Spicy Mustard Pork Chops

(based on a recipe at mrfood.com)

1/2 t salt

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 c spicy brown mustard

4 boneless pork chops (from 2 lbs of bone-in chops – see Note above)

1 c flour

1/2 c vegetable or canola oil

Combine first three ingredients. Spread mustard evenly on both sides of pork chops and sprinkle with the salt mixture. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge the chops in the flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork chops 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and done through. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Parmesan and Sage Crusted Pork Chops

I don’t cook with flour or breadcrumbs, so when I want to bread something I usually use either fine pork rind crumbs (I give them a whirl in my food processor until they’re very fine, though you could probably just put them in a plastic bag and roll them with a rolling pin. If you don’t have a rolling pin, a large round bottle works well. A wine bottle is just about the right size. It’s best if it’s full. If not, fill it with water so it has the extra weight. Just make sure it’s tightly corked! This works for making pie crust, too. Use ice water in the bottle, or chilled wine, when making pie crust. The chill of the bottle will help make your pie crust flaky.) or almond flour or coconut flour or just use all cheese. PARMESAN AND SAGE CRUSTED PORK CHOPS uses the traditional/normal way of breading pork chops with flour and bread crumbs, and adds some parmesan cheese to the mixture. The original recipe makes a point of using the real imported Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh sage, but regular parmesan and dried sage will work, too, and cost a lot less.

(based on a recipe from cookinglight.com)

1 slice white bread, made into crumbs (about 1 cup)

            (or use Panko or other commercially prepared crumbs)

1/4c (1 oz) grated parmesan cheese

1 T chopped fresh sage (or 1 t dried rubbed sage)

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/4 c flour

1 T prepared mustard

1 large egg

4 boneless pork chops (from 2 lbs of bone-in chops) (see note below)

1-1/2 T oil

Place bread in a food processor; pulse bread ten times or until coarse crumbs measure about 1 cup. (Or use panko or other prepared crumbs.) Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, sage, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Place flour in another shallow dish. Combine mustard and egg in another shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Working with one pork chop at a time, dredge pork in flour, shaking off excess. Dip pork into egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Coat pork completely with breadcrumb mixture. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining pork, flour, egg mixture, and breadcrumb mixture. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add pork; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. (It may take longer, depending on how thick your chops are.)

If your pork chops are not boneless, you can make your own boneless chops. Just cut out the big piece of meat on each chop. Save the rest and cook them up as usual. Or just use the bone-in chops instead of boneless ones.

Copycat Montreal Steak Seasoning

(chow.com)

2 T paprika

2 T crushed black pepper (or coarsely ground)

1 T kosher salt

1 T garlic powder (not garlic salt)

1 T onion powder (not onion salt)

1 T crushed coriander

1 T dill

1T crushed red pepper flakes

Mix it all up and store it in a glass container in a cool, dry, dark place. 

Creamy Herbed Pork Chops

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

4 pork chops (about 2 lbs total)

1 t Montreal steak seasoning, or to taste (see copycat recipe below)

1/2 c butter (1 stick), divided

2 T flour, or as needed

1 T dried basil

1 t pepper, or to taste

2 c milk

Season pork chops on all sides with Montreal steak seasoning. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chops until browned and slightly pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side. Add remaining butter to the pan as needed so that about 3 tablespoons of pan drippings remain when the chops are finished cooking. Transfer pork chops to a plate and return skillet to medium-high heat. Mix flour and basil together in a bowl. Stir pepper into skillet with the pan drippings and cook for 1 minute. Add flour mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until browned, about 2 minutes. Pour milk into flour mixture; cook and stir constantly until mixture is thick and bubbly, about 4 to 6 minutes. Pour gravy over pork chops and serve. (If your gravy turns out lumpy, try putting it in your blender and giving it a whirl. That should take care of the lumps, unless your gravy is too thick.)

Peanut Sauce

(from A Cookbook for the Financially Challenged, by Alexandra Pauley)

½ c smooth peanut butter

2 T soy sauce

2 t minced garlic (or 1 T garlic powder)

1 t chili powder

1 t minced fresh ginger (or 1 t powdered ginger)

Combine everything and pour it over the cooked meat and vegetables. Toss well to coat. You may need to add a bit of water to thin it, but wait and see how it works once it’s on the meat and vegetables. There may be enough moisture in them to thin it enough.

