Jambalaya (Slow Cooker)

Jambalaya (Slow Cooker)

(4 to 6-servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups Cooked Ham, ½ inch dice

2 medium Yellow Onions, ½ inch dice

2 stalks Celery, sliced

½ Green Pepper, seeded & ½ inch dice

1 (28 oz.) can Whole Tomatoes

¼ cup Tomato Paste

1 cup Uncooked Long-Grain Rice

2 tbsp. Canola Oil

3 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced

1 tbsp. Dry Parsley

½ tsp. Dried Thyme Leaves

2 Whole Cloves

1 lb. (40 to 50 count size) Raw Shrimp, thawed

Directions:

In the slow cooker, combine all the ingredients except the shrimp. Be sure to break up the tomatoes a little as you do it. Cove the slow cooker and cook 8 to 10 hours on low. One hour before serving, turn slow cooker up to high. Add shrimp and stir into the mixture. Cover again and cook until shrimp are pink and tender, then serve.

Note: If you use larger shrimp, be sure to cut them into several pieces to be more bite sized.

Note: You can use already cooked shrimp is needed. Just to sure they are thawed and only let them heat through before serving.

Ideas for Future Efforts

BBQ Shredded Beef (Slow Cooker)

BBQ Shredded Beef (Slow Cooker)

(12-servings)

Ingredients:

3 lb. Boneless Chuck Roast

1 ½ cup Ketchup

¼ cup Brown Sugar

¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar

2 tbsp. Dijon Mustard

2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp. Liquid Smoke

½ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

¼ tsp. Garlic Powder

12 hamburger buns

Directions:

Place the roast in the slow cooker. Now combine the remaining ingredients in a medium sized bowl and pour over the roast. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove roast from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the meat and then return to the slow cooker. Mix the meat to coat well with the sauce before serving on the buns.

Note: You can use other types of buns or bread for these sandwiches. Also serve with your favorite condiments.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Chicken a la Orange (Slow Cooker)

Chicken a la Orange (Slow Cooker)

(6-servings)

Ingredients:

6 (4 to 6 oz.) Boneless-skinless Chicken Breasts

1 cup minus 1 tbsp. All Purpose Flour, divided

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Ground Nutmeg

½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Garlic Powder

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

3 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled & cut into ¼ inch slices

1 (10 ½ oz) can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 (4 oz.) can Sliced Mushrooms, drained

½ cup Orange Juice (fresh if possible)

2 tsp. Brown Sugar

½ tsp. Fresh Orange Zest

4 cups Cooked Rice (hot)

Directions:

Combine 2/3 cup of flour with salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic powder and pepper in a large bowl. Rinse chicken and pat dry before coating it in the flour mixture. Place the sliced sweet potatoes in the bottom of slow cooker and top with the chicken breasts. In another medium sized bowl combine the 3 tbsp. of flour, soup, mushrooms, orange juice, brown sugar and zest. Pour this mixture over the chicken, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve the chicken mixture over the hot rice.

Note: It is best to grate the nutmeg yourself. There is a definite difference in taste to the already ground product you can buy.

Note: You could also use boneless-skinless chicken thighs in place of the breasts for this dish.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Slow Cooker (Crock Pot) use for Summertime

A "Slow Cooker" also called a "Crock Pot" is a very useful piece of kitchen equipment.  Back in 2011 I talked about them a little.  It was mostly about size, price and their basic function.  Today I'd like to go into a little more detail on them.

Someone has been hiding the good stuff from me!

First, however, I have to show a photo of my blog assistant at her "1st birthday" party.  My granddaughter had her first experience with sugar that day.  She discovered that it tastes great.  It also did not put on the "sugar high" that many had thought would happen.  She had a good time opening gifts and had one of the best night's sleep ever.  Her parents were thrilled with that.  I guess that was her present to them.  Now that she is a year old, I plan to have "ice cream" with her every Monday morning for breakfast.  It's so nice being a grandparent and not the parent with such a cutie.  I told her that the ice cream was part of her "benefit package" with the blog.  She's as excited as grandpa!

Slow cookers have been around for 40 years give or take a few.  It first they were mostly called "Crock Pots" and then (I believe) in the nineties the word "Slow Cooker" became more popular or politically correct.  You can cook almost anything in them including some breads.  I've not tried that yet (breads) myself.

Slow cookers work on two settings, high and low.  The high setting is about 300 degrees and the low operates around the 200 degree mark.  The low setting takes from 2 to 2 1/2 times the cooking time than the  high setting.  That is why you will see most slow cooker recipes showing 4 to 5 hours on high and 8 to 10 hours on low for the same recipe.

These time ranges for both low and high settings is directly related to size of ingredients, temperature of ingredients, how full the pot is and even attitude.  It is always best to taste your dish when it is suppose to be done.  You can then adjust the time and/or seasoning before serving.  Most slow cookers now have a holding cycle so that after your set time is up, it will keep it warm and safe for an additional time.  Usually a couple of hours depending on model.

A few benefits of using a slow cooker are;  saves energy, cuts down on kitchen mess (less dishes), doesn't require constant attention, keeps kitchen cooler (great for summer-time) because stove/oven isn't needed, helps keep foods from burning and puts dinner on the table much faster after a hard day.

