Recipe #341: Coffee Braised Pot Roast

My mother-in-law gave us a pot roast so I decided to find a new recipe to let it sit in the crock pot while I was at work. So I was looking on realsimple.com and found this recipe that called for a different kind of beef, but i figured it would be just fine for my pot roast too! :)

you need:
1 onion, peeled and quartered
4 large potatoes, quartered
1 small bag of baby carrots
2.5 lb pot roast
1 6oz can of tomato paste
1 cup of brewed coffee
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

• cut up onions and potatoes.
• place all veggies in the bottom of the crock pot
• salt and pepper the pot roast then add to the top
• whisk tomato paste, coffee, worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar in a small bowl.
• pour on top of roast
• cook on low for 8-9 hours

for foccocia recipe go here

Recipe #256: Tomato Sauce Chicken

This was a super easy recipe! I stuck the chicken in frozen. I just forgot to tell Will to stir or check it while I was gone so it was ready to fall off the bone at about 4 and we were going to eat at 6. But it worked out just fine!

You need:
4 bone in chicken thighs
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 green pepper
rice

• stick chicken in crock pot.
• cut green peppers into strips and add to crock pot
• pour sauce on top and mix up.
• cook on low for 8 hours.

sorry, the picture was blurry and I was too tired to really care! :)

Recipe #225: Soy-glazed Chicken with veggies

Now when I get my new Real Simple magazine I always look at the recipes first now. I knew I wanted to try this one! I have trouble getting everything together for a crock pot meal when I leave for school but it is nice to throw something in on the weekends and not have to worry food but enjoy family time instead! Will told me he wanted rice and chicken with my choice of seasoning so I thought this was the perfect meal!

You need:
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 chicken breasts
for veggies I used: carrots, broccoli, and beans
sesame oil

• mix together brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, pepper in a crock pot. 
• Add chicken and flip several times to coat with sauce
• cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours ( I started late so left it in only 3 hours, I htink it would have been more tender if I had I left it in longer)
• In the meantime make rice. I did a mix of white and brown
• transfer chicken to a plate. Pour liquid into a fry pan. allow to boil to thicken. Add chicken to pan and heat on low, flipping chicken to evenly coat it with the sauce.
• in a small pan stir fry the vegetables with some sesame oil

Will said it hit the spot!

Recipe #221: Pork and Tomato stew

I really need to find time to post more regularly again. If anyone knows how to add hours to their day, please let me know! :)
Last Monday I went out to meet a friend and threw this in the crock pot before I left so dinner would be ready when I got home! Unfortunately I got home later then I expected so I didn't get to thicken up the stew like I really wanted to, but it still hit the spot! I found the idea recipe in a magazine, but online you can find it here, but I changed it a lot.

You need:
1 lb pork loin
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 cup water and 1 chicken boullion cube (or 1 cup chicken broth)
salt and pepper
some broccoli, corn or whatever veggies you want to add

• put diced tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic, pork loin, and salt and pepper in crock pot
• heat on low for 7 hours 
• in last twenty minutes add some veggies
• serve over rice

Recipe #214 and #215: Chicken Tacos two ways!

This is a variation of another recipe I made found here.

You need:

2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup plus taco seasoning
3 cups (or less if using frozen chicken breasts) water
3 chicken boullion cubes
1can cream of chicken soup
tortillas
cheddar cheese
lettuce
tomatoes etc.

• put chicken, taco seasoning, water, and boullion cubes in crockpot. Heat on high for at least 4 hours 
• take  one piece of chicken out and shred 
• in a sauce pan add chicken and cream of chicken soup and 1/2 cup water from the crock pot, stir until cream sauce is heated
• shred the other chicken breast and put back in the crock pot. 
• choose your favorite chicken and add to a soft taco along with your favorite toppings!

Recipe #186 and #187: Asian Pork with Cabbage Salad

This is another Real Simple crock pot recipe that I got out of my magazine or you can find in here. Of course I made some changes, but both boys loved it which means success!

