Tag Archives: slow cooker

Lazy Sunday – Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Sunday is a great day for the slow cooker.  Especially a warm day like today when you just NEED to be outside!  Throw your stuff in and it’s ready when you get home!  I served this meal with mashed cauliflower instead of the recommended mashed potatoes to keep it Paleo.  It turned out really yummy!

Cauliflower florets

 

3 lbs. bone-in beef short ribs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup beef broth

4 fresh thyme springs

1 bay  leaf

2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups dry red wine

4 tbsp arrow root

3 tbsp cold water

Salt and pepper to taste

Onions cooking in wineSprinkle ribs with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Brown ribs in batches on all sides; transfer to slow cooker.  Add carrots, broth, thyme, and a bay leaf.

Add onions to the same skillet; cook and stir over medium heat 8 minutes or until tender.  Add garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 more minute.  Stir in wine , bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes until liquid is reduced by half.  Add to slow cooker.  Cook, covered on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove beef and vegetables; keep warm.  Transfer cooking juices to a small sauce pan.  Discard thyme and bay leaf.  Bring juices to a boil.  Mix the arrow root and water until smooth; gradually stir into the pan.  Return to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve ribs and vegetables over mashed cauliflower with gravy.

Slow cooker short ribs

This is a nice hearty meal that is great for a weekend any time of the year!  This recipe is adapted from the Feb/March 2014 issue of Taste of Home magazine.  Happy cooking!

 

Advertisement

Holy Moly this is DELICIOUS – Apple Pork Roast

I don’t eat pork all that often but it tends to do really well in the slow cooker so I’ve been eating it more often.  Since my schedule is unbelievably crazy with my new job, commute, and school I’ve been doing slow cooking a lot more.  This recipe is unbelievably yummy.  I wanted to lick the plate clean after eating!

IMG_18021 tablespoon coconut oil

2 pounds pork loin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

2.5 apples cut into slices

1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice

1 tablespoon maple syrup

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

IMG_1803Turn slow cooker on high while you get ingredients ready.  In a large frying pan, place the coconut oil and allow it to heat.  Place the pork loin in the frying pan and brown on all sides.  Transfer the pork to your slow cooker.  Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper.  Put the apple slices in the slow cooker around the meat.  In a measuring cup, stir together the apple juice, maple syrup and ground ginger.  Pour the mixture over the pork.  Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 10 hours on low.

IMG_1804I couldn’t believe how juicy and tasty this was!  I ate the entire two pounds of meat myself over a week’s time.  This is probably my favorite slow cooker recipe to date!  Happy cooking!

Bok Bok Mafia – Chicken Italiano

I was feeling a little mafioso so I decided to make this recipe adapted from a recipe in the Paleolithic Slowcooker cookbook.  It turned out pretty yummy!

IMG_1779

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced and popped into rings

1 zucchini, sliced

1 1/2 can of tomato sauce

1/4 can tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon raw honey

1 spaghetti squash, baked and pulled into strings

IMG_1780Turn your slow cooker on high while you get your ingredients ready.  Put the coconut oil in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Place the chicken strips, carrots, and zucchini into the slow cooker.  In a bowl, combine the tomato sauce, paste, garlic, pepper flakes, and honey and mix together. Pour over the chicken and vegetables.  Turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for 8 to 9 hours.

IMG_1781I loved the spaghetti squash with this as an alternative to actual noodles.  It tasted awesome too.  This is a good one!  Happy cooking!

 

 

Slow Cooker Monday – Very Berry Good Pork Roast

I’m starting the week off with a slow cooker recipe.  This one is from my favorite slow cooker cookbook Paleolithic Slow Cooker. This is my new favorite slow cooker recipe.  When I opened my front door after getting home from work I almost drooled.  It smelled SO good!  And is tastes just as good as it smells!  Like all of my slow cooker recipes, I made a huge roast and ate off of it all week.

IMG_1741

 

1 4 pound pork roast

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons coarse black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground cloves

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1/3 cup maple syrup – grade B

2 pounds frozen organic mixed berries

IMG_1742

 

Turn your slow cooker on high while you get the ingredients ready.  Place the pork roast in the bottom of the slow cooker and season it with salt and pepper.  Combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, orange zest, and maple syrup and mix together.  Pour over meat.  Pour the frozen berries over the meat and and place the lid on the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 10 hours.

IMG_1743

 

This is truly a delicious meal!  I hope you like it as much as I did.  Happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Tuesday – Hamburger Vegetable Stew

Wow three posts this week! Are you guys excited? This recipe comes from my Paleolithic Slow Cooker ebook but interestingly its not Paleo.  It has green beans in the recipe and Paleo does not allow for any sort of legumes including green beans.  I made it as the recipe stated but if I were truly Paleo the green beans would have to go.

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

2 pounds grass-fed ground beef

2 onions, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped (any color)

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

5 carrots, sliced

4 cups fresh green beans, snapped into bite-sized pieces

2 15 oz cans of tomato sauce

1 quart beef broth

1 tablespoon raw honey

2 teaspoons cumin seed

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

IMG_1736Turn your slow cooker on high while you get your ingredients ready.  In a large frying pan, place the coconut oil and let it get hot.  Place the ground beef into the frying pan and brown completely.  Put the beef into the slow cooker.  Put the onions, celery, bell peppers, and mushrooms into the frying pan and saute for 5 minutes.  Put the sauteed vegetables into the slow cooker.  Put the carrots, green beans, tomato sauce, beef broth, honey, cumin seed, salt and pepper into the slow cooker.  Stir the ingredients together.  Cover the cooker and cook for 7 to 8 hours on low.