Pork and Peanut Stir-Fry

You can use whatever meat you want with this – IGA’s turkey breast or chicken leg quarters, or Marsh’s pork. Let’s go with the pork, shall we? Pork is so good in a stir-fry and goes well with peanuts, too. You can use pretty much any vegetables you have on hand. I just chose these because they’re on sale and the colors look nice together. Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are good in a stir-fry, too, as are fresh green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. Pretty much anything goes.

2 lbs pork spareribs

3 T oil

2 peppers

3 carrots

8 oz mushrooms

2 onions

PEANUT SAUCE (recipe follows)

Start by preparing the meat and vegetables. It goes together quickly once you start cooking, so you want to have everything ready before you start.

To Prepare Ingredients:

Remove the meat from the bones and cut it into thin slices, about 1/2”x1/2”x2.” Basically, you want matchstick shaped pieces, as tall as they are wide. The length of the pieces will depend on the size and shape of the pork chops. Set the pork aside. Save the bones to make bone broth.

Remove the seeds and stem from the peppers and slice them about the same size as the pork strips. Peel the carrots and cut them on the diagonal into 1/2” slices. Peel the onions, halve them through the stem and root ends, and cut them into 1/2” slices. Clean the mushrooms (the experts say to wipe them with a damp cloth, but I rub them gently under running water) and slice them into 1/2” thick slices. If the mushrooms are big, halve them before slicing.

Make the PEANUT SAUCE (recipe below)

To Cook the Stir-Fry:

Heat the oil in a big skillet or wok. When it’s hot, add the meat and keep it moving around in the pan until it’s done. Not necessarily browned, just done. Remove the meat. Add the carrots and onions to the oil and drippings in the skillet and toss them around for a couple of minutes, then add the mushrooms and peppers. Remember you want the meat in a stir-fry to be crisp-tender, and they’ll cook a little bit more after you add the meat and sauce. (If you like your veggies soft, go for it! Just cook them a few minutes longer. I won’t tell.) Add the meat and sauce and toss it over the heat just until the meat is heated through and the sauce is evenly distributed. Add water a tablespoon at a time if you need to thin the sauce.

PEANUT SAUCE

(A Cookbook for the Financially Challenged, by Alexandra Pauley)

½ c smooth peanut butter

2 T soy sauce

2 t minced garlic (or 1 T garlic powder)

1 t chili powder

1 t minced fresh ginger (or 1 t powdered ginger)

Combine everything and pour it over the cooked meat and vegetables. Toss well to coat. You may need to add a bit of water to thin it, but wait and see how it works once it’s on the meat and vegetables. There may be enough moisture in them to thin it enough.

Mushrooms and Onions

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

2 onions, thinly sliced (about 1 lb)

2 T oil or drippings

Parsley or thyme (optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the mushrooms and onions. Sauté them until all the liquid is cooked out of the mushrooms, and the mushrooms and onions are cooked way down and are soft. Add the parsley or thyme, if using, about 5 minutes before the vegetables are done if using dried herbs and at the end if the herbs are fresh. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You’ll think this makes a huge amount, but because the mushrooms and onions cook down so much you’ll end up with a lot less than you expect. It makes four servings as a side dish.

Smoked Sausage and Peppers

2 lbs Polish sausage, sliced ½” on the diagonal

2 onions, sliced (about 1 lb)

3 peppers, sliced

1 T oil

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the veggies with the oil and add them and the sausage to the skillet. Toss the veggies and meat in the skillet done to your liking. In traditional Italian Sausage and Peppers, the veggies are cooked until they are very soft. On the other hand, in a Chinese stir-fry the veggies would be cooked only until they are tender-crisp. Take your pick.

Chicken and Cabbage Lo Mein

Technically, lo mein is a dish containing wheat noodles, so this isn't really lo mein at all. It uses shredded cabbage instead of noodles. But it's good anyway, even if it isn't at all authentic.

