Slow Cooker Vegetable Black Bean Soup

There are black bean soups and there are black bean soups.  This one is healthified with the superfood spinach, carrots, celery and onons that have been added to the black beans.  This is an easy hearty soup made flavorful with the various spices used that are all found in your spice rack.  A couple of cans of staples in your cupboard with nutritious vegetables and spices and you are good to go for a hearty, healthy, easy and comforting soup for this cold wintry weather.  You can easily double or triple the recipe to feed a family. This is a generous two nutritious, delicious serving recipe.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Black Bean Soup

• 1-15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

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

Serve over brown rice or with corn chips.

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.

Slow Cooker Al Pastor Tacos with Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa

Just in case you are wondering what Al Pastor means, it is not the name of a restaurant owner after which the tacos were named after but it stands for tacos in the style of the shepherd (pastor in Spanish).  Here is how Wikipedia explains it,

In the style of the shepherd), also known as tacos al pastor, is a dish developed in Central Mexico, likely as a result of the adoption of the shawarma spit-grilled meat brought by the Lebanese immigrants to Mexico. Being derived from shawarma, it is also similar to the Turkish döner kebab and the Greek gyros.

You can read about how it is prepared in the same source.  It is a long and tedious process.  In fact when I was watching the source of this recipe, Guy Fieri,  prepare it on TV, I just told myself I was not going to make the dish.  Just too involved so I thought but then I felt the challenge staring at me and I took it.  I decided I would simplify the preparation and use my trusty slow cooker and so I did.

Guy Fieri marinated the pork first then cooked it in his wood burning stove for several hours at low heat with the fresh pineapple rinds on top to keep the broth from evaporating.  I did not do the latter either.  I used canned pineapple for both the meat and the salsa but you can use the ones from a fresh pineapple. I am a lazy cook. The slow cooker did the marinating and the slow cooking for me conveniently. I dumped the ingredients mostly from the pantry in the slow cooker and went my way to do my chores the Sunday I made it.

Here is my slow cooker adaptation of the Guy Fieri's recipe.  It is actually better the next day after it stood in the fridge overnight. This is a spicy and flavorful dish to serve for your next family gathering.

Slow Cooker Al Pastor Tacos with Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa

Adapted from Guy Fieri,

Tacos

• 2 cups crushed pineapple from a can, drained
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice from bottle
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo plus 1 tsp of its sauce
• 1/2 onion, chopped roughly
• 3 lbs pork butt, whole

Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook at low for 6 hours and at high for 3 hours.  I cooked mine in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 3 hours.

Take out the pork and shred with two forks and return to the slow cooker.  Serve using the materials below.

For serving

• flour or corn tortillas
• lime wedges
• Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa (recipe below)
• green onions or cilantro 
• Cotiia cheese was suggested for serving which I did not use but you can.

Place the shredded pork over the tortilla and serve with the lime wedges, salsa and suggested cilantro or green onions and cheese if desired. You can spoon a bit of the broth for more flavor.  Enjoy. Grab a napkin.

Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa

• 2 cups pineapple tidbits from a can, drained
• 1/2 cup onion
• 2 tbsp minced jalapeno (fresh or from bottle.  If fresh seed it first)
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 small dry red chile crushed or one fresh one seeded and minced
• 2 tbsp chopped green onions or cilantro

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and let it sit for about 20 minutes for the flavors to blend.

Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Every thanksgiving day, we have our official big meal as a family at 12 noon.  I also try to make it to the Thanksgiving mass at my church before this meal. This mass starts at 9:30 am so I have to have everything almost done when I arrive or ready to go in the oven or the stove or microwave.

After mass, usually the turkey is ready to come out of the oven and the traditional green bean casserole could then be baked.  If there are pies, they can also be baked then.  This year I requested my married daughter to bring the pies and the rolls. I still had to prepare the side dishes namely the mashed potatoes, dressing, sweet potatoes and gravy and also keep them hot.  So I resorted to my three multi-purpose crock pots.  Here was my timeline.

I peeled my potatoes and cut them the day before and stored them over water in the crock pot bowl and kept them in the fridge.  I sauteed the onions and celery for the cornbread stuffing in the butter called for in the recipe of the boxed stuffing mix in another crock pot bowl using the sauteed setting or (you can also use the steam setting) and stored the sauteed mixture in the bowl and kept them in the fridge.  I also prepared the ingredients for the green beans casserole in a dish except for the french onions and kept it in the fridge. I took out the turkey that has been defrosting in the fridge for 5 days and further defrosted it in a sink full of cold water.  I then slept.

