Cool Tools


I’ve been playing with a bunch of new kitchen tools and wanted to share them with you. PROS– they do exactly what I need them to accomplish. CONS– they really only do one trick each, so it’s annoying to try and store them all in an organized way. But seriously– I love kitchen gadgets! And if it’s something that makes what I do easier?! That’s a total win.

I’ve been particularly interested lately in cool tools that my kids can use, too. I worry that they are so spoiled by home-cooking that I have totally ruined them to someday become functional adults and helpful spouses. Maybe that’s a little extreme, but I want them to appreciate and enjoy what I cook for them and also be able to cook for themselves.

So here is a short list and some links for my favorite new purchases:

Pro-Apple Peeler. This gadget suctions to your countertop and easily swirls around pretty much any size apple. I’ve even used it for redskin potatoes! My kids can set it up and use it, no problem. They are funny– one kid likes apple skins and then other likes peeled apples– this machine deserves applause in our house.

 

The Hands-Free Baggie-Rack is pure genius. I don’t know about you, but I do most of my cooking by myself. When I want to bag up ingredients, especially soups, it is so hard! I like to freeze broth-based soups in plastic bags because I can fill the bag and lay it flat in the freezer; when they are frozen solid, I can stand them up like books on a bookshelf. I also use this when I make hard-boiled eggs. I like to peel all the eggs at once and then store them in a bag instead of a plastic container.

 

I use my Immersion Hand Blender at least a couple times a week. We use it for smoothies, creamy soups, mashed potatoes, pancakes and just about anything else that needs to be smooth. It is so much less cleanup than using a full blender or stand-up mixer. I want less fuss and more doing with pretty much anything I am using. Don’t you?!

 


I’ve posted a couple recipes recently that suggest using a rack, or trivet, in the crock pot to keep the meat elevated from the liquid. I used in my Crock Pot Pork and Prunes and I also use it when I roast a whole chicken!

 

Sometimes I like to read cookbooks for inspiration or to learn a new approach about putting foods together, so I have two recommendations for you. They are COMPLETE OPPOSITES, but both worthy reads.

I have been reading Thug Kitchen: Eat Like You Give a F*ck and literally cracking up laughing out loud. It is crass and mouthy and absolutely real life. The entire cookbook is meat-free (not my typical style) because they want to motivate cleaner eating and while you may be asking “hold the f*ck up, where the meat?” they assume that “the last thing anybody needs in another book coming out telling you how to cook meat. Clearly you got that sh*t on lock”.  This book is entertainment and amazing recipes and here’s the kicker– it teaches you HOW to cook, not just giving instructions and ingredients. You’ll find yourself not only reading it for fun, but learning that “eating real, healthy food” doesn’t need to be “a big f*cking deal”.

I’ve also been learning how to Eat Happy. This book is the recipe for a healthy life. It doesn’t have the glossy pictures that you might anticipate in a cookbook, but has great explanations and education about what we should eat and why. It does have a great section of 50+ recipes with new ideas like buckwheat crepes (yum!) and bison meatloaf.  The lessons in this book are helpful– I feel empowered to move away from any processed foods and pick foods based on their benefits, not just their taste.  As the author states, “unfortunately for your health, the actions that are best for corporate profitability are all too often the worst for your health”. I want to focus on keeping me, as in MY BODY, in business– it’s the best investment I can make.

 

So there you go– a few of my favorite things that I’ve added to my kitchen. I’m learning more and more everyday about what works, what doesn’t, and what helps me in the kitchen. Eating well and feeding others should be about food that tastes good, is good for you, and doesn’t destroy your kitchen in the process of making it! Get a few cool tools and get organized. Let’s go!

 




Check out the new features!


og:imageHi fans! Have you noticed that I’ve been making some changes to Dinner Is A Crock? First of all– check out that logo! That’s me! We are officially introduced now and I’m glad we are friends.

The website has received a much needed face lift and is now mobile compatible. I don’t know about you, but I love how much easier it is to read the recipes straight from my phone when I’m cooking in the kitchen. I mean, come on… who has the counter space for a laptop or wants to keep running back and forth to a desktop?! It was time to update and upgrade and I’m grateful to www.mkreative.com for the help on this massive project!

Also, Dinner Is A Crock is joining in the fun on social media! You’ve probably already found it on Facebook, but you can now follow Dinner Is A Crock on Instagram and Pinterest! When you make your favorite recipes, please use #dinnerisacrock and let us all see your kitchen successes!

And here’s the best news of all… I’m devoted to you. Totally. I’ve decided to leave my job and focus on my food blog and community of crock pot fanatics! I’m so excited to take this LEAP! I hope this means that we can start interacting a little more– tell me what you want me to cook, what recipes you’d like to see, and of course– your successes and flops. Because, life happens to all of us so let’s work through it together.

You can email me at dinnerisacrock@gmail.com or post to the Facebook page at any time! I’ll get back to you as quick as I can… probably 3-4 hours if I’m running on high or 7-8 hours if I’m feeling low.  🙂

 

 




Crock Pot Chicken and Artichokes


This easy and delicious dish can be made with just a few items from your pantry!

