slow cooker chicken taco soup - the best yet!

Three weeks from today, along with fourteen students and one more teacher, our family will be on our way back from our second annual mission trip to a Navajo reservation in Arizona, if "The Lord's willin' and the creeks don't rise," as the Indiana farming folk used to say.  I'm really excited for a couple of reasons: A) to see what kinds of ways God will move again this year and B) I get to cook and cook and cook.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner for a total of at least 20 will be served, minus a couple of meals we'll eat during travel days.

We had a whole-group planning meeting last week, for which I got to warm up my large-group cooking chops.  We originally thought a first-of-May activity would allow us a chance to enjoy the patio and grill out, but as you who live in Nashville know, out of the blue, Mother Nature decided to blow in a couple of days of cold rain. I have to admit, when I first saw the forecast I was a little put out.  But then I adjusted my mindset and started thinking about it as a great opportunity to search for one more wonderful recipe full of comfort.  What was so bad about everyone gathering around our tables (including an extra we had to set up in the living room), enjoying a fire, and something warm to eat?  Not a thing, AND it was Cinco de Mayo to boot.  So I decided to go on a hunt for some kind of fiesta soup that would be easy, short on prep, and long on satisfaction. After all, nineteen very hungry people - most of them teenage boys - would be in my house just a couple hours after I got off work.  Quick and filling were my only options.

I could not be more enthusiastic to share this recipe with you.  There is NO cutting, NO chopping, NO pre-cooking the meat, NOT EVEN draining or rinsing required.  (I decided to take my chances on that last one.  It was just fine.)  AND it all goes in the crockpot. And you know how I love that thing.  Seriously.  If I were a cheatin' woman, it would be my second husband.

I'm excited for the fall so I can make some more.  I was thrilled with the results, and I absolutely adore how the chicken just gets nestled right down into the mixture of all the other ingredients to cook and soak in all the flavor.  It's really a fantastic recipe to add to your collection.

So, there you go.  Come the next wave of cooler days, you can thank me, and I think you'll find that my hunt for quick and filling totally paid off.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

makes six servings

printable recipe

• 1 cup mild salsa
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans
• 1 (15 oz) can corn
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 3-4 tbsp homemade taco seasoning, or store-bought 
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, scraped of seeds and chopped fine (optional)
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (I even used FROZEN!)
• Suggested toppings: sour cream, scallions, cheese, diced avacado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime!

1. In crock pot, pour in all ingredients, salsa through chipotle pepper, if using, and mix thoroughly.

2. Push chicken into mixture and set pot to low.  Cook for 6-8 hours.

3. Remove chicken and shred or dice.  Return to mixture and serve.

Recipe adapted from Kristine's Kitchen.

SUPER-EASY pulled pork loin over hoe cakes

It has been a really great week of eating.  We were gone all last week for Spring Break visiting family in Indiana, and when we take those trips, I always take the stack of magazines I've saved to read.  I watch Create TV, of which I have fallen in love, and I surf the internet more than ever.  I prepare and plan meals the way I wish I always did, and it makes for such a smooth week when we return.  Grilled burgers and romaine, fish tostadas with cilantro lime crema, roasted salmon with lemon butter...  Good, good and good.

I'm in the middle of planning for this coming week and am thinking of using one of the greatest gifts given to working moms - the crockpot.  It's a lifesaver and a planner's - or, in my case, a wannabe planner's - dream.  If you have a hunk of meat and any spices at all, you can usually pull something together and make it great.

Enter this recipe.

Once upon a time, there was a pork loin roast hanging out in my freezer, and the rest is history.  It comes out tender, juicy, wonderfully good, and you can use the results for just about anything. As you can see here, I just added some more BBQ sauce and spooned over Paula Deen's Hoe Cakes. Southern goodness.  Almost zero work.  Sounds like a plan to me!

Pulled Pork Loin in Crock Pot

makes about three pounds of meet

printable recipe

• 3 pound pork loin
• 8 ounces of BBQ sauce of choice
• 1 small onion minced (I grated mine - quick and easy to incorporate)
• 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• hot sauce as desired
• salt and pepper 

1. If you have time, salt and pepper the pork loin and let sit for at least an hour.  If not, just do right before using.

2. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over loin.

