Paleo Crockpot Chicken and Veggies

Tags

chicken, crock pot, dinner, low carb, paleo, recipes, slow cooker

 

Love Love LOVE my Crock Pot!

 

I love a freshly cooked meal but I cannot stress enough the relief I feel when I come home after a long day and dinner is already done. Nearly every crock pot recipe I post, I praise my slow cooker for saving the day. Don’t get sick of it- i will never stop loving it. 

One thing I used to LOVE to make was “rotisserie” chicken in the slow cooker.  I’d let a regular chicken, rubbed with everything good, slow cook in the vessel for nearly a day. The chicken would FALL off the bone and even in some parts get a roasted looking skin- but- the parts of the chicken not all golden brown were swimming in their own juices making for one soupy chicken. It wasnt terrible. It just wasnt that roasted effect that I wanted. 

Normally, the solution to keep the chicken from swimming in juices would have been to stick foil wrapped potatoes in the bottom and them problem solved… but not wanting any potatoes I decided to just use balls of foil to prop the chicken up. And for bulk i added some celery and carrots.

The results were a complete dinner in one crock pot. The only job for the night was cleanup. 

Ingredients: (serves 4)

4 drumsticks (skinless)

4 thighs (skinless, bone in)

2 Tbsp of your favorite seasoning (i use a mixture of onion powder, garlic powder, italian seasoning and salt)

4 medium sized balls of foil

1 cup baby carrots

2 stalks of celery, sliced

Directions:

Using a large plate or bowl, arrange chicken in a single layer and generously apply your favorite chicken spices on each side of the chicken. set aside.

place the carrots and celery in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Place balls of foil on top.

arrange the chicken legs and thighs on top of the foil balls.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

The juiciest chicken ever.

And tons of tender carrots and celery that slowly cooked in chicken drippings.

Complete crock pot dinner? Check!

 

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

Tags

bbq, chicken, sandwich, slow cooker

 

Slow cooker to the rescue!

After checking the freezer to see I had No Room for anything new, I decided to go on a grocery shopping detox. There were so many things waiting in the freezer for emergency dinner fixes. I figured that clearing the contents of the freezer and fridge would be a great way to challenge myself to use what i had on hand.

A bag of chicken breasts, a bottle of BBQ sauce, and a few frozen heroes and we had dinner!

Ingredients:

1 lb of boneless chicken breasts

1 16 oz bottle of your favorite bbq sauce

4 multigrain hero rolls

Place the chicken in the slow cooker and cover with bbq sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6 hrs.

Carefully remove the chicken from the vessel and shred with a fork. If you like, you can add a little of the sauce to make it super saucy. I dumped quite a bit of sauce onto the chicken…i have zero regrets. 

I placed a good amount of chicken into the heroes and served them alongside some crisp coleslaw.We are suckers for BBQ. Would def use pork next time for some awesome pulled pork sliders but this was fantastic because we had everything on hand to make a brilliant and EASY dinner!

 

Slow Cooker Paleo Oxtail Stew over Cauli-Smash

Tags

dinner, oxtail, paleo, slow cooker, stew

This recipe is, hands down, on my top 5 list of great paleo dinners. It was one of my favorites BEFORE paleo, so finding out it was totally paleo made this baby a regular rotation in our meal plans.

Stewed oxtail is really easy to make and has a lot of great flavor- the only change in the recipe was what to serve it with. Traditionally, we would serve this over white rice, but I opted for a cauliflower puree.

It made for a fantastic substitution that was not only delicious, but it was filling and low in calories.

I used this recipe from my archives to make the oxtail, only after browning all the meat, put everything in the slow cooker.

To make the cauli smash, all you need is:

1 head of cauliflower

2 heaping T grass fed butter or ghee

salt

Directions: cut up cauliflower into florets. Boil cauliflower until fork tender. Drain. Place florets into food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Add butter and salt.

Serve.

 

This was the most wonderful comfort to come home to! Didnt feel or taste like “diet” food at all- and even BR loved it!- Especially the cauli smash.

Slow Cooker Korean Beef Stew

Tags

beef, crock pot, kimchi, korean, slow cooker, spicy

My absolute weakness is korean food. Something about the sweet spicy combo, and red pepper paste, and kimchi that make my heart flutter. There is even a Korean take out place near my apartment that makes kalbi burritos that weaken me. I know the addiction is serious when i log on to seamless and even after 2 months of low carb eating, they still recommend my old favorite.

