ASIAN BEEF WITH MANDARIN ORANGES

2 tbsp canola or olive oil

2 lb lean boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 small yellow onion, sliced thin
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 small green bell pepper, sliced
1 pkg (about 3-oz) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 head bok choy (approx. 5-oz), cleaned and chopped
1 can (5-oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 can (11-oz) mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained and syrup reserved
2 cups low-fat beef broth
6 cups steamed rice for serving

Heat oil in skillet and brown beef on all sides; transfer beef to crock pot.

Add onion to same skillet and stir over medium heat until softened. Add soy sauce, salt, ginger, bell pepper, mushrooms, bok choy and water chestnuts; cook until bok choy is wilted, approximately 5 minutes.  Spoon mixture over the beef in the cooker.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the reserved orange syrup. Stir in the beef broth and pour over other ingredients in the cooker.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low for 10 hours or on high 5 to 6 hours until beef is tender. Stir in the oranges.

Place 1 cup of rice in a bowl and ladle about 1 1/2 cups of the beef mixture over the rice per serving.

Yield: 6 servings

file photo

CURRY CHICKEN WITH MANGO AND RED PEPPER

6 skinless boneless chicken breast and/or thighs

Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
1 bag (8-oz) frozen mango chunks, thawed and drained
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, diced
1/3 cup raisins
1 shallot, sliced thin
3/4 cup reduced-fat chicken broth
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 thin slices fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1/4 tsp ground red pepper, optional
Fresh cilantro for garnish, optional

Rinse, dry, and season chicken with the salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot; add chicken and lightly brown each side. Transfer chicken to the crock-pot or slow cooker.

Add mango, bell pepper, raisins and shallot.

Combine remaining ingredients, except cilantro, in a small bowl and pour over the chicken.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours.

To serve, spoon mango, pepper, raisins, and cooking liquid over the chicken. Garnish with the cilantro, if using.

Yield: 4 serving
Per serving: Approximately 315 calories, 26g carbs (3g fiber), 40g protein, 5g (1 sat) fat

Crock-Pot Recipe and photo.

 

PEPPER STEAK

2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips

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

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.

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. 

 Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours. 

t from allrecipes years ago. 

This is a recipe and photo I got from allrecipes years ago.

CHEESE GRITS WITH CHILES AND BACON

3 strips bacon (pork or turkey)

1 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and minced (wear gloves when handling hot peppers!)
1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
1 cup grits (may be instant, stone ground, coarse or yellow)
4 cups low fat chicken broth
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Salt to suit your taste
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp finely chopped green onion (discard white part), for garnish

Fry bacon in skillet until crisp. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Cut two strips into bite-size pieces and place in slow cooker. Refrigerate the third slice for garnish later.

Leave 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings in skillet and discard the rest. Add the jalapeno pepper and onion to the skillet; cook, stirring, 1 or 2 minutes until onion is transparent. Add to the bacon in crockpot.

Stir the grits, broth, pepper, and salt into the cooker. Place lid on cooker and cook for 4 hours on low setting.

Stir in the half-and-half and the Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the green onion and the remaining bacon strip that has been crumbled over the top as a garnish.

Serve immediately while hot.

Yield: 4 servings

file photo 

HAM AND CHEDDAR BRUNCH STRATA

8-oz French bread, torn into small pieces

1 3/4 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup diced lean ham
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion (both white and green parts), divided
4 large eggs
1 cup fat-free half-and-half cream
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp ground red pepper

Coat slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Cut parchment paper to fit bottom of cooker and press into place. Spray paper lightly.

Layer ingredients in the following order:
bread
1 1/2 cups of the cheese
ham
all but 2 tablespoons of the onion

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, Worcestershire sauce and red pepper; pour evenly over the layered ingredients.

Cover and cook on low 3 1/2 hours or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn off heat.

Sprinkle the reserved cheese and onion over the top and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

To remove from cooker, run a knife or thin spatula around the edges to loosen, lifting the bottom gently. Invert onto a plate, remove parchment paper and invert again onto a serving plate.

Cut into 8 pieces to serve.

FILE PHOTO

FRUIT AND NUT BREAD PUDDING

16 slices firm-textured day-old bread

1 3/4 cup milk
8-oz mixed dried fruit, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 medium apple, cored and chopped
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Tear bread, with crusts, into 1 to 2-inch pieces; place into slow cooker. Pour milk over the bread. Allow bread to soak for 30 minutes. Stir in the dried fruit, nuts, and apple.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the bread mixture. Stir well to blend.
Place lid on cooker and cook on low setting 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Yield: 5 to 8 servings

file photo

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

3 (16-oz) emptied and cleaned vegetable cans

1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup buttermilk*
1/3 cup molasses

Spray cans and 2 side of three 6-inch-squares of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl combine flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in walnuts and raisins.

In a medium bowl whisk buttermilk and molasses until blended. Add mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. Spoon mixture evenly into the 3 cans. Place a piece of the foil, sprayed side down, on each of the cans. Secure foil with rubber bands or cotton string.

Place the cans in the cooker and pour boiling water into cooker until halfway up sides of cans. Do not allow foil tops to touch the water! Place lid on cooker and cook on low 4 hours or until skewers inserted into center of bread comes out clean.

Carefully remove cans from the cooker so as not to burn oneself. To remove bread, lay cans on their sides and roll, gently tapping sides of cans until bread comes loose. Cool bread completely on a wire rack.

*If you don't have buttermilk, you can make sour milk by putting 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into a 2-cup measuring cup and adding enough milk to make 1 cup. Let set for about a minute.

file photo

BEAN RAGOUT WITH CILANTRO-CORNMEAL DUMPLINGS

2 cans (14.5-oz each) tomatoes, chopped and juice reserved

1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (15.5-oz) pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15.5-oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 poblano chili pepper, seeded and chopped (wear gloves when handling)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp vegetable shortening
2 tbsp shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup milk

Combine tomatoes with juice, bell peppers, beans, zucchini, celery, poblano pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, and black pepper in slow cooker; mix together well. Cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours.

1 hour before serving, make the dumplings: Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder and remaining salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese and cilantro. Pour milk into the flour mixture and blend just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn slow cooker to high. Drop dumplings, 1 level tablespoonful at a time (large will not cook properly) on top of the ragout. Cover and cook 1 hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted into dumplings comes out clean.

Yield: 6 servings

FILE PHOTO

CREAMY TURNIP SOUP

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

1 1/4 lb medium turnips, chopped
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
4 thyme sprigs
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 thick-cut bacon slices
6 cups chopped turnip greens (about 1 lb)

Combine chicken stock, turnips, potatoes, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until vegetables are very soft, about 6 hours. Remove and discard thyme. Add cream and process soup using an immersion blender until smooth. If using a regular blender, remove center of lid to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over hole and process until smooth.

Just before serving, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in pan. Add turnip greens to skillet; increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted - about 3 minutes.

Crumble bacon.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon and greens.

my version of a SL recipe

BACON-RANCH CHICKEN PASTA

1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts

6 slices bacon, cooked and diced
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pkg (1-oz) Ranch dressing and seasoning mix
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water
8-oz spaghetti, cooked

Spray 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray; place chicken breasts in cooker.

In medium bowl, mix remaining ingredients except spaghetti. Pour over top of chicken.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 hours or on High heat setting 3 to 4 hours.

 

 When about 15 minutes are left, cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.

Just before serving, shred chicken with 2 forks, and toss creamy chicken mixture with cooked spaghetti.

 Betty Crocker Photo and Recipe