Learning to Love the Crock Pot

I went back to work full time recently, and as expected, family dinners have suffered. It's not that my family isn't helpful. In fact, they've stepped up to the plate more than I anticipated. It's just that I used to pride myself on always having dinner on the table, and since I've been getting home at 6 or later, sometimes it's kind of slap dash and not always as balanced as I'd like. (Wow, that makes me sound like some kind of super mom -- my kids eat Fruit Loops for breakfast, don't be fooled)

So I bought this cookbook from Cooks Illustrated a few weeks ago, "The Make Ahead Cook," thinking it might help. And believe me, it has. Not everything is fabulous -- and it's a lot of work even making ahead, but at the very least, it's given me some new ideas. One of the best sections so far is the "Come Home to Dinner" section. The other night I made the Slow-Cooker Garden Minestrone and it was fabulous. I believe part of the great flavor came from the Parmesan rinds I'd saved and thrown into the pot -- but it was also the recipe. I wouldn't say everyone was voting make again on this, but it was a good hot nutritious meal (mitigating the Fruit Loops in the morning) and a great lunch the next day. Whether they said so or not, I'm going to make again.

Slow-Cooker Garden Minestrone

1 onion chopped fine
2 T. tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. olive oil
1 1/2 t. minced fresh oregano (1/2 t. dried)
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
7 c. chicken broth
1 c. cannellini beans (dried)

To finish:
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise, and sliced
8 oz. Swiss chard, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c. elbow macaroni
1 lb. tomatoes (cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
1/4 c. minced fresh basil

To Prep:
1. Microwave onion, tomato paste, garlic, oil, oregano, and pepper flakes in a bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened (about 5 minutes). Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth and beans.

To Cook:
2. Cover and cook until beans are tender, 9 to 10 hours on low (6 to 7 on high)

To Finish and Serve:
Stir in zucchini, chard, pasta, and tomatoes; cover and cook on high until vegetables and pasta are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in basil, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Mashed Potato Miracle

I LOVE mashed potatoes. My husband, not so much. I used to make them on the nights I knew he wouldn't be home, or slip them onto the table after baking cookies so my stock was high and I had room to cheat a bit. Since I've been back at work full time, I've devoted myself to at least cooking a real meal on Sundays. After scanning through a few issues of Cooks Illustrated that were sitting around the house, I saw the recipe below for Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes (cue the angel chorus) -- a miracle has happened. Everyone (including the boss) loved the mashed potoatoes! I can eat them once again!

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
from Nov/Dec 2014 Cooks Illustrated

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2" thick
1/2 t. garlic powder
4 T. butter
1 1/4 t. garlic, minced to paste
1 1/2 oz. Parmesan cheese (3/4 c.)
Salt and pepper
2/3 c. warm whole milk

1. Place potatoes in large saucepan and add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring water to simmer over medium-high heat. Adjust heat to maintain gentle simmer until paring knife can be slipped into tand out of center of potatoes with no resistance, 18 to 22 minutes. Drain potatoes

2. While potatoes cook, combine garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of water in small bowl. Melt butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in 1 t. garlic paste and garlic powder mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and golden, about 1 minute. Transfer butter mixture to medium bowl and thoroughly stir in Parmesan, 1 1/4t. salt, 1/2 t. pepper, and remaining 1/4t. garlic paste

3. Place now-empty saucepan over low heat; set ricer over saucepan, mash potatoes.
Stir in butter-Parmesan mixture until incorporated. Stir in warm milk. Season with salt and papper to taste. Serve immediately.

Nothing says holiday like Beaver Pond Farm Cheese Spread

When we got married, my future (and now current) sister-in-law solicited recipes from everyone on our invitation list and put together a cookbook for everyone who attended the wedding. I'm not sure anyone still has theirs, but I still have mine. And BY FAR, this recipe is one I use over and over again. We make the Beaver Pond Cheese Dip for every holiday -- we took it to Thanksgiving this year. It's become a family favorite for all.

Beaver Pond Farm Cheese Spread
1 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese or vermont cheddar
3/4 c. mayonnaise
3/4 c. Aunt Marie's Blue Cheese Dressing
Red pepper flakes
6 dashes hot red pepper sauce
1/2 c. parsley

Grate the cheese, mix with other ingredients and refrigerate, preferably overnight.

Chicken with Balsamic Fig Sauce

A friend at work suggested this recipe. She is a much more adventurous cook than I -- but I believe I should probably take her advice more often. This was universally loved (and I'll continue to make it as long as the kids eat it).

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped dried figs (such as Mission)

Preparation

Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm.
Reduce heat to medium; add butter to pan. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth, vinegar, soy sauce, and figs. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 1 cup (about 3 minutes). Add 1 tablespoon thyme and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut chicken breast halves lengthwise on the diagonal into slices. Serve sauce over chicken.

Roasted Cauliflower

I need to add this to the blog, because I've looked it up and cooked it several times. Almost everyone eats it here, so it's a good go-to veggie. I got it from SimplyRecipes -- a really good go to recipe blog.

Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

INGREDIENTS
1 head of cauliflower
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
Lemon juice from half a lemon
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese

METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Toss in the garlic. Sprinkle lemon juice over cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If the oven hasn't reached 400°F yet, set aside until it has.

2 Place casserole in the hot oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Test with a fork for desired doneness. Fork tines should be able to easily pierce the cauliflower. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

My sister Gretchen, who has worked full time for years now is a crock pot fan -- and told me about skinnytaste.com. I found this recipe there and the biggest, pickiest kid (i.e., the husband) not only told me that it was really good, but he went back for seconds during dinner! Mission accomplished.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups + cheese • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 260.9 • Fat: 6.6 g • Protein: 25.4 g • Carb: 29.9 g • Fiber: 6.7 g • Sugar: 4.1 g
Sodium: 572 mg (without salt)


Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups low sodium fat-free chicken broth
8 oz can tomato sauce
1-2 tsp chipotle chili in adobo sauce (or more to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish)
 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 8 oz skinless chicken breasts (16 oz total)
1/4 cup chopped scallions, for topping
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
fat free sour cream (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Pour into crock pot.

To the crockpot, add drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir. Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add chicken back into the soup, adjust salt and cumin to taste. Serve in bowls and top with fat free sour cream, cheese, scallions and cilantro. You can also top with avocado or crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Corn, avocado, and tomato salad with honey lime dressing

We went to the lake last weekend and stayed with my gourmet sister-in-law. She made a huge fajita spread for dinner that included my new favorite summer salad. I've already made it once for a potluck since we've been home and its on the plan for this week.

Corn, avocado, and tomato salad
3 ears of grilled corn
1 ripe avocado
1 pint cherry tomatoes sliced in halves

Honey lime dressing
4 T. Lime juice
2 T. Honey
2 T. Olive oil
1/4 t. Cumin
1/2 t. Salt
Combine

Cut the kernels from the corn, combine with cherry tomatoes and cubed avocado. Toss with honey lime dressing.