lemons and cayenne pepper. Blend with ice if desired.

Spiced cauliflower.
Toss cauliflower in olive oil and turmeric. Roast for 30 minutes. Serve with lemon zest and cilantro.

Turmeric eggs with coconut oil.
Pan-fry two eggs in coconut oil in a skillet. Dust with sea salt and turmeric. Serve with sautéed turmeric kale.

Spiced dahl.
Bring lentils to boil in vegetable stock. Add curry powder and canned tomatoes. In coconut oil, lightly pan-fry ground turmeric, cinnamon and cardamon. Stir through dahl.

Turmeric kale.
Using the same cast iron pan, sauté kale in coconut oil, add a pinch of sea salt, and dust with turmeric.

Turmeric milkshake
Blend activated almond milk with ground turmeric, ginger, banana and ice. To make activated almond milk, read this.)

Curried chickpeas.
Dust drained chickpeas with turmeric, curry powder, and sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes, then serve.

Turmeric vegetable dip.
Blend cashews, young coconut flesh, coconut water, olive oil, garlic, ground turmeric, and ground ginger. Serve with vegetable crudités.

Spiced carrot and tahini soup.
Pan-fry carrots, onion, garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric, and sea sat. Add vegetable broth. Blend with tahini and lemon juice. Serve dusted with turmeric and topped with cilantro.

Turmeric and pumpkin seed pate.
Blend soaked pumpkin seeds with tamari, garlic, turmeric, and sun-dried tomatoes. Add water as needed. Serve with flaxseed crackers.

Spicy yogurt sauce with roast cauliflower and chicken nuggets

We are keeping it classy tonight.


This yogurt sauce tastes pretty darn good on its own! Tonight I put it on the cauliflower before roasting and the chicken nuggets after microwaving ;) Below is my adaptation of this recipe from Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/spicy-whole-roasted-cauliflower-52799271

Ingredients

        1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets
        1 cup plain yogurt
        1 tablespoon chile powder
        1 tablespoon cumin
        1 tablespoon garlic powder
        1 teaspoon curry powder
        1 teaspoon black pepper     
         Salt to taste (or none)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly grease a small baking sheet with vegetable oil or cooking spray.
2. Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem. Chop into large florets that are 2-3 bites each.
3. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt with the spices.
4. Dunk the cauliflower florets into the bowl and use the back of a teaspoon or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over the top part. I leave the stems alone.
5. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.

There will be lots of excess marinade, which can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish or other veggies. Or you can dunk your chicken nuggets in it. Enjoy!

Perfect Roasted Chicken Thighs

From Bon Appetit

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/perfect-pan-roasted-chicken-thighs

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 2-4 MAIN-COURSE

• 6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation

COOK: 35 MINCOOK: 35 MIN

• Preheat oven to 475°. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12" cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Nestle chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high; continue cooking skin side down, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs and rotating pan to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 12 minutes.
• Transfer skillet to oven and cook 13 more minutes. Flip chicken; continue cooking until skin crisps and meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate; let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Techniques For This Recipe