Crock Pot Chicken, Gravy and Stuffing

Oh, comfort food. You've gotta love it! There are just times you want to put something yummy and familiar in your mouth. Yes, that sounds all sorts of naughty, but when you eat comfort food, don't you kind of feel that way? Naughty! You know this isn't the healthiest thing to do, but when you want it you want it.

I was looking for an easy crockpot recipe for Sunday. We are having brunch and I knew I wouldn't want to cook later in the day. I knew a crockpot meal was the key to us having dinner that night and having lunches for the week. Since we are going back on Weight Watchers I thought we could just splurge and have this meal one last time.

This is a super easy recipe. Honestly, just mix up the soups and the milk and throw it over the chicken and cheese. On top for that throw in the stuffin mix and chicken broth. Now, I pretended to make this more figure friendly by using low-fat soups and low-fat cheese. In my mind that worked and it tasted great, but it was kind of like ordering a burrito supreme with extra cheese and a diet coke.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• salt
• pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4-6 slices swiss cheese
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing
• 1/2 cup butter, Melted

Instructions

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place chicken breasts in crock pot. Pour Chicken broth over breasts.
2. Put one slice of Swiss cheese on each breast. Combine both cans of soup and milk.
3. Cover chicken breasts with soup mixture. Sprinkle stuffing mix over all.
4. Drizzle melted butter on top.
5. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3.

Garlic Beef Enchiladas

¡Hola amigos! Today is Cinco de Mayo! Growing up in Southern California this was a big day for us. I remember doing the Mexican Hat Dance every May and always having to dance with Graciela Rodriquez because she was really tall and would beat me up if I didn't. (In all honestly, I really wanted to dance with Abel Garcia, but that wasn't an option in 5th grade.)

Along with the dancing we always had the most amazing Mexican food. One of my favorites is enchiladas. This recipe is my tried and true favorite. Now, take note! This is no quick and easy meal. Enchiladas take a long time to make, but for me, this recipe is worth it.

The recipe originally calls for flour tortillas, which are easier and more figure friendly. However, I use corn tortillas, which I lightly fry to make them softer. It takes more time, but the result is outstanding. In any case, enchiladas will never be figure friendly and if you spend that much time making something why not just go for it! Cut your serving size back and you will be just fine.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

Sauce

• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash garlic powder
• 10 large flour tortillas (or twelve lightly fried corn tortillas)
• 2 (8 ounce) cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese

Instructions

1. In saucepan, cook beef or turkey and onion until browned; drain. Add flour and seasonings.
2. Mix well.
3. Stir in tomatoes and bring to boil.
4. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
5. In another saucepan, saute garlic in butter.
6. Stir in flour until blended.
7. Gradually stir in broth and bring to boil.
8. Cook and stir for 2 minutes until bubbly.
9. Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings and heat through.
10. Pour 1 1/2 cup sauce in 13x9 inch pan.
11. Spread about 1/4 cup beef mixture down center of tortilla and top with 1-2 Tbsp cheese.
12. Roll up tightly and place seam side-down over sauce in pan.
13. Repeat with remaining tortillas and top all with remaining sauce.
14. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
15. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes until cheese melts.

8 - 10 servings

Roast Loin of Pork with Baked Apples and Cider Gravy

This is the first Tyler's Ultimate meal I ever made. OMG, it really was the ultimate. I have made it twice once with no bones and once with bones. I have to say I prefer it with no bones. I know they say bones make the meat more tender, but as you know, Joey and I eat our leftovers at lunch and to me the bones are a pain in the bootie. I didn't think it was much more tender, either. On top of that, we paid a lot more to have our butcher custom cut the bone-in cuts for us. Just get a Pork loin and follow the directions. I ensure you this will but one ultimate meal for you! On the apple front, one thing I have noticed is that a lot of Food Network people tell you to get your corn muffins at the store. Okay, what store? I have yet to see a corn muffin on sale anywhere in San Francisco! I bought me some Jiffy and made the bread on my own.

Make sure you really hollow out the apples and, I will say, you are going to need an entire tin. You want to make sure you really hollow out the apples to make them uber-delicious!

