Slow Cooker Ham with Homemade Barbecue Sauce

This homemade barbecue sauce is not the sweet Kansas City type of sauce but more the vinegar-y type North Carolina is famous for.  The ingredients can be found in your pantry like ketchup and cider vinegar.  

I tasted Isaly chipped ham in a ketchup, vinegar based sauce in our recent Book Club meeting.  It was prepared by Karen Novak, the event organizer.  I did not get the recipe from her so I resorted in googling for a recipe for barbecue sauce using those two ingredients and I found one in this site, the  Allrecipe website. 

I decided to use my slow cooker for convenience and also for the ham to be marinated while being slow cooked.  It was a really good sauce.  It made the ham moist and really flavorful.  It is not the sweet kind that most bottled sauces come in but tangy and with just the right kick and some sweetness.   It is not too tangy either like the sauce I had in North Carolina when I was there.  

My picky taster almost ate the whole thing. I used this for leftover ham I had from the holidays but I could imagine this to be good with pork or brisket.  

Slow Cooker Ham with Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Adapted from this site 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb ham, sliced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water 
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Add all the ingredients in the slow cooker.  Cook at high setting for 3 hours or at low for 6 hours.  I cooked mine in an Aroma brand slow cooker/rice cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Indian Stew

I like the pairing of the two vegetables in this Indian flavored stew, the crispy cauliflower and the sweet potato.  The cauliflower pairs with the sweet potatoes as well as it does with potatoes in the popular Indian dish Aloo Gobi. And it being more nutritious than the potato is an added bonus.

I have posted a similar dish before using cauliflower with eggplant and green and red pepper.  I used coconut milk from a can and a ton of curry powder.

In this recipe I wanted also a sauce that is thick and spicy but this time I avoided using high fat canned coconut milk and just used non dairy milk and vegetable broth in its place.  I thickened the mixture with cornstarch and guess what else? Mashed previously cooked sweet potato. I used the usual spices found in most Indian dishes using less curry powder than before to round up the wonderful sauce that coated the cauliflower and sweet potato pieces.

It is a simple one pan dish to go to when you have a craving for something with the rich flavors of India. Was I happy eating this dish? Oh yes.  Did I eat it morning, noon and night? Yes. You would to. Addictive sauce.

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Indian Stew

Adapted from this past blog post.

• 2 tsp plant oil or 1 tbsp vegetable broth
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 dry red chilies or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 cup plant milk
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 tbsp sugar (optional)
• 1 sweet cooked potato, mashed
• 1 tbsp cornstarch in 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 cauliflower head, separated into florets
• 2 sweet potatoes, uncooked and cubed

Saute in the oil or vegetable broth the onion, minced ginger and minced garlic till they are cooked.  Then add the tomato paste and heat through.

Add the garlic powder, coriander, cumin, curry powder and turmeric and heat the mixture.  Add the red pepper flakes, salt, plant milk, vegetable broth, sugar, mashed sweet cooked potatoes and corn starch in water to the mixture and heat through.

Add the cauliflower and uncooked weet potatoes to the mixture and allow the mixture of the sauce and vegetables to boil gently till the sweet potatoes are cooked but still firm and the cauliflower still crisp.

Serve over rice of your choice or quinoa or with Naan bread.

Easy Ravioli with Creamy Corn Sauce

This is a fast and easy skillet dish to prepare and a crowd pleaser. I have seen this mentioned on TV cooking shows and blogs.  This is my version of the sauce made from corn which lends its creaminess.  I added zucchini and red pepper both for flavor and texture not to mention added nutrients. I used just a tiny oil needed to saute the vegetables but then again you can use cooking spray or just plain water.  I used store bought ravioli stuffed with spinach, cheese and chicken from Aldi's Grocery Store but you can use any kind you like. My husband loved this dish and almost ate the whole thing.  

Easy Ravioli with Creamy Corn Sauce

• 8 oz ravioli (any kind, store bought or homemade)
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 whole zucchini, cubed
• 1 red pepper, cubed
• 1-14 oz can cream corn
• 2 tsp dry onion flakes
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook the ravioli according to package directions.  Place in a platter.

Saute the zucchini and red pepper in the oil till cooked but still crispy.  Add the corn, onion flakes, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the vegetables and heat through. 

Pour the creamy corn sauce to the cooked ravioli.  You can also add the cooked ravioli to the sauce in the skillet and serve it family style.  