A big point to remember is the lid.  Because you don't have to be stirring the dish, you don't have to be removing the lid.  The lid keeps the heat in and that is very important with slow cooking.  If you take the lid off the slow cooker, it requires a lot of time to get that temperature back.  That changes your cooking time and adds more to it.  So only take the lid off when it is needed.

You also want to make sure your slow cooker has a removable crock.  It makes clean up so much easier.  That crock is somewhat non-stick but it is advisable to use a pan spray before loading in the ingredients of the recipe.

This brings me to something that I need to point out to everyone.  The original purpose of a slow cooker was to make a meal simple and convenient.  You just throw the ingredients in the slow cooker and walk away.  Hours later you enjoy a terrific meal.  Many recipes are that way (including the 3 I have for you this week) but some now require you to do some cooking ahead of putting the ingredients in the slow cooker.

Most of this is to give the protein a better look.  These recipes require you to brown the meat before continuing to the slow cooker.  These recipes are great but they take away from the biggest reason you use a slow cooker - less cooking involvement for you.  It still does require less time in the kitchen for you but it does make you have to plan your time a little better in the morning.  I usually try to save these recipes for the weekend or other days off.

Another reason for using a slow cooker, it can save you on your grocery bill.  Because you are cooking over a longer period of time, you want to use the less expensive cuts of meat.  They become so tender cooking in a slow cooker.  Your better cuts of meat are not meant to be used in a slow cooker, so don't.  Save those cuts for the grill.

This week I have 3 recipes for you to try.  The  first is "Chicken a la Orange" and it is served over rice which is cooked separately.  The second one is "BBQ Shredded Beef" and makes a great picnic dish.  The last one is for "Jambalaya" and you can spice it up if that fits your taste style.

So get your slow cooker out and use it during the summer.  After all, it is a year-round piece of cooking equipment.  "Happy Cooking!"

Celery Seed Cole Slaw

Celery Seed Cole Slaw

(12-16 servings)

Ingredients:

3 lb. Green Cabbage, shredded

½ cup Carrot, finely shredded

½ cup Green Pepper, small dice

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Cider Vinegar

1 tbsp. Salt

1 tsp. Black Pepper

1 tsp. Celery Seed

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrot and pepper and set aside. In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and celery seed. Bring this mixture to a boil and then pour over the mixture. Toss to combine well and then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Toss again just before serving.

Note: You can always add other ingredients to make this slaw your own. Change the color of the pepper, use 2 different colors, add onion or raisins to make it meet your taste style.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Old Style Potato Salad

Old Style Potato Salad

(16-18 servings)

Ingredients:

5 lb. Red Potatoes, cooked, cooled & medium dice

1 cup Sugar

1 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Black Pepper

½ tsp. Dry Mustard

¾ cup Apple Cider Vinegar

¼ cup Water

3 large Fresh Eggs, lightly beaten

1 ½ cups Sour Cream

1 cup Green Onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender, cool and then dice (peeled or unpeeled-your option). Refrigerate potatoes until ready to assemble. In a medium sauce pan, combine sugar, flour, salt, pepper and mustard. Now add the vinegar and water then bring to a boil. Stir while boiling for 2 minutes. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and then add a small amount of the sugar mixture to the eggs. Once combined add the egg mixture into the sugar mixture. Continue cooking mixture for about 2 more minutes or until it thickens. Refrigerate the mixture at least an hour to cool. Once cooled, stir in the sour cream and add to the bowl of diced potatoes with the sliced green onions. Cool the potato salad for 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Note: Yukon gold or even fingerling potatoes would also work well in this recipe.

Note: You could also add other ingredients like radishes, celery, pickle relish or any color of bell peppers to make your own creation. Just use your imagination.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Memorial Day Weekend Starts the Summer Season

I'm not even positive that spring is here yet, but it's "Memorial Day Weekend" this weekend.  That is the official start of the summer season.  A great 3-day weekend to kick it off.  So picnics are a big thing this weekend.  Since this blog has been going for sometime, there are plenty of recipes already for you to pick from in most of the recipe categories.

I'll list a few of them here.  You should just have to click on the recipe name to bring up the full recipe.  Burgers are always good at picnics so you might want to try one of these; Bleu Bacon Burger , Mushroom & Swiss Stuffed Burger or Jalapeno Burgers.  They are 3 of my favorites from the blog.


If you need a salad or two, try one of these; Harvest Grains Salad (V) or the Mandarin Orange Pudding.


For a dessert, Fran’s Bars (V) is a great finger food.  With spring finally here, there should be some rhubarb coming up in the garden.  If there is some available, then try the Rhubarb Crunch (V).

A couple of sides you might want to try are Spicy Cream Corn (V) or Grilled Corn on the Cob (V).  It might be difficult to get good fresh ear corn at Memorial Day but remember it when the 4th of July rolls around.

But I have a couple of side dishes for you to try this year too.  They both are a little twist on the conventional picnic sides.  The first one is for "Old Style Potato Salad" and it's a little different because it uses eggs but they are not hard boiled ones.  The other is a recipe for "Celery Seed Cole Slaw" and the celery seed adds a nice wrinkle to the recipe.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend and get out there on the grill or travel somewhere for a good old fashion family picnic.  "Happy Cooking."