This blast of arctic weather has us reaching for warm bowls. Here's 10 of our favorite slow cooker recipes.
Slowly cooking a big hunk of tough, inexpensive meat isn't just the best way to cook this cut of meat. It's really the only way.
Most tough cuts of meat come from the hardest working parts of the animal, and therefore have a lot of collagen. This collagen needs to be broken down and converted to gelatin for the meat to become tender, and that is accomplished by low and slow cooking.
Here, if you want to rub the meat with the spice rub the night before and leave it loosely covered in the fridge overnight, the dry rub will season the meat a little more deeply. But this isn't a heavily seasoned roast, so it's a step that you can skip if you don't have time or fridge space.
This meat can be eaten just as it is, with any kind of starchy side from mashed or roasted potatoes to rice to orzo or another pasta. Or you can make it into tacos by wrapping the meat in warmed, soft corn or flour tortillas and adding in whatever feels right: avocados, shredded cheese, a dollop of cr me fraiche or sour cream, salsas of any kind, fresh cilantro leaves, pickled onions, fresh onions, chopped tomatoes, shredded zucchini.
You could also use this meat in enchiladas, burritos or any kind of Mexican-inspired casserole. Finely shred it and add to huevos rancheros? Pork sandwiches with barbecue sauce, perhaps?
There is no such thing as leftover slow-cooker pork. There is only another brilliant pork dinner waiting to happen.
Slow-cooked pork roast
Serves 12
6 hours start to finish
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika, hot or sweet
1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 5-pound boneless pork butt roast
cup dry white wine
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, garlic, oil, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub it all over the roast. Place the roast in a roasting pan, preferably in a wire rack. Add the wine.
Cook on low heat for five to six hours, until it has a nice crust and the meat is falling-apart tender.
Remove the roast from the oven and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Use a fork or two to shred the meat into nice-size pieces.
Nutrition information per serving: 273 calories; 154 calories from fat; 17 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 82 mg cholesterol; 255 mg sodium; 4 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 23 g protein.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.
There is nothing like a pot of fragrant soup or stew simmering all day in a Dutch oven on the stove top or slow cooker to warm you up on a cool, crisp day. Soups and stews are tried-and-true comfort foods, warming the soul as well as the body.
The comfort doubles when a soup or stew is topped with fluffy dumplings, placed on the top of the stew or soup in the final moments of the cooking process and then gently steamed to perfection. Dumplings are more a drop biscuit than pastry, so there's no rolling, shaping or fussing. Just stir up the dough, spoon it into the pot, cover and come back in about a half-hour.
Members of the features department have offered up some of their recipes for chicken and dumpling soup, beef stew and a dumpling recipe that would go great on any soup or stew.
Chicken and dumpling soup
(Courtesy of Jennifer Huberdeau, features digital editor. Adapted from a recipe by her grandmother, Rita Beebe. The dumplings — recipe below — are an important part of the recipe, as they thicken the broth.
The recipe has been altered to accommodate those who do not eat dairy products. For a more traditional recipe, replace the almond milk with low-fat milk, coconut milk with heavy cream and vegan butter with butter.)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 stick of vegan butter
- 64 ounces chicken stock
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/4 cup white cooking wine
- 1 can (13.5 ounces) Goya coconut milk
- 5 large Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
- 2 cups of chicken, cut up in small pieces (can be leftover chicken or fresh)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
DIRECTIONS:
- Melt butter in a large dutch oven, adding in the cooking wine and coconut milk.
- When the butter melts, add in onion, carrots, celery and garlic.
- Simmer. Stir occasionally, until onions are translucent.
- Add in chicken, potatoes and chicken stock.
- Add in Italian seasoning and bay leaf.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil, lower heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for 20 minutes (chicken should be cooked and potatoes are soft).
- Drop in dumpling mixture.
- Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Serve soup and dumplings.
Dumplings
(Adapted from Bisquick dumpling recipe)
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups Bisquick
- 2/3 cup almond milk
DIRECTIONS:
- In a medium bowl, add Bisquick and almond milk, stirring until a soft dough forms.
- Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto boiling stew and reduce heat.
- Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Cover pot and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve with soup.
Dumplings
(Courtesy Meggie Baker, Eagle calendar editor)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp melted shortening
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cups milk
DIRECTIONS:
- Sift together dry ingredients.
- Add milk and shortening.
