Balsamic Crockpot Pork & Hot Pork Salad

Recipe Trial
So, for my first new recipe of the year I tried a recipe I found on my new addiction. Pinterest. I have to try those recipes too. But I will be getting to the ones floating around my kitchen on scraps of paper as well. I stayed pretty true to the original recipe but I added a few twists. Every kitchen needs a little tweaking going on. 

I buy these 4 packs of pork sirloin tip roasts at Costco. They are cheap but there are not a lot of recipes out there for them. Plus I ALWAYS need good crockpot recipes. I get tired of shredded Mexican pork.Don't you?

So I took this recipe http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/2011/09/slow-cooker-brown-sugar-balsamic-glazed.html from Six Sisters and turned it into this tasty moist pork dinner.

Their recipe called for ground sage and I used a poultry seasoning instead. I loved this pork. It's a KEEPER! The glaze is really sweet but amazing. 

But my favorite part of this recipe was the next day leftovers which I made into a hot pork and spinach mushroom salad topped with a fried egg. MMMM!. I heart leftovers. That recipe is below too.

Balsamic Crockpot Pork Roast

1 two to three pound pork sirloin tip roast or pork loin roast

1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Rub roast with poultry seasoning and salt. Add roast and water to slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Brush with glaze during the last hour of cooking time every 15 minutes.

For Glaze:

Combine glaze ingredients in saucepan and heat on medium heat until thickened. Reserve remaining glaze to pour over pork when served.

Hot Pork & Spinach Salad
(Salad for 2)

leftover pork roast cubed. (however much you want in your salad. I used about a half cup for 2 servings.)
1/2 TB olive oil
about 6 mushrooms sliced
3 cups fresh spinach
2 eggs
4 TB freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add sliced mushrooms and saute until they start to soften. Add 1 cup spinach and pork and saute until spinach is wilted and shriveled. Add remaining 2 cups of spinach and saute until slightly wilted but not shriveled. Some can still be crisp but warmed.

Remove from heat and plate for two people.
Add a little more olive oil to an and heat. Add eggs and fry until desired doneness. I like mine a little runny.
So delicious. So easy. And if I do say so myself, it makes this mom who works from home feel a little gourmet for lunch.

Crockpot Cherry Cobbler Pudding

This recipe could just be the poster child for crockpot cooking with your food storage. It is tasty and pantry friendly and an easy crockpot dessert. I have had these gem jars of canned cherries sitting in my pantry waiting for a recipe like this to come along and invite them to dessert.

This recipe came from another library cookbook find -- "Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes." What happens if you never return a book to the library. I am just asking, theoretically of course.

Enjoy the warm sweet comfort food of
Cherry Cobbler Pudding.

Mixture #1
3/4 Cup sugar
2 1/2 TB of margarine or butter
1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
3/4 Cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix #2
1 quart of cherries or two 16 oz cans and juice.
2 Cups sugar
1/4 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 Cup butter or margarine, melted

Lightly grease inside of slow cooker.

Mix #1 combine sugar and butter until crumbly. Add flour, milk, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Pour into crock-pot.

Mix #2: Combine all ingredients thouroughly until sugar is dissolved. Pour over mixture in croc-pot. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or until dough that has risen to top is solid. Serve warm.

Crockpot Peach Cobbler

Featured Food Storage: Canned Peaches, Flour, Sugar

Pantry Storage Suggestion: Cinnamon. The pantry storage suggestion is meant to be a little nudge to keep you thinking about how to keep your pantry stocked. Cinnamon is a great spice to stock up on. I buy it in bulk (cheaper) and refill my smaller canister when needed.

For my Thoughtless Thursday entry I bring you Crockpot Peach Cobbler. Don't forget to check out more crockpot recipes at Pots and Plots. Here is why I love this recipe. It is a dessert you don't have to worry about burning in the oven, which makes it perfect for pulling together right before Sunday nap time or errand running during the week. The original recipe called for frozen peaches but I have a ton of quarts of canned peaches to use up before this Fall's peach season. The canned peaches worked great. I so love my home canned peaches. I promise to give you my no sugar added recipe when I am in full peach canning mode.

CROCKPOT PEACH COBBLER

Makes 6 servings

2 quarts of peaches (3 to 4 cups) drained

3/4 Cup sugar

2 Tsp cinnamon, divided

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 Cup all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

6 TB butter, cut into small bits

Combine peaches, sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Place in crock pot. Combine flour, sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon in bowl. Cut in butter with fork until mixture forms small crumbs. Sprinkle on top of peach mixture. Cook on high for 2 hours or until golden crust forms.

TIP: Be careful not to let the edges get too black by letting it cook too long. It's a bugger to clean.

