Slow Cooker Venison with Carrots

Last hunting season, a friend graciously gave us a venison roast. He openly admitted he had no idea what cut of meat he had just offered us. I love venison, but I have never had the opportunity to cook it myself. But I was up for the challenge. The meat was rich and dark and well marbled throughout. For fear of drying it out, I opted the slow cooker method. I'm hoping our friend has a successful season again this year. I'd love to try my hand at steaks on the grill. And the thought of helping him butcher the deer fascinates me as well.  When it comes to food and where what sustains us comes from, I'm really not that squeamish.

Not a game fan? This recipe will work equally as well with a beef roast. I served this up alongside oven roasted potatoes. I'm partial to the crispy skins. But if you'd rather, feel free to toss potatoes or any other root vegetable that strikes your fancy into the crock pot with the roast. It makes for a fabulous one pot dinner.

the recipe is my own

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 to 3 lb venison roast
salt and pepper
1 lb carrots, sliced into 2-3 inch lengths
1 cup water
1 package (1.8 oz) leek or onion soup mix

The Process:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Generously salt and pepper the roast. Sear the roast in the hot pan, 2-3 minutes per side, or until browned all over.

Transfer roast to a slow cooker along with and pan drippings. Arrange carrots around roast. Whisk soup mix into 1 cup of water and pour over the top of the roast.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Shred and serve.

Balsamic Pot Roast

Is anything quite as satisfying as a fork tender roast and a heaping pile of garlic mashed potatoes?  Of course there is.  But on a night like tonight, this pot roast takes center stage.

I adore pot roasts in the crock pot.  This one had a lovely tang from the vinegar.  And the roast shredded just lifting it out of the pot.  During dinner the meat needed a little drizzle of juice to keep it moist.  Magically, the next day, the meat retained most of the moisture.  I love when dishes are even better the next day around...

adapted from In a Pinch

serves 6-8

The Ingredients:
1 3-4 pound boneless roast beef
1 cup beef broth
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
½ tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, crushed

The Process:
Place the roast in the slow cooker.  In a small bowl or measuring cup combine the remaining ingredients.  Pour liquid over the roast.  Cover.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Slightly shred the beef and transfer to a serving dish.  Ladle about 1/2 cup of the juice over the meat, serve hot.

Slow Cooker Juniper Chicken

Snowy, snowy days call for hot and hearty meals.  A day like today last Sunday necessitates making the most out of what is already in the pantry, because there would be no "quick" drive to the grocery store for any last minute items.  Thankfully, we had all of these items on hand.  Including the juniper berries.

Remind me to pick up more before the first of March...I'll need them to brine our corned beef..

adapted from The Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

serves 4

The Ingredients:
2-3 slices of bacon
3-4 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small onion, cut into quarters
4 large chicken thighs, skinned
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp instant tapioca 
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 tsp juniper berries
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen peas
2 Tbsp currant jelly

The Process:
Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Drain, crumble and set aside.

Layer the carrots, celery and onions along the bottom of a 3 1/2 to 5 qt crock pot.  Place the chicken pieces on top.  Sprinkle bacon, rosemary, thyme, juniper berries, salt and pepper over the chicken.  In a small bowl, whisk together the wine, broth and tapioca.  Pour over the chicken.  Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and veggies to a serving platter and keep warm.  Add the peas to the crock pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through.  Whisk the jelly into the juices until smooth.  Spoon the resulting sauce over the chicken. 

Sticky Ginger Garlic Chicken Drummies

Need a batch of something simple to serve to a crowd?  My usual standby is a crock pot full of chicken drummies.  I tried an "Asian"  inspired version for a holiday party a mere few weeks before I started blogging.  In fact, I believe that recipe helped spawn my desire to blog my growth as a cook.  I should have sat down that night and typed the recipe up.  I can't seem to find it now...

Ah well.