This easy and delicious dish can be made with just a few items from your pantry!

Happy Valentine’s Day, crock pot lovers! I hope you’ve enjoyed the day and if you care nothing about this Hallmark holiday, I hope you had a fabulous Saturday.

I thawed out some chicken a couple days ago and didn’t decide what to do with it until today. I wanted something easy that even the kids would eat, and didn’t want to go to the store to get any supplies.

One of my favorite pantry items that I always keep stocked is a small jar of artichoke hearts in a marinade. They are great on fresh salads, complement tomato-based sauces on pasta, or create a delectable antipasto plate when you need a quick appetizer. The dressing is also a fabulous sauce.

I also had a basket of fresh cherry tomatoes from a local farm that I needed to use before they went soft. Even in North Carolina, it’s cold at this time of year, but I love that I can get fresh tomatoes that were greenhouse grown.

With a few basic ingredients you really can put together a delicious dinner without needing a trip to the grocery store.  Happy Love Day!

5-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 pint cherry tomatoes

6 oz jar of artichoke hearts in marinade (DO NOT DRAIN!)

3 cloves garlic

1/2 sweet onion, sliced

Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours. Serve alone as an entrée or over pasta or rice.

 




Crock pot chicken and rice soup


Crockpot chicken and rice soup

‘Tis the season for festive holiday celebrations and impromptu trips to schools to pick up sick children. Let’s be honest, this time of year seems to be more “flu-ish” than Jewish for us!

Good thing I had some premade broth in my freezer. You can use boxed soup broth for the recipe, just eliminate the salt edition.

My mom always put a whole tomato in chicken broth-based soup’s to add a hearty flavor with a little sweetness.

Here’s to a healthy and happy rest of December!

8 cups chicken broth

1 cup uncooked white rice

4 carrots, peeled and diced

3 parsnips, peeled and diced

4 stocks of celery, diced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 whole tomato with fork holes poked in it

 

Put all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours  or until rice and veggies soft.

 

 




Black Friday


BLACK FRIDAY- The best savings on time are using your crockpot instead of your stoimageve!

While many of you fans were out before the sun this morning, shopping for great deals on holiday gifts and personal favorites, I hope you also started your crockpot before you left for the mall so that you had a hot, festive and delicious meal upon your return home.

Cyber Monday is also a great time to shop for that new crockpot online and get a gift for yourself!

I had a special gift arrive in the mail today. I ordered a few extra copies of Chile Pepper magazine which featured Dinner Is A Crock in their one pot wonder issue this December. if you haven’t already, pick up a copy online, in stores or digitally. While I love the feature of my blog, there are some wonderful recipes from other cooks featured as well.

 

 




We are Famous!


image

We are famous! Or at least my kids think. My oldest son asked me if I get to meet Guy Fieri. My youngest son told me I should start charging friends when they come over for dinner.

I am thrilled to tell you that Chile Pepper Magazine will be featuring Dinner Is A Crock in this month’s issue! You can find a print copy or digital copy online from www.chilepepper.com.

Welcome to my new fans! Please peruse the recipe index and pick a few new recipes to try. My go-to favorites include crockpot vegetarian lasagna and my monthly do of crockpot caramelized onions.

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, start thinking about what dishes you can cook in your crockpot and free up space in your oven for that bird! Try crockpot green bean casserole or crockpot spicy apple sauce as fabulous new side dishes.

New recipes coming soon! Stay tuned!




Crock Pot Cowpea Soup


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 African recipes and provide excellent protein in many soups and rice dishes. These “beans” are also used in a lot of southern recipes in the USA. I even found a great recipe online for chow chow salsa that included canned black-eyed peas, but would be awesome with fresh cowpeas instead.

I thought that split pea soup sounded great to make this week– fresh cowpeas are readily available at my local farmers market right now and if I make it now and freeze it, it will make a great meal later this fall when the weather cools off a bit. I decided not to go the traditional route and cook the soup with a ham hock, but to keep it vegetarian instead. If you’d like to, you can add diced cooked ham or turkey sausage after you puree the soup and then heat it for an additional hour to warm the meat. Either way, the soup is filling and satisfying and an easy meal when served with a crusty bread.

Kudos to you for trying something new. Cowpeas are a nice variation, especially if your family already likes peas and beans. Plus, if you can get them fresh, it’s fun to pull the string and unleash the pea from the cow. Enjoy!

2 c. fresh cowpeas

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 parsnips, peeled and chopped

3 c. water

1 t. salt

1 t. black pepper

1 T. fresh parsley, chopped

Put all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours. Using a hand blender, puree soup in the crock pot. If desired, add 1/2 lb. diced cooked ham or turkey sausage to the pot and heat for one additional hour on low.




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

4 T. parsley flakes

2 T. oregano flakes

1 T. red pepper flakes

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. black pepper

Combine all seasonings, liquids and the juice of two lemons in a bowl and mix well. Put meat in a sealable bag and pour marinade on top of meat. Mush around and then let it sit for 4-24 hours in the refrigerator. When ready to start cooking, dump meat and marinade into crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.




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.