CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

I never make corned beef and cabbage as I love cabbage but without the corned beef. Since several of you start looking for corned beef and cabbage recipes as we lead up to Saint Patrick's Day (Yes, I know it is August. This is a repost for a friend.) I thought I would post this recipe that was sent to me.

2 lb. corned beef

2 T. brown sugar

1/4 C. water

1 small head cabbage, chopped

How to make this recipe

First you need to Remove and toss the "pickling spice" packet that comes with the corned beef, 

rinse the meat then coat all over with the brown sugar, placing any extra sugar that falls off in the bottom 

of a 4 quart crock pot. 

Second step : Pour the water in the bottom add the meat, cover & cook on low for 8 hours. 

Third step : Add the chopped cabbage and cook for 1 more hour. 

finally : Let the meat rest a few mins before slicing.

I believe my friend got this recipe several years ago from the blog deliciousrecipesforyou.

TOMATO BASIL TORTELLINI SOUP

2 Tbsp oil

1 med onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (28-oz each) crushed tomatoes, do not drain

1 carton (32-oz) vegetable broth

1 Tbsp sugar (I suggest you omit, we eat too much added sugar)

1 tsp dried basil

1 bay leaf

3 pkg (9-oz each) refrigerated cheese tortellini

3/4 cup half-and-half cream

Shredded Parmesan cheese and minced fresh basil

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots, cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Transfer to a 6-or7-quart slow cooker. Add tomatoes, broth, sugar (if using) and spices. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours or until veggies are tender.

Stir in the tortellini and cook, covered, on high15 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in the half-and-half until heated through. Discard the bay leaf.

To serve, place in serving bowls and garnish with the Parmesan and fresh basil.

Yield: 18 servings of 1 cup

Per serving: 214 calories, 7 g (3 sat) fat, 23 mg cholesterol, 569 mg sodium, 32 g carbs (9g sugar, 4g fiber), 9g protein

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat

recipe and photo from TOH

BEEF AND PARSNIP STROGANOFF

 

1 beef bouillon cube

3/4 cup boiling water
1 lb beef round steak, trim off fat
nonstick cooking spray
2 cups cubed and peeled parsnips
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise then cut into thin slices
3/4 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp sour cream
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp chopped parsley
4 ounces uncooked wide noodles, cooked and drained

Dissolve the bouillon cube in the boiling water.

Cut steak in half lengthwise then cut each half into 1/2-inch strips.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with the nonstick cooking spray and heat over high heat. Add the beef strips and cook, stirring, about 4-5 minutes until meat begins to brown. Transfer the beef and juices to a slow cooker.

Spray same skillet again and heat over high heat. Add the parsnips and onion; cook, stirring, until browned. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and pepper; cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add mixture to the slow cooker.

Whisk the water and flour together in a small bowl until smooth. Combine the mixture with the bouillon water; stir into the slow cooker until blended.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours until the beef and parsnips are tender.

Turn off cooker; remove beef and veggies with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Reserve the cooking liquid.

Blend the sour cream, mustard and cornstarch together in a medium bowl until smooth. Gradually add the reserved cooking liquid to the sour cream mixture stirring to blend well. Stir mixture into the beef and vegetables in the bowl.

Sprinkle with the parsley and serve over the hot noodles.

file photo for reference only

not this exact recipe

COLORFUL PEPPER STEAK

2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips

garlic powder to taste
3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
1 beef bouillon cube 
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large bell peppers (red, green or orange), roughly chopped or sliced
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt

1. Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.
2. Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

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SANTA FE BAKED BEANS

Here is a recipe I found at Kraft Foods several years ago that gives a little different take on baked beans. Hope you enjoy it, too.

1/2

cup  (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread

1

Tbsp.  (about 1/2 of 1-oz. pkg.) TACO BELL® Taco Seasoning Mix

1

Tbsp.  milk

1

can  (15 oz.) each dark red kidney, butter and pinto beans, rinsed

1/2

cup  barbecue sauce

1/2

cup  TACO BELL® Thick & Chunky Medium Salsa

1

small  each green pepper and onion, chopped

1

cup  frozen corn

6

slices  OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled

MIX cream cheese spread, taco seasoning mix and milk until blended. Combine all remaining ingredients except bacon in slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese mixture; cover with lid.