IMG_1744This was super easy to make and it makes a lot so I took it for lunch all week.  This is probably one of my favorite slow cooker recipes so far.  Happy cooking!

 

 

Slow Cooker Tuesday – Paleo Chicken Fajitas

So I’m thinking of going paleo.  I haven’t decided yet, I’m reading a book about it.  Once I’m done reading it (which will probably be next year with my schedule) I’ll make a decision.  But in the mean time I’ve been trying more paleo recipes and trying to cut grain, legumes, and dairy from my diet.  I did another slow cooker Sunday because I went to a zumbathon that lasted until late and I wanted dinner to be ready when I got home.  These were a success.  Very yummy!

IMG_1720

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 large onions, sliced and popped into rings

4 bell peppers, sliced into rings

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons cumin

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chili powder

IMG_1721

 

Turn your slow cooker up to high to get it warmed up.  Place the coconut oil in the bottom to melt.  Put the onion and pepper rings on the bottom.  Place the chicken breast pieces in next.  Pour in chicken broth and lime juice.  Mix cumin, salt, and chili powder together in a small bowl.  Sprinkle seasonings over the chicken.  Place the lid on the cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.  When finished pull the chicken apart with tongs and a fork.  Serve on large romaine lettuce leaves with a scoop of paleo guacamole or your favorite fajita toppings.

IMG_1723

Thank you to my Paleolithic Slow Cooker cookbook for this recipe.  It turned out well.  I will try to repost my  paleo guac recipe.  It’s on the old tumblr blog.  Happy cooking!

St. Patrick’s Day Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

It was recently St. Patrick’s Day and I had never made corned beef and cabbage. I had an event to go to during the day so I had the bright idea to do slow-cooker corned beef and cabbage.  Martha Stewart had a recipe that looked fairly simple so I tried it out!

IMG_17162 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces

3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces

1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges (root end left intact)

1/2 pound small potatoes, halved if large

6 sprigs of thyme

1 corned beef brisket (about 3 pounds) plus liquid or spice packet that comes with or 1 tablespoon pickling spices

1/2 head of savoy cabbage, cut into 1 1/2 inch wedges

Grainy mustard, for serving

IMG_1718

In a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker, place celery, carrots, onion, potatoes, and thyme.   Place corned beef, fat side up, on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with picking spice or liquid; add enough water to almost cover the meat (4 to 6 cups).  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours until beef is tender.  Arrange cabbage over corned beef, cover and cook on high until cabbage is tender, about 45 minutes.  Thinly slice corned beef against the grain and serve with the vegetables, cooking liquid, and grainy mustard.

IMG_1719And there’s your easy corned beef and cabbage!  I forgot to serve mine with mustard but when I go home tonight and eat it again I will certainly add that in!  The meat is very salty so I’m sure the mustard will help cut that.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day and happy cooking!

 

 

Slow Cooker Wednesday – Pot Roast with Turnips

This week I made a HUGE pot roast.  I’m going to be eating it for days!  It turned out okay.  I think I made a mistake when I prepped it the night before and put the vinegar in.  I think sitting in vinegar all night made the taste a little strong. Next time I would put the vinegar in right before turning the cooker on for the day.  But it was still good!

IMG_1671

 

2 tablespoons coconut oil

5 pound bottom round and chuck roast

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 onions, diced

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 medium carrots, sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

4 turnips, chopped into cubes

1 cup beef broth

1 cup red wine vinegar

IMG_1672

 

Turn your slow cooker on high while you begin to prepare the dish.  In a large skillet, heat up coconut oil.  Once hot, place the roast into the pan and sear it on all sides (about 2 minutes each side).  Transfer the roast to the slow cooker.  Place all the remaining ingredients into the cooker and place the lid on it.  Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

IMG_1675

 

The meat is so tender on this and the veggies melt in your mouth! Note that I didn’t peel my veggies.  I believe that a lot of minerals and nutrients reside in the skin so I leave it on.  Just make sure to really scrub it clean!  Another super easy week day meal and it’s Paleo!  Happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Wednesday – Granny Butternut Soup

Have you ever been running around in the morning trying to get out the door and in your car on your way to work you realize you forgot to start the slow cooker?  Not with this recipe!  This soup cooks for EIGHTEEN hours!  You can put it on the night before and pretty much forget about it (except for a temperature change in the morning).  It turned out crazy good but very spicy so watch the cayenne if you’re sensitive.

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 large red onions, sliced

6 cups of butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

4 celery stalks, sliced

2 large Granny Smith apples, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

IMG_1659

Turn the slow cooker on high while you get your ingredients ready.  On the stove top, use a large saucepan and melt the coconut oil.  Place the onions, squash, and celery into the pan and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 10-15 minutes.  Transfer veggies to the slow cooker.  Add the chopped apples, chicken broth, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.  Cook on high for 7 to 8 hours and low for 10 hours.

Turn your slow cooker to the warm setting.  Using a blender, puree the soup in batches until it is all the desired consistence (or if you have a stick blender you can use that in the actual slow cooker).  Taste and add seasonings as desired.

IMG_1661

This is definitely different than other butternut soup I’ve made.  It’s very good though and super filling!  Happy cooking!