- Mix thoroughly but quickly.
- Drop from spoons into hot stew, gravy or steamer rack.
- Cover tightly and steam for about 15 minutes.
Slow-cooker beef stew
(Courtesy Margaret Button, associate features editor. This recipe can be a base for your favorite dumpling recipe.)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 pounds beef stew cubes
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 1-pound package baby carrots
- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 or 3 stalks of celery, cut into wide slices
- 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup mix
- 2 bay leaves
DIRECTIONS:
- In large slow cooker, layer the first five ingredients in the order listed.
- Mix onion soup. Mix in cup of hot water and pour over the ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Add more water to slow cooker until meat and vegetables are barely covered.
- Add bay leaves.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until everything is tender.
- If desired, add frozen peas for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Once everything is tender, turn slow cooker up to high.
- Mix flour and water (or cornstarch and water) to make a medium-thick slurry.
- Once the stew is bubbling in the slow cooker, add the slurry and stir gently until the stew liquid thickens.
Beef usually hogs the spotlight when it comes to stews, but there are plenty of other meats that can star in this quintessential, cold-weather comfort food. Pork, chicken and here, lamb, a big favorite of my younger son, Charlie.
This rich meat also takes well to many flavor combos, and in this recipe, some accessible, Mediterranean-inspired supporting ingredients turn the lamb into a truly delicious stew. If you are a chickpea lover, feel free to add a second can.
These instructions use an Instant Pot, the appliance of the decade. The Instant Pot is a plug-in pot that performs as a slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker and a few other impressive cooking tools. In this case, you will first be using the sauté function and then the pressure cooker function to cook a tender stew in much less time than it would take otherwise.
Don't have an Instant Pot? You can also make this stew in a slow cooker. Just brown the meat in the slow cooker if it has a sauté function, or if not, brown it and sauté the vegetables in a pot on the stove, and then transfer everything to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients, and cook on low for 8 hours.
If you don't have an Instant Pot or a slow cooker, no worries! You can do all of the sautéing in a pot on the stove, and then add the other ingredients as directed and cook the stew, covered, over low heat for about 3 hours until the meat is tender. Give it an occasional stir to make sure the stew doesn't stick to the bottom. If you prefer to put it into a 300 degrees F oven after all of the ingredients have been combined, that works, too — this should also take about 3 hours. Give that a stir if you think of it every once in a while.
If you don't have brandy, add a healthy glug of red wine instead. This is a soupy stew, and would be fantastic ladled over noodles of any kind or chunks of steamed potatoes.
So, whether you approach this old school, new school or somewhere in the middle, the cooler days approaching promise to be flavorful.
Instant Pot Mediterranean lamb stew
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 2 hours in the Instant Pot, 9 hours in a slow cooker, or 4 hours on the stovetop or in the oven
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds 1-inch cubes lamb shoulder or lamb stew meat
2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed, divided
1/2 cup sliced leeks
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup diced fennel
1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
2 tablespoons brandy or cognac
1 (28-ounce) can diced or crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
Chopped fresh parsley to serve
DIRECTIONS:
In a large shallow bowl combine the flour, salt and pepper. Add the lamb meat and toss to coat it.
Place the inner pot into your Instant Pot. Press the Saute button, and then use the Saute or Adjust buttons (depending on your model) to select the "Normal" or middle temperature. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pot, and let it heat for 1 minute. Add the lamb in two batches and brown on at least a few sides of the cubes, about 2 minutes per side (if you want to brown all of the sides, go ahead, but it's not necessary, and often the pieces of meat aren't really six-sided "cubes"). Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a plate, add the remaining tablespoon olive oil if there is not oil in the pan, and repeat with the other half of the lamb.
Add the leeks, carrots, celery and fennel to the pot and saute without the lid on for 5 minutes, until everything is slightly tender. Stir in the rosemary, then add the brandy to the pot and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, bay leaf and lamb, and stir to combine.
Close and lock the lid. Set the valve to Sealing. Press Cancel, then press Manual or Pressure Cook and use the Pressure Level Button to select high pressure. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Note that the timer will not start to count down until the correct pressure has been achieved.
When the Instant Pot beeps, press Cancel. Let the pressure come down slowly for 30 minutes. Release the sealing valve, remove the lid and serve hot in bowls, with parsley sprinkled over the stew.