3 c cooked chicken

1 T oil or chicken fat

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 head cabbage, shredded (about 2 lbs)

3 T soy sauce

1 T fresh ginger, grated

Briefly sauté the garlic and ginger in the oil, then add the onion and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the carrots and cabbage and stir-fry until not quite tender-crisp. Add the chicken and soy sauce and cook until the chicken is hot.

Domada (West African Stew)

(A Cookbook for the Financially Challenged, by Alexandra Pauley)

1 T oil or chicken fat
1 onion, coarsely chopped 
2 cloves garlic, sliced 
1 c celery, sliced 
2 carrots, sliced 
6 tomatoes, diced (or 1 can of diced tomatoes)
5 c chicken stock
3 c cooked chicken, in bite-sized pieces
1 c peanut butter 
2 c shredded cabbage 
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste 

Sauté the onion, garlic and celery in the oil or chicken fat until soft. Add the carrots, tomatoes, chicken stock, and chicken. Simmer 20 minutes. Add the peanut butter and mix well. (It will try to settle in clump on the bottom of the pan, so be sure to stir it well.)

Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir it in well to be sure that it dissolves. Add the cabbage and simmer for another 15 or 20 minutes. 

Chicken Stock

Save up all of your bones in the freezer, and when you get a bunch of them (say, three pounds or more), make a big batch of stock and use it to make soup. Freeze the rest of the stock to use in soup later. The vinegar is to leach out the calcium and other minerals from the bones. You shouldn’t taste the vinegar in the stock or in the soups you make with it.

By the way, I include bones that I’ve chewed on. I make my stock in the slow cooker and cook it at least 24 hours. I figure that if there are any germs strong enough to survive that, they’re going to get me anyway! Out of consideration for the squeamishness of others, I wouldn’t use my chicken stock in a recipe that I’m serving to guests, and I wouldn’t use the bones that other people have chewed on. I’m sure they’d be safe and all, but I’m a bit squeamish, too.

CHICKEN STOCK III

3 lbs or more chicken bones, either raw or previously cooked

            (or use backs and necks and wingtips)

1/2 onion

1 stalk celery

1 T white or apple cider vinegar

2 to 3 quarts water

1 T poultry seasoning (optional)

Parsley, pepper, thyme, or other herbs (optional)

On top of the stove: Put everything in a big pot. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for at least 4 hours. Strain. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

In the slow cooker: Put everything in the slow cooker. Cook on low for at least 8 hours, preferably 12 or even 24 or more. The longer the better. Strain. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

In the pressure cooker: I've not made it in the pressure cooker, but I'm told you can. Process it for at least an hour, and 4 to 6 hours is even better. Strain. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

You may think that the stock is blah if you taste it by itself. That’s because there’s no salt in it. You’ll need to add salt when you make the soup, probably more than the recipe calls for. Most recipes assume that you’ll use canned chicken broth or stock, and they tend to be pretty salty.

Chicken Stock or Bone Broth

When you’re trying to save on the food budget, it’s important not to waste anything. This goes for the bones, too. The bones from the chicken legs can be used to make chicken stock, or broth. Save up all of your bones in the freezer, and when you get a bunch of them (say, three pounds or more), make a big batch of stock and use it to make soup. Freeze the rest of the stock to use in soup later. The vinegar is to leach out the calcium and other minerals from the bones. You shouldn’t taste the vinegar in the stock or in the soups you make with it.

3 lbs or more chicken bones, either raw or previously cooked

            (or use backs and necks and wingtips)

½ onion

1 stalk celery

1 T white or apple cider vinegar

2 to 3 quarts water

1 T poultry seasoning (optional)

Parsley, pepper, thyme, or other herbs (optional)

On top of the stove: Put everything in a big pot. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for at least 4 hours. Strain. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

In the slow cooker: Put everything in the slow cooker. Cook on low for at least 8 hours, preferably 12 or even 24. The longer the better. Strain. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

You may think that the stock is blah if you taste it by itself. That’s because there’s no salt in it. You’ll need to add salt when you make the soup, probably more than the recipe calls for. Most recipes assume that you’ll use canned chicken broth or stock, and they tend to be pretty salty.

