Crockpot Kalua Pig

When my oldest daughter turned 2 we decided to throw her a luau to celebrate.  I am a planner, so I started months before trying to figure out just what to do for it.  During that time we attended a baby blessing (like a christening) for some dear friends of ours.  He is from Maui and she's from California.  So, needless to say there was a lot of really great food afterward.  Kalua Pig being one of them.  I knew that it would be the perfect meal for the birthday party... Easy and inexpensive to feed a crowd. 

Since that day, it has become a family favorite!  It freezes well too, so you can make a large roast and freeze portions for later.  Gives you the taste of Hawaii, without having to dig a pit and buy a whole pig.  Perfect  blend of salty and smoky on top of nutty brown rice, not much to look at but unbelievable flavor!

Kalua Pig

1 5-6 lb pork roast (bone in is best, adds flavor, but pork loin roast works too)
3 tbsp liquid smoke
Course sea salt
Water

Place the pork roast in the crockpot, coat generously with salt (I mean very generously).  Pour in the liquid smoke, and add enough water to just about cover the pork roast, leaving about 1/4 uncovered at the top.  Cook it on low for 10-12 hours.  Check on the meat after about 5 hours of cooking, it may need more salt, add the salt to the water, not directly to the roast.  Continue cooking and shred the meat, serve over rice.

Crockpot Tamales - Guest Poster Michele from Sweet Luvin' in the Kitchen

I'm so excited to introduce my friend Michele from Sweet Luvin' in the Kitchen.  After moving to our current home it was so nice to find out that one of my neighbors has the same interests as I do, and even better that we've become such great friends.  We are currently growing a garden together and couldn't be more excited!  I know you all are going to love her food just as much as we do!
WOW! They worked. Let me back up. I think I had my first tamale months ago when I went out on a limb and got one at my favorite restaurant. Since then I get them every time we go there. I love them. I kept craving tamales and really wanted to make them at home but I knew you had to have a large pot and a steamer, which I didn't have. In my search for a tamale recipe I came across The Crockpot Lady who had made them in the crockpot with success. My search ended and it was only a matter of time before I could make them. I originally wanted to make them for Cinco de Mayo but we were still unpacking from our move so I decided to have a little Mexican party for my birthday last weekend and made them. We invited guests and the party was great. I served the tamales, with my Spanish rice, black beans a little pico de gallo and some virgin pina coladas. For dessert I made Chocolate Chipotle Cupcakes with Chili Chocolate Ganache and Cinnamon-Honey Ice Cream. Everything was delicious! The tamales were surprisingly easy to make, despite all the comments I had read and heard that they were so labor intensive. I takes minutes to get the dough ready and it only took me about a half hour to fill the tamales (and that was with 2 little helpers too). I guess if you were making double or triple the batch for a big gathering it would take a bit more time. I do suggest making the pork the day before since it takes several hours to cook and it also uses the crockpot.

 Crockpot Tamales  
For the tamale dough:
2 cups Maseca or masa harina for tamales
2 cups warm water or chicken broth
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt a few dashes of chipotle tabasco sauce
2/3 cup lard, vegetable shortening, or coconut oil  

For the tamales:
1/2 recipe Cafe Rio Sweet and Spicy Shredded Pork
tamale dough
1 (6-oz.) package dried corn husks (I found mine in the Mexican section of Walmart)

Soak the "ojas," or corn husks, in hot water while you prepare the masa. Combine maseca, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Remove wrapper from the chipotle seasoning cube and crumble it in with the dry ingredients. work broth or water with your fingers to make a soft moist dough.

In a small bowl, beat lard or shortening until fluffy. Add it to the masa

and beat until dough has a spongy texture.

Prepare tamales with filling. First spread out an oja on a work surface.

Next, with a paddle or a small putty knife, spread the masa evenly on the lower, wider half of the oja. Make sure it is thick enough that you don't see the oja through the dough.

Put about a tablespoon or so of the shredded pork

in the middle of the dough,

roll it up,

then fold the bottom half up

Place the tamales in a dish with a lid while you finish assembling the remaining tamales.

When you've finished assembling the rest of the tamales, place them in the crockpot facing upwards. Cover and cook on high for about 2-3 hours. (Note:The crockpot recipe I used said they were done in about 6 hours. On my first batch, I just happened to check at about 2 1/2 hours and they were a little more done that I would have liked, some around the edges were even a little crispy. My second batch, I cooked them closer to 2 hours and they came out fine. 2-6 hours is a very wide range to work with. I suggest you aim closer to 2 hours and check often after that. Use the same tester tamale each time. The ones around the edges will probably be done a little sooner than the others.) To serve, unwrap 1 or 2 warm tamales, place them on a plate and top with the extra sauce from the pork. (I added an extra can of tomato sauce after the pork was done and shredded so I would have enough to put on top of the tamales.) Makes enough dough for about 16 small tamales.  
**Update 5/16/2013- I no longer use vegetable shortening in my cooking. Use coconut oil in it's place; it whips up similarly.  