Nutrition information per serving: 652 calories; 376 calories from fat; 42 g fat ( 15g saturated; 2 g trans fats); 97 mg cholesterol; 928 mg sodium; 35 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 34 g protein.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.
This light yet deeply flavorful soup is a celebration of colors, tastes, and textures, overflowing with garnishes and tender shredded chicken. We wanted it to have authentic flavor with a streamlined method, and the multi-cooker was the perfect ally.
To replicate the traditionally deep, roasty, smoky notes of the broth, typically achieved by charring the vegetables, we used the sauté function to brown some of the vegetables and aromatics. Using chipotle chili in adobo sauce (which are dried, smoked jalapenos in a spicy chili sauce) also added some smokiness along with a spicy kick, and a bit of tomato paste gave the base deep, savory flavor.
Since the tortillas are an essential component of the soup, we decided to add some tortilla pieces right to the pot to give the soup better body; the tortillas softened during cooking, and a vigorous whisk at the end ensured the pieces broke down. Since the base already had so much flavor, we found that making our own broth wasn't necessary, so we used store-bought broth and quicker--cooking boneless chicken; tasters preferred thighs over breasts for their richer flavor.
Since the multicooker gave the soup great long-cooked flavor, we amped up the freshness and spice by stirring in additional aromatics after cooking. The tortilla strips are best prepared the day of serving. Different brands of corn tortillas may vary in thickness; the cooking time for the tortilla strips may need to be adjusted based on how thick yours are. Don't skip the garnishes- they are an essential component of the dish. If you can't find Cotija cheese, substitute farmer's cheese or feta.
Tortilla soup
Servings: 6-8
Pressure cook total time: 50 minutes
Slow cook total time: 3 hours 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 onion, chopped fine
2 jalapeno chilies, stemmed, seeded, and minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 cups chicken broth
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas (4 cut into 1/2 inch pieces, 6 halved and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch wide strips)
11/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
8 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
Lime wedges
DIRECTIONS:
Using highest sauté or browning function, heat 1 tablespoon oil in multicooker until shimmering. Add tomatoes, onion, and half of jalapenos and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, 2 teaspoons chipotle, and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth and tortilla pieces, scraping up any browned bits. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into multicooker.
To pressure cook: Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off multicooker and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
To slow cook: Lock lid in place and open pressure release valve. Select low slow cook function and cook until chicken is tender, 2 to 3 hours. (If using Instant Pot, select high slow cook function.) Turn off multicooker and carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 F. Toss tortilla strips with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and bake on rimmed baking sheet until crisp and deep golden, 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer strips to paper towel-lined plate and lightly season with salt to taste; set aside for serving.
Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks. Whisk soup vigorously for 30 seconds to break down tortilla pieces. Stir in chicken, remaining jalapenos, and remaining 1 teaspoon chipotle and let sit until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing toasted tortilla strips, Cotija, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges separately.
Nutrition information per serving: 394 calories; 195 calories from fat; 22 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 115 mg cholesterol; 649 mg sodium; 23 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 27 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Tortilla Soup in "Multicooker Perfection "
Creating anything garden-fresh in a slow cooker is a tall order, but we were willing to try to beat the odds and develop a recipe for a minestrone that married a flavorful tomato broth with fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta.
The base of our soup would be our broth, and after microwaving the aromatics we added broth and canned tomato sauce along with carrots and dried beans — both of which could sustain a long stay in a slow cooker.
Sliced zucchini and chopped chard were simply added during the last 20 minutes of cooking, and the precooked pasta was stirred in at the end. Serve with crusty bread to dip into the broth.
Garden minestrone
Servings: 6-8
Start to finish: 8 to 10 hours on high
Slow cooker size: 4 to 7 quarts
INGREDIENTS:
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup dried great Northern or cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup small pasta, such as ditalini, tubettini, or elbow macaroni
Salt and pepper
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
Microwave onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, oregano, and pepper flakes in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth, tomato sauce, beans, and carrots. Cover and cook until beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours on high.
Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add pasta and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, then toss with remaining 1 teaspoon oil in bowl; set aside.
Stir zucchini and chard into soup, cover, and cook on high until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in pasta and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing Parmesan and extra oil separately.
Nutrition information per serving: 224 calories; 46 calories from fat; 5 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 1 mg cholesterol; 601 mg sodium; 34 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 11 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visithttps://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Garden Minestrone in "Complete Slow Cooker ."