By the way, I include bones that I’ve chewed on. I make my stock in the slow cooker and cook it at least 24 hours. I figure that if there are any germs strong enough to survive that, they’re going to get me anyway! Out of consideration for the squeamishness of others, I wouldn’t use my chicken stock in a recipe that I’m serving to guests, and, unless they’re family, I wouldn’t use the bones that other people have chewed on. I’m sure they’d be safe and all, but I’m a bit squeamish, too.

I figure that the broth is free. Yes, there’s the cost of the onion, celery and herbs, but they don’t come to much. I make my broth in a 6-quart slow cooker and I usually get about eight pints of broth. That’s less than five cents a pint.

Simple Stewed Chicken Legs

To stew the legs, start by removing the skin. Just grab the skin where it’s been cut, and pull it off. Save the skin to make CHICKEN CHIPS OR GRIBENES. Then put the skinned legs into a pot of water. Hot water is supposed to be better, because it keeps more of the flavor in the chicken and less in the water. Cold water is supposed to be better if what you’re looking for is flavorful broth. Since I use both the chicken and the broth, I just do whatever is easiest, which usually means running water from the hot water tap but not worrying about letting it warm up first or heating it on the stove before adding the chicken. Cover the chicken with water. You can add some salt, poultry seasoning, an onion, some carrots or celery, and/or a bay leaf or two, but I usually don’t bother. I figure that whatever I’m going to use the chicken in will have salt and herbs and other flavors so I don’t use them when I’m cooking the chicken. That way I don’t have to worry about whether the flavors I used when I cooked the legs goes well with the flavors in the final dish, or whether it’s over-salted because I salted both the legs and the final dish. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce it and simmer until the chicken is done. Falling off the bone is good, cooked to death is not. Depending on how many leg quarters you have and how big a pot, probably an hour or so.

If you want to stew your chicken in a slow cooker, follow the same directions except cook it for about 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 on low. 

If you want to stew your chicken in a pressure cooker, follow the same directions for preparing the chicken, but then cook it according to the directions with your particular cooker. The directions will tell you how much liquid to add (very important!) and how long to cook it for. It will probably be about 10 minutes after it reaches pressure, then reducing the pressure naturally. But check the directions for your cooker and don't take my word for it.

However you cook the chicken, you'll end up with two products - the broth and the meat. After you take the meat off of the bones, put the bones back in the pot and use the broth as the base for making BONE BROTH OR CHICKEN STOCK.

Simple Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters

To roast the legs, place them in a single layer on racks in rimmed baking sheets and/or baking dishes. The rims are important to keep the drippings from pouring onto the floor of the oven. The racks are nice to help the bottom of the pieces brown, but they’re not important. If you don’t have racks, or don’t have enough racks, just put the chicken directly on the pan. Bake the chicken at 350 to 375 for about 45 minutes to an hour. It should not be pink next to the bone. 

If you're taking the meat off the bones to use in casseroles or soup or salads or so forth, be sure to save the bones for BONE BROTH OR CHICKEN STOCK. Or you can do like I do, and save all the bones, even the ones you've gnawed the meat off of. But I only do that if I'm going to be using the broth or stock and if I'm the one who has gnawed the bones.

Luscious Rice Pudding

Instructions:

5-1/3 cups milk
2/3 cup short grain brown rice
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons whipping cream or half & half
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Raisins (optional)

Directions:

Spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray. Combine milk, rice, and sugar. Pour into slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, or until the rice is tender.

Mix together in a large bowl eggs, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Temper the egg mixture by scooping 1/2 cup of the hot rice mixture into the mixing bowl and stirring well. Keep adding the hot rice mixture into the egg mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until about half of it is used. Pour combined mixtures back into the slow cooker. Add 1/2-1 cup raisins if desired. Stir Well. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Stir well. Serve pudding hot, warm, or chilled. Garnish with whipped cream. Serves 8-10, generously.

Bananas Foster

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup of brown sugar
6 bananas cut into 1 inch slices
1/4 cup of rum
Vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Melt butter in crock pot by turning to LOW. Mix in brown sugar when butter is melted. Gently stir in bananas and rum. Cook on LOW for 1 hour. Serve over ice cream. pancakes, waffles or French toast. Enjoy!