I woke up in the morning and microwaved the sweet potatoes, peeled them and placed them in a crock pot bowl with the coconut oil and coconut brown sugar (recipe coming soon).  I slow cooked them for 2 hours while I was at church.  I drained the water from the potatoes and added to them the water and milk called for in the recipe below, the bouillon cubes and fresh garlic.  I slow cooked it for two hours, mashed them and added the rest of the ingredients below before I went to church.  The mashed potatoes was kept warm by the keep warm mode of the crock pot.

I added the water needed to the crock pot with the sauteed onions and celery for the dressing and allow the mixture to boil using the steam mode of the crock pot.  Once the mixture boiled I added the boxed corn bread stuffing and changed the setting to the keep warm mode and stirred the mixture.

I removed the sweet potatoes from the crock pot and transferred them to the serving dish and wiped the crock pot cleaned.  I transferred the broth that came from the baked turkey to the crock pot and allowed it to boil using the steam mode of the crock pot.  Once boiling, I added the slurry of cornstarch in water and whisked the mixture till it was thick.  I then kept it at the keep warm mode in the crock pot.

I placed the green bean casserole in the oven when I took out the turkey which I allowed to rest.  When my daughter and family arrived every dish was warm thanks to the crock pot.

This was the least stressful thanksgiving feast I have ever prepared except I forgot to buy the can of whole cranberries.

Here is the recipe for the slow cooker garlic mashed potatoes which I adapted from this recipe.  I lessened the liquid called for in the recipe and used cream cheese instead of sour cream. Everybody liked it including my two picky tasters, my husband and son in law.

Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Adapted from this recipe

• 5 lbs red potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 chicken  bouillon cubes
• 5 large cloves of fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes, milk, water and chicken bouillon cubes in the slow cooker bowl.  Place the garlic cloves on top.  Slow cook for 3 hours at high setting or 6 hours at low.  I cooked mine in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.

Using a potato masher, mash the cooked potatoes right in the slow cooker bowl. Stir in the butter and cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Slow Cooker Steak Sauce Pork Loin

One possible reason why I like cooking is because it is like being in a lab. Except I am doing my experiments in the kitchen not a laboratory. Plus I get to eat what I make.

There is always that element of anticipation involved in both cases. How things would turn out is always in my mind everytime I did experiments in the lab or trying a new recipe in my kitchen.

I tried this recipe I found in Food Whirl because I wanted to try something new with the slabs of pork I have in the freezer. The author of the recipe mentioned the method at great lengths, mainly slow cooking in the oven overnight at low heat and then basting with a list of ingredients later at higher temperature. No exact amounts of the ingredients were given, however. So this was my challenge. My experiment.

I thought of my slow cooker as the alternative method of cooking. The slow cooking and marinating could be done at the same time.  No fear of drying up the meat is present in this approach.

The author called for the use of butter in the basting material. I instead thickened the resulting broth with cornstarch at the end of cooking which I smothered on the tender juicy meat. It worked.

This dish got two thumbs up from two picky tasters, my husband and son in law. It is salty and spicy. Just like most guys like it.

The proportions of the amounts of ingredients gave the dish its saltiness and just the right kick. This an easy go to meal anytime, any place except the science lab where supposedly no eating is allowed.

Slow Cooker Steak Sauce Pork Loin

• 3 lbs pork loin or butt
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup steak sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp hot sauce or to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tsp cornstarch in 3 tbsp water (optional)

Place all the ingredients except the corn starch mixture in the slow cooker. Cook for four hours at high setting or eight hours at low. I cooked mine in an Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker for three hours at slow cooker setting.

At the last few minutes of cooking, remove the pork and add the cornstarch in water mixture and allow to cook with stirring till you form a thick gravy. Spread over the pork.  You can also skip this last step and serve the thin broth with the pork.

Slow Cooker Cauliflower with Curry Almond Sauce

I would admit to being addicted to vegan dishes with thick spicy sauces.  I have posted recipes of this nature in the past (here, here, here, here and here) using vegetable combinations and sauces.