Chicken enchiladas offer a rich and complex combination of flavors and textures, but traditional cooking methods can be tedious.
We wanted a more streamlined recipe for chicken enchiladas — one that utilized our slow cooker to make the filling and that enabled the enchiladas to be quickly assembled and finished in the oven.
First we created a simple but flavorful red chile sauce with onion, garlic, spices, and tomato sauce, then braised chicken thighs directly in the sauce, which both enhanced the flavor of the sauce and ensured moist, flavorful meat for our enchilada filling.
Monterey Jack cheese complemented the rich filling nicely, while canned jalapenos and fresh cilantro rounded out the flavors and provided tang and brightness. When it came time for assembly, we brushed the tortillas with oil and microwaved them to make them pliable.
After experimenting with oven temperatures and times, we found that baking the assembled enchiladas covered for 15 minutes in a 450 F oven resulted in perfectly melted cheese, and the edges of the tortillas did not dry out in the process.
Serve with sour cream, diced avocado, sliced radishes, shredded romaine lettuce, and lime wedges.
Chicken enchiladas
Servings: 4-6
Cooking time: 4 to 5 hours on low
Slow cooker size: 4 to 7 quarts
INGREDIENTS:
1 onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup jarred jalapenos, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
DIRECTIONS:
Microwave onion, 2 tablespoons oil, chili powder, garlic, coriander, and cumin in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in tomato sauce and sugar. Season chicken with pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 5 hours on low.
Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks. Combine chicken, 3/4 cup sauce, 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack, cilantro, jalapenos, and lime juice in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 F. Spread 3/4 cup sauce over bottom of 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Brush both sides of tortillas with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Stack tortillas, wrap in damp dish towel, and place on plate; microwave until warm and pliable, about 1 minute.
Working with 1 warm tortilla at a time, spread 1/3 cup chicken filling across center of tortilla. Roll tortilla tightly around filling and place seam side down in baking dish; arrange enchiladas in 2 columns across width of dish.
Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas to cover completely and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Monterey Jack. Cover dish tightly with greased aluminum foil. Bake until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition information per serving: 460 calories; 227 calories from fat; 25 g fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 105 mg cholesterol; 1014 mg sodium; 30 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 28 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Chicken Enchiladas in "The Complete Slow Cooker."
Here we are at the very beginning of a new year, and so far, it’s not much different from the coronavirus pandemic, socially distanced, isolated old year.
I’m still writing from my dining room table, over 10 months of working from home. I can’t tell you how much I miss being with my coworkers — and how much I don’t miss the 50-mile round-trip commute every day.
Working from home has been my undoing over the past 10 months — in the form of acquiring even more excess baggage, so to speak — like an extra 10 pounds of baggage. The kitchen and pantry are mere feet away.
I did pretty well this fall fighting the battle of the bulge and lost a total of 25 pounds. And then the holidays hit ... along with 6 or 7 pounds of Christmas goodies weight. I’ve now cut down on the carbohydrates and fat in my diet — good-bye Pasta in Creamy Lemon Sauce, farewell Cherry Garcia ice cream, adios spinach and artichoke dip.
When I was lamenting the holiday poundage to a friend, Kathy, she said she and her significant other really liked a Weight Watchers recipe she had found. I tried it over the weekend and it is so good! The next time I’ll add some chopped jalapeno pepper, because what’s chili without a bit of heat?
ZERO-POINT WEIGHT WATCHERS WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
(Recipe from www.slenderkitchen.com)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Total time: 4 hours, 5 minutes
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds chicken breast
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper
14 ounces canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
14 ounces canned white beans, drained and rinsed
14 ounces canned corn, drained and rinsed
16 ounces green salsa
4 cups fat free chicken broth
DIRECTIONS:
Slow cooker: Add everything to the slow cooker and stir. Cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and either shred or chop. Return to the soup and serve with all your favorite chili toppings.
Instant Pot: Add everything to the Instant Pot. If you reach the max fill line, you can add more broth after it finishes cooking. Set to manual for 8 minutes. Let the Instant Pot naturally release. Remove the chicken and shred or chop. Add back to the chili and serve,
Stovetop: Add everything to a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove and shred or chop. Add back to the chili and serve.