3. Cook on low 6-7 hours.  

* Towards the end, I did give the meat a good stir and left off the lid to cook off some of the liquid, although you don't have to.  You can drain.  At this point, the meat is not overly BBQ-y.  That's what makes this a flexible dish.  I did add more sauce, as we were wanting a BBQ meal.  And extra sauce is definitely a must for the following hoe cakes to taste their best!

Paula Deen's Hoe Cakes

makes about 15-17 cakes

• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal or mix (Aunt Jemima recommended)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or BACON GREASE (can you tell which one I prefer?)
• Oil or butter for frying

1. Mix all the ingredients except for the frying oil.  Heat that oil in a medium or large skillet (a griddle or cast iron skillet is my preference) over medium heat.

2. Drop the batter by tablespoons (two per cake) onto the hot skillet.  Fry until brown and crisp and then turn to do the other side.  

3. Remove cooked cakes with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Will keep in fridge for two days.

SOUP-er Saturday (a day early) ~ Layered Herby Stew

I know it's only Friday, but here in Nashville there's a good chance of snow that might very well hang around for a while.  I wanted to make sure anyone in the area, or those elsewhere with a similar forecast, could make it to the store for this SOUP-er Saturday recipe's ingredients before it's too late.

I don't know that there's a more perfect pot of stew for the coming weather than this one.  I remember when I first made it, early in our marriage, I had very, very little cooking experience.  I, for the life of me, had no idea why in the world it would call for tapioca.  Up until that point in my life, tapioca was what I loved to get on the salad bar at Bonanza when I was six years old.  What would it be doing in beef stew!?!?  Actually, now that I think about it, that may have been the only reason I tried this recipe; it made for a great experiment!  But I promise you, for those of you who don't cook a lot, you will not end up with pudding.  The tapioca just gives it a little body, and all of the herbs drown it in whole lot of flavor!

I'm telling you... this couldn't be any easier!  Just layer all the ingredients in the crock, turn it on, and a few hours later you'll have a really healthy and satisfying meal.  I've tried a ton of beef stew recipes, this has been my go-to for years.

It is definitely cold outside, but this SOUP-er Saturday Friday meal will warm it up perfectly.  You have my word.

Layered Herby Stew

makes 6-8 large servings

printable recipe

• 2 1/2 lbs lean beef chuck, cubed
• 1 medium to large onion, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 8-12 small red potatoes, halved 
• 4-6 carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces or one small bag of baby carrots
• 2 large celery ribs, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 2 tbsp Worcesterchire sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine, or water
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 tbsp minute tapioca (only 5 if using water instead of red wine)
• 28-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Layer all the ingredients in the crock pot in the order they are given.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

2. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Recipe from Fix-it and Forget-It Cookbook - Feasting with Your Slow Cooker

slow cooker star - momma's italian beef

A friend and I were talking a while back about the luxury of eating a meal with our family at home and how a home-cooked meal is more of a rarity than commonplace.  In fact, she said her son made a comment one night around the dinner table to the effect of, "Wow!  Eating healthy is so good, Mom!"  She said it struck her kind of funny as she looked at their main course of Poppy Seed Chicken spread across the table.  Soul food?  You bet.  Healthy?  Not so sure.  But in his eyes, "eating healthy" meant just eating something that came from the fridge or oven in his very own house.

Can't you relate?  I know we can, all too well.  Two full-time working parents, active church involvement, multiple children with homework and extra-curricular activities...  A from-scratch meal by dinner time?

Whatever.

EXCEPT when one has a recipe like this one.  Seriously.  If I can't make time to throw this together, which yields a fantastic hearty and delicious meal, I might add, then I need to pack it up and go home.  Home, I tell ya.

Italian Beef is one of my favorite dishes that Mom fixes, and I just don't think about it until I walk into my parents' house, and the aroma meets me at the door.  I love it, and Mom knows that, and so this last trip I made up north, she had it waiting on me.  What a gift.  I knew after eating it that night, I was going to make a conscientious effort to make it myself, so I could share it with you.

And just hold onto your hats, as I tell you about this recipe:

Four ingredients, NO prep work, and 18 hours in the crockpot -  EIGHTEEN.  Full-time working moms everywhere... this is your BFF.  No joke.

Serve this up with Lays potato chips and a green salad or cold pasta dish... I'm telling you, coming home at the end of a long day never tasted so good.