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with General Tso's Sauce (one step)

This is a one step version of the previous Slow Cooker General Tso's Chicken recipe I posted a while back. The original recipe consisted of two steps.  After the slow cooking process, the chicken pieces were further pan fried to crisp the chicken breast to give that characteristic crunchiness of General Tso's chicken.  I decided to try to skip that second step in this version and find out if I will be happy with the results.  I would say I was.  Proof of how good it was, my granddaughter, Maddie, was very upset when her mom ate all what I shared with them last night.  I already knew she liked it when she ate this first at my house before I brought her home.  Picky Maddie ate it!  I am posting this recipe for her mom and all of you.

Maddie ready for her first day of gymnastic this fall.  

The sauce which is exactly like that of the original recipe except for the absence of cornstarch had the unmistakable General Tso's taste.  The only difference between the two recipes is I dredged the chicken thighs in the flour mixture hoping that the flour coating would envelop the chicken and also thicken the sauce. It actually barely did.  The liquid given off by the chicken during the cooking diluted the sauce.  If you have time you can transfer the slow cooked chicken in a saute pan and evaporate some of the liquid in the sauce to thicken it.  I did not.  The sauce is spot on and just as addicted, the texture was secondary to me.  My craving for this dish was satisfied,

This is a good alternative for the original recipe when you are in a hurry like I was but had to have the craving for that General Tso's sauce with your chicken satisfied conveniently.

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with General Tso's Sauce (one step)

Based on Slow Cooker Healthier General Tso's Chicken

• 8 chicken thighs or legs or a mixture.
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder

General Tso's Sauce 

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp sugar or splenda
• 3 tbsp orange marmalade (I used sugar free)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp grated ginger

Combine the flour, salt, black pepper and garlic powder in a bowl.  Generously dredge the chicken thighs in the flour mixture. You can save the rest of the leftover flour mixture.  

In another bowl, mix the ingredients to make the sauce.

Place the floured chicken thighs in the slow cooker and add the sauce over it. Coat the thighs in the sauce.

Cook at high for 4 hours or at low setting for 8 hours.  I cooked mine in an Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.  You can thicken further the sauce by in a saute pan if you like.

Serve over rice.  

Linquine with Lemon Almond Cheese

This is a plant based version of creamy linguine.  I used homemade almond cheese for the sauce.  I spiced up the dish by first sauteing jalapenos and garlic in as little olive oil as possible.  I then added the almond cheese (see photo below) I made and added the rest of the ingredients. 

I like the lemony taste of the almond cheese over the linguine.  It gives it a refreshing taste coupled with the kick from the jalapenos and garlic mixture.  It is a welcome change from the usual regular cream laden linguine.  

Linguine with Almond Cheese

• 8 oz cooked linguine (save 1 cup pasta water)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 12 pieces bottled jalapeno
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 cup almond cheese (recipe below)
• 1 cup pasta water you saved
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp dry onion flakes
• 1 tbsp dry garlic flakes
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute the jalapeno and garlic in the oil at medium heat.  Add the rest of the ingredients and heat through.

Lemon Almond Cheese

• 1 1/2 cups almond 
• 1 cup water
• juice of 2 lemons
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Place all the ingredients in the blender and mix for 5 minutes till creamy.  

Mixed Berries Jalapeno Chia Sauce

If you want an alternative to the classic cranberry sauce, this is a good candidate. It is sweet, fruity and spicy. The chia seeds give it a good supple texture. Try this with your favorite roasted meat or fried dish. Delicious. Also you can just eat it as is. 

Mixed Berries Jalapeno Chia Spread

• 6 oz. blackberries
• 8 oz strawberries
• 2 tbsp jalapeno slices from a bottle
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 6 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• salt to taste

Place all the ingredients in a blender and pulse till the mixture are fine.  

Easy Alfredo Sauce

This Alfredo Sauce will take as long or even a shorter time to make than for you to boil your pasta.  It is that easy and quick.  This recipe is decadent as can be but can be healthy-fied with the use of low fat spread like Smart Balance rather than butter and low fat cream cheese rather than the original.  This is a crowd pleaser in topping any pasta. I used homemade fettucine pasta I bought at a fundraising event but you can use any commercial one.

The presence of cream cheese makes the consistency of the sauce to be thick.  The milk helps you modulate this thickness.  The Parmesan cheese, garlic, garlic powder and dry minced onions round up the taste of this Alfredo Sauce which is comparable or even better than the bottled ones. 

Easy Alfredo Sauce

• 1/2 stick butter
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup 2 % milk. use more or less according to thickness of sauce you prefer
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp dry minced onions, optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a saute pan.  Add the garlic to the butter and saute till softened.  Lower the heat and add the cream cheese and blend the mixture.  Add the milk gradually till you have the consistency you like.  Add the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and dry onions (if using).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Use to top fettucine or any other pasta you like.