Crockpot Corned Beef and Vegetables

I make this every St. Patricks Day. I love Corned Beef and I should make it more often, but I don't. Its relatively easy.



Ingredients
3 lb. Corned Beef Brisket
4 potatoes
4 carrots
1/2 cabbage
fresh cracked pepper
2 cups of water


1. Wash and quarter the carrots and potatoes
2. Cut the cabbage into bite sized bits
3. Put the water in the slow cooker
4. Put half the potatoes on the bottom
5. Put the corned beef brisket on top, cover with the seasoning packet
6. Put the rest of the potatoes and carrots in
7. Sprinkle some pepper on top
8. Cover and turn on low for 4-5 hours
9. Make sure to watch the water level, it should at least cover 1/2 the brisket.
10. About 30 minutes to go, add the cabbage
11. When the brisket is fork tender and just falls apart with a slight nudge of a spoon, its ready.
12. Take out and place on a platter, serve while hot.

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

I've been seeing a BBQ quesadillas all over the place. I thought since I was making quesadillas, I'd try it with half the chicken. It turned out really good. However, my husband said it wasn't very Mexican but it was still good. Whatever, I thought it was good. lol.



Ingredients
1 chicken breast
1/2 cup bbq sauce
2 cups monterey jack or cheddar cheese
4 tortillas
1 pat of butter

1. Season the chicken breast with half the bbq sauce
2. Grill chicken until cooked
3. Cut into pieces and add the rest of the bbq sauce
4. In a skillet over medium heat, add a little bit of butter until melted.
5. Add tortilla and sprinkle with cheese
6. Layer the chicken on top
7. When the chicken melts fold over and remove from heat.
8. Repeat until ingredients are gone
9. Cut into triangles and serve.

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

I love quesadillas. They are so easy to make at home. They are really quick and easy very painless to make.


Ingredients
1 chicken breast (per 2 people)
1 sprinkle mexican oregano
1 sprinkle chili pepper
1 light sprinkle cayenne pepper
1 sprinkle garlic powder"
1 sprinkle black pepper
2 cups monterey jack or queso quesadilla
4 soft taco sized flour tortillas
1 pat of butter


1. Season the chicken breast with all the seasoning.
2. Grill chicken until cooked.

3. In a skillet over medium heat, add a little bit of butter until melted.
4. Add tortilla and sprinkle with cheese
5. Layer the chicken on top
6. When the chicken melts fold over and remove from heat.
7. Repeat until ingredients are gone
8. Cut into triangles and serve.

Chicken and Dumplings

My Grandma used to make this all the time when I was a child. It was one of the first things she taught me to cook. I love it. I made this the other night for my husband's grandma. I love soup. This one is hearty and a meal in itself with the dumplings.

You can add any other veggies you want.

Ingredients
3 chicken breasts
3 boxes of chicken broth
1 can of peas
1 can of corn
1 can of green beans
1 small bag of baby carrots cut in half (they cook faster, you can use regular cut small)
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings -
2 1/4 cup of bisquick
2/3 cup of milk


1. Pour 1 and 1/2 boxes of chicken stock into a pot with 3 chicken breasts bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
2. Take chicken out of pot and set aside to cool.
3. Add the rest of the broth.
4. Drop chopped carrots into pot for 10 minutes. Then add drained cans of peas, green beans and corn (you can use frozen, just put them in at the same time as the carrots)
5. Add all the seasoning to the pot
6. Shred the cooled chicken with a fork and drop into pot.

7. Mix bisquick and milk in a small bowl. Dough should not be dry but slightly sticky.
8. Wait for soup to boil and then drop bisquick into pan by the spoonfuls.
9. Dunk them under the water with a spoon, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

My friend was talking about a Mardi Gras dinner coming up and I thought that sounds good. We normally make jambalaya. My grandma used to make dirty rice too. I thought red beans and rice sounded good. So I found this recipe from a cajun restaurant called Treebread. It looked easy enough. So I thought I'd try it out.

It came out good. A little soupy, but thats okay. Everything else was cooked perfectly. If you don't like the soupyness, It can easily be fixed with a slotted serving spoon.