This recipe is fairly similar.  It hits those same sweet and salty notes, though the chicken is not as fall off the bone tender as the holiday version (I will continue to kick myself until I unbury that recipe!)*

Four marinade ingredients and two cooking options.  The recipe will work equally as well for a variety of other cut of chicken.  The cooking time in the oven may vary for thicker cuts such as breasts or thighs.  And the marinade is easy to scale up or down for any amount of meat.  In the end I believe I made about 6 pounds of meat...roughly 28 drummies.  We'll start with two pounds here...

adapted from CanaryGirl via FakeGinger

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken drumsticks or wings
1/2 cup soy sacue
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-inch knob of ginger, minced

The Process:
Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic together in a large zip top bag.  Massage until the sugar is dissolved and garlic and ginger evenly distributed.  Add the chicken, seal and refrigerate for 6-8 hours, or preferably overnight.

for the oven:
Preheat the oven to 350.  Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a lightly oiled baking dish.  Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 160 and the juices run clear.

in the crock pot:
Dump the contents of the zip top bag, marinade and all, into the crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8.  This version is more likely to fall off the bone...



*It seems I did save the recipe from that holiday party.  Just goes to show how much of a mess my bookmarks currently are.  You can find the original recipe at Gina's Skinny Recipes

Mom's Split Pea Soup with Ham

Growing up, ham usually formed the centerpiece of our Easter brunch or dinner.  A few days later this meant we would be treated to a wonderful split pea soup loaded with smokey and salty bits of ham.  My mom's secret?  The ham bone.  Into the pot it would go with peas, seasonings, and a few extra veggies.  The soup is ridiculously simple.  I suspect I don't make it often only for lack of a ham bone.  Tossing in a handful of cooked meat at the end just isn't the same as letting that hock simmer in the broth for hours on end.

Adapted from childhood memories, with some help from Mom and the BHG cookbook.

serves 6-8

The Ingredients:
1 meaty ham bone, about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs
2 cups split peas
1 onion, finely diced
1 potato, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2-3 carrots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp marjoram
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Place the ham bone in a 4-qt slow cooker.  Add peas, diced vegetables and seasonings.  Pour chicken stock and water over the top.  Cover and cook on the low heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.  Remove the ham bone.  As soon as it is cool enough to handle, remove any meat from the bone and coarsely chop or shred.  Return the meat to the slow cooker.  Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.

The Review:
Isn't it amazing, how one big bowl of soup can whisk you back to everything that was good ans wonderful about childhood?  I love this soup.  I love how simple it is.  I love the sweet bits of carrots, the tender bits of potato, the salty bits of ham and the savory bursts of thyme.  I love the soup even better the next day when it has thickened the the consistency of book paste.  But I am a bit odd like that.  And I am a bit of a bibliophile.  Though I never ate paste as a child...that I can recall.  It brings to mind one of my favorite childhood books...Cloudy with a Chance a Meatballs (don't ask me about the film, I was too horrified to even bother seeing it...)  The image of pea soup fog stuck with me all of these years.

Sorry...tangent.  But most dishes like this seem better the next day.  And nothing is quite the same as generous shreds of ham off of a meaty hock that has been simmering with tender peas for the entire day.

I'm sad it's been devoured already.  I kind of want to buy a ham hock just to have more soup...

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork

Aloha!  We are well in winter's grasp.  The cold bores on the soul, even as the days began to slowly lengthening again.  To combat the winter blues, Ross and I hosted a luau for several friends and co-workers.  The center piece to most Luaus is a succulent pig, wrapped in ti leaf, buried in an underground oven and roasted for several hours.  The ground is far to frozen for us to make our own imu, and ti leaf is hard to come by in Minneapolis, but I was pleased to find both slow cooker and oven roasted versions of this Hawaiian treat.

Adapted from various sources


The Ingredients:
6 lb pork shoulder roast (butt roast)
1  to 1 1/2 Tbsp liquid smoke
1 1/2 Tbsp Hawaiian black (lava) or red (alaea) sea salt


The Process:
Pierce the roast all over with a sharp knife tip.  Rub with salt.  Place in a 6 qt slow cooker and drizzle with liquid smoke.  Cover and cook for 16 to 20 hours, turning once.