Momma's Italian Beef

printable recipe

1 five-pound rump roast
2 cans (10 1/4 oz) beef consomme
1 package Good Seasonings Italian salad dressing mix
1/2-1 jar (16 oz) pepperoncini peppers (depending on the spiciness you prefer)

1.  Place ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 18 hours.  Half-way through, turn meat inside pot.

If desired, serve on hoagie rolls and top with sauteed peppers, onions, and favorite white cheese.  And don't forget an extra drizzle of juice!

Other ways to enjoy...

* Take to a potluck with thin provolone cheese slices.  Place the cheese on the roll and top with hot beef to melt the cheese.

* To the roll, add a delicious slather of a little mayo and dried Italian seasoning herbs mixed together.

* Place a slice of your favorite cheese over the meat and pop under a broiler.  Watch closely for slight browning and remove.  Perfectly toasted.  Beautifully melted.

flavorFALL - one ingredient pure pumpkin puree

Two words for this recipe.  

Easy. Peasy.  

In fact, I don't even know if it qualifies as a recipe, because I think recipes probably have to have more than one thing in them, don't you think?  Actually, I've looked up the definition since typing that last sentence.  For those scholarly ones who care to know, according to Webster, recipe is "a list of instructions given to prepare a dish and includes the ingredients."  

Well, in this case, INGREDIENT.  

A real recipe or not, all I know is that now that I've done this version of pumpkin puree, I don't think I'll ever, ever go back to the can.  This is the perfect 'recipe' for this series and a must-have staple for many Falls to come.  The result is so sweet without a thing added to it!  I wish now I had grabbed more Sugar Pie pumpkins (I just love that name) to make a lot of this to store up and freeze.  Next year I'll know… and now, so will you!

Happy weekend, friends!

one year ago: autumn chicken stew, black-bottom pumpkin pie, daniel's potato soup
two years ago: butternut squash soup

Pure Pumpkin Puree

Are you ready for this?

• 1 pie pumpkin

~ Line crockpot with aluminum foil.  Prick pumpkin with fork, multiple times, and place

    in crockpot.  

~ Cook on Low 6-8 hours or until pumpkin is soft.  

~ Cut open pumpkin, scoop out seeds, and scrape out flesh.  Puree with blender or hand 

    blender (not pureed in picture).

apple cider pork tenderloin

Five more days and we are officially out of our house.  It looks like a small tornado has been through it, but I can sort of, kind of, see a light at the end of the tunnel.  Having survived the last 72 hours, I am thankful for two things:  

1. my hard-working, never-complaining husband
2. and my crock pot.  

How would a girl ever do without either?

I have made this recipe twice in the last ten days.  Served with a side of green beans and corn pudding, it is such an appetite-pleaser, mark my words.  And there is so much you can do with the leftovers (on the off chance you even have any), it's worth doing.  Especially during the busier seasons of life.  

I'm pretty doggone sure that's the season we're in right now.

I'm so eager to get cooking and experimenting again once we're settled.  Saturday evening I began packing up my kitchen and lamenting the indefinite amount of time I'll be without some of those things that seem indispensable.  Storage is going to be tight in our temporary place, so I'm really having to be strategic about the kitchen, in particular.  Without a doubt, the Keurig, Kitchenaid stand mixer, and my Ninja is going with me.  Oh, and I can't forget a large stock pot, skillet, and - of course - the crock pot.  Well, and I have to toss in the ice cream maker that, now that I think about it, should have been #3 on my list above.  Sigh...  Decisions, decisions.  Ah, well... five more days to decide on all of that.  In the meantime, I'm enjoying me some Apple Cider Pork Tenderloin and calling it a day.  Come on and join me!

Apple Cider Pork Tenderloin
makes six servings

• 3 pound pork tenderloin
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2-3 cored and sliced apples
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cup apple juice (maybe more)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

~ Sprinkle loin lightly with salt and let sit at least 10-15 minutes.
~ Place onions and apples on bottom of crock pot. 
~ Place loin on top of onions and apples.
~ In mixing bowl, stir together sugar, soy sauce, apple juice, garlic, cranberries and black 
    pepper, to taste.  Pour over loin.
~ Cook on low 7-9 hours.  Remove from crock and wrap loosely in foil.
~ Pour juices into saucepan and simmer until slightly thickened.  Serve over meat.