I decided to try adapting a red curry paste almond chicken dish from this recipe and came up with a plant based version without the use of red curry paste that was in this original recipe.  It called for three tbsp of this spice mix and is the major flavoring component aside from the curry powder.  After looking up the homemade recipe of this paste, I incorporated some of the ingredients that were closed to them.  I added the juice and zest of one lemon for example to approximate the lemon grass component plus the spices cumin, cinnamon, coriander powder and cardamon. At the end when the taste was not quite there, I decided not to increase the salt but instead used Sriracha to intensify the flavor of the coconut almond combination.  Wow it worked.

For me success means I would want the dish morning, noon and night and I did.  The almond gives only a very subtle taste of itself to the dish but it does thicken the sauce. I like eating the dish with quinoa or rice with the suggested sides of fresh vegetables like grape tomatoes, sliced cucumber and fresh spinach.  I used the slow cooker method for convenience but the stove top one pot method will also work.


Slow Cooker Cauliflower with Curry Almond Sauce

(Adapted from this recipe)

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 onion, sliced

• 2 tbsp ginger, minced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp coriander powder

• 1/4 tsp cardamon powder

• 2 tbsp curry powder

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 can full fat coconut milk

• 1/4 cup almond butter

• 2 cauliflower, cut into florets

• 1 green pepper, sliced

• 1 yellow or red pepper, sliced

• 1 cup baby carrots

• 1 tbsp sriracha or to taste

• 1 tsp salt or to taste

• grape tomatoes, cucumber and fresh spinach as sides

1. Heat the coconut oil at medium heat in a saute pan or in the slow cooker bowl itself if the slow cooker has a saute mode.  Add the onion, ginger and garlic till they are cooked.  
2. Add the cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cardamon, curry powder and red pepper flakes and heat them through.  
3. Add the sauteed mixture if using a saute pan and the rest of the ingredients except the sides to the slow cooker. 
4. Cook for 3 hours at high setting or 6 hours a low setting.  I used Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker and cooked the dish for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.
5. Serve over rice with sides of grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and fresh spinach.  

Slow Cooker Beef Nilaga

My childhood memories will always include Sunday dinner at my late maternal grandmother's house.  We would ride our jeep from Malabon to Quezon City where my grandmother's house was located. All six of us siblings somehow fitted in the vehicle.  The dishes we had those Sundays at my Lola Sefa's house included Beef Nilaga and a chicken dish either fried chicken or chicken curry.  These dishes were consistently served that one recipient of the family's generosity, the hueteng bookie, I heard one day complained that his free meal was always the same. Well, that was the way my late mother wanted it and we never got tired of it. Beef Nilaga spelled comfort and being home again for all of us, my family and all my uncles, aunts and cousins and my Lola.  It still does with my own smaller sized family now. My husband, an American, l notice relishes this dish with gusto every time I serve it.

I like to use beef chuck roast which has some fat in it.  You do not need beef bones like beef bulalo, a similar dish, so it is relatively less expensive and the ingredients more accessible.  The vegetables would vary depending on your preference and the availability of the ingredients.  I sometimes use carrots instead of butternut squash or both.  As for the leafy vegetables, I usually utilize plain green cabbage since they keep for a long period of time in the fridge so it would be available when needed.  If you have access to bok choy that would be even better.  I like to use green beans either fresh or frozen.  The potatoes give the starchy component and texture.  This dish is served with rice, lots of them, with the fish sauce as a side condiment where we dip the meat for added flavor while eating.

The slow cooker method is most convenient for preparing this dish.  The meat gets very tender without you boiling it to death over the stove or resorting to using the pressure cooker.  You just dump the ingredients in the slow cooker and go.  If you want the green beans to be crisp add it at the last 15 minutes of cooking.  If using bok choy, do add it also the last 15 minutes. This will be one of your family's favorite dinner on Sundays or any day.

Slow Cooker Beef Nilaga

• 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 head cabbage, cut either in quarters or into 1 inch slices
• 1 cup green beans, fresh or frozen
• 3 cups water
• 3 tbsp fish sauce or salt to taste, plus more fish sauce as side condiment while eating

Place all the ingredients in the crock pot except the green beans.  Cook for 4 hours at high setting or 8 hours at low.  Add the green beans during the last 15 minutes of cooking. I used an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker and cooked the dish for 3 hours at slow cooker setting.  Serve with rice and more fish sauce as a side condiment for those who prefer to use it.