For Asian Pork you need:

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp Rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp crushed red pepper

2 lbs pork loin

2 bundles of somen noodles (or soba or udon)

corn 

• mix soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and red pepper in the crock pot. 
• Add pork loin and cover with mixture
• cook on low for about 7 hrs
• about 15 minutes before serving, boil somen noodles.
• mix the noodles with the pork and serve

For Cabbage Salad you need:

1/4 head of cabbage

matchstick carrots

cucumber, thinly sliced

sesame seeds

sesame oil

some sauce from pork

• cut up veggies
• add a couple spoonfuls of pork sauce to veggies
• pour in some sesame oil and some sesame seeds
• stir until well combined.

Recipe #176: Curried Chicken

This was a crock pot recipe that needed a little more teamwork on Will and my part...because I go to work so early 8 hrs later means 3pm which is too early for dinner and in the end, the chicken was a little bit more shredded then I would have wanted, but all in all, it had good flavoring. I found the recipe in a Real Simple magazine but you can also find it here. I changed it a bit because, although I had every intention of getting tomato paste, I ended up with tomato sauce!

You need:
3 chicken breasts (mine were a little frozen and still worked okay)

• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 Tbsp ginger
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

• in crock pot mix tomato sauce, garlic, curry powder, ginger, cumin, and onion.
• top with chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces. Season with salt and pepper
• cook on low for 8 hrs. stir
• just before serving add yogurt in.
• serve with rice

Recipe #169: BBQ Chicken

I found this idea on pinterest, but mine didn't look at all like the original found here. Maybe because I used frozen chicken like she did, but there was a lot of water in it... either way, it was a perfect meal with rice after a fun trip to the zoo!

You need:
3-4 chicken breasts
the bbq sauce recipe found here doubled
1/4 cup vinegar
1tsp red flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder

• put chicken in crock pot
• mix ingredients (I mixed up bbq sauce the night before) and pour over chicken.
• cook on low for 4-6 hours 
• i had a lot of sauce, so next time might not double the bbq sauce recipe. it was tasty though!

Recipe #155: Pork Roast

Well, I have barely had to cook all week and the times I did I ended up repeating some recipes because of the ingredients I had on hand...But this pork tenderloin was sitting in the fridge needing to be finished up so I decided to try out a recipe I found here. I really wanted a crock pot recipe. I was in the mood to get a great meal for almost no work, and that is exactly what happened! :)

You need:
Pork Tenderloin
spaghetti sauce (I didn't have any plain tomato sauce like the recipe called for)
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cupish sugar (I used a little less then half cup)
2 tsp ground mustard.

• put the pork in the crock pot
• add all ingredients to crock pot and mix together
• cook on low for about 5-8 hours (depending on size of your roast, i had a small portion so it took only about 5)
• remove from crock pot, cut up and pour sauce over top.
• Great with rice and sauteed green beans!
• ps. i forgot to take a picture because I was having so much fun eating it! :)

Recipe #126: BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Taking a meal over to a friend so made a big batch of this so we could have some too! Easy, hands off recipe!

you need:
BBQ recipe found here (the taco sauce recipe)
4 lbs pork loin
shredded cheese
hamburger buns

• mix up the bbq recipe in the crock pot. I quadrupled it (x4)
• add in pork and cover with sauce.
• cook on low for 8-10 hours
• shred up pork and mix well with sauce during the last 30 minutes
• serve on buns with a little cheese on top...or if you are Will, pickles.

Recipe #114: Pulled Pork Tacos

A little twist on your normal tacos or BBQ pork! :)

I took the general idea from a Woman's day recipe (you should checkout their IPod app!).

It was perfect for leaving in the crock pot, heading out to church and having it ready for a quick bite when you get back!