COOK on LOW 4 to 6 hours (or on HIGH 3 hours).

STIR in bacon.

Note: Really good served with some fresh chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice when serving.

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BEEF AND HOMINY STEW

1 large onion, chopped

1 3/4 lb boneless beef chuck, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (14.5-oz) petite diced tomatoes with chilies
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 can (15-oz) hominy, drained & rinsed

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the onion in the bottom of the cooker and place beef over onion; sprinkle with the salt. Add the bell pepper, carrots, celery, and garlic. Pour the tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the broth over all.

Place lid on cooker and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 hours.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup of broth. Stir mixture into the cooker during the last 15 minutes of cooking time. Add the hominy, replace lid and cook for that last 15 minutes.

Yummy served with tortillas and a salad.

Yield: 6 servings
Per serving: 274 calories, 8 g (2 sat) fat, 24 g carbs and 28 g protein

Note: This is a great carb to protein ratio for diabetics, too.

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CHILI VERDE

Note: don’t even think about skipping the step of reducing the sauce. It is absolutely essential to the flavor of the sauce! Just make sure to plan ahead – the roast takes 8-9 hours on low in the crock-pot (or 3-4 hours in the oven) and an additional 30 minutes to reduce the sauce.

Second Note: I forgot to mention that the leftovers freeze excellently. After the pork has cooled, I put it in a ziploc bag, freeze it, then take it out and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat on low on the stovetop or in the oven.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 5 pounds boneless pork roast, trimmed of as much fat as possible
• Salt and pepper for seasoning roast
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
• 1 (15 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
• 2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
• 2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 beef bouillon cube (or 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the roast into 3-4 large chunks. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper on all sides. In a large heavy pot, the oil over medium heat until the oil is shimmering and hot. Add the pork, being careful not to crowd the pot (brown the pork in shifts, if needed). Brown the pork on all sides until golden and well-browned, about 30 seconds to a minute on each side. Leave the roast in the pot and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Place the pork and garlic and onions in the slow cooker (read below for oven-roasting method). Stir in the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. After the roast has cooked for the allotted time, remove the roast. Shred it into bite-size pieces and set aside, covered with foil to keep warm. Pour the remaining liquid and ingredients from the slow cooker into a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove, and simmer vigorously over medium-low or medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking or burning, until the mixture considerably reduced and thickened. Add the pork roast and sauce back to the slow cooker. Stir to coat the pork with the sauce. Turn the crock-pot to low or high and allow the pork to heat through again. Serve with warm tortillas and desired toppings, such as sour cream, cheese, avocados, lettuce, tomatoes.
2. Oven-roasting Instructions: When beginning the recipe, make sure to use an oven-safe pot for the browning (such as a large enameled cast-iron pot). Follow the recipe up until the point of adding the pork to the slow cooker. Instead, keep the pork in the oven-safe pot. Add in all the other recipe ingredients plus 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine. Cover the pot and cook in the oven at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours. When finished cooking, remove the roast as directed in the above instructions. Follow the recipe to reduce the sauce.

Recipe Source: adapted from Erin at The Sister’s Cafe

PORK CHOP CACCIATORE

2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 lbs (1 1/2-inch) thick boneless pork chops
1 onion, halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
1 pkg (8-oz) fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 (28-oz) jar your favorite pasta sauce
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes, drained*
1/2 cup dry white wine, optional
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp dried basil
4 slices (or a slice for each chop used)  mozzarella cheese

*For a thicker sauce, cut tomatoes down to a 15-oz size can.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat; brown chops, turning once. Transfer chops to slow cooker.

Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium; add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until browned - about 6 to 7 minutes. Add mushrooms and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft. Mix in the remaining ingredients except cheese. Pour the mixture over the chops in the cooker.

Place lid on cooker and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

To serve, place a chop on plate, top with a slice of the mozzarella cheese and then cover with sauce. Serve with pasta, if desired.