To prepare for serving, remove the roast from the slow cooker to a large serving bowl.  Using two forks, shred the meat.  Add enough of the cooking liquid to moisten the meat.

The Review:
For several hours, my entire house smelled like Hilshire Farms L'tle Smokies.  Over time the smell diminished to a meaty aura that permeated the kitchen walls.

Of all of the dishes served at the Luau, this smokey, tender pork was the star.  After 12 hours the meat was already falling apart at the slightest touch.  At 16 it was succulent beyond belief.  The liquid smoke did an amazing job at simulating the smokey flavor of the traditional ipa...though nothing can truly replace that earth smoked taste.

No additional seasoning was needed, though a squirt of sriracha found its way onto a few plates.  Six pounds went a long way...feeding nearly fourteen people in all with a good bit for leftovers.  When the ground thaws we may consider digging a pit in the backyard and hosting a traditional luau.  But in the meantime, this was a wonderful substitute.

Gingered Pork and Pineapple

Another chilly January day and little desire to lift a finger to cook.  Once again our slow cooker comes to the rescue.  After the enormous crown roast we tackled during Christmas, one would think we'd be tired of pork by now.  And to a point we are...you can only reheat leftovers with BBQ sauce, or fry the meat up with chili and onion so many times.  In a departure from BBQ sandwiches and spicy fajitas, may I present gingered pork with pineapple.

This sweet Asian-inspired dish shares similar flavors with the Chinese take-out  favorite: sweet and sour pork.  Only without the soggy  breading were force ourselves to endure when the delivery person finally arrives. 

adapted from BHG's Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

serves 6-8

The Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless pork shoulder
2 Tbsp cooking oil
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 inch fresh ginger, finely minced
1 - 15 oz can pineapple chunks, juice reserved
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2- inch slices
1 large onion, cut into 1 - inch pieces
1 - 8 oz can slice water chestnuts, drained
1 1/2 cups fresh snow pea pods
3 cups hot cooked rice

The Process:
Trim the fat from the pork.  Cut the pork into 1 - inch pieces.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown.  Drain off fat, remove from heat and set aside.

In a 4 qt slow cooker, combine the broth, tapioca, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger and pineapple juice reserved from the can of pineapple chunks.  Add carrots, onion and pork.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Prior to serving, if using the low setting turn up to high.  Stir in pineapple chunks and pea pods.  Cover and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until pea pods are tender-crisp.  Serve over warm rice.

The Review:
This dish was surprisingly reminiscent of La Choy's canned chow mein...in a good way...and without the crispy noodles.  The sauce had a lovely suggestion of sweetness without being cloying.  The pork,  though a tad dry (in a slow cooker...imagine that) practically fell apart.  The carrots offered a soft bite to compliment the snow peas pleasant crunch.  Despite having almost tripled the amount of ginger from the cookbook's original recipe, the zesty flavor was increbily mellow, verging on undetectable.  Though that could be the remnants of my cold limiting my palate.  Despite that, our entire kitchen was perfumed in its spicy aroma though.

I'd imagine this dish would work equally as well with chicken.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

Rounding out our evening of pumpkin and beer...and adding a bit more substance to an otherwise carb-ridden table, was this black bean and pumpkin soup.  I first happened upon the recipe at Saucy and Bossy and had been waiting all fall for an oppertuner time to try it out.  When Ross annouced his next beer would be a pumpkin ale, I knew the soup's moment had come.

I added about twice as much pumpkin as either of the linked recipes used.  My pumpkin of choice was roasted and pureed from a fresh pumpkin...not canned.  But in a pinch either will work.  I also omitted the ham steak and used vegetable broth to make this a vegan/vegetarian friendly dish.

The recipe was also adapted for use in the slow cooker, as to be readily on hand throughout several hours of entertaining.