• SOURCE: Maseca and A Year of Slow Cooking

Crockpot Beef and Broccoli

There are so many days when I'd love to just call for take-out but I know that I would feel so much better with a home cooked meal.  We rarely eat out or have take-out so when we do it is usually while on vacation and my kids think it is a treat.  But when we are home, we can have our favorite take-out items without the "extras".  I especially love when we can throw it in the crockpot and not worry about it til dinner time.  

Beef and Broccoli is a favorite around here.  Tender pieces of beef, broccoli that still has a bit of crunch, covered in a sweet and savory sauce, over a bed of  brown rice, it makes everyone happy! 

Beef and Broccoli 

serves 6

 

1 lb boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips (we've used inexpensive steaks too, and it works great!)

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp cornstarch

Fresh broccoli florets (as many as you'd like)

Hot cooked brown rice  

 

Slice the beef into thin slices.  Place it in the crockpot.

 

In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic.   Pour over the beef, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

At the end of the cook time, stir the cornstarch into a bowl with 2 tbsp of the sauce from the crockpot.  Then pour the cornstarch/sauce mixture back into the crockpot.  Mix it all together until smooth.

Add the broccoli to the crockpot and stir it to combine.  

Turn the crockpot to high, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Serve over hot cooked brown rice.

Crockpot Chili Lime Chicken

I almost didn't get a picture of this one, by the time I got my girls plates ready for them, then started on my own, they were both asking for seconds. I am glad they love this dish, but sometimes wish they'd slow down long enough for me to eat my own food while it is still warm.

I love this simple recipe!  It is perfect for those days when you may not have a lot in the refrigerator, with minimal ingredients it is so easy to whip up without having to make a trip to the grocery store.  Pair it with homemade tortillas and crockpot refried beans from chef in training (the best beans we've ever made, no more canned beans for us!), some fresh pico, guacamole and chopped lettuce.  YUM!

Crockpot Chili Lime Chicken 

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp lime juice (fresh is best, but the bottled juice works great too)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup salsa

Place the chicken in the crockpot.  In a small bowl, combine the lime juice and chili powder, pour it over the chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until chicken is tender and easily shreds.  Shred chicken using two forks in the crockpot to retain the juices.  Add the corn and salsa, stir and replace the lid.  Cook on low for another 30 minutes until heated through.  Serve with tortillas, cheese, lettuce, beans, guacamole, and sour  cream.

*This chicken freezes really well, I love to double or triple the recipe and toss it into the freezer in freezer bags for an easy meal on a busy day.

It passes the kid test!  She ate 3 burritos this time.

Ham and Lentil Soup with Olive Oil Bread

Yesterday I woke up to a cold, cloudy, rainy day. After having a few beautiful days, it made me want to grab a good book, and snuggle up and just read while the rain fell outside.  Because my "to do" list was getting longer and longer, I decided I'd better skip the book for now, and instead make a crock-pot dinner to save a little time.  I love my crock-pot!  It is one kitchen appliance I don't think I could ever live without. 

We still had a bit of ham left over from our Easter dinner, so my first thought was split pea soup, I knew my kids wouldn't eat that so I grabbed my bag of lentils instead.  It would be a gamble to whether or not they'd eat it too, but I gave it a try.  My oldest has been such a picky eater lately, but has been willing to try a few bites.  She took one bite, forced a smile, said she loved it, and ate a few more bites.  I give her a lot of credit for pretending to like it, just to be a good example to her younger sister.  After she'd eaten about half of her bowl I told her she didn't have to finish and the relief that came over her face was really quite hilarious.  By now, if you are still reading ;), you're probably wondering why I'm telling you that my kids didn't like it.   Well, they haven't liked much lately, so no matter what I make they'll complain, but once they try it most of the time they change their minds.  I think this soup however is more of an adult flavor. 

A hearty, delicious blend of lentils, smokey ham, and tender veggies really made the perfect combination for a cold spring day.  The best part however is the prep takes under 5 minutes, and you are on your way... going about your day as usual and dinner is ready and waiting when you are.   I paired it with the end of a rustic olive oil bread called Mantovana (Olive oil bread from Mantua).  Very simple to make, with a wonderful olive oil flavor that went perfectly with this simple soup.  I'm especially excited to turn the leftovers into a fantastic grilled cheese for lunch.