Baked Stuffed Apples

Ingredients:

6 tart apples
1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of dark raisins
1 tbsp of orange zest
1/4 cup of butter or margarine
3 tbsp orange juice concentrate

Directions:

Remove core from each apple. Stand up apples in the crock pot. Fill the center of each apple with brown sugar, raisins and orange peel. Top with butter. Sprinkle the orange juice concentrate over the apples. Cook on LOW for 3-5 hours.

Chocolate Mud Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons butter
2 ounces semisweet chocolate (or 1/3 cup chocolate chips)
1 cup sugar (2/3 cup & 1/3 cup, added separately)
3 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups hot water
Whipped cream or ice cream

Instructions:

Coat the inside of a 2 1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. (Note: the cake's cooking time and final appearance will vary depending on your crock's size.)

Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water and mix well. Whisk in the 2/3 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of cocoa, vanilla extract, salt, milk and egg yolk. Add the flour mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour the batter into the slow cooker and spread it evenly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, cocoa and hot water until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour the mixture over the batter into the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the crock pot.
Even when done, the cake will be very moist and floating on a layer of molten chocolate, but you'll know it's ready wen nearly all of the cake is set and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pot. (As you check, try not to let the condensed steam from the lid drip onto the cake).
When it's done, turn off the power and remove the lid. Let it cool for 25 minutes, then serve in bowls topped with whipped cream.

Spiced Cranberry (overnight) Oatmeal

From Rachel Rappaport of Coconut & Lime

Thoughts from the author: Is there anything easier to make for breakfast than overnight oatmeal? It is super creamy and requires no effort in the morning - perfect for workday mornings, holidays, brunch, etc. I added more sugar than I normally would to oatmeal because cranberries are quite tart but the cereal wasn't sugary, just pleasantly spicy and cranberry filled. 

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups water
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups (fresh) cranberries
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
pinch of salt

Directions:
Place all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on LOW overnight (6-8 hours) Stir and serve (very nice with a bit of milk on top).

Yield: about 6 servings

Red Beans and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

2-15 oz cans red beans
3/4 cup brown rice
1 medium onion
1 stalk celery
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3-4 green onions, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped and drained

Directions:

Rinse and drain two cans of red beans. Mash half of the beans with a fork. Dice onions and celery. Combine all ingredients except the green onions and tomatoes, in the crock pot. Cover, cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, or until the rice is tender. Chop green onions and tomato. Ladle soup into bowls, and sprinkle with onion and tomato.

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (or any color available)
2 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
1 clove garlic
1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can each of black beans and garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup corn
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Sour cream and shredded cheddar or jack cheese (optional)

Directions:

 Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic; cook and stir five minutes or until vegetables are tender. Transfer to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients except sour cream and cheese. Mix well, cover and cook on LOW 4-5 hours. Garnish with sour cream and cheese, as desired.

Baked Beans

Ingredients:

1 pound pinto or kidney beans
1 onion, diced
2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1-6 ounce can tomato paste
4 tbsp ketchup
1/4 cup butter

Directions:

Cover the beans with water and soak them overnight. Add all the ingredients, including soak water, to a crock pot and stir to combine. Cook on LOW 8-10 hours. Enjoy!

Black-eyed Peas with Country Ham

From Rachel Rappaport of Coconut & Lime

Ingredients:
1 lb dried black-eyed peas 
3 leeks, chopped, white parts only
2 jalepenos, chopped (use cloves when handling chilies)
1 stalk celery
1 cup diced yellow tomato
3 cloves garlic
6 cups ham stock (or any broth or stock)
8 oz country ham center slices, diced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon hot paprika
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

The night before you want to serve the dish, place the black-eyed peas in a 4 quart slow cooker. Fill it with water. Cover and allow to sit overnight. Drain, return the black-eyed peas to the pot and add the remaining ingredients. Stir. Cook on LOW 8-10 hours. 

Basic Beans

Dried Beans:

It's best to presoak dried beans before cooking them in a slow cooker. This softens them and gives them a head start on cooking. Softening beans reduces the cooking time. Lentils and split peas do not need to be softened.