Serves 4 to 5.

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CREAMY ITALIAN PARMESAN TOMATO SOUP

2 cans (14.5 oz each) Hunt's Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano

2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 carton (32 oz.) vegetable or chicken broth
½ cup (1 stick) butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups half & half
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, Italian seasoning and broth in a 5 qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. 

If you prefer a smoother soup, use an immersion blender or regular blender to process the soup (in batches, if necessary) until smooth. (If you used a regular blender, return the mixture back to the slow cooker.) About 30-45 minutes before serving, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly. Slowly add the half & half, whisking constantly. Cook mixture until smooth and thoroughly combined. Remove from the heat and add in the Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted. Add this mixture to the slow cooker and stir well. Cover the slow cooker and continue to cook an additional 30 minutes.

Personally, I just prefer buying the bread bowls but here is the recipe that came with the soup recipe so you can make your own, if you prefer.

For the bread bowls:
1 cup + 3 tbsp. warm water 
2 tbsp. olive oil 
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 tsp. sugar 
1 tsp. salt 
3 cups bread flour 
2½ tsp. active dry yeast 

To make the bread bowls:
Place ingredients in a bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the dough setting. 

When the cycle is complete, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape each piece into a ball. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled - about 30-45 minutes.

Bake at 400°F for 18-23 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Allow to cool. 

To serve: Cut off the top portion of the bread. Carefully hollow out the bowl leaving a ¼-inch shell. Fill the bowl with soup.

Note: Recipe and picture from www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com

CHICKEN CHILI WITH GREAT NORTHERN BEANS

2 cans (15-oz each) great northern beans, undrained

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts
1 can (10-oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 cup chicken broth (reduced-sodium is best to use)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
nonstick cooking spray

Spray inside of slow cooker with the cooking spray.

Place one can of the beans in the cooker and mash with the back of a wooden spoon until smooth. Add remaining ingredients to the cooker. Stir to blend.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

At the end of cooking time, remove the chicken pieces to a cutting board and carefully dice or shred. Return chicken to the cooker, stir to blend in well and serve.

Note: This is my version of a recipe I saw on Ready Set Eat.

SOUTHWESTERN POT ROAST

3 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed of visible fat

1 can reduced sodium beef broth
1 cup + 1/4 cup your favorite salsa (I used Pace Picante Sauce - mild. For South Beach Diet choose salsa with less than 2 grams sugar per serving)
steak rub or your favorite seasoning for steak to rub on meat before browning (I likeSzeged Steak Rub Seasoning)
1-2 tsp. olive oil for browning meat

Put beef broth in a small saucepan, removing any fat that has collected on top in the can. Boil until the broth is reduced to 1/2 cup.

While beef broth is reducing, trim all visible fat from chuck roast. You may need to cut the roast into several pieces to remove big pockets of fat. Rub pot roast on all side with steak rub (or your favorite seasonings for steak.) Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan (pans that aren't nonstick will give the best browning.) Brown roast well on all sides. Don't rush this step because browning provides flavor, and I think it's especially important in crockpot cooking.

When roast is browned on all sides, put pieces of meat in crockpot, arranging them in a single layer. Pour reduced beef broth into frying pan and use a metal turner to scrape off any carmelized bits from the browned meat. Add salsa and stir into broth, then pour salsa/beef broth mixture over pot roast.

Cook on high for one hour, then turn to low and cook 3-4 more hours, or until meat is very tender when pierced with a fork. (You could also cook for a longer time on low setting. If you don't have a slow cooker, cook in a heavy dutch oven on stovetop at lowest setting for 2-3 hours.) Remove meat from crockpot and pour sauce into small saucepan. (If there is a lot of fat on top of the sauce, spoon it off or use a fat separator to remove the fat. You may not need to do this if you did a good job trimming.) Put meat back into crockpot to keep warm, then add final 1/4 cup salsa to the sauce and simmer until reduced to about 1 cup.

To serve, slice meat across the grain and serve hot, with sauce spooned over the top. I also think this meat would be great served as a filling for tacos or burritos.

