MY SISTER'S COUNTRY-STYLE BARBECUED RIBS

I got this recipe from my sister over 50-years-ago. This makes some of the best ribs I have ever tasted. You owe it to yourself to try this recipe at least once.

4 lb country-style pork ribs
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
dash of cayenne pepper

Layer ribs in crock pot or slow cooker.

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomato soup (undiluted), vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, celery seed, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Whisk to blend well. Pour mixture over the ribs; cover pot and cook at medium setting for at least 8 hours. Skim the fat from the juices before serving.

 

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HASH BROWN LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

1 (32 oz.) bag frozen hash browns

1 (32 oz.) box chicken broth
1 (10 oz.) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated, plus extra for garnish
3/4 cup crumbled bacon, plus extra for garnish
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine hash browns, cheddar cheese, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, crumbled bacon and cream cheese in slow cooker.

Season with salt and pepper; use a spoon to break up cream cheese and mix things together.

Place lid on cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, stirring occasionally, or until potatoes are tender.

Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Garnish with rosemary and/or more cheddar cheese and bacon bits.

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ORIENTAL-STYLE POT ROAST

1 (3 to 3 1/2 lbs) beef chuck roast

2 tbsp canola or olive oil
1 can (16-oz) bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 can (5-oz) water chestnuts, drained, sliced thin
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch size pieces
1/4 cup cider or white vinegar
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp black pepper

Trim fat from roast and cut, if necessary to fit into slow cooker or crockpot. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown roast in the hot oil. Place meat in the cooker. Add the bean sprouts, water chestnuts, and bell pepper to the pot.

In a small bowl, stir together the the jam, vinegar, soy, garlic, salt, pepper, and ginger. Pour mixture over the meat and vegetables in the cooker. Cover the cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the meat and vegetables.

Skim any fat from the liquid in the cooker. Measure out two cups of the liquid. Return the meat and the vegetables to the cooker and replace the cover.

Sauce:
1 can (11-oz) mandarin oranges
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups reserved cooking liquid

Drain the oranges but reserve 1/4 cup of the juice. In a small saucepan, slowly blend the juice into the cornstarch; stir in the cooking liquid. Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the orange sections and heat through.

Place the meat and vegetables on large serving platter. Spoon some of the sauce over all. Serve with hot brown rice and the remaining sauce.

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CROCK-STYLE BEANS WITH HAM

1 lb dry navy beans

8 cups water
6-oz diced cooked ham
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp pepper

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, bring the beans and water to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Remove from the heat and allow to cool somewhat. Drain the beans, reserving a cup of the liquid.

In crock-pot, place the beans, cup of liquid, ham, onion, molasses, brown sugar, pepper and mustard. Cover and cook on low heat 12 hours.

file photo for reference only - not this exact recipe

CARROT CAKE WITH RAISINS

This recipe needs to be made in a 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker or crock-pot with a removable stoneware pot.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups coarsely shredded carrots
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preheat base of slow cooker/crock-pot to high. Spray the stoneware with non-stickk cooking spray. Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit in the bottom, insert, and spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg together.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the granulated sugar, oil, water, egg, and vanilla for 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add the flour mixture, and beat just until blended. Stir in the carrots and raisins. Pour the batter into the stoneware and place on preheated base. Cover the slow cooker with two double layers of paper towels; place lid on top. Cook until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Transfer the stoneware to a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around cake to loosen it from the stoneware. Invert onto the rack; remove wax paper. Allow to cool completely. Dust with the powdered sugar before serving.

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CROCK-POT LASAGNA

1 lb ground beef or chicken, browned and drained

1 jar (32-oz) spaghetti sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 box lasagna noodles

1 small carton ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Spray crock-pot with nonstick cooking spray or line with a slow cooker liner. 

Combine ground meat with the spaghetti sauce and tomatoes. Break 4 noodles in half and place in the bottom of the cooker. Cover with half the meat/sauce mixture, 1/2 the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese then repeat the layers ending with noodles.

Cook on low setting 5 hours or until noodles are tender. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

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CROCK-POT SWISS STEAK WITH CARROTS

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 to 2 lbs round steak, trimmed of fat
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup sliced onions
1 lb carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 can (14.5-oz) whole tomatoes
2 tsp Splenda brown sugar blend
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

In a pie pan or shallow bowl combine the flours, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Cut the steak into pieces to fit in the cooker and dredge in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet and brown meat on both sides; place meat in the crockpot or slow cooker. Add the onions and carrots to the cooker.
Combine the tomatoes with liquid, Splenda brown sugar blend, and Worcestershire sauce; pour mixture into cooker. Place lid on cooker and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high 3 to 5 hours.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Approximate per serving: 236 calories, 18 g carbs, 23 g protein

This file photo is for reference only. Not this exact recipe.

APPLE-PEACH SAUCE

This great-tasting fruit sauce is so easy to make in your slow cooker. And no worries about heating up the kitchen.

10 Macintosh apples, cored and chopped
4 fresh peaches, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Put fruit into a slow-cooker; sprinkle with cinnamon. Turn slow-cooker to high. Cover, and cook for 3 hours on high, then switch to low for 2 hours. Stir before serving. 

Notice there is no added sugar.

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DRUMSTICKS AND BELL PEPPERS

2 tsp canola oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3/4 tsp salt
1 (14 1/2-oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp fennel seeds
8 chicken drumsticks
2 cups orzo*

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer bell pepper mixture to crockpot or slow-cooker. Stir in tomatoes and broth.

Combine rosemary, fennel, and the remaining salt in large bowl. Add chicken; toss to coat. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to slow cooker and press down into the peppers mixture. Cover and cook until chicken and vegetables are fork tender. This should take 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low.

About 20 or 30 minutes before serving, cook the orzo according to package directions. Serve chicken and sauce with the orzo.

Yield: 8 servings
*This could be served with noodles, if you prefer.

LATIN-STYLE MEATBALL SOUP

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 lb ground lean beef
1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg
4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (15-oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14 1/2-oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray large, rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Set aside 3/4 cup of the chopped onion.

In a large bowl, combine beef, breadcrumbs, remaining onion, egg, 3 teaspoons chili powder, cumin, and salt to mix well. Form the beef mixture into approximately 30 meatballs. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

While meatballs bake, combine the reserved onion, bell pepper, corn, broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, and the last teaspoon of chili powder in the crock-pot or slow cooker. Stir in the meatballs, cover, and cook 4 to 6 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Approximately 20 minutes before serving time, add the zucchini to the pot. Cover and cook until tender.

Serve with the lime wedges.

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