Presoaking: Traditional method: place dried beans that have been sorted and rinsed in a bowl. Cover them with cold, unsalted water and let them stand overnight (or for 3-4 hours). Drain off the water and place the beans in the slow cooker.

Quick method: place sorted and rinsed beans in a large saucepan; cover them with twice their volume of cold unsalted water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover it and let it stand for 1 hour. Drain off the water and place the beans in the slow cooker.

To cook: Cover the beans with 3 inches of water and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until completely tender and creamy, but still holding their shape. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the beans.

Ideas for Beans:

Once your beans are cooked, you can use them for several meals. Try make-your-own-taco-night, and fill a tortilla with beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa. Roasted peppers and onions are also fun additions. Get creative with fillings, and let each family member make his or her own masterpiece. Kids who help prepare their food are more likely to eat it!

Beans are also a great, low cost, nutrient rich filling for enchiladas. Fill a corn flour tortilla with beans, cheese, sautéed onions and cumin or chili powder. Roll up and arrange a backing pan. Cover with enchilada sauce (I always just buy the canned kind) sprinkle with more cheese and black olives. Bake until heated through, and cheese is bubbly, 15-20 minutes. Garnish with some plain yogurt and chopped scallions, serve with a fresh salad.

Whip up a healthy snack-make bean dip! Mash beans with spices like cumin, chili powder, or some salsa and greek-style plain yogurt.

Mac 'n Cheese

The ultimate comfort food, and crowd pleaser!

Ingredients:
1 -16 ounce package macaroni, any type
1 tablespoon oil (olive oil, or canola)
1 -14 ounce can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:
Cook macaroni until just barely tender (it will finish cooking in the crockpot), drain. Lightly grease crockpot. Toss with macaroni with oil and add to crockpot. Stir in remaining ingredients. Stir cover and cook on LOW 3-4 hours. DO NOT STIR while cooking (however, you might want to check on it after 90 minutes, just to make sure the macaroni isn't getting too mushy). Enjoy! 
 

Minestrone Soup

From Rachel Rappaport of Coconut & Lime
Thoughts from the author: Around this time of year I always get a lot of requests for healthy meals. Soup is always a great choice because it is easy to add lots of vegetables. There are a lot of different ways to make a minestrone but this one is my favorite. I like the combination of chickpeas and kidney beans and the green beans and cabbage really make it taste fresh. I like to serve with a tiny hunk of sharp, aged cheddar in the bottom of a bowl. It melts and adds a tasty ribbon of cheese to each bite.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock
15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes (or regular)
15 oz can kidney beans, drained
15 oz can chickpeas, drained
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
1 tablespoon basil (double if fresh)
1 tablespoon oregano (double if fresh)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup frozen or fresh green beans, diced
2 small to medium zucchini, diced (optional)
salt
ground black pepper
8 ounces small, COOKED pasta

Directions:
Add the garlic, tomato, celery, stock, tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, and spices to a 4 quart slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Add shredded cabbage, green beans and zucchini and turn to high for the last hour. Stir in the pasta before serving. 

The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot

From Lisa Leake of 100 Days of Real Food. Notes from the author:

Once the chicken is done it is flavorful enough to eat by itself, or you can incorporate it into another dish like pasta, chicken salad, or a casserole. Another great trick (that I learned from a friend!) is that after you pick off the good chicken meat you can leave the bones in the crock pot to make some stock. I usually start the chicken stock after dinner by filling it to the top with water, and then adding whatever I have on hand...bay leaf, carrot, celery, onion, parsley and/or thyme. Even if I am missing parsley or celery I still make it anyway, and it always turns out just fine. I keep it on low all night, and then in the morning I strain it into 1 or 2 cup Tupperware containers to store in the freezer. It works great and couldn't be easier!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 onion
1 large chicken

Directions

Combine the dried spices in a small bowl. Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker. Remove any giblets from the chicken and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity and under the skin covering the breasts.

Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to HIGH. There is no need to add any liquid.

Cook for 4-5 hours (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Enjoy! 
 

Jammin' Pulled Pork

From Rachel Rappaport of Coconut & Lime

"...a fruiy, spicy not too drippy pulled pork that is easy to make as it is to eat. Plus it is a great way to taste fantastic summer berries in the fall!"