This can easily be made vegetarian, if you don't add the sausage.



Ingredients
1 lb dried red kidney beans
6 cups water
2 medium onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, with leaves, chopped
1/2 large bell pepper, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 can diced tomatoes (I used the flavored variety with peppers)
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 lb smoked sausage, cut in 1/2-inch slices

1. Sort and wash red beans. In a large soup pot, add 6 cups cold water and red beans. Let soak overnight.
2. Add onions, celery, and bell pepper to beans and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to simmer about 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are soft.
3.Stir in seasonings, tomatoes and sausage. Simmer 30 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile cook a pot of rice, when done, stir rice into pot of beans
5. Serve while hot

Easy Chili

When I first moved in with my husband I made him what I considered chili. He called it bean soup. I grew up with that bean soup and I loved it. I always go over to grandma's for it and take a big tupperware container home for me. Nevertheless, I never made it for him again.

Then he asked me after we got married to make some chili for him. I asked if he wanted me to make mine again, and he said no, try something else. So I scoured the internet for a recipe, and found this one. It seemed simple enough. Instead of soaking and cooking my own beans - like I do in mine, I decided to just go easy and use canned. This was really good and it reheats well. You can mix up the beans - pinto, kidney,black and/or chili beans - whatever you like. I decided to stick with what I know and went with all pinto beans.



Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (16 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
16 oz can diced tomatoes
16 oz can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 cup chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

1. In dutch oven or a large saucepan, over med heat, cook beef, onion and garlic until beef is no longer pink, stirring occasionally, drain.
2. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spices
3. Cover; simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionallly.
4. Serve immediately. You can your favorite toppings on top or serve plain.

Garlic Burgers

I got this recipe off the side of the worchestire sauce bottle and I've been using it for years. I love it. Its very easy and the burgers are flavorful and juicy.



Ingredients
1 1b. lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup worchestire sauce
1 tablespoon or 2 cloves minced garlic - as fine as you can get it

1. Mix all together, cover and refridgerate 30-60 minutes
2. Form into patties and cook

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

The flavor of this chicken was really good. It was juicy and moist too. I think this is what I'm going to do from now on with any fried chicken, maybe any chicken dish in general. I don't think the buttermilk added any taste. It tasted more like garlic and cumin. I'm sure you could play around with the spices and flavors you add.

Ingredients
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
2 chicken breasts marinated in a buttermilk brine
4 cups oil

1. Heat the oil in a cast iron dutch oven over medium heat
2. Mix the salt and pepper with the flour
3. Set up a flouring station - buttermilk chicken, egg, and flour.
4. Dredge the chicken in the flour
5. Dip the chicken in the egg
6. Dip the chicken in the flour again
7. Make sure the oil is ready - I like to put a wooden spoon in the oil to see if the oil bubbles up around it.
8. Place the chicken in the oil and let it cook until golden brown on both sides.

9. Take it out of the oil and let it drain on paper towels for a few minutes.

Spicy Chipotle Shredded Beef

Ingredients

1.5 lb pot roast

1 onion peeled and quartered

1 small can of green chiles

1 - 7oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 cup fresh cilantro - roughly chopped
5-6 garlic cloves - minced

3 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp oregano
1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp chili pepper

1 cup water

2 tsp salt

3 tsp ground pepper

1. Liberally salt and pepper the roast and place in crock pot

2. sprinkle the roast with chili pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and cumin.

3. chop all the veggies and crush the chipotles

4. Put all the veggies into the crock pot

5. Pour in a cup of water

6. Turn crockpot on low for 6-8 hours

Chicken Enchiladas

I make chicken enchiladas all the time. My husband loves them. They are pretty easy to do.

I try to make them on sunday nights because my husband likes to take the leftovers with him to work. They are also really good for when you invite company over.

This is a good dish to make if you don't mind getting your hands dirty.