Slow Cooker Vegan Tikka Masala

This is adapted from the recipe of one of the dishes that Chef Wyatt Lash of the Commoner demonstrated when he stopped by Pittsburgh Today Live.  It has a surprising delightful ingredient, lime, which gives the dish a citrusy refreshing taste that I like. I decreased the amount of coconut milk and skipped the usually used ingredient in this dish, garam masala. Relax guys I added some of the components of this spice blend to this adapted recipe namely, cinnamon, turmeric, and coriander which were not in the original recipe.

This got two thumbs up from my vegan yoga teacher, Sally.  I love this so much I had this for breakfast with quinoa. So good.

Slow Cooker Vegan Tikka Masala

Adapted from this recipe

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

• 1/2 Tsp ground cumin

• 1/4 Tsp ground cardamon

• 1/4 tsp ground coriander

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

• 1/8 tsp turmeric 

• 1 tbsp curry powder

• 2 dry red chili peppers, crushed or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tbsp coconut palm brown sugar

• 1 Zest Lime, Plus Juice

• 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cube

• 2 cups baby carrots

• 1 -14.5 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 1/4 cup coconut milk or non dairy milk

• 1 tbsp cornstarch in 1/4 cup water

• 1-12 oz can diced tomatoes

• 1 tbsp Sriracha

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

• 2 cups spinach, (optional)

• 2 tbsp green onions for garnish  

1. In a skillet or in the slow cooker with saute mode, add  the coconut oil and heat at medium heat.  Add and sweat all onions, garlic, and ginger with dry spices. 
2. Add the rest of ingredients to the sauted mixture except spinach if using and green onions in the slow cooker bowl. 
3. Cook on high for 3 hours or at low for 6 hours.  I cooked mine in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.  
4.  Add the spinach if using at the last half hour of slow cooking. Garnish with green onions. 

Slow Cooker Eggplant Ragu

I had a large eggplant that I wanted to use in the fridge. I did not feel like using the oven nor the stove.  I just wanted to dump the eggplant into the slow cooker together with some ingredients from the fridge and pantry and forget it. I also wanted it to be vegetable laden and vegan with a lot of sauce that would be a good quinoa guzzler. I wanted it to be a simple dish with as few ingredients as possible.

This dish was so simply prepared, I did not even use any salt or pepper.  I relied only on the green chilies in the can of diced tomatoes with green chilies that I used for the kick.  As for the saltiness I used miso paste as a side condiment.

I anxiously waited for the results and I was not disappointed.  I ate this dish for breakfast, lunch and supper for the next few days after I prepared it.  It was an ideal quinoa guzzler with very high nutritional value and equally high flavor.

Slow Cooker Eggplant Ragu

• 1-10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 large eggplant, cut into large cubes
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1 green or red or yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch slices 
• miso paste as side condiment 

Place all the ingredients except the miso paste in the slow cooker.  Cook for 3 hours at high setting or for 6 hours at low setting.  I cooked mine in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.

Serve with miso paste as a side condiment. This can be served over brown rice or quinoa.

Slow Cooker Tomato Cauliflower Quinoa Bowl

This is an easy stew that is perfect when you are running around all over town for your errands, a meeting and exercise at the gym. It is a slow cooker version of two very similar recipes I have posted in this blog,  Mediterranean Chickpea Ragu and Vegan Pantry Friendly Black Olive Stew.  I used kidney beans instead of chickpeas and introduced celery and cauliflower as parts of the main ingredients.  I also skipped the olives which were in the other two recipes this one is based on. It results in a less salty healthier version and still as delicious.  I made sugar optional since it depends on your taste and the brand of the ingredients you used.  

My picky taster, my husband, ate this and gave a thumbs up and so did my daughter who I shared it with. They ate it over white rice but I prefer to eat mine over quinoa for added protein.  Here is the busy day friendly recipe.

Slow Cooker Tomato Cauliflower Quinoa Bowl

(inspired by this past post)

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1-15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1-15 oz can corn, drained
• 1 green pepper, cubed or 2 pieces roasted pepper from a jar
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces 
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp dry onion flakes
• 1 tbsp dry garlic flakes
• 2 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp dry oregano (optional)
• 2 stalks green onion for garnish (optional)
• 1 tbsp sugar (optional)

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker except for the quinoa and cook for 5 hours at low setting, and 2 hours at high setting. I cooked mine in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker for two hours at slow cooker setting.  Serve over the cooked quinoa.