Ingredients:
2 1/2 boneless pork sirloin roast
8 oz jam (raspberry, peach, whatever sounds good to you)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chili sauce (like Heinz)
2 tablespoons thick Worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican hot chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ancho pepper (or cayenne)
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a 4 quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hrs. When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with a fork and set aside. Mash any solid bits of the sauce in the slow cooker with a potato masher. Return the pork and the sauce to slow cooker, and toss to evenly coat. Serve on rolls.  

 

Smoky Country Style BBQ Ribs

From Stephanie O'dea of A Year of Slow Cooking, who says, These are lick your fingers (and your forearms) good. Yum. I could put this sauce on an old tire.

Ingredients:
3-4 pounds ribs
1 large yellow onion, sliced in rings
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 (12-ounce) bottle chili sauce (in the ketchup aisle)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Liquid Smoke

Directions:
Use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Cut the rack of ribs in half with a large knife or poultry scissors and make sure they fit all the way in the cooker, with the lid on. Now take them out.

Place the sliced onion in your pot, then put the ribs back in. Combine the dried ingredients: brown sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub this mixture all over the ribs. Wash your hands well.

Now combine the wet ingredients: chili sauce, balsamic vinegar, Worchestershire sauce, garlic, Tabasco, and Liquid Smoke. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of your ribs.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or until the meat is tender, and has begun the pull away from the bone. The longer you cook the meat, the more tender it will become. Before serving, flip the ribs over a few times, to get all sides nice and saucy.

Easiest Pot Roast

From Jen Yu at Use Real Butter

Ingredients

3-5 lb chuck roast
1 cup water
1 cup red wine
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced

Directions:

Dump it all in the crock pot. Set to high for 8 hours. Dig in.

Note from Kayte: I'm sure you could easily add potatoes and carrots. Just peel and chop them roughly, and add them to the crock pot for the final 2 hours or so of cooking.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

This recipe makes a full pound’s worth of strawberries, which will probably be about fifteen or twenty. It’s easy to scale back the recipe if you want to just make a few. In fact, if you’re just going to dip a few, you might as well just get a candy bar and melt that instead of the chocolate chips.

1 lb fresh strawberries

6 oz chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet)

Wash the strawberries, leaving the stems and leaves on. Let them dry very thoroughly. If they aren’t completely dry, the chocolate won’t stick. You might want to do this the night before so they’re totally and completely dry. Put the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and nuke them for 30 seconds. They’ll probably look like they haven’t melted at all, but if you stir them they should collapse. If they aren’t completely melted, nuke them for about 15 seconds longer. Stir until they are completely melted and smooth. Put a sheet of waxed paper on the counter or on a cookie sheet. Pick up each strawberry by the stem and dip it in the melted chocolate. Twirl it a bit and let the excess chocolate drip off. Place it on the waxed paper. Don’t let them touch. Leave them to dry, which won’t take long. (I find that the garage is a good place to let them dry, because they are too tempting if left out on the counter!) 

Garlic Bread

Try to get just one small loaf of French or Italian bread – something like a hoagie roll. Check the prices, though. Sometimes that single roll can cost as much as a whole loaf of bread! To save some time, you can serve the loaf whole and cold and you can each butter your own at the table.

If you want crispy garlic bread, cut it in half horizontally, so you have two flat thin pieces. Butter the cut side of each piece and place the two halves, cut side up, on a broiler-proof baking sheet and bake it at 350 for about 10 minutes. Then broil it for a couple of minutes, until the edges become crispy. You can put some Parmesan cheese on it before broiling it, if you want to. Or don’t broil it, and just leave it in the oven a bit longer. It won’t be quite as crunchy, but still good. Cut in 1” thick slices. If you have any leftover, it makes great croutons for a salad.

If you like your garlic bread nice and soft, cut the loaf into 1” thick slices, cutting most of the way through but quite to the bottom. (If you goof and cut all the way through, it won’t hurt anything. In fact, it will be easier to get the slices apart when it comes time to eat it.) Butter one side of each slice with the garlic butter, then wrap it up in foil. Heat it at 350 for about 15 minutes. Open the foil as soon as you take it out of the oven or it will get soggy.

Asparagus

Half a pound of fat asparagus, with closed tops

1 T butter

1 clove garlic, minced

Cut off the tough end of each stalk. The easiest way to do this is to bend each stalk. It will naturally break where it becomes tender. Take your knife and cut off the scales from most of the stalk. Leave the ones clear up at the top. Rinse. Cut the stalks diagonally into 1” pieces. (Cutting it diagonally looks fancier and makes it look like you’ve got more asparagus, too.) Heat the butter in a small skillet. Add the garlic and cook briefly, no more than a minute. Add the asparagus and cook, stirring and tossing, until tender-crisp. Don’t overcook it or it becomes limp and slimy. 

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

(based on a recipe from The Paleo Aficionado Chicken Recipe Cookbook, by Amanda Matthews)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz total)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 cup of butter

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 c grated or shredded Parmesan cheese (preferably not from a green can!)

8 oz fettuccine (or other pasta), cooked

Combine onion, garlic powder and salt and coat chicken breasts. Melt half of the butter in a large pan. Cook chicken with medium heat for 10 minutes while turning once. Pour cream into skillet and add nutmeg. Lower the heat to simmer several minutes while stirring till the sauce thickens. Melt in remaining butter. Place chicken breasts on two plates. Pour sauce and Parmesan cheese over the cooked fettuccine and toss gently but well. Serve fettuccine next to the chicken. 

Harvest Stew

from Stephanie O'dea of A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground turkey or chicken
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
3 red potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 acorn squash, peeled and chopped
1 whole can tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp all spice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Use a big crockpot for this stew, or cut the recipe in half. Guess what? I didn't brown the meat. If you are using extra lean ground turkey or chicken, there really isn't a need - the only worry about using beef or pork is the fat content. If you prefer those types of meat, or already have it on hand, brown on the stove top and drain before adding to the stew.

I used my mom's microwaving-the-squash trick for cutting the acorn squash, and it worked. It worked so well, I'm not scared to buy squash anymore. I microwaved it on high for 2 minutes. It sizzled and freaked me out, but it cut easily, and I used a paring knife to cut away the skin.

Peel and chop all of the vegetables, and add it to the crockpot. Break up the ground meat with your fingers and add it in. Dump in the kidney beans and the can of tomatoes and chilis. Add the broth and the seasonings. Stir well. It will look like there isn't enough liquid, but more will be made from the vegetables and meat. I promise.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. I cooked ours on low for exactly 8. It was perfect 

Breakfast and Desserts

Baked Stuffed Apples

Bananas Foster

Budget Breakfasts

Chocolate Mud Cake

Luscious Rice Pudding

Spiced Cranberry (overnight) Oatmeal

Beans

Baked Beans

Basic Beans

Black-eyed Peas with Country Ham

Red Beans and Rice Soup

Vegetarian Chili

Oat and Lentil Loaf with Mushrooms and Walnuts

This vegetarian main dish provides a complete protein, thanks to the combination of oats and lentils. It can be made vegan by omitting the eggs and substituting flax seed (or simply adding some extra vegetable broth or tomato sauce; this will change the texture but still be tasty). If you would like to incorporate meat, you could substitute cooked ground beef or pork for the lentils. Grated cheese, either mixed into the loaf or sprinkled over the top, is also a nice addition.

1 cup brown lentils
1 cup oats
1 onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
2 eggs (or 2 Tbsp flax seed soaked in 4 Tbsp warm water)
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp dried basil (optional)
½ cup ketchup or BBQ sauce (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook lentils in boiling, salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
3. While lentils are cooking, sauté onion and mushrooms in olive oil or butter until onion is translucent and mushrooms are soft, about five minutes. Add garlic and cook for two more minutes.
4. Add oats, diced tomatoes, and cooked onions and garlic to cooked lentils.
5. Stir in eggs or flax seed, chopped walnuts, salt, pepper, basil, and ketchup or BBQ sauce.
6. Pour mixture into a loaf pan or small casserole dish and bake until top of loaf is crispy, about 40 minutes.

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