Ingredients
1 can of enchilada sauce
2 chicken breasts, cooked, shredded and in sauce
1 lb of monterey jack - shredded
8 flour tortillas
optional additions: sliced black olives, sour cream

1. Set up an enchilada making station - 1 bowl of enchilada sauce (big enough to completely cover the flour tortillas when dipped), shredded cheese, shredded chicken and a greased 9x13 baking pan
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
3. Completely immerse the tortillas into the sauce and place them in the pan.
4. Fill the tortillas with shredded chicken and cheese, and roll them up
5. Line the rolled enchiladas in the pan until you can't fit anymore in.

6. Cover the enchiladas with the rest of the sauce
7. Dump the rest of the cheese on top
8. If you are using olives, sprinkle them on top
9. Place the pan in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted (about 20-25 minutes)

Crockpot Enchilada Chicken

Normally what I do when I cook enchilada is - put some chicken in a pot with some chicken broth and simmer until cooked. Then when its done, I just shred it with a fork, pour enchilada sauce over the top.

I thought I would try this to see if it was easier. It was a lot easier. The chicken just fell apart when I touched it, so I didnt really have to do anything to it. It tasted the same too.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts - frozen
1 large can enchilada sauce
1 can diced tomatoes

1. Put chicken in crockpot pour enchilada sauce and tomatoes over the top
2. Set on low for 4 hours

Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup

Let me just say - I love vegetable soup. I love homemade soups - canned soups, not so much. The weight watchers version has 0 points, probably more if you eat a lot of it. I ate this soup every day for lunch, sometimes for dinner and I still had bunches left. Next time I make this, I will definetly cut this recipe down.

The soup was good, a lot of veggies, pretty filling.

Ingredients
6 cups broth
carrots - peeled and diced
1 large onion - chopped
4 teaspoons garlic or 4 garlic cloves - minced
1/2 cabbage, chopped
1 can green beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large zucchini, diced
1 large yellow squash, chopped

1. Saute the onions, garlic and carrots for 5 minutes on medium high
2. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the zucchini and squash and bring to a boil.
3. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes

4. Add the zucchini and squash and cook until they are tender.

Nutritional Information
Per Cup: 61 Cal (3% from Fat, 24% from Protein, 73% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 13 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb10; NetCarb10; 52 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 701 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers - 0 points

Spanakopita

Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach
2 eggs
1 large onion, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon dill
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 (200 g) package feta cheese
12 sheets phyllo pastry
1/4 cup melted butter, for brushing pastry

1. Heat oven to 375°.
2. Drain spinach of all liquid.
3. Sauteé onions and garlic in 1/4 cup butter until tender, then add spinach, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Sautee 1-2 more minutes.
5. In a large bowl, combine spinach mixture, eggs, dill, lemon juice and crumbled feta.
6. Butter a square or round pan.
7. Place phyllo between a damp (but not wet) towel so it doesn't dry out.
8. Layer 6 sheets of phyllo in the pan, brushing each with melted butter.
9. Fill with spinach mixture and fold edges over.
10. Layer 6 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with melted butter.
12. Bake 45 minutes or until golden

this was really good! I would next time use another packet of spinach or two. It only filled about 1/2 up the pan I used.

Chicken Sausage Pasta Bake

I wanted to make something easy for my inlaws. My husband and I make baked ziti all the time, so when I saw this recipe, It sounded easy, but different twist on what we normally do. It changes it up without being risky.

When I pitched the chicken sausage bake to my husband.. He didn't seem too enthused. He said - do you really think its safe to experiment on my family? Why not try it another night with just me?

So I said we'll its basically the same thing we always do, but it uses chicken sausage instead, so it shouldn't be too horrible. If anything it will be edible. Just not as good as the other.