 

SOUPer saturdays - crockpot four bean soup

 

  

Daniel had a project at school a couple of weeks ago.  He was asked to show in a creative way the layers of the earth.  He decided to use different varieties of beans to get the job done.  And as we stood in the aisle of the grocery store, I have to admit I was making suggestions based on what I thought would make a great recipe for the after-project party (a.k.a. supper).

So what used to be in this...

...ended up like this.  Aren't they beautiful?

I've always liked beans in any number of forms.  They're extremely versatile, filling, economical, and healthy.  But in a more traditional dry bean recipe, they can also be time-consuming.  The whole soaking process and simmering-for-hours thing...  well, I love it on a day when I can just hang around the house for a while, but it's not very practical during the week.  So, I decided to give a try with the crockpot and see what kind of time and effort it would save, hoping it would also result in an acceptable dish.  I was not disappointed.

This recipe makes a rich, thick bowl of beans, that topped with Ma's Cornbread (recipe coming) and accompanied by a glass of sweet tea, could make any true southerner swoon. 

Today, in Nashville, there's a beautiful smattering of snowflakes floating, and in our home, a fire burning.  It's the kind of day that calls for a recipe such as this.  Be warm and filled!

Happy Saturday!

Crockpot Four Bean Soup - makes a ton

Ingredients:

• four cups of dried beans of choice, rinsed (used here are red kidneys, lentils, split peas, and black beans)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes (San Marzano fire-roasted are fabulous for this)
• 2-3 tbsp. steak seasoning of choice (adjust to your taste)
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 sprigs of oregano
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
• water to cover the beans and fill crock to about two inches from top
• salt and pepper to taste

~ Stir all ingredients together, minus salt and pepper, and cook on low all day. 

~ Add salt and pepper to taste at the end until desired taste is achieved.

Recipe adapted from Stephanie O'Dea

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love people; cook them tasty old-fashioned pot roast

I hinted on The Lazy Daisy Kitchen Fan Page last night that there would be great recipes coming up over the next few days requiring little effort and heat.  Old-Fashioned Pot Roast is one of those no-fail, uber-flavorful dishes that is perfect for sharing with someone you'd like to bless.  It lasts for days and only requires a quick sear followed by a few hours spent with possibly my very best friend in cookware appliances...  The Crockpot (applause, applause)!  I just love this thing, and when used correctly, it can do circles around everything (and everyone) in the kitchen.  

I've tried all kinds of roast recipes, but this is my absolute favorite.  I usually prep it in 15 minutes around 8:00 in the evening, place the roast in the crockpot, set it to low, and have a roast just as good as  Grandma's (well, almost) by sunrise...  Can it get any better than that?!?

If you end up making this dish sometime soon, make sure to set some aside for the delicious sandwich I'll be featuring later this week.  And, speaking of that, check back often.  Our home congregation, Una Church of Christ, is having VBS every night through Friday.  Our family won't have much time to prepare big meals, so I'm looking forward to sharing with you a couple of new recipes, along with a couple of stand-by's, that will help get us through the week... just perfect for the busy - and hot - days of July.

Old-Fashioned Pot Roast 
makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• one Angus beef chuck roast, 4-5 lbs. (for the most tender and flavorful, look for some marbling)
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 cup beef broth or red cooking wine (or mixture of both)
• 3 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1 medium onion, sliced thick

~  Rub roast with salt and pepper.  Put aside.

~  Heat olive oil in large pot to medium-high.

~  While oil is heating, mix together flour and garlic powder in large resealable bag.

~  Place roast in bag and shake until completed coated.

~  When oil is shimmering*, carefully place roast in pot.  You should hear a nice sizzle.  Let
     it sit until a golden crust forms, turning around to do the same to get all sides.  

~  While roast is browning, slice onion and separate rings, spreading them at the bottom of 
     the crockpot.  

~  When roast has browned, place on top of onions.  

~  Keep pot heated and add the worcestershire sauce and broth/wine to pot, scraping 
     browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon.  Let cook about one minute.

~  Poor juice over roast, set crock pot to Low, and let cook 8-10 hours until meat is fork 
     tender.

* Olive oil has a lower heat tolerance than other oils.  If it is smoking, it is too hot and will 
    burn the flour coating.  Look for a shimmer in the oil, bump up the heat just a tad, and 
    the temp should be perfect.