Note: Recipe and photo from Kalyn's Kitchen - remarks throughout the recipe are also hers

CHEESY POTATO SOUP WITH BACON

I would never make this soup as I wouldn't make anything with all that chicken broth (those of you who follow my blogs know I don't have anything to do with chicken) but I figured many of you might like this. It is a recipe I received from Kraft Foods, thus their products are named in the recipe.

4

cups  chicken broth

6

cups  potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

2

 celery stalks, diced

1

cup  chopped onion

1

tsp.  black pepper

1-1/2

cups  chopped OSCAR MAYER Fully Cooked Bacon

1

cup  light cream

1

cup  VELVEETA, cut into small cubes

1

cup  KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

6

oz.  plain Greek yogurt

4

Tbsp.  cornstarch

1/2

cup  cold water

PLACE chicken broth, potatoes, celery, onion and pepper into slow cooker. Cook on low for approximately 6 hours until vegetables are tender.

ADD bacon to the slow cooker.

COMBINE cream, VELVEETA cubes, cheese and yogurt in a saucepan on the stove. Cook over low to medium heat until hot.

POUR cheese mixture into slow cooker, stirring constantly.

COMBINE cornstarch and cold water in a separate bowl, mixing well. Slowly add to slow cooker. Cook 30 more minutes are serve.

3-INGREDIENT BARBECUE PORK

So easy and so good.

1 (3 to 4-lb) boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed
1 bottle (18-oz) barbecue sauce
1 (12-oz) can cola such as coke, etc

Trim pork and place in a lightly greased or sprayed 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the barbecue sauce and cola over the meat.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours or until the meat is tender enough to shred using a couple of forks.

Transfer meat to a cutting board and shred, removing any pieces of fat.

Skim any fat from the cooking sauce and stir meat back into the sauce.

Serve on buns or rolls with your choice of condiments.

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BBQ STEAKHOUSE CHILI

This is a recipe from Kraft Foods. While I do not usually promote brands, when I share a company's recipe I leave their product names in.

2

Tbsp.  oil

1

lb.  beef top round steak, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1

lb.  extra-lean ground beef

1

 onion, finely chopped

1/4

cup  A.1. Dry Rubs Bold Original

3

cloves  garlic, minced

2

cans  (15.5 oz. each) kidney beans, rinsed

1

can  (21.45 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

1

bottle  (18 oz.) KRAFT Hickory Smoke Barbecue Sauce

3/4

cup  KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

HEAT oil in large skillet. Add next 5 ingredients; stir. Cook 10 min. or until meat is evenly browned, stirring frequently. Transfer to slow cooker.

STIR in all remaining ingredients except cheese; cover with lid. Cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours (or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours).

SERVE topped with cheese.

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

2 cans (10-oz each) chunk chicken, drained

2 bricks (8-oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup ranch dressing
3/4 cup hot pepper sauce (ie Frank's)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4-inches pieces, for serving
1 box (8-oz) chicken-flavored snack crackers, for serving
Fritos or tortilla chips, for serving

Place chicken and hot sauce in a skillet and heat through. Stir in the cream cheese and ranch dressing; cook, stirring, until blended and warm. Mix in half the shredded cheese. Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, place lid on cooker and cook until hot and bubbly.

Serve dip with the celery and crackers or chips.

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ORANGE-CORIANDER LAMB

I have never cooked lamb (you know I am not much of a meat eater!) but I do get requests for it from time to time. This is a recipe that I obviously have not tried but I got it from a quite old Ladies Home Journal magazine, for those of you who are interested.

3 lb lamb stew meat
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup orange juice
2 onions, sliced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cups cooked couscous for serving
1/4 cup chopped mint for serving
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley for serving

Season the meat with the salt, pepper, and coriander.

Heat the oil in a large skillet; cook meat until browned on all sides. Tranfer meat to the slow cooker, discarding excess fat.

Add the orange juice to the skillet and simmer for a couple of minutes, scraping up the brown bits. Add to the cooker along with the onions; cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir in the vinegar.

Toss the couscous with the mint and parsley. Serve lamb over couscous.

Garnish with fresh orange segments, if desired.

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