Lentil and Ham Soup
Makes about 9 servings

1 pkg (16 ounces) dried lentils
2 cups diced, fully cooked ham
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
5 cups very hot tap water

In a 5 quart crock-pot, layer the ingredients in order listed (do not stir).  Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender.  Discard bay leaves, and stir.  Enjoy!

Mantovana
Olive Oil Bread from Mantua
 Makes 2 loaves

The double rising produces a bread with a light even texture.  Be careful not to over-rise the dough, it can cause it to to collapse upon being placed in the hot oven.  Do not leave the dough for any longer than 40 minutes for it's second rising. 

2 tsp dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm tap water, divided
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil

1. measure out 1 3/4 cups of warm water.  Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand for 5 minutes; stir to dissolve.  Mix the flours in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center and pour the yeast/water mixture into the well.
2. Use a wooden spoon to draw just enough of the flour into the dissolved yeast to form a soft paste.  Cover with a clean dish towel and let "sponge"* until frothy and risen, about 20 minutes.
3. Add the salt and oil to the sponge.  Mix in the rest of the flour from the sides of the well.  Stir in the remaining water, as needed, to form a very sticky dough.
4.  Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.  (I cheat and do all of this in my stand mixer, mixing on low for 10 minutes)
5. Put the dough in a clean, oiled bowl; cover with a dish towel and let it raise until doubled in size, about 50 minutes.  Punch down, and cover again, letting it raise until doubled in size about 40 minutes.
6.Punch down again and let chafe for 10 minutes (chafing: form the dough into a ball by cupping your hands gently around it.  Apply a light downward pressure to the sides, while simultaneously rotating the the dough in a steady clockwise motion.  Continue until the dough is formed into an even round shape.)
7.Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a long loaf, about 10 inches in length.  Place on a floured baking sheet and cover with a dish towel.  Proof (let it rest) for 15 minutes.
8. Cut a lengthwise slash, 1/2 inch deep, down the center of each loaf.  Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped on the underside.  Cool on a wire rack.

* When sponging your dough, you'll follow the directions by creating a deep well in the flour, then adding the dissolved yeast.  Using a wooden spoon draw in just enough flour from the sides of the bowl a little at a time to combine with the dissolved yeast in the well to form a soft paste when mixed thoroughly.  Cover the bowl with a dish towel and leave for 20 minutes or longer if specified in the recipe, until the paste is frothy and has expanded slightly in volume.  Continue on to step 3. 

Sunday Roast Chicken

I love the smell of roast chicken! To me it is the perfect spring meal. So today, still in the midst of winter, we had a day that from inside the house looked like a beautiful spring day, but if you stepped out the door you were blasted with what seemed like arctic winds. (I know it wasn't that bad, but we are all suffering from cabin fever and ready for spring to arrive in Utah already.) We celebrated spring around our dinner table.  Along with our roast chicken we made strawberry and spinach salad, potato salad, blue jell-o (this was the 3 year old's contribution and she was so proud of herself for doing it!), and fresh rolls.  It was delicious!  It was the kind of meal that made you feel as if you could make it a few more weeks before the weather turned warm.   

Our favorite Sunday Roast Chicken

1 whole chicken, thawed, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup of compound  butter
1 lemon, sliced thin.
Salt and pepper to taste

1.First things first, take 4 large sheets of aluminum foil and roll them into balls, place them in the bottom of the crock pot.

2.Slice compound butter in 1/4 inch thick disks.  Place your hand in between the skin and meat of the chicken, pulling the skin up just a little.  Slide the slices of butter, and lemon slices in between the skin and meat.  Salt and pepper the top and inside the cavity of the chicken.  Toss some of the lemons and butter inside the cavity as well.  Tie it up the legs with bakers twine. 

3. Place the chicken on top of the foil balls.  Replace the  lid on the crock pot and set on low for 6-8 hours. 

Remove from crock pot and let it rest for a few minutes before carving.  The skin might split, but for me that is okay, we just toss it out anyway. 

Crockpot Cranberry Pork Roast

I cannot say enough good about this meal. It was just delicious! The meat was moist (and I am known to overcook pork) and flavorful, sweet and savory at the same time.  Perfectly balanced.  I also loved that there were only 5 ingredients, it was so easy, but fancy enough to serve when you've got company.  My girls were half and half... one loved it, after a bit of coaxing from me to give it  a chance, and the other, was just having one of those days where she didn't want to try anything.  I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Crockpot Cranberry Pork Roast

Yield: 12 servings (Serving size: 3 ounces pork, 1/4 cup sauce)

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 7 hrs

Ingredients:

3 pound lean, boneless pork roast
16 ounces canned whole berry cranberry sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard ( I used closer to 2 tsp, it came out of the jar a little fast)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons water

Directions:

1.Place roast in crock pot.
2. In a medium bowl, mix cranberry sauce, brown sugar and mustard; pour over the roast in the crockpot. Cover with lid; Cook on LOW and cook 7 hours. Remove roast from crockpot, reserving cranberry mixture in crockpot. Set roast aside; Tent with foil to keep warm.
3. In a large, microwave safe bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water until well mixed. Scoop cranberry mixture into the large bowl and then whisk cornstarch and cranberry mixture together. Place in the microwave and cook on HIGH for 2 minutes, or until thickened.
4. Place pork roast on platter and use two forks to shred it apart. Top with cranberry sauce and serve immediately.

