Crock Pot Cowpea Soup
Filed under: Dinner, Recipes, Side dishes, Uncategorized, vegetarian
Most of you probably just read the title of this recipe and giggled. Yes, cowpea sounds a lot like cow pie. In fact, cow pee makes it seem even more funny. So if you haven’t heard of a cowpea before, let me tell you a little about it. But seriously, you can stop giggling now. Cowpeas are meaty little legumes that come in long pods. Once you pull the string off, you’ll see the tightly packed peas pop out of the pod. They are sometimes classified as a black-eyed pea, but you can also get purple-eyed ones, they can be green, white or dark in color and they are hearty little nuggets to cook.
When you can get them fresh, you are good to go once they are out of the pod. If you get them dried, then you need to soak them in water overnight for about 8 hours and then rinse them a few times before you throw them in the pot.
Cowpeas are common in a lot of Read more
Crock Pot Chimichurri Steak
The word “chimichurri” might make you think of that silly little ditty from Mary Poppin’s chimney sweep friend, but I assure you, there is nothing dirty or British about this recipe (not that the two are synonymous!). I think of chimichurri sauce as an Argentinian version of pesto, but with parsley instead of basil. I love it as a marinade, but it can also be used as a garnish or a dipping sauce for pretty much any meat. I challenge you to try this on as many grilled meats as possible this summer and to find any single one that it doesn’t complement.
But since I don’t feel like firing up the grill and cinging my eyebrows, I’m going to cook my beef in the crock pot. Chimichurri is often served with steak, so I am using a flank steak and I sliced it into half inch sections before cooking it. I think this will help really get all the flavors into the steak. I marinated the meat overnight in the refrigerator, but that isn’t necessary. I would recommend marinating it for at least four hours, just to give it enough time to fester.
I don’t have enough fresh produce on hand to make this with the real ingredients, but if you do— use 1 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley and some fresh oregano, too. I assure you this will taste good with the dried stuff, but even more amazing with fresh herbs.
I’m serving my chimichurri steak with some steamed veggies (at least I know my kids will eat those things!), but you can also try roasting some potatoes with the meat or serving it on a nice bed of salad. Enjoy!
Meat: 2 lbs. beef (flank steak, skirt steak, London Broil, flat iron steak…. if you don’t love beef, use chicken)
Chimichurri sauce:
1/2 c. white wine
1/3. c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 lemons
3-4 cloves garlic, minced Read more
Crock Pot Apple Sauce
Applesauce is awesomeness. I don’t ever remember hearing children’s song lyrics that explained this or country songs about missing it, but I’m pretty sure we can all agree that it is comforting and simple, sometimes sweet and sometimes tart and when you up or down, it just brings you back. This is a staple food for most kids and even adults. Applesauce only takes a minimal number of ingredients and is something that everyone from age three to 1-oh-3 will eat. I add a few extra ingredients to mine because I like to eat it warm and I think this combination makes it a little more scrumptious. So make yourself a pot this weekend and hum a little ditty about it being good to the core.
3 lbs golden delicious apples (10-12 apples=cored, peeled and sliced)
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 T. instant tapioca
1/4 t. black pepper
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. raisins (optional)
Put apples in the crock pot first. Mix together all dry ingredients and sprinkle on top of apples, then add water and vanilla and mix to turn everything a few times. Cook on low for 6 hours. If you prefer smooth instead of chunky applesauce, then use an immersion hand blender to puree apples to desired consistency. Add raisins during last hour, after pureeing. Serve warm or cold.
Crock Pot Tzimmes
My family loves to try new foods and experience new cultures. This time of year gives us plenty of opportunities to gather with friends and family for holidays and to celebrate spring. This crock pot dish, pronounces “tseh-miss”, is an eastern European side dish usually served at Jewish holiday meals, such as Passover, which begins tonight. Tzimmes has naturally sweet components, so you don’t have to add much to make it really flavorful. As with most holidays, if you cook a whole feast, your dishes are fighting for room in the oven and you have to coordinate timing on everything. My suggestion– do this special dish in the crock pot instead for similar results, but less stress as you’re coordinating your meal.
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 c. baby carrots
3 or 4 parsnips, peeled and diced
2-3 cups dried fruit (I like apricots and prunes)
2 c. orange juice
4 T. honey
1/4 brown sugar, not packed
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
Place all fruits and veggies into crock pot and stir together. Sprinkle the brown sugar and all seasonings into the pot and then pour the orange juice over mixture in crock pot and stir just a little so that juice runs through everything. Drizzle the honey on top of everything as the last step before covering with the lid. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Crock pot broth
Last night I cooked an entire crock pot of food with no intention of eating it anytime this week. This is the beauty of the crock pot! I know that next week I want to make a big batch of chicken soup. But, I don’t want it to be a day long project, I need it to be an easy meal.
So last night, I crock potted four boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 c. baby carrots, half an onion, 1 T. parsley and a little salt and pepper. I set it on high for 4 hours. When it was done, all the broth went into plastic containers for the freezer and the chicken and carrots are in the refrigerator for lunches today. Voila– when I want to make my soup, I simply put the brick of frozen chicken broth into a pot and let it simmer back to soup. Then I can add noodles or rice or more vegetables and have my meal done in a matter of minutes.