Nutrition information PER Serving size: 1.25 cups. Amount per serving; Calories 372; calories from fat 103. Percentage daily value: Total Fat 12g, 18 percent; saturated fat 3g, 15 percent; monounsaturated fat 0g, polyunsaturated fat 0g; cholesterol 73mg, 24 percent; sodium 1012 mg, 44 percent; total carbohydrate 33g, 9 percent; dietary fiber, 4g, 10 percent; sugars 2g; protein 33g
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.
Barbacoa beef, or pork or lamb or goat, is by definition slowly cooked meat. The word is Mexican, and originally referred to a cooking method by which parts of an animal were wrapped in leaves, and steamed and smoked simultaneously over fire.
The dish came to America from Mexico by way of Texas, and is very much a part of Mexican immigrant and Tex Mex culture, as well as the cuisine of Mexico.
So the notion of making it in a slow cooker is simultaneously radical and obvious. And the resulting meat is flavorful and tender, begging to be stuffed in a soft taco with toppings.
Leftovers might be used in chili, stews, enchiladas, burritos or quesadillas; a couple of cups of shredded, cooked beef in the fridge are a springboard for any number of dinners later in the week. This type of one-two-punch cooking is very rewarding.
So throw that big chunk of beef into the slow cooker with a nice battalion of seasonings, shred up the soft meat, heat some tortillas in the microwave, oven or a skillet, and have yourself a delicious little winter taco feast.
Slow cooker barbacoa beef tacos
Serves 8
Start to finish: 10 hours, 20 minutes (10 hours of which are hands off)
INGREDIENTS:
1 2 1/2 pound eye of round beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo puree
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 cups beef or chicken broth
3 bay leaves
Warmed corn or flour tortillas to serve
Optional toppings:
Salsa (tomato or tomatillo)
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar, or crumbled queso fresco, goat cheese, or feta
Diced avocado
Slivered red onion
DIRECTIONS
In a large, heavy skillet over high heat, heat the oil. Sear the beef on all sides until browned.
Meanwhile, combine the chipotle puree, onion, garlic, chili powder, cloves, salt, lime juice and vinegar in a slow cooker. Add the broth and the bay leaves.
Cook on low for 10 hours, until the meat is falling-apart tender. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and let it sit for about 20 to 30 minutes, then pull it apart using two forks. Meanwhile, pour the cooking liquid into a tall container and put it in the fridge. When you have pulled apart the meat, take out the liquid and skim off any fat that has risen to the top. Rewarm the sauce if needed and drizzle the shredded meat with some of the cooking liquid until nicely moistened but not dripping.
Serve with warmed tortillas and whatever toppings you like.
Note: Reserve the rest of the cooking liquid; you can use it in soups, stews or chili.
Nutrition information per serving: 323 calories; 76 calories from fat; 9 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 82 mg cholesterol; 896 mg sodium; 25 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 36 g protein.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman.
Lots of people love their slow cookers. Just as many folks don't. We tend to be in the latter group. Not because we don't appreciate the dump-and-go convenience. And we certainly enjoy being greeted at the end of the day by delicious smells before we've even taken off our coats.
Our objections come down to taste and texture. Too many slow cooker recipes taste just like every other slow cooker recipe, no matter what the ingredients. And after bubbling away for so many hours, most recipes end up with that just-shy-of-mush texture. No thanks.
So we decided to see whether we could come up with a stack of slow cooker recipes that didn't sacrifice ease, but satisfied our need for variety. Our inspiration? Barbecue pulled pork and chicken.
The process is simple. You start with either boneless, skinless chicken thighs or country-style pork ribs or rib chops. Throw them in the slow cooker with a handful of aromatics and a flavorful liquid. Put your cooker on low and head off to work. When you get home from work, you'll have a tender meat ready to shred and turn into an easy dinner.
10 Things with crock pot shredded meat
No time for a slow cooker? Combine all the ingredients plus an extra 1/2 cup of liquid in a large saucepan. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour, then proceed with the recipe.
Shredded meat
Start to finish: 4 to 5 hours on high, 8 to 10 hours on low
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 cup white wine, low-sodium chicken broth or apple cider
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or country-style pork ribs or rib chops
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Italian herb mix
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, liquid of choice, meat of choice, peppercorns, bay leaves, Italian herbs and salt. Cover and set to cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. The meat is ready when it is fork tender and falls apart easily. Remove and discard the peppercorns and bay leaves. Shred the meat using 2 forks, discarding any fat or bones. Use the meat in one of the following dinner ideas:
• Quesadillas: Drain any extra liquid from the meat. Spread over large tortillas, sprinkle with shredded cheese, black olives, scallions and diced jalapenos. Top each with another tortilla. Toast on both sides in a dry skillet. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa.