Herbed Crockpot Pork Chops and Cheesy Garlic Food Storage Potatoes

Featured Food Storage and Pantry: Cream of Onion Soup, home grown herbs, and Instant Potato Pearls

I have to admit pork chops in the crockpot is not my favorite way to prepare a chop. I do however think this recipe where the meat was falling off the bone had an interesting twist on the typical creamy crockpot pork chop recipe. And I had a busy day that made my slow cooker necessary. In the spirit of food storage I decided to try cheesy garlic mashed potatoes with instant just to see how it worked out. It definitely gave those instant potatoes a tasty kick. Of course they are not as good as the real spuds but they were pretty good for instant, which I use way more often than I should admit. I am a lazy mashed potato cooker.

Finally, I would like to encourage you to grow your own herbs. Fresh, or so called fresh herbs, in the store cost as much or more than buying the actual plant. I truly believe anyone, including the space challenged can find a corner on a patio, porch or in a window sill to grow their favorite fresh herbs. They continue to grow for many months and they do, dare I say it, add a little spice and flavor to your plain Jane pantry meals. I just barely used up the last of my frozen pesto from last year's basil crop. Oh, the possibilities are endless and the savings are worth it. This year I am growing sage, basil, thyme, tarragon, mint, oregano, chives, rosemary and parsley. You don't need a designated herb garden. I have them tucked everywhere; in my garden, my flower beds and my pots.

Recipe
6 bone in pork chops
2 Tbs mixed herbs, chopped ( I used sage, rosemary and parsley).
2 garlic cloves minced
1 Tb butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 Can cream of onion soup
1/2 Cup of Apple juice (I actually used an apple/mango juice)

Melt butter in a saute pan. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Mix herbs and garlic and rub on pork chops. Brown pork chops in butter for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until barely browned. Place pork chops in the crockpot and add soup and apple juice. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
For 6 servings

Instant potato pearls cooked according to package directions and desired consistency.
5 Cloves of garlic finely minced
1 Tb chives, finely chopped
1 Cup cheddar cheese

Saute garlic cloves for 1 to 2 minutes in 1/2 Tb olive oil or until slightly softened. Stir or whip garlic, chives and cheddar cheese into hot mashed potatoes and serve. Make sure your garlic is finely minced or you will be getting garlic chunks. Of course, maybe you like chunky garlic bits.

Crockpot Paella

Yep it's crock pot time again. This week for my entry to Thoughtless Thursday's at Pots and Plots I wanted to feature this yummy Paella recipe that I threw together in the crock pot. I know it's better to just use up all the cans and bags of regular rice I have piled in my food storage but I must admit I sometimes stock up on those preseasoned rice boxes when they are on sale. This recipe uses the Spanish rice boxes, and although I was short a box I substituted another flavor and some regular rice to make up the difference. Why am I spilling my haphazard cooking guts here? First, to explain any difference in appearance you may have with your results and second to prove that it's OK to fudge the ingredients with comparable items from the pantry. I did add the shrimp. I am a firm believer that Paella should have some seafood but you are certainly welcome to stick to the original recipe found below.

Tip: I used reconstituted dried green peppers that were prechopped. Once they were rehydrated I drained and used as normal peppers. These dried peppers are a new addition to my food storage and I wanted to see how they worked. They worked just fine in this paella. I bought them for a ridiculously low price along with some other dried herbs and spices from San Francisco Herb Company.

Paella
Recipe slightly altered from All You magazine.

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 lb chicken or turkey sausage, sliced diagonally
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves garlic
1 Cup green or red peppers chopped (I used 1/2 cup dried reconstituted to 1 Cup.
4 Cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 14 oz Can tomatoes
1 16 oz package of Spanish Rice mix (this is not those little boxes)
4 oz cooked ham, chopped
1 Cup frozen peas.
1 pinch saffron (optional)
1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
Salt to taste
1/2 lb shrimp (optional)
Cook sausage in 1 Tb vegetable oil over medium-high heat, turning until browned. Transfer to slow cooker. Add remaining 1 Tb vegetable oil to skillet and cook onion, garlic and bell pepper until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker. Add 1 Cup broth to skillet and turn to high heat. Bring broth to a boil stirring up browned bits. Pour into slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients except salt, peas and shrimp. Cook on low setting for 4 hours or until rice is tender. Stir in peas and cook an additional 15 minutes. Serve with cooked shrimp if desired.

I actually love this Paella for leftovers. I ate it for lunch for the next two days.

Crockpot Honey Whole Grain Bread

For Pots and Plots, Thoughtless Thursday roundup I decided to make my crockpot bread.

I have said it before; I am no bread baker master. But everytime I make this crockpot bread it is a success. Yes, it's round. But I get over that once I get my hearty homemade bread fix. Actually the round shape lends itself to huge pieces, each of which is enough for one sandwich when halved.

This bread is so easy to make. No kneading, no peeking under a towel to see how the iffy rising is coming along. I just mix it in my Bosch mixer and then pour it into a ceramic dish that fits in the crockpot. And 3 hours later: VOILA! Oh it's too easy.

This recipe comes from one of those supermarket stand crockpot recipe books, Slow Cooker Recipes I make one small change by adding dough enhancer.