Homemade chicken broth is a healthier alternative to using boxed broths or bouillion. Store-bought bases are much higher in sodium and usually have that weird yellow tinge. This easy recipe means that my soup will taste flavorful and look authentic.
You can do this recipe with Read more
Crock Pot Drunk and Cheesy Sausages
There is something special about the first time we take the cover off the grill, fill the tank of gas and scrub off all the crisps from last season’s leftovers still charred to the grill. But while we might be eager to welcome warmer weather, there are lots of great ways to enjoy grillable meats without having to unearth your outdoor kitchen. If you are still buried in snow or are out of gas for the grill, this recipe is a good way to try your brats in a new way.
When you pick your beer, think about the flavors and aftertaste that you get when you drink it. A heavy and bitter dark beer may taste smooth when cold, but it may become a little too intense when it cooks and evaporates. A light easy beer that reminds you of cheap nights in college isn’t going to add much to your meat. I suggest trying an amber, a red or a seasonal beer. It doesn’t make much of a difference if you use a can or a bottle, just as long as it isn’t flat when you pour it in. There is something very unique about the effervescing smell of carbination bubbles soaking into freshly sliced onions and fresh sausages that just makes me think of summer BBQs, outdoor concerts and sitting in the stands at baseball games. Are you with me? Then “go team go” and enjoy your drunk and cheesy sausages!
6 italian sausages (hot, mild or sweet mild)
6 oz beer
1/2 onion, sliced
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (at least)
Lay sausages flat in the crockpot and lay thinly sliced onions on top. Pour half a beer onto the meat and if it’s after noon o’clock, drink the other half! Cook on high for 4 hours. Put one sausage and some onions on a bun and then sprinkle with lots of shredded cheese. Feel free to decorate your drunk and cheesy sausage with any variety of condiments.
(if you want more specific details– I made this yesterday with hot italian chicken sausages, Amstel Light beer and shredded mild cheddar up on top with a squirt of yellow mustard) :)
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Buying a new crock pot
I remember when I bought my first crock pot
But what now? It’s been years since I’ve been married, I’ve got months until my next birthday and let’s face it, December is a looong way away. I need to buy one for myself. So last night, I sat down with my computer and went shopping. I read reviews, I priced things out, I compared chain stores vs. internet sales. I even checked out craigslist and a variety of other web sites to see if I could buy one that was already loved and enjoyed.
Before I tell you which one I bought (no endorsements here or paid advertising, I’ll just tell you since you’re curious), I’d like to walk you through my process. You might find yourself in Read more
Crock Pot Roasted Chicken (and curried chicken salad)
It’s Friday! I work hard all week waiting for today. Tonight we get to start our weekend. I can’t think of a better way to welcome the weekly 2-day vacation than to have a family meal together at home. To make it more special, we are having guests this evening as well. Ok crock pot, it’s time to do your thing and make dinner tonight taste like it was hard to make (but really it’s only noon o’clock and it’s already done).
The most challenging part of this recipe is making sure that your meat will fit in the crock pot. If you have a round and more vertical design of a crock pot, you might have to use a cornish hen instead of a chicken if you want it to fit! This recipe really works best in a 5-6 qt. crockpot that is oval shaped. I just thought you should know this before you start trying to shove everything in and then being disappointed when it doesn’t fit. (check out my next post about buying a new crock pot!)
If you have leftover chicken after tonight, I’d recommend making curried chicken salad tomorrow. Add a stalk of fresh, chopped celery (not a cooked one from the pot), add a small can of diced water chestnuts, 1/2 c. quartered red grapes and then enough mayo to make it a good consistency. Then, add curry powder, a little salt and pepper— I can’t tell you how much because I don’t know how much chicken you have left, but remember that curry powder becomes more potent after it gets a chance to fester. Make this salad up and then put it in the fridge for a couple hours– when it turns a darker copper color (from the curry), it’s ready to eat!
Well there you go, I guess it’s a two recipe day. You have one for today and one for tomorrow!
Now for to the roasted chicken recipe:
1 3-4 lb. fresh chicken, thawed, rinsed and patted dry
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped Read more
Crock Pot Purple Oatmeal
This oatmeal is an easy way to invite your senses to wake up and start the day. I love the surprise of removing the crock pot lid and seeing a beautiful bright purple, smelling the sweet steam and seeing the little bubbles around the edges on this thick and smooth oatmeal.
This would be a great holiday dish, easy to serve to overnight guests and would even be great for a morning meeting at work. Seriously, they make portable crock pots for a reason! Enjoy this sweet treat for breakfast tomorrow. If you spend the rest of the day humming “Purple Rain” or singing “Flying Purple People Eater” to your kids, you can thank me later.
2 c. quick oats
2. c. water
1 c. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 can cherry pie filling
1 c. frozen blueberries
Put everything in the crockpot, stir gently and cook on “keep warm” for 8 hours over night. When you mix this in the morning, stir gently so you don’t make the blueberries fall apart— they will be juicy and ready to explode.
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