Tag: crock pot

Ground Turkey Shepherds Pie in the Crock Pot

Posