Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

I only halved this recipe and Matt was so mad. This was AMAZING! If you've ever had the teriyaki chicken at Mo Betta Steaks, this tastes just like it, but better! Mo Betta tends to burn their chicken.
Anyway, without further ado, here is the link to the recipe:
http://lakelurecottagekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/crock-pot-teriyaki-chicken.html

and in case this link is ever broken, here is the recipe!

CROCK POT TERIYAKI CHICKEN

12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (gluten free)
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 1/2 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked long grain rice

Place chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickend. Serve with chicken and rice.

Note: I halved the recipe and it still worked fine in my crock pot. It might not need the full 4 hours time.

Chile Colorado Burritos

I used half a flank steak from Costco and only halved the recipe because my kids don't like this kind of thing. It made two big burritos. I also used Enchilada sauce from an envelope mix and vegetarian refried beans with fat free tortillas and not nearly as much cheese as it calls for. One burrito was plenty, and because it was smothered in sauce, you couldn't tell the tortillas were fat free.
I cooked the meat in half the enchilada sauce and then poured the rest on the assembled burritos.

http://food-pusher.blogspot.com/2010/08/chile-colorado-burritos.html

 1 1/2-2 lbs pounds stew meat or other beef cubed (top sirloin is great)

1 large can mild (red) enchilada sauce* (at least 19 oz.)

2 beef bouillon cubes

1/2 can refried beans (optional)

5-7 burrito size flour tortillas

1 cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Put beef, bouillon, and enchilada sauce*** into a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours**, or until meat is very tender. (Can also cook on high for maybe 3-4 hours.) I've also cooked it in a dutch oven for about 4 hours at 325 degrees. More meat, more time. A third option is to cook it in a large heavy saucepan--bring it to a boil on high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. If you go with a method other than the crock pot, make sure the pot is covered and pretty well sealed to minimize evaporation of the liquid.

When beef is done (very tender and flakes off when stirred), taste and add more salt, if desired. Heat up refried beans in the microwave (covered and in a microwave-proof dish, of course)and put your oven on broil. On an oven-proof plate, or cookie sheet even, lay out a tortilla. Place on tortilla about 1/2 cup of the meat, drained by using a slotted spoon, and a spoonful or two of beans. Roll into a burrito (hopefully you know how to roll these). Pour some of the remaining enchilada sauce from the crock pot over the burrito to cover it. Sprinkle with some cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 2-4 minutes

Will make 4-7 burritos depending on how full you fill them.

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

I am no longer going to buy the canned stuff. I have tried to make homemade cream of chicken to use in recipes, but I've never really liked the result. This recipe is the best I've found. It yields 3 cups or about 2 cans worth of cream of Chicken soup. I like to use homemade chicken broth from when I make my shredded chicken from this.

Here is my favorite cream of chicken soup recipe from:

http://www.tammysrecipes.com/homemade_cream_chicken_soup

Yield:

3 cups (about 2 cans)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth*
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder**
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder***
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (or less; taste to test)
1/4 teaspoon parsley
dash of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour (Can probably use cornstarch to make it GF)

Instructions:

1. In medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two (longer if using fresh onions or garlic).
2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.

Additional Notes:

*I use the broth from my oven-roasted chicken. Refrigerate broth and then take fat off the top. If you're using chicken bouillon + water for your broth, you may want to add a little extra seasonings, such as lemon pepper, extra garlic, or seasoned salt, since my broth normally has bits of those in it. You can also add bits of chicken, but if you have good rich chicken broth, you probably won't need any chicken in it.
**Or, diced onions (boil with broth for a few minutes)
***Or, fresh minced garlic (boil with broth for a few minutes)
This recipe was featured in 10 Fabulous Foods We Make At Home (Not Buy!) :)

Preparation Time:

5 minutes

Cooking Time:

10-15 minutes

Tammy's Review:

I think this is an excellent substitution for the store-bought cans of condensed soups. It's so flavorful (even without MSG)! ;) I like to make this with leftover chicken broth (or even turkey broth!) and then freeze in 1 1/2 cup sized portions. Then, when I need a quick "can" of soup for a recipe, I just thaw some! I have made this in large batches (3-4 quarts at a time) and it saves even more time rather than having to make a small amount each time you need some. My rating: 10/10.

Cooked Chicken for entrees, soups, and stews

I like to make this chicken and freeze it in cup-size portions so I can pull it out of the freezer quickly and add it to soups, casseroles, etc., or even eat it cold over salad.
I adapted it from 101 Things To Do With a Slow Cooker by Stephanie Ashcraft.

6-8 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 t. garlic powder
4 c. water
1-2 bay leaves
1 T. dried, minced onion
1 stalk celery, cut in half
seasoned salt
pepper

Add everything to the crockpot sprinkling seasoned salt and pepper over the top. Cook on low 8-10 hours.  Remove chicken from water. Shred or chop chicken, let cool and freeze in individual baggies. Makes 5-7 cups. Strain the water and freeze for use as chicken stock.

Pulled Pork Crockpot recipe

• 4 lbs pork roast ( shoulder or butt)
• 2 large onions
• 1 cup ginger ale
• 1 (18 ounce) bottles favorite barbecue sauce ( I like Sweet Baby Ray's)
• barbecue sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Slice one onion and place in crock pot.
2. Put in the roast and cover with the other onion, sliced. Pour over the ginger ale. Cover and cook on LOW for about 12 hours.
3. Remove the meat, strain and save the onions, discard all liquid. With two forks, shred the meat, discarding any remaining fat, bones or skin. Most of the fat will have melted away.
4. Return the shredded meat and the onions to the crock pot, stir in the barbecue sauce. Continue to cook for another 4 to 6 hours on LOW.
5. Serve with hamburger buns or rolls and additional barbecue sauce. Any leftovers freeze very well.
6. TIP: freeze ready-made sandwiches - a scoop of meat on a bun, well-wrapped. These make a great quick meal or snack. To reheat, remove wrapping, wrap in a paper towel, and zap 1-2 minute in the microwave.
7. Note: Shoulder or butt are recommended because the meat shreds very well. Other cuts do not shred as readily. It is a fattier cut, but the fat melts away in the cooking and is poured away when you discard the liquid.
8. Note 2: I have an older, smaller crock pot. The above times work perfectly for me. But if you have a newer or bigger crock pot, you may need to revise times downward, esp. after the bbq sauce is added. I think you need at least a couple of hours for it all to meld, but that may be all you need. Update: I recently bought a bigger crockpot, I think 5 or 6 qts. I cooked a 6 lb pork shoulder in it for 8 hours and it was shreddable at that point. Shredded, added the sauce, and cooked for another hour or so to meld everything. So use your best judgment on timing!
9. Serve on rolls or over rice. Recipe can be found here  I got it from my Aunt Kathy, so I know it's good!

Braised Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

1/4 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
4 bone-in, center-cut pork chops (6-8 oz each)
2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 c. low-sodium chicken broth
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into wedges
2 golden delicious apples, halved, cored, cut into wedges
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Dredge chops in seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker. Add onion to skillet and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Pour in broth, increase heat to hight and bring to a boil, stirring to pick up any browned bits on bottom. Pour over pork chiops in slow cooker. Scatter sweet potatoes and apples around chops and thyme. Cover and cook on low until tender, about 3 hours, or on high for 1 1/2 hours.
Per Serving: 435 cal. 18 g fat (5 sat. fat), 58 mg chol, 6 g fiber, 25 g. protein, 44g carbs, 797 mg sod.

Chicken Casablanca

1 large onion sliced
1 t. fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots, diced
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium zucchini, sliced 1" thick
15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
3 lbs boneless chicken breasts
14 1/2 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 T. chopped parsley
1 T. chopped cilantro

Spices:
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. tumeric
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cayenne pepper

Combine the first 8 ingredients in crockpot. Combine spices in a small bowl and sprinkle over ingredients in crock pot. Add chopped tomatoes. Cover, cook on low 8-10 hours or High 4-6 hours. Stir in parsley and cilantro before serving. Serve over cooked rice or couscous.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

This is a Weight Watchers recipe. Only they used low-fat cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo. I'll use that if I have it. Otherwise, what's the point, really?

14 oz artichoke hearts
10 oz box frozen spinach, thawed, drained well, set out to dry completely
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
3/4 c. grated parmesan
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 t. pepper
2 crushed garlic cloves

Pulse together in food processor until chopped, but not pureed. Heat in crockpot for at least 2 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or bread slices.