Ingredients

Pork:

• 2 (5 pound) pork loin roasts, rib bones attached, back bone (chine) removed
• Small bunch sage, leaves chopped
• Small bunch thyme, leaves chopped
• 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle hard cider
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 lemon, juiced optional

Apples:

• 8 Gala or Golden Delicious apples
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 or 2 large corn muffins crumbled (1/2 cup), reserve some for sprinkling on apples
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 6 sage leaves, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup hard cider
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the pork roast in a roasting pan with the ribs facing up, braced against each other. Add sage and thyme to olive oil. Brush the pork roasts with oil mixture and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast the pork loin for 2 1/2 hours, until the skin is crackled. (Put the apples in the oven along with the pork roast in the last half hour of cooking.)

Remove the pork roast to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. Pour out some of the excess fat from the roasting pan and put it on the stove over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the flour into the hot pan juices, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps. Cook and stir the roux until its light brown. Add the cider and continue to stir to incorporate. Pour in the chicken broth; boil and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce is thick. Check for seasoning - add lemon juice if necessary. Serve the cider gravy with the pork roast and baked apples.

To make the buttered apples: Core the apples with an apple corer, making a good size cavity to hold the stuffing. Douse the cut sides of the apples with some of the lemon juice to prevent them from browning while you make the stuffing. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, muffin crumbs, raisins, sage, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Spoon the stuffing into the cavities of the cored apples; stand them up, side by side, in a baking dish and sprinkle the tops with the reserved muffin crumbs. Pour the cider around the apples and bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 375 degrees F, until soft when pierced with a knife. Place the warm apples in the center of a round serving dish. Spoon the cider sauce around the apples and serve with the pork loin.

This goes with Braised Cabbage. The best cabbage EVER!

Serves 8

Three Bean and Pork Slow Cooker Chili

I got a new crockpot!!!! I love it! Karolyn got it for me for my birthday. I will write a review on it next week. This is my first meal using it.

This Weight Watchers recipe is quick, easy and simply delicious. When you need a no-fuss, throw-it-in-the-pot meal, this is the one to go to. It makes a ton, by the way, but freezes well.

I make this just as directed, except I really have to thicken it before I serve it. My thickening agent of choice is cornstarch. I actually had to use a lot last time. About 4 Tablespoons mixed with about 1/2 cup of cold water. When using corn starch makes sure to always mix it with cold water before you add it. Make sure the chili (or whatever you are adding the cornstarch to) is bubbling to activate the corn starch.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion(s), chopped
• 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 1 cup carrot(s), chopped
• 1 Tbsp chili powder, medium-hot
• 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper(s), seeded, chopped or 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped (do not touch seeds with bare hands)
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 pound lean pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup canned tomato puree
• 29 oz canned diced tomatoes, with green pepper, celery and onion, undrained
• 6 oz canned tomato paste

Instructions

Combine onion, garlic, carrots, chili powder, oregano, chilies, salt and pepper in a 5-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Stir. Add remaining ingredients. Stir again.

Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 6 to 8 hours. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Note: Start the chili at a HIGH setting so the ingredients quickly reach a safe temperature. You can reduce the heat to LOW after 3 to 4 hours, if you prefer.

Serves 10

Points Value: 5

Pan-Roasted Soy-Lacquered Salmon

I am so sorry that I haven't posted for awhile! I had a birthday, then came tax time - BUSY!!!!! Not to worry we are back and back with a bang!

Joey and I love salmon. Not only is it delicious, but it's so good for you. Tyler Florence is one of our favorite chef's of all time. This is from his show Food 911. This recipe goes along with Cold Sesame Noodles and Spicy Pickled Cucumber which will follow tomorrow and Monday.