Adapted from the recipe posted at Saucy and Bossy, but originally from Smitten Kitchen

yields 9 cups

The Ingredients:
3 cans (15.5 oz)  black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cans stewed tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
6 cups vegetable, chicken or beef stock
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sherry, cider or dry white wine
3-4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
additional slat and pepper to taste

The Process:
Combine drained tomatoes and black beans in a food processor.  Blend beans and tomatoes into a course puree

In large skillet, sautee onions, shallot, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in olive oil until onion is beginning to brown and the cumin is fragrant.  Transfer onion mixture to a 6-qt slow cooker.  Stir in bean puree, stock, pumpkin puree and sherry.

Simmer the soup on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours

Just before serving, stir in the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with sour cream and toasted pepitas.

The Review:
I really wanted to like this soup.  I really truly did.  I make several varaiations of black bean soup throughout the colder months and hoped this incarantion would add a welcome diversion from my cumin studded, chili-like line up.

It wasn't as new and exciting as I had hoped.  The dominate flavor was most assuredly the cumin.  I adore cumin, but I can't seem to avoid a black bean soup that relies on this spice.  The pumpkin was present, but in more of supporting role than leading actor.  The textures were good, though a bit smooth for my taste.  The sherry did add a lovely bright finish to the dish, but only when ladled freshly after adding.  Allowed to simmer longer in the crock pot, it's clean bite quickly faded.

More pumpkin, less bean.  Less cumin.  And sorry vegetarians...I think the soup needs the beef stock for that added depth.  And the ham steak for more interest.  Better yet...stock made from a ham shank...now I know what to do with those holiday leftovers.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

Oh for the chance to cook a decent dinner once and again!  Life has become ridiculously busy over the past weeks (as my more faithful follows may have noticed due to the lapse in postings...trust me, it's not for lack of cooking or interest so much as lack of time in front of the computer).  Short of the odd gathering or forced night with company I haven't focused on many entrees of late.  But when I came across this recipe I knew I'd have to make the time.  Though with a crock pot in the mix, I was free most of the afternoon to carry on with my overbooked list of projects, with the satisfaction of knowing a hot dinner would await me in a few hours.

Adapted from Eating Well, March/April 2006

Serves 6

The Ingredients:
6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed of fat
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into spears
1/2 lb white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 large shallots, peeled and halved
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 cup dry white wine
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp white-wine vinegar

The Process:
Layer the chicken, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine, rosemary, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the lid on and cook on low until the potatoes are tender, about 5 hours. Before serving, remove bones from the chicken, if desired, and stir in vinegar.

The Review:
I was amazed at the simplicity and elegance of the dish.  I was wary to layer so much with so little liquid, but as everything cooked down over the 5-6 hours, a wonderful broth emerged.  The sweet potatoes needn't be stirred or submerge to cook fully.  The chicken stayed picturesquely intact but fell from the bone in tender forkfuls.  The broth was cloudy but clean.  A picture perfect dinner with very little effort.

The flavors were light and earthy.  Meaty chicken, savory rosemary, tart and slightly sour broth from the wine and vinegar underscored with an earthiness from the mushrooms.  Despite these being run of the mill white button mushrooms, they lent quite a bit of flavor.  While our mushroom-phobe was able to pick around the slices of fungi, he did complain about the flavor lingering  the dish.

Swedish Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy

One of the challenges of feeding a crowd over the course of several hours is coming up with a hearty finger food that can endure sitting in a warm crock pot without simmering into a mush. These meatballs fit the bill. And the recipe I used was loosely based, providing more of a guide line of ratios and suggestions for seasonings than hard and fast rules and measures. These are my favorite sorts of recipes...

adapted from an article in Mens Health, Dec 2010

makes about 2 dozen meatballs

The Ingredients:
The Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs ground meat (equal parts pork and beef)
2 large eggs
2 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
2 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg

The Gravy:
1/2 lb sliced white or cremini mushrooms
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
In a large bowl combine ground meat, eggs, onion and nutmeg. In a small bowl, soak the torn bread in milk for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess milk and add the bread to the meat. Mix (preferably with clean hands, or a wooden spoon for the squeamish) until well combined.

Form the mixture into 1-inch diameter balls. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meatballs in batches until they are cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove them and prepare the sauce in the skillet.