I came across this recipe while catching up on my blog reader. The day I saw it, i bookmarked it and then, because i couldnt contain the craving any longer, placed an order for that lovely spicy kalbi burrito.

LK, from Healthy-Delicious is not only a good friend of mine, but is a boss in the kitchen. From her unique creations and trusted palate to her knack for taking the most photogenic pics of her food, this lady knows food. So, when i saw her recipe for spicy korean tacos, i had to add the recipe to my rotation for that week. With some helpful tips from her I was able to recreate this dish at home, in the slow cooker. 

Her original recipe would not have made nearly enough sauce for a slow cooker dish so I quadrupled the sauce and had amazing results. Cuz LK is a boss!

Her original recipe can be found here.

The slow cooker method yielded amazing results. Using Chuck beef is not only affordable but probably the best bet as its high fat content makes the beef practically melt in your mouth after a long and slow cook. My only regret is not making more.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chili-garlic sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 lb chuck steak, cut into cubes

Prepare the slow cooker by combine all the ingredients in the vessel and making sure to stir it so that everything is mixed together. Set the cooker on low for 8 hrs.

I was so looking forward to coming home to this dish. When i came home, the air was saturated with the inviting aroma of the spicy korean beef. I prepared some white rice in my rice cooker and waited 30 agonizing minutes before digging in. 

The sauce is KILLER. The perfect amount of spicy, sweet, and salty- and the beef was cooked to perfection. It literally melted in my mouth. For good measure, I served this alongside some store-bought kimchi. While the photo doesn’t depict the proper way to eat this, i prefer to mix everything up and eat it with lettuce cups. The only thing missing was the red pepper paste that I get by the bucket when I dine at Korean restaurants.

LK, this recipe is a real winner! I cannot wait to revisit, but with even more of that delicious sauce! And while this recipe fed BR and I with a little leftovers, there were not nearly enough leftovers to make substantial lunches… but there is always  next time!

Slow Cooker Paleo Pulled Pork over Cabbage with Sweet Plantains

Tags

crock pot, dinner, healthy, pernil, pulled pork, recipes, salad, slow cooker, sweet plantains

If you are new here, welcome! If you are a seasoned visitor, you know how much I love and use my slow cooker. It was one of the first appliances I ever purchased for my apartment. I loved my slow cooker so much I upgraded it and didn’t have the heart to get rid of the first- so I have two. And I have zero regret over it.

I find the slow cookers to be very versatile and a true life saver.

As promised, since I have completed my initial 30 days on Paleo, I am sharing some paleo and some non paleo dishes. This particular dish is paleo. And was so comforting on a pretty painful day. I had had several injections in my lower back to treat some back pain and knowing this was already in the slow cooker comforted me and really took the pressure off getting dinner on the table.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Over Raw Cabbage Slaw and Sweet Plantains (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork shoulder (about 3-4 lbs) trimmed of visible fat/skin

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 head of cabbage, sliced into thin strips

2 ripe plantains, sliced into 1/2 inch slices pieces

Directions:

The night before cooking, season the pork shoulder liberally with onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker vessel covered and allow to sit overnight. When ready to cook, place the slow cooker vessel in the base and cook on low for 8-10 hours. No need to add water. No need to add anything.

After the desired cooking time is reached, turn off the slow cooker. Using a fork or tongs, shred the pork. It should shred effortlessly! There will be a liquid in the slow cooker, use this liquid to keep the pork nice and moist.

Once the pork is shredded, prepare the cabbage slaw by slicing the cabbage thinly. Set aside.

Prepare the sweet plantains by either frying, boiling or baking. I fried them in coconut oil for 2-3 minutes on each side over a medium-low heat.

 

 

 

In a bowl, or a plate- whichever you choose, serve sliced cabbage and plop a heaping spoonful of pulled pork and all its juicy glory on top of the cabbage. The drippings from the pork act as a sort of “dressing”. Serve some sweet plantains on the side to make up for the lack of rice and beans that would naturally go with this kind of meat.

We dug into this and loved it. Its filling and it makes enough to freeze half and still have lots of leftovers (unless there’s more than just you and your significant other).