I make this recipe just as stated. Make sure you have the time to marinate the meat. I usually do so for 2 hours. Also, you are going to need a skillet that can go into the oven. I have my handy cast-iron skillet for just this kind of thing. This is truly one of our favorite salmon recipes, so enjoy!!!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sake
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1 tablespoon light miso
• 1 head garlic, halved
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled, halved, and smashed
• 4 sprigs fresh cilantro
• 4 (6 to 8-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

In a bowl large enough to accommodate the salmon, mix the sake, soy sauce, mirin, and miso until the miso has dissolved. Add the garlic, ginger, cilantro, and salmon fillets. Cover and marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 2
hours in the refrigerator.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the oil in an ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the salmon skin side down. Put the pan into the oven and roast until the salmon is cooked medium-rare, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves and lime wedges.

Serves 4 - 6

Sweet and Sour Braised Brisket

Sometimes what looks good on the Food Network and on paper does not come out the way you had hoped. That was the case with this recipe. It looked so delicious when I saw Dave Lieberman make it, but I was very disappointed with the end result.

I diligently got up super early on Sunday morning to get this thing in the oven. 6:30!!!! That's a challenge on week days, let alone Sunday! Anyway, I followed the instructions - browned the beef, sauted the vegetables. It smelled delicious! When I pulled it out of the oven, though, I was so sad. After 10 hours the liquid had actually increased and the meat was not all that tender. I was going to write this recipe off until last night.

I came home and Joey had our leftovers all plated up and ready to go for dinner. I was amazed at how delicious this dish had become! The meat was flavorful and tender. YUMMO! As Rachel would say.

If I were to make this again, I think I would do it in the crock pot rather than the oven. I would also decrease the liquid a bit. I don't know if I love beef brisket, but this really did make some great leftovers and, to us, that is just as important as the first time we have something.

Ingredients

• 1 (6-pound) brisket, upper portion
• Salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Few stalks celery, cut into big chunks
• 3 medium onions, peeled and cut into eights
• Cloves from 1 head garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
• 26-ounce box strained tomatoes (recommended: Pomi)
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Rub brisket generously with salt and vegetable oil.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil to evenly coat pan and when the oil is hot and is just beginning to smoke, add the brisket and brown on both sides. Transfer the brisket to a shallow baking dish. Add the vegetables to the saute pan. Cook until they brown and start to soften, about 5 minutes. Then pour the vegetables over the brisket.

Whisk together the tomatoes, sugar, stock and vinegar in a mixing bowl then pour it into the same saute pan. Cook for a few minutes to get all the flavor out of the skillet, and then pour over the brisket. It should be at least 3/4 of the way submersed in the liquid. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 8 to 10 hours until tender and the meat begins to fall apart. Slice thinly and serve with veggies and cooking liquid.

Serves 8 - 10

Beef Stuffed Cabbage

YAY! My first blog posting!!! This weekend promises to be full o' cooking as next weekend is my birthday and I will probably be busy with that.

This is one of our favorite one-pot recipes. (Not to be confused with Crock Pot!) It's a bit time consuming to stuff the cabbage, but the end result is oh-so yummy. We usually double the recipe so that we have lots of lunches for the following week.

This recipe comes from the Weight Watchers site. For those of you interested it's only 6 points!

Ingredients

• 1/3 head savoy cabbage, about 8 whole leaves
• 1/2 pound uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
• 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 medium carrot(s), peeled and grated
• 1 medium onion(s), finely chopped
• 1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 1 large egg white(s)
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 29 oz canned diced tomatoes, with basil, garlic and oregano

Instructions

Wrap cabbage leaves in plastic wrap or moist paper towels and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes, until soft. Cut off the thickest, white portion of the spine of each leaf to make leaves pliable and easy to fold; set aside.

Combine beef, rice, water, bread crumbs, carrot, onion, garlic, egg white, salt and pepper in a large bowl; mix well.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of beef mixture onto center of each leaf. Fold up bottom of leaf to cover filling, tuck in sides and then continue rolling to make loose rolls (rice will expand during cooking so it is important not to roll them too tightly).

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat; add rolls and sauté until golden brown on all sides, turning frequently, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until cooked through, checking pot every 15 minutes and stirring to prevent sticking, about 1 hour. (If sauce thickens or reduces, add water.) Yields 2 rolls per serving.