For the sauce, add the mushrooms to the skillet. Saute until browned, 5 minutes. Stir in the flour. Slowly pour in the beef broth, whisking to prevent lumps. Then stir in heavy cream; simmer until the gravy has thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve the meatballs with the gravy.

My modifications:
I doubled the recipe and kept the meatballs and sauce warmed in a slow cooker for the duration of our house warming and moving party.

The Review:
These meatballs were a huge hit among those who tried them...even the friends who were not fans of fungi. A double batch was way more than was needed. However, the meatballs withstood the fridge well for several future meals, and even froze pretty well.

The basic meatball ratio outlined in the article I referenced was 1 1/2 lbs meat, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup bread crumbs and seasonings of your choice (onion , garlic, ginger, jalepeno, herbs, etc etc to your liking). Bake at 450 for 12 minutes, or pan fry...its an easy enough guide to remember without having to dig out the cookbook or track down a recipe online. Spicy lamb with feta or Asian pork meatballs may be next!

Hearty Fish Chowder

Soups and chowders are often the realm of chilly winter evenings; however, on this lazy, sunny Sunday a hearty slow-cooked dish called out to be made.

The great joy of soups is the ease with which we can modify them to varied tastes. Don't care for the lima beans? Toss in spring peas, shelled edamame or fava beans. Like a little kick? Stir in some tabasco or sriracha. Trying to cut back on carbs? Omit the potatoes. I'd love to hear what veggies and seasonings you'd stir in to make this chowder your own!

adapted from Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes by BHG

serves 6

The Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, finely chopped (2 cups)
1 cup chopped onions (2 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 10 3/4 oz can condensed cream of celery soup
1 - 10 oz package frozen whole kernel corn
1 - 10 oz package frozen baby lima beans
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 lb cod or other whitefish fillets
1 - 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
1/3 cup non-fat milk powder

The Process:
In a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker, combine potatoes, onion, garlic, condensed soup, corn, lima beans, broth, white wine and lemon-pepper seasoning.

Cover; cook on low heat setting for 6-7 hours or on high heat setting for 3-3 1/2 hours. Place fish on the mixture in the cooker. If using low heat setting, turn to heat heat setting. Cover an cook for 1 hour more.

Add undrained tomatoes and the dry milk powder to cooker, stirring gently to break up the fish.

My Modifications:
Cod was not to be had at the market, so white fish was substituted. These fillets added some additional prep time as their skins and fins needed to be removed.

I have a tendency of stocking my pantry with low sodium broths, soups and misc canned goods. As a result I often find myself needed to add salt to taste. I personally prefer this, as an over salted dish is hard to rescue.

And as usual, the produce on the market today seems to be on steroids. One potato yielded the suggested 2 cups. Three quarters of an onion provided the suggested 1 cup. Of course that's not to say you can't go veggie happy and throw more in!

The Review:
This soup certainly was hearty, though not very rich. For some reason I was anticipating a creamier base similar to New England clam chowder, even though nothing in the ingredient list really supports this assumption. This broth remained fairly thin.

The flavor did benefit from the addition of salt, but overall the recipe was fairly bland. This subdued taste did allow the flavor of the fish and the veggies to shine through...but I would have preferred a little extra something. Taking my cues from a traditional bouillabaisse, next time I'll consider adding fennel, thyme, basil, bay leaf, saffron and a bit of orange peel.

But hearty it was. And though bland, it wasn't without its charms.

Saucy Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and sour dishes are a Chinese take out staple for many people, but they never appealed to me. The sauce was a bit too artificially sweet. The neon orange color a little too unnatural. The pineapple a touch too sad. The breading on the chicken limp and soggy after its car ride duration with its saucy companion.

Despite my aversion to the sticky sweet orange sauce, I decided to give this recipe a try. The list of condiments used to make the sauce was such an usual combination; my curiosity got the better of me.

adapted from a recipe by Better Homes and Gardens.