This dish is paleo and you dont have to be on the paleo diet to enjoy it. Its healthy and delicious… oh and easy too- thank you slow cooker!

Slow Cooker: BBQ Beef Short Ribs

Tags

comfort food, dinner, easy, ribs, short ribs, slow cooker

I swear if all I ever cooked were ribs and chicken wings, BR would be a happy man.  Not to say that he is unhappy with my cooking…he is just especially happy when ribs or chicken wings make an appearance on the dinner table.

I was feeling particularly in the mood for fall off the bone ribs and decided to make an oldie, but goodie. BBQ Short ribs in the slow cooker. This recipe is ridiculously easy.

– 2-3 lbs short ribs

– your favorite seasoning- I use salt, onion and garlic powder

– 1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce

Place the seasoned ribs in the slow cooker and pour entire contents of bbq sauce over ribs. No extra liquid needed. Cover. Cook on low for 7-8 hrs.

BR was over the moon! The ribs were extremely tender and flavorful.

I served it alongside some CSA sweet summer corn that I roasted with a little Mrs. Dash (love that stuff). There was no talking during this dinner.

It was a big hit.

I could say more but its so unnecessary- this is easy, delicious, and comforting. Just so we are clear- it’s not a healthy one but every one deserves to indulge every now and then, right?

Crock Pot Turkey Picadillo

Tags

crock pot, recipes, slow cooker, stew

I feel like the weather is making a permanent shift towards fall. With more and more “summer” days feeling like the beginning of fall, dusting off the crock pot felt like the thing to do. I cannot stress enough how much I love coming home to dinner that is already cooked.

I had bookmarked this spanish comfort dish a while ago and was craving something comforting. Gina’s crockpot picadillo fit the bill perfectly.

Gina’s recipe called for lean ground beef but I subbed it for turkey because its what I had on hand. For the full recipe, please see her recipe here.

But I made a few tweaks:

• 2 1/2 lbs 93% lean ground beef ground turkey
• 1 cup minced onion
• 1 cup diced red bell peppers
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup alcaparrado (manzanilla olives, pimientos, capers) or green olives (and some of the olive brine)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder (I increased it to 1 tsp)
• 2 bay leaves
• kosher salt and fresh pepper, to taste

Browning the meat on the stovetop and then adding all the ingredients to the slow cooker to simmer on low for 8 hours resulted in a unique stew.

My apartment was filled with the spicy turkey chili (of sorts) and just needed the addition of a little fluffy white rice. It so reminded me of a dish my mother used to make when I was little. I like this recipe because its easy to assemble and the slow cooker does all the work. This recipe also made plenty to share/freeze. My mom was extremely grateful for the easy dinner.

Hoping the summer comes back at least once before labor day! Mama needs a pool day!

Meat Free Monday: Slow Cooker Snobby Joe

Tags

dinner, lentil, meat free, recipes, slow cooker, snobby joe, vegan, vegetarian

A few years ago, I discovered a love for lentils. I discovered my lentil love when I attempted a lentil sloppy joe recipe. Aside from not having any meat in it, it really tasted like those delicious and oh so messy joes from the middle school cafeteria. Only these were lean and healthy (but just as, if not more, messy).

I’ve made this recipe before but to save time, I decided to use the slow cooker. It worked out really well!

Ingredients (serves 6-8 ppl)

1 cup of dry lentils (+ 4 cups of water to boil)

1 bell pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup of tomato paste

1 tsp mustard

3 tablespoons of maple syrup

3 tablespoons of chili powder

1 tsp salt

Optional: kaiser rolls

1. Prepare all the ingredients the night before and set in the fridge. In the morning, set the slow cooker on low and allow to cook for 8-10 hrs or 5 hrs on high. (the night before trick is helpful as the soaking of the lentils allows them to be tender and fully cooked at the end of the 10 hrs)

When ready to serve, lightly toast a kaiser roll and place a cup of snobby joe mix onto roll.

I served with oven fries.

These were great. They were quite messy as one would imagine. They were also really flavorful. I might have been a tad sneaky by not telling BR these were meatless. But he loves lentils and loved this dish. The lentils are very filling so a little bit goes a long way. I ate the leftovers chili style with bread for dipping and sopping.

This freezes well too!