Slow Cooker Boozy Rosemary Chicken

This is a one pot meal. The side vegetables, the sauce and the meat are all cooked at the same time in the slow cooker. I have posted a recipe in the past featuring some of the ingredients in this dish, rosemary, garlic and lemon.  I decided to put more spirit to this new version by adding beer which almost everybody has in the fridge.  The beer enhanced the flavor of the clear thin sauce at the end of cooking.  It went well with the herb used, rosemary, and the citrusy taste of the lemon. The garlic completes the overall flavor of the sauce.

This is an excellent week day meal for the family and equally impressive for a gathering of friends or potluck. The vegetables being added along with the rest of the ingredients saves you another step - you do not have to worry about preparing any side dishes. Plus the vegetables enrich the broth with their nutrients.

Slow Cooker Boozy Rosemary Chicken 

• 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breast
• 1 cup beer
• 2 rosemary twigs, leaves chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 3 large potatoes, into 1 inch cubes

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

Slow Cooker Cincinnati Beef Chili

My husband and I are not natives of Pittsburgh, PA.  We moved here in the early 1990's.  He is from Wisconsin while I am from the Philippines originally. It is delightful for us to hear stories, customs, ways of saying things and serving dishes unique to Pittsburgh. We had the opportunity to have this experience when we listened to native Pittsburghers, Joe and Kevin together with their wives A and Bernie swap stories of their childhood during the 250 Club banquet we attended.  Joe particularly recounted how they ate certain foods growing up.  For example he used to dig out the dough from crusty bread so he can stuff more meatballs into them.  Kevin mentioned a certain pizza parlor that served cold pizza.  There is one story that intrigued me and that is how Joe's family made their chili.  To bulk it up to feed 8 children, his mother added elbow macaroni.  He thought all chilis were made with this pasta. He was surprised to know when he started traveling to other parts of the country they lacked those little noodles.

I googgled for a recipe of chili with elbow macaroni and ended on this website which gave four versions of a basic chili by adding ingredients that represent the different regions of the world. One of the versions is the Cincinnati Beef Chili.  I have heard of it when I stopped by an airport in Ohio but never had it.  Neither have I had the Pittsburgh version with the macaroni.  I decided to try the Cincinnati Beef Chili in the website since it is served with elbow macaroni on the side which is close enough to what I envisioned what Joe's mother prepared for him as a child.  The other ingredients that made me curious to try this chili are the white vinegar and cinnamon.  And so I prepared it.  I made it convenient by using my slow cooker.  Here is the recipe. By the way my picky taster, my husband, gave it two thumb up.  Try something different next time you make chili and use this recipe.  Delicious.

Slow Cooker Cincinnati Beef Chili

• 1 lb (or less) lean ground beef 
• 2 tsp dry onion flakes
• 2 tsp dry garlic flakes
• salt and pepper to taste,
• 1 can ( 15 oz) light red beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 oz)  black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 canful (15 oz) water
• 1 beef boullion
• 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 3 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, add at end of cooking.

Saute the ground beef with the dry onion flakes and dry onion garlic flakes, salt and pepper.  Transfer into the slow cooker bowl.  Add the other ingredients except the cooked elbow macaroni and mix.  Slow cook for 6 hours at low or 3 hours at high.  I slow cooked mine  for  2 hours using Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker using slow cooker setting.

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Slow Cooker Mu Shu Pork Ribs

Four Ingredients. Slow cooker. You have all you need for an easy stick on your ribs pork dish.  I never thought I would like the addition of ground cinnamon to hoisin sauce but they are made for each other.  The spice gives the resulting sauce a smoky flavor but different from what cumin or coriander imparts.  Your family might remark "what is that" and might guess it.  My husband though find it is out there but I did not and I can be picky too.  It is pleasantly delightful to the palate.

I adapted this recipe from this website where they used the ingredients for their Mu Shu Beef Apple Wraps. I serve this over rice but you can certainly follow the example of this website and use it for Mu Shu Pork Wrap.  This is an easy comforting dish to prepare to warm your tummy and heart these fall days.

Slow Cooker Mu Shu Pork Ribs

• 3 lbs boneless pork ribs (or any other cut of pork)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp honey

Combine the ground cinnamon, black pepper, hoisin sauce and honey in the slow cooker bowl and mix. Add the pork ribs and coat with the mixture.  

Slow cook on high for 4 hours or on low setting for 8 hours.  I cooked mine in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.