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:

2-1/2 to 3 lb meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks), skinned

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 of a 12-oz can (about 3/4 cup) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

3 Tbsp brown sugar

3 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp vinegar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp cold water

The Process:

Place chicken pieces in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt. In a medium bowl, combine lemonade concentrate, brown sugar, ketchup, and vinegar. Pour over chicken in cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Transfer chicken to a serving platter; cover and keep warm.

For sauce, pour cooking liquid into a medium saucepan. Skim off fat. Combine cornstarch and the cold water; stir into liquid in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with hot cooked rice. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

The Review:
I was incredibly surprised by this recipe. The chicken may have cooked a touch longer than necessary...at nearly 9 hours in the slow cooker the meat was falling off the bones, but also starting to dry out.

It needed the sauce. And this sauce was the perfect accomplice.

Unlike its take-out variety cousin, this version was a much deeper russet color. The sauce had a richer meaty flavor too...due to simmering with the chicken all afternoon. The sweetness and tanginess were still there. Who would have known frozen lemonade concentrate would create such a dish?

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

Nothing seems more fitting for yet another cold snowy day than something that fills the apartment with spicy aromas all afternoon. This slow cooker recipe wasn't quite the "fix it and forget it" varieties I've tried in the past. All the ingredients for the mole sauce were combined and blended before adding to the crock pot, And the cut up chicken pieces need to be removed of their skin before layering in the pot as well. Still for the amount of prep time up front...the pay out nine hours later sounded well worth it.

Adapted from the BHG Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
3 cloves garlic, quartered
2 canned jalapeno peppers, drained
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbsp raisins
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca
2 1/2 to 3 lb broiler-fryer chicken, cut up and skinned
2 Tbsp slivered almonds or pepitas, toasted (optional)

The Process:
For the mole sauce, in a blender or food processor combine undrained tomatoes, onion, the 1/4 cup almonds, garlic, jalapeno peppers, cocoa powder, raisins, sesame seeds, sugar, salt and spices. Cover and blend or process until mixture is a coarse puree.

In a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker place the tapioca. Add the chicken and then sauce. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 11 hours or on high heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours.

Remove the chicken from cooker and arrange on serving platter. Stir sauce; pour over chicken. Sprinkle with remaining almonds or pepitas. Serve with rice.

My Modifications:
I used skinless, bone-in chicken leg quarters. Usually I prefer chicken breasts, but the richer flavor seemed better with the darker meat. Plus it was what I happened to have on hand.

I used a 4 oz can of fire roasted green chilies, drained, instead of the jalapenos. I felt they would add a milder heat, but more depth to the flavor. To kick the heat back up a notch, I in turn added 1 Tbsp ancho chili powder, as well as a few extra cloves of garlic.

In the end, I believe the chicken stewed in the sauce on low for about ten hours. It was falling off the bone when I pulled it out.

The Review:
The meat was dripping off of the bones when I went to pull the chicken out of the slow cooker. The sauce left behind was thick and rich brown in color...and the chocolate smell permeated the entire kitchen. Surprisingly, the chocolate flavor was actually pretty subdued. As was any spice. The was no one distinct flavor in the mole, so much as just a rich, deep, earthy flavor. Ross commented that it was very different than a previous mole I had tried. Still good, but different. Only he couldn't put his finger on what was different. The previous recipe was not for a slow cooker, and it made use of boneless, skinless chicken breast, which yielded drier results. But overall the ingredient list was very much the same. I chalk the difference up to the cooking methods. The first simmered on the stove top for maybe half and hour which seemed to allow the individual ingredients to each shine through. The slow cooker's long cook time blended the sauce in to a deeper harmonious whole and allowed the flavor to penetrate the meat more deeply. And I can't say one is actually better than the other...

Asian Pulled Pork

Every once in a while, our grocery store will have a special on whole pork tenderloin that is just too good to pass up. As a result we occasionally end up with 7-10 pounds of the tasty cut in our freezer, usually parceled into 2-3 pound bundles. It roasts well, put shreds wonderfully after a day in the slow cooker. On a cold January day, a BBQ shredded pork sounded perfect.