• Sloppy Joes: Mix in 1 cup barbecue sauce, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Serve on bulky rolls.
• Coconut curry: Stir in 1 can of coconut milk, 2 cups chopped cooked vegetables (such as broccoli and roasted red peppers) and 2 tablespoons red curry paste. Serve over rice.
• Upside down cottage pie: Whisk together 1/2 cup half-and-half with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Drain the liquid from the meat into a saucepan. Stir the half-and-half mixture into the meat liquid and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until it simmers and thickens. Stir in 1 1/2 cups thawed corn kernels and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme. Stir together with the shredded meat and serve over mashed potatoes.
• Pesto pizza: Stir 1 cup purchased pesto into the shredded meat. Spread over 2 prepared pizza crusts. Sprinkle each with grated Parmesan cheese, then top with slices of fresh mozzarella and sliced roasted red peppers. Bake at 450 F until golden and melted, about 20 minutes.
• Marmalade nachos: Drain the meat and stir in 1/2 cup orange marmalade, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon cider vinegar. Spread over tortilla chips. Top with sliced scallions, sliced Peppadew peppers or pickled jalapeno peppers, and shredded cheese. Heat in a 350 F oven just until the cheese is melted.
• Picatta pasta: Add the meat to a pound of pasta, cooked according to package instructions. Stir in 1/4 cup capers and the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
• Greek pitas: Drain the meat and mix with the zest of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano and 2 minced cloves of garlic. Combine 1 peeled, diced and seeded cucumber with 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt and 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese. Serve in pita pockets with chopped fresh tomato.
• Sesame noodles: Cook an 8-ounce package of udon or soba noodles according to package directions. Whisk together 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil and a splash of hot sauce. Toss with the meat, 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper, 1 thinly sliced bunch scallions and the noodles. Top with 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds.
• Lemon-ginger barley soup: Add 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth, 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, and 3/4 cup quick-cooking barley to a large saucepan. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the meat and its cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper.
One month of winter down ... two to go. I'm not going to make it. I am tired of driving to and from work at 30 miles per hour during a snowstorm. I am tired of wearing 32 layers of clothing and heavy, clunky boots. I am tired of getting up in the dark and driving home in the almost-dark (although both ends of the day are slowly lengthening). How my friend Debbi copes with 22 hours of darkness in Fairbanks, Alaska, every winter is beyond me — but count me in on the 22 hours of sun in June! I am tired of slipping on black ice, the salty grime on my car and being cold — All. The. Time.
There is nothing I like about winter.
I blame my Dad for this sad state of affairs. He was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II — Guam, the Philippines and Hawaii, to name a few. OK, Guam and the Philippines were overrun by the Japanese and probably not that hospitable, but other than the destruction at Pearl Harbor, how bad could have Hawaii have been? Did he stay there after the war? No, he came back to marry the woman he left behind in North Adams, the woman who became my mother. And so I freeze in New England instead of lounging on the beach at Waikiki. Sigh.
Lately, I've been spending my nights huddled next to the gas fireplace in my living room, wrapped in an afghan, watching TV shows, like "Caribbean Life," featuring warm, tropical places and dreaming of living there. I have my travel agent on speed dial on my cell phone, just in case I give in to temptation. (She assures me she can get me to Jamaica in six hours, which really doesn't help ...)
When the snow blows and the wind howls, a hot meal is definitely called for. As I've said before, I love my slow cooker. I can put most, if not all, of the ingredient in it before going to work. When I get home, the house is filled with a wonderful aroma and within minutes I can be eating. This meal is one of my current favorites. Add some crusty bread and life is good! You can almost forget it's winter ... no, not quite.
Slow cooker country-style ribs
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 small red potatoes (about 1 pound), halved
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup water
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
DIRECTIONS:
Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper; transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, water and garlic. Cook, covered, on low until meat and vegetables are tender, 6-8 hours.
Remove meat and vegetables; skim fat from cooking juices. Whisk soup into cooking juices; return meat and vegetables to slow cooker. Cook, covered, until heated through, 15-30 minutes longer.
More information
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