Special Request: Crock Pot

I have a dear friend who made a special request. Her equally lovely husband bestowed her with a slow cooker for her birthday (her request!) and she needs a few more recipes to add to her que. I was happy to oblige although I’m not sure I’m the ‘expert’ on crockpot cooking.

I do however have a couple of delicious foolproof recipes that I am happy to share.

Really Yummy Shredded Pork (or Chicken) Tacos:

• One 3 pound pork loin or four chicken breasts
• Jar of your favorite green salsa (I like Hernandez)
• 1/2 a yellow onion chopped
•  One can of fire roasted green chilis (could substitute with jalepenos)

Dump all the above ingredients into your crockpot and cook on low for 6+ hours. The pork or chicken will literally shred itself over time. You know the drill from here; warm up your tortillas, get out the black beans, shred some jack cheese and dice up an avocado. You can add a squeeze of lime, some chopped cilantro or a dollop of sour cream if you are so inclined. So easy. So delicious.

Spicy but Incredibly Good Shredded Pork

I adapted this recipe from my friend Glory who picked it up from one of her husband’s family members in Louisiana. She delivered this delicious pork to us during our kitchen remodel along with mashed sweet potatoes, caesar salad and an amazing peach crisp. It was the perfect meal!! In the times I’ve made this recipe we’ve eaten it with everything from a box of rice pilaf and green beans to a tortilla and sliced avocado. Not the most kid friendly recipe, but so good its worth making something else for the kiddos. Anyway…here is the recipe:

• One pork loin (3-5 pounds)
• 1 can of chicken stock
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 small can of marinated jalepenos
• 1/3 cup apricot preserves
• 1 chicken bullion cube
• salt and pepper to taste

Place the pork loin in your crockpot and surround it with the onion and jalapenos. Pour the chicken stock and apricot preserves over the pork. Add the chicken bullion cube (it will dissolve on its own). Salt and pepper to taste. (Don’t go overboard on the salt because the chicken stock and bullion cube are salty). Cook on low all day, at least 6+ hours. As I mentioned before, this is recipe is spicy but has an amazing sweet flavor as well. It is delicious with sweet potatoes, rice or black beans. Eat it by itself or eat it with a tortilla. You can’t go wrong.

Pot Roast

• One roast (3-5 pounds)
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 4-6 potatoes, washed and chopped
• One packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
• One can of low-sodium beef stock

Throw everything in your crockpot (arranging the vegetables around the meat) and let cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. I almost always chop to many veggies and have to make this roast in my big soup pot in my oven. An alternative is to cook your roast in your oven at 300 degrees for 4 to 6 hours. I have to be honest, I don’t use a meat thermometer very often and because of it, I’ve overcooked many many roasts.

Minestrone Soup

• Package of mild turkey sausage, cooked
• 36 ounces of low-sodium chicken broth (you can use half water and half chicken broth, but it tastes better with all broth)
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt (to taste, but this soup needs some it to develop good flavor)
• 1/2 tablespoon pepper
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 can of chick peas
• 1 cup of frozen green beans
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 1.5 cups of dry packaged cheese or pesto tortellini

Can you guess how to make this? Yep, dump it all in your crockpot and turn on low. Cook for 6+ hours, stirring occasionally. The only catch is to NOT put the pasta in until an hour before you plan on serving. The tortellini take a little longer to cook in the crockpot versus on the stove but if you add them to soon, they get soggy and fall apart. When I was first pregnant we ate this soup for about a month straight. It’s hearty, especially with a piece of crusty bread and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, yet is healthy and yummy.