I have of late jumped back into phase 1 of South Beach, making most commercial BBQ sauces a no-no for the shear amount of sugar and corn syrup they often contain. After a bit of searching I stumbled upon an interesting Asian pulled pork recipe. So little sugar was in the rub and sauce that is was easy enough to substitute splenda or truvia without sacrificing the taste, especially with so many other flavors in the mix.

I did make quite a few substitutes to the sauce, due to what I did or did not have at home. Below is my version. The original can be found at the Week of Menus blog (I really want to dish this up again someday with Joanne's pickled shallots and pickled jalapeno accompaniments).

The Ingredients:
the meat
2-3 lb pork tenderloin (or shoulder, or butt...)

the rub
2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp ginger powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar substitute
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper

the sauce
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
2 tsp rice wine
1 1/2 tsp sriracha
1 Tbsp sugar substitute
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp nut butter (peanut or cashew works particularly well)
1/2 cup chicken broth
the garnish
scallion, minced
fresh cilantro, chopped

The Process:
In a bowl, combine all of the rub ingredients and mix well. Trim any excess fat from the pork, pat dry and press into the rub, coating all sides. Place the pork in a slow cooker with 1/2 cup of water or broth and cook on low for 7-9 hours.

About a half hour prior to serving, start the sauce. Saute the garlic and ginger in oil for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the rice wine, srircaha, sugar substitute, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and nut butter. Simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and simmer while the pork is prepared.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker. Discard any cooking liquid. Shred the meat with two forks and return to the cooker. Stir in the sauce and set the cooker to warm until ready to serve.
The Review:
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! The meat was tender and juicy without being soggy or overly laden with sauce. One thing I love about Asian fusion recipes such as these is how well all of the flavors meld...salty, sweet, acidic, spicy...

This meat would have made a great sandwich (especially with the aforementioned accompaniments found with the original source). However, as I have cut the carbs for the next two weeks I opted to serve it over a bed of shredded cabbage that had been tossed with sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. The cool crisp cabbage and warm, spicy pork played so well off each other. Those two in tandem would work well wrapped in lettuce leaves (as seems to be the current appetizer trend at many a nicer Asian fusion restaurant), or with báo bǐng...those delicate little Chinese crepes...

There was quite a bit of heat, probably from the srirachi. I loved it. Ross was ambivalent. But the spice-timid could always dial back the cayenne in the rub and serve the sriracha on the side.

Chicken and White Bean Soup

I wanted something hearty and warm, but nothing with the thickness of traditional bean soups. A light clear flavorful broth, tender beans, moist chunks of chicken all flashed in my minds eye...so today I played with the ingredients I had on hand...


The recipe is my own

serves 6

The Ingredients:
1 cup dried white beans
6 cups chicken stock or broth
3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken cut into small chunks (I used breast meat)
2 cups water
3 cups fresh baby spinach, torn
1 Tbsp savory leaves (or a blend of thyme with a touch of sage and mint)
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Rinse the beans and cover with water. Allow to soak overnight in the fridge.

Rinse the beans and layer in a slow cooker with the broth and chicken. Cook in high for 4 hours, of low for 7.

Set the slow cooker to low and add the torn spinach and additional 2 cups of water. Allow to simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The Review:
It was mild, hearty and very filling...almost exactly what I had in mind! While I thought the savory was a great flavor, the bits of leaves were a nuisance to eat. I have the same issue with rosemary though. Perhaps a quick pulse in the spice grinder would take care to the problem. Ross made the unusual comment that the overall flavor reminded him of pizza toppings. But I think he has pizza on the mind.

Be forewarned...any attempt to recreate this will be different from my version as I often make my own stocks from whatever meaty carcass I have to dispose of. This particular stock was either from a chicken or a pheasant. My typical recipe consists of the bones of a roasted bird, a celery stalk, 1/4 onion, sage, thyme and parsley (or poultry seasoning...or bouquet garni...it really depends on my mood, and how I seasoned the original roasted bird) with enough water to cover and left to simmer for 2 hours, minimum.

This soup was made in the slow cooker, but the entire process could be sped up by using canned beans and the stove top.