Adapted from Recipe Girl

Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

While serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I met a family in Norman, Oklahoma who introduced me to many different types of food. One of those being, Curry... one bite and I was in love!  To this day I don't know exactly what kind of curry it was, but I still remember those wonderful flavors that were combined with fresh fruits and peas (which I totally forgot this time).  I have been meaning to introduce some of these dishes to my kids in hopes that they would love them too.  They weren't so sure about it this time, but we'll try again, and again, and again...  Here is my version of a low-fat Tikka Masala perfect for a busy day, just toss it in the crock pot and go on with your day.  The smells will make your stomach growl in anticipation all day long.

Crock pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Adapted from Skinny taste

Ingredients:
1 small onion, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tbsp chili powder
salt to taste
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
brown rice
cilantro
mandarin oranges
pineapple tidbits, or fresh pineapple
frozen peas, thawed or warmed
shredded coconut

Directions
Place onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, yogurt, milk, cumin, garam masala, tumeric, chili powder and salt in crock pot.  Whisk until yogurt is combined evenly.  Add chicken.  Turn the crock pot on to low and cook for 6-8 hours.  Serve over brown rice, and top with cilantro, mandarin oranges, pineapple, peas, and coconut.

Carne Asada Tacos

This week we had to switch things up just a little, I ended up with an evening meeting at my house for church and need a "no thought - slow cooker" meal for the night.  So, luckily my Thursday meal fell into that category and we just did a swap :).

My Sister in Law Tammy, posted on Facebook that she was making this recipe, and it peaked my interest.  Every flavor that I love!  So, while shopping this week we found a great deal on flank steak.  I knew it had to go on our list this week, so into the cart it went.

The meat was so tender it just fell apart, the flavors were not in your face, but were distinct and wonderful.  I don't think we'll be going back to our boring ground beef tacos any time soon.  This one is a keeper!

Carne Asada

1 cup lime juice (I used fresh squeezed)

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup V8 juice

salt and pepper

1 lb flank steak or small beef roast

stir together marinade and pour over the meat.  Marinade overnight in the refrigerator.  In the morning, pour meat and marinade into the crock-pot and cook on low 8-10 hours.  The meat will just fall apart.

We shredded it up and topped it with cheese, lettuce, tomato, fresh salsa, more green onion, avocado and sour cream.  The kids loved it and the hubs and I are hooked!  

Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup

I LOVE SOUP! I get so excited when the temperature drops and it becomes "soup weather".  Don't get me wrong... I dislike winter, snow, cold, everything associated with winter (except Christmas and my daughters birthday of course) but fall weather, to me, is perfect and it just screams "SOUP".

Years ago while visiting Temple Square in Salt Lake City with my family, we stopped in to a little french bakery that we love, just thinking about it makes me want to go there, okay back on subject...  They serve a lemon and rice soup that is beyond incredible.  I don't know if I've ever tried anything like it since.  Although I've tried to replicate it I just haven't found success.  This soup however, is a very close contender.  It is DELICIOUS!

Lemon, Chicken & Orzo Soup:

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks (or diced)
1 small celery stalk, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh spinach
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 cup gluten free orzo
salt and pepper
8 cups chicken broth (or water if you prefer)
Zest and juice of a lemon

Directions:
In a large pot (4 quart or more), heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the carrot, celery and onion pieces. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken breast, the spinach, oregano, orzo, broth and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, half covered for about 30 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.
Remove the chicken breast from the soup. Let cool enough to handle and shred it into pieces. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Add the lemon juice and zest, stir and serve.

*I changed things up a bit, knowing I had errands to run and needed to convert this recipe to the crockpot, I skipped the olive oil and just put the carrot, celery, onion and chicken in the crockpot, topped with oregano, salt and pepper, and chicken broth, with a splash of lemon juice too.  I left that to cook for about 6-7 hours, then pulled out the chicken, shredded it, added it back to the crockpot, and then added the spinach, orzo and lemon juice/zest.  I replaced the lid and let it cook for an additional hour or so until the orzo was done.  I really cannot say enough good about this soup, it was so delicious!