Slow Cooker: Clean Beef Stew

Tags

beef, beef stew, clean, dinner, healthy, recipes, slow cooker, stew

At times eating right can be a challenge. With all the foods out there that taste so damn amazing, getting back to the basics can feel like a challenge. Like, what did people eat before white rice? Have you ever sat down to that steaming bowl of white fluffy rice and craved something else instead? I know I don’t. And when I make the decision to use brown rice or some other whole grain, it feels like a chore because nothing beats that bleached starchy goodness.

And when I sit down and over think it, I decide to challenge myself. I started looking up paleo recipes and clean recipes and realized that its not all that different from the foods I love, minus a few things. There is nothing like lean protein with tons of hearty root vegetables. The beef stew that I fell in love with was an autumn stew, but comfort like this knows no specific season. So, there.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• 1 lb / 454 g extra lean stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ lb / 113 g low-sodium turkey bacon
• 1 cup / 240 ml chopped onion
• 2 cups / 480 ml low-sodium beef broth
• 2 cups / 480 ml apple cider
• 1 lb / 454 g diced white potatoes
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 1½ cups / 360 ml diced rutabaga
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml dried rosemary, crumbled
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml freshly chopped parsley or dried parsley flakes (optional)
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml whole wheat flour

Preparation

Cook beef, turkey bacon and onions in a large skillet on medium heat until the beef is browned and bacon is cooked.

Place in the slow cooker: beef, onions, bacon, onions, broth, apple cider, potatoes, carrots, celery, rutabaga, bay leaf, rosemary, pepper and parsley, if using. Cover and cook 7-9 hours on low.

Combine flour with 2 Tbsp / 30 ml cold water to form a smooth mixture. Stir into mixture in slow cooker and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Serve.

I served this over some garlicky quinoa and ripe slices of avocado. This was amazing. I was a little unsure about cider in a beef stew but it really worked and gave the sauce a nice depth of flavor. As for the quinoa, it really didn’t hold up in the stew like rice, but I love the texture of quinoa so it was still tasty. And, avocado? always a win.

Meat Free Monday: Vegetarian Chili

Tags

meat free, slow cooker, vegetarian

Whoa! Has it really been that long since my last post?!?

While enjoying a nice happy hour over some wings on Friday night, my coworker Dan told me I was slacking on the posts. He was right. I have been slacking. Sorry!

I recently took the Graduate Record Exam as part of the application process to grad school. As an undergrad, I graduated with honors and thought this standardized test would be a piece of cake. I studied with my Kaplan guides and took lots of practice exams. The practice exams were going well and on the day of the exam, I flopped. Like flopped it. I was so upset. And after so many days with my nose in the books, I felt so unprepared. But, I still have a chance at grad school and I have faith that I will make it in!

Sometimes BR gives me some ideas for the menu planning. I mean, considering that we now live together (surprise!) he gets to put his two cents in every now and then. He had the brilliant idea of incorporating more veggie dinners into our plans. With a  slight chill in the air these days, I felt like making a chili.

One of the best veggie chilis that I have had contains zero soy and is super filling comes from Hungry Girl. Dan Good Chili. A chili that can be thrown together in an instant or in a slow cooker. Its healthy, its filling, and its delicious.

4 1/4 cups canned tomato sauce
1 cup canned diced tomatoes with green chilies
3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup canned jalapeno slices, chopped
1 cup canned sweet corn kernels, drained
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 3/4 cups chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Optional: salt

Directions

Place the tomato sauce, tomatoes, jalapenos, chili powder, and cumin in a large pot slow cooker. Stir over low heat. Once the mixture is heated, stir in the garlic and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
Add carrots and continue to cook over low heat. Meanwhile, over medium heat, cook onions, peppers, and mushrooms for 3 to 5 minutes in a large pan with just 1/2 cup of water (and some salt if desired). The onions and peppers should still be a little crunchy. Using a slotted spoon to drain any excess water, and the veggies to the pot.
Add beans, corn, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Mix Well. Everything should now be in the pot.
Cook on low heat for about 2 8 hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so. Chili is done when carrots have lost their crunch.
Makes 10 servings.

Each 1 cup serving is 147 calories, That’s a hell of a bargain. I served this over fluffy white rice and topped with sour cream and shredded cheddar.

A great freezer friendly meal, and nearly effortless to put together.

We liked the meat free night… but we are true carnivores!