Serve over rice and your choice of steamed or stir fried vegetables. 

Slow Cooker Beef Mechado

This is the Filipino version of beef stew.  The beef is simmered in tomato sauce, tomato paste and onions. Vegetables like potatoes and green or red peppers are added.  I used the recipe given to me by my sister Bebeng, an excellent cook.  She came over for a visit this past August and she prepared this dish for my grandson Luca's baptism.  For flavoring, my sister uses soy sauce, fish sauce and Worcestershire sauce. She also adds bay leaves and whole peppercorns, commonly used in Filipino dishes with Spanish origin.  Note water is not added at all during the cooking process whether done on the stove or in the slow cooker.  

My sister Bebeng.

                                       

My sister Bebeng's Beef Mechado she prepared for Luca's baptism.

I thought Beef Mechado would be a good slow cooker dish since it requires slow cooking step.  Except for the initial sauteing of the onion, garlic and beef, the rest of ingredients are dumped in the slow cooker with them and what would have been slow cooking on the stove under watchful eyes the slow cooker does the rest.  My sister loves to add canned whole button mushrooms.  I did not have any and had just bought fresh whole ones on sale which I used instead.

This is one of my favorite Filipino comfort food.  You will also fall in love with it once you tasted it over rice especially.  The sauce is delicious and will wash away your woes at the end of the day.  It is an excellent party dish also.  With the slow cooker method  this is a cinch to prepare and serve.

My other sister, Menchie, myself and Bebeng at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh.

At the Royal Botanical Garden in Canada.

At Flowers in the Attic at Penn Hills, PA.  

Slow Cooker Beef Mechado

• 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1-15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1/2 tbsp whole Peppercorn
• 8 oz whole mushrooms
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow or red pepper, sliced
• 4 small potatoes, cut into large cubes

Saute the onions, garlic and beef in vegetable oil till beef is browned.  Place the mixture in the slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients.

Slow cook for 4 hours at high setting or 8 hours at low setting.  I cooked mine in an Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.

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.  

Slow Cooker Barbecue Honey Glazed Pork Ribs

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I love glazed ribs especially the ones they serve at the Fortune Star Buffet at the Miracle Mile Mall in Monroeville PA. This one in this post comes close. It was conveniently prepared in the slow cooker. I actually adapted the recipe from the one my daughter used for chicken wings. She obtained it from BuzzFeed where oven baking was used twice in the procedure. This recipe uses a one step dump and forget it approach and it worked.

The ribs were tastefully coated with the sauce and I did not feel the need to bake it to caramelize the glaze though one could. The gooey honey barbecue mixture was thickened by the flour spice blend and successfully stuck to the ribs.  This is an easy delicious recipe for a family gathering or a large crowd.

Slow Cooker Barbecue Honey Glazed Pork Ribs

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 lbs country pork ribs (I used boneless)
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup honey

Mix the flour, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Dredge the ribs in the flour spice mixture. Place the ribs in the slow cooker. Add the barbecue sauce and honey. Cook for 3 hours at high or 6 hours at low. I cooked mine in an Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting 

Slow Cooker Shoyu Chicken

I adapted this recipe from the one found in the Allrecipe website.  It used pork belly instead of chicken and entailed an additional step of boiling the pork first. This recipe is an easier one using chicken instead. No initial boiling needed.  As the site mentioned the proportion of sugar to the other ingredients is perfect. The chicken with the sweet and salty sauce is amazing with rice.  Simple and delicious.

Slow Cooker Shoyu Chicken

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp ginger powder
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1.5 lb chicken legs

Place all the ingredients except the chicken in the slow cooker and mix. 

Place the chicken over the sauce.

Cook for 3 hours at high setting or 6 hours at low. I cooked mine for 2 hours in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker at slow cooker setting.

Serve over rice.

Slow Cooker Creamy Mustard Chicken and Sausage

I just came back from a trip to Las Vegas and stayed at the Caesar's Palace hotel.  The buffet in this hotel is legendary for its size and the long wait.  We paid an extra twenty five bucks to escape the long wait which was more than two hours at peak hours.  We still waited a good fifteen minutes or so.  Was it worth it?  I expected too much from the hype my son-in-law built up so I would just say it was OK but I will not do it again for 75 dollars.