2 Cups warm (not hot) milk (whole or 2%)
2 TB canola oil
1/4 Cup honey
3/4 tsp salt
1 package active dry yeast
2 tsp dough enhancer (optional)
3 Cups whole wheat flour, divided
3/4 to 1 Cup all-purpose flour. (I almost always end up using the full cup).

1. Spray with nonstick cooking spray a 1 quart casserole or souffle dish or other high-sided baking dish. In electric mixer combine milk, oil, honey, salt, yeast, dough enhancer, 1 1/2 cups wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Mix at medium low speed for 2 minutes.
2. Gradually add remaining wheat flour and 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup all purpose flour. Mix until completely combined. Unlike other bread recipes dough should remain sticky.


3. Transfer to prepared pan and add pan to slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours.


Remove from slow cooker and let stand for 5 Minutes before cooling on wire rack.

This week we had this bread slathered in melted cheese after a long night cheering at a little league game. Mmmm. Cheesy bread.

Crock Pot Chicken Fiesta

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best surprises. Beans, chicken, rice and tomatoes in the crock pot seems a little boring but it is a colorful and flavorful recipe for those rushed nights midweek. If your crock pot is one of your most well-loved kitchen appliances, I suggest checking out the Thoughtless Thursdays crock pot roundup this Thursday and every Thursday at Pots and Plots . I am going to try and participate in the Thoughtless Thursdays roundup frequently because Tuesdays and Thursdays are my baseball, gymnastics, violin lessons, Webelos Scout nights and therefore my crock pot is vital to my survival.

Fiesta Chicken adapted from The Rival Crock-Pot cookbook

1 Can (15 oz tomato sauce
2 Cans Petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can green chilies
1 C. Long Grain Rice
1 Can (15 oz) Chicken Broth
1 Can kidney beans, undrained
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts ( I used breasts)
1 packet of chicken or regular taco seasoning.

1. Combine tomato sauce, tomatoes, rice, broth, beans, chicken and seasoning in crock pot. Stir to blend.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.

This recipe would be ideal for the bagged recipes tip.

Monday Snack - Crockpot Applesauce

Last night I pulled out some homemade applesauce from the freezer. One bite and I remembered why I am never going back to the store bought stuff again. Applesauce is so easy to make and if you just happen to catch a killer deal on apples it is a great snack to stock up on. I freeze my applesauce but it can also be canned if you have a pressure canner. The trick to a good applesauce is of course the apple. Get the right apple and you don't even have to add sugar. I like gala, jonathons, or McIntosh for my applesauce. I just suggest an apple with sweetness and tartness. You can also combine varieties. I like to pair up a combo of Jonathons and McIntosh when it is apple season and I am buying apples by the box.

Here is my easy, and I mean so simple it is ridiculous, recipe.

8 apples, peeled cored and coarsely chopped
1/2 C water
1 tsp lemon juice (just to keep it from browning up too much)
Optional ingredients:
1/4 to 1/2 Cup sugar. (I tried my applesauce with sugar and it was way too sweet for me but experiment with your own favorite version)
Cinnamon to taste (I like a good cinnamon applesauce now and then.)

*Add chopped apples, water and lemon juice to crockpot (and sugar if you are using).
*Cook on high for 4 hours or low 6 to 8 hours until apples are tender and easily mashed.
*Stir in cinnamon during the last 15 minutes if using.
*Mash with a potato masher.
This makes about 8 servings. I freeze in freezer containers with 1/2 inch headspace.
Tip: My son loves his applesauce slightly frozen for a healthy sweet snack.

Red and White Chicken Chili in the Crockpot

I consider myself somewhat of a chili junkie. I would eat it way more often if my family didn't get sick of it. I do like to eat chili in all its varieties and this chicken version minus the tomato base got the thumbs up from the kids and I consider that a very good sign. It is also possible to stock every item for this recipe in your food storage or pantry. I also love this recipe because it easily fed my family of five with the added benefit of plenty of leftovers. The leftovers will make really great enchilada filling once I drain off some of the liquid.
Quick Pantry Tip:
I recently realized that while I was really good at storing kidney and black beans I had ignored some of the other yummy bean possibilities available, like garbanzo beans and northern beans and cannelinis. So while beans make a great pantry item, don't forget to stock some not so common varieties.

Red and White Chicken Chili Adapted from a Betty Crocker recipe

1/2 C. chopped onion
1 clove garlic (I used canned minced garlic)
2 Tsp ground cumin
1 15.5 oz can great Northern Beans
1 Can chopped green chilies, undrained
2 14 oz cans of chicken broth
1 quart or 2 large cans of canned chicken, shredded or broken into smaller pieces
1 C frozen corn or 1 can of corn
2 TB flour
1/4 C water

In crockpot, mix all ingredients except chicken, corn, flour and water.
Cover, and cook on low heat setting for 8 to 10 hours
Add chicken and corn to crockpot. In small bowl mix flour and water and stir into crockpot. Increase setting to high and cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until thickened. Serve with cheese or lime wedges if you wish.