Anyways, so he agreed... but he said we should nix the spinach and onions that was in the recipe, just in case since his dad didn't really care for either. So no big deal. If you want to add those back in, go for it. We didn't use them, but I'll probably add them in the next time I make this... and yes, there will be a next time. It was good!! It was just as good as the baked ziti that I normally make. I thought it was a refreshing change.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 c. vodka (optional)
1 onion chopped
1 can whole tomatoes with juice - slightly crushed with hands
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup heavy cream

10 ounces baby spinach

1 pound rigatoni or penne

12 oz smoked chicken sausage (I used 4 links)
6 ounces of fontina cheese - shredded

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al-dente. Add spinach until it is wilted. drain and put back in the pot.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet. Saute the onions until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic. Remove from heat. Add the vodka. Return to heat and cook until almost evaporated.
• Stir in tomatoes and oregano. Cook the tomatoes until they are falling apart - about 10 minutes.
• Add cream. Cook until warmed through. Add salt and pepper.

• Add tomato sauce and sausage to the pasta pot. Stir to combine.
  
  

  
  
• Add half to a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with half the fontina cheese. Add the rest and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and the parmesan cheese.
• Bake until browned and edges are crisp - about 30 minutes.

Taco Stuffed Shells

I have to admit that I am always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to cook my husband's favorite cuisine: tacos and really all mexican food in general. The only thing that he knows how to make other than things on the grill is tacos. He loves tacos so much that he figured out how to make them. That says a lot - it really does.

When I first proposed this recipe while walking around the grocery store, my husband did not seem impressed? Pasta and tacos? baked salsa? cream cheese? I could practically see him mapping his escape once dinner was done and declared completely disgusting - believe me its happened once or twice. There was the disasterous cornflake chicken incident.. which he likes to bring up every now and then when I suggest new recipes.

This was really good... surprisingly my husband had not only seconds.. but thirds. So much for the planned escape... in fact we have no leftovers. Surprisingly. I had figured that I would at least have lunch for tomorrow.

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
4 oz cream cheese (half a small container)
15 jumbo pasta shells (we made about half a box of jumbo shells)
1 jar of salsa
1 cup taco sauce
2 cups cheese (any kind you want - we used monterey jack)
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• In a pot of salted water, cook jumbo shells plus a couple of extra incase they fall apart.
• When cooked, drain them and set them out apart on a piece of foil so that they don't stick together to cool (make sure the foil is large enough to fit and cover the 9x13 pan - you will be reusing it)







• In a pan, brown ground beef, and add taco seasoning according to the directions on the packet. When finished set aside to cool
• Add cream cheese over low heat and stir until melted and blended in with the ground beef
  



• Pour the jar of salsa on the bottom of a 9x13 pan





• Stuff the shells with the meat mix and place them in the pan face up.





• Drizzle the taco sauce over the shells.
• Cover with the now empty foil piece and bake for 30 minutes
• After 30 minutes, uncover and cover with cheese.





• Bake for another 10 - 15 minutes
• Sprinkle tops of shells with italian seasoning

Serve immediately and enjoy. I know we did!

Spicy Shredded Pork

I found this recipe for spicy shredded pork somewhere online. It sounded good. My husband and I love Mexican. Usually when we make tacos, we cut up carne asada or use hamburger. Carnitas is something we eat when we are out. It looks easy enough.

I need some more Mexican recipes. My husband love Mexican food. I'm sure if he had to choose one cuisine to live off of, Mexican would be it.

Ingredients
4-7 pound Pork Shoulder Roast
1 medium sized onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 to 4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
Lime wedges (for garnish)

• Peel and quarter a medium sized onion and three to four garlic cloves
  
  
  
  
• Put the garlic cloves, onion, all of the spices and the vinegar into a food processor





• Turn the food processor on to create a chunky paste





• Wash the pork shoulder
• Rub the paste all over the shoulder.
• Pour 1 to 2 cups of water into the bottom of a crock pot.
• Place the pork roast into the crock pot and pour the rest of the paste over the top





• Turn the crock pot onto low and cook for 6 to 8 hours occasionally basting the roast with the juice at the bottom. Also check periodically towards the end to make sure that the water has not evaporated.


• When there is about an hour to go, break the pork roast up so that it will simmer in the juices.



• Scoop the meat out and place on a platter, garnish with avocado slices and lime wedges. If you want you can drizzle lime juice over the top.

Optional: If you want the roast to come out spicier - add some red chili flakes or some hot sauce to the food processor.