Caesars Palace buffet

Mussel dish I fell in love with

There was one dish that I liked best at the buffet and it was the mussel dish the exact name I do not have.  It was creamy and I tasted a hint of mustard but I could be wrong.  I did not have mussels but I have chicken so off I went searching in the web for a creamy mustard chicken dish and landed at the bakeaholicmama website with a recipe I adapted this dish from. I could not get that creamy mustard craving off my mind.

I did not have chicken breasts and substituted chicken legs for it.  For the sausage I used jalapeno cheddar smoked sausage.  I also did not use grainy mustard but just plain yellow mustard you used for your hot dogs. And yes I decided to go low brow and used beer instead of wine. I increased the proportion of mustard to the rest of the ingredients and also that of the salt as was suggested in the original recipe.

This dish is creamy from the cream cheese and tangy from the mustard.  The smokiness of the sausage helps enhance the overall flavor of the dish and the jalapeno in the smoked sausage gives it a hint of spiciness.  It is a good and delicious dish to serve to your family and excellent for potlucks.  Who could resist chicken and sausage swimming in creamy sauce?

Slow Cooker Creamy Mustard Chicken and Sausage

Adapted from bakeaholicmama

• 1 1/2 lb chicken legs
• 4 pieces jalapeno cheddar smoked sausage (or any smoked sausage or kielbasa), sliced
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup beer or wine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 onion, diced

Mix the cream cheese, chicken broth, beer, garlic, mustard and salt in a bowl till well blended.  

Place the chicken legs and sausage pieces at the bottom of the slow cooker.  Place the sauce mixture and diced onion on top of the chicken and sausage.

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

You can add frozen green peas at the end of cooking if you like.  Serve over rice or pasta.  Garnish with green onions.

Slow Cooker Beer Chipotle Green Chilies Pulled Pork

This was a hit with the end users shown below.  I visited my friend Seville and Bob and I brought this dish to their house.  They and their guest Rosie who was staying with them like me for the APAMS 2016 meeting gave the dish two thumbs up.

I just placed all the ingredients in a crock pot the day before I drove to my friends' house. I then froze it and brought it frozen in the car during the four hour drive.  I  placed it again in the freezer until the next day when I thawed it in the fridge and heated it on the stove for our dinner.

Note the number of ingredients!  Just five of them and they are all pantry items you can pack with you in case you prefer to cook this at your destination.  You can bring along frozen pork butt or buy it when you get to the place you are staying.  You can then place it in the slow cooker and forget it as you go about talking to your friends or sightseeing.

I prefer this on crusty bread that has been spread with mayonnaise and lined with roasted red pepper from a jar. You can also eat this over rice. This is delicious with that hint of spiciness as you bite into the dish either on rice or on a crusty bread.  Try it.  It is so easy to prepare.

Bob is entertaining us with his stories.  I wish he would get to the point.  ha ha ha.

Seville came later to savor the dish.

Rosie looks so full, doesn't she?

Slow Cooker Beer Chipotle Green Chilies Pulled Pork

• 2.5 lb pork butt
• 2 pieces of bottled chipotle 
• 1-10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup beer (I used Samuel Adams)

Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker.  Cook at high for 4 hours or at low for 8 hours.  I cooked mine in an Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 3 hours at slow cooker setting.

You can skim off the fat if you prefer after cooling.  

You can serve this over rice or as a pulled pork sandwich using a baguette spread with mayonnaise and lined with roasted red pepper from a jar.  

Slow Cooker Jalapeno Chicken Adobo

Once you are used to eating dishes with jalapeno, you will be adding it to even those you had in childhood that you would never dream adding it to.  I was eating the chicken adobo, an iconic Filipino dish, without the jalapeno slices and my tongue wanted something to spice it up.  So I reached for the bottle of jalapenos and dumped 2 tbsp of it to the dish.  In this recipe I instructed it to be added at the beginning.

However, if you have Chicken Adobo purists in your family, use the jalapeno as a side.  Or just don't tell them it is adobo. They will just wonder to themselves or aloud, "This tastes familiar.." while eating with gusto and you just smile.

Slow Cooker Jalapeno Chicken Adobo

• 3 lb chicken legs or thighs 
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp jalapeno slices from a bottle or more

Place all the ingredients in a crock pot. Cook at low for 6 hours or at high for 3 hours.  I cooked mine in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 3 hours at slow cooker setting.

Note:

I did not add water at all.  The chicken gives off enough juice so that all the chicken pieces will eventually be in the broth.