You need: 

 double recipe of Taco/BBQ sauce found here

2 packet of taco seasoning

about 2 lbs pork loin

taco stuff: tortillas, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, etc

• mix taco sauce recipe in the crockpot
• add two taco seasoning packets and mix together
• put pork in crock pot and coat with sauce
• cook on high for about 3-4 hours
• in last 30 minutes, use a knife and fork to shred pork into small pieces.
• stir it several times to make sure pork is completely coated in sauce.
• enjoy in tacos with your favorite toppings!

Recipe #111: Beef Udon Salad

for lack of a better name...

You need:
Beef Strips
Potatoes, cut in chunks
apple, sliced
two bundles of Udon noodles
edamame

for sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp mirin
1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 Tbsp sesame seed
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

• mix sauce in crock pot
• add apples, potatoes, and beef
• cook on high for about 3 hours
• last 10 minutes boil udon 
• boil edamame
• mix it up or leave it separate! 

Recipe #98: Chicken Adobo

I think this is the more Filipino flavoring of adobo, and I love it so wanted to try this recipe from my Real Simple magazine, or you can find it here. I made a few changes, just because of what I had on hand.

you need:
1 onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 bay leaf
black pepper
1 whole chicken
2 tsp paprika

• put onion, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, pepper and bay leaf in crock pot.
• rub salt, pepper, and paprika over chicken
• add to to top of the sauce
• cook on high for 4 hours
• while cooking, if you around to do it, occasionally baste and turn chicken, just so it gets even covering (i think it would have been better to have chicken thighs as the recipe said because it would have been more evenly soaking in marinade
• enjoy on top of some romaine lettuce leaves.

 was moist and delicious, but i think i would have liked it a little more "soaked" in the adobo flavor!

Recipe #66: Curry Rice

Curry Rice is an all time favorite Japanese food. There is something so satisfying about the thick sauce and chunky vegetables. I literally could eat it every day of the week. Unfortunately, Will gets a little tired of that as leftovers for the week, so I end up needing to cook again.
I normally just make it on a pot on the stove, but I was using pot roast meat because that was what was in my freezer so I wanted to make sure the meat didn't get too tough.

You need:
1-2 boxes of curry rue. It looks like this. You can even find it at Walmart now.

Carrots, I used a bag of baby carrots
7-8 potatoes, cut into pieces
half an onion
beef or chicken cut into small pieces

• Put all of the cut up veggies and meat into the crock pot.
• Add enough water to cover the top of the veggies, etc.
• put curry rue on top, mix up
• cover and heat on high for about 3 hours. Half way through I added another half a box of the curry because I like it thick.

Always hits the spot! Curry rice is the one dish that the Japanese always serve with a spoon! It improves with age too! :) I separated the rest into two tupperware--one for now, one to freeze so that Will won't have to eat this for the next two weeks!

Recipe #22: Pot Roast

For a long time I was afraid of the "pot roast". That it would be too dry or that it would break apart to much. I don't know, I just didn't want to try it for fear that it would fail...

Until one day I was given a pot roast and decided I needed to figure out how to make it! So I was browsing allrecipes.com and came across this recipe. With a few tweeks I made it and it was a success. 

Well, I was given another pot roast by my mom and so decided to make it tonight! This is a great crock pot recipe once you put it in there you don't have to think about it again!

You need:

pot roast

6-8 potatoes

6-10 carrots I like to use long ones, you would want a lot more if you are using baby carrots

1 onion

3 beef boullion cubes
1/2 cup water (add more if necessary)

herbs, salt and pepper to taste

Wash veggies, cut potatoes and onion into big chunks. Put some carrots and potatoes on the bottom of the crock pot. Add the roast on top and then put the rest of the veggies around it. Add salt and pepper on top of the roast. I like to add rosemary and oregano as well. Pour water in and add the three boullion cubes.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5...
Wait for the perfect roast to come out, with plenty of juice for a nice little gravy!
(Unfortunately we ate it so quickly I forgot to take a picture.) We ate it with a fresh salad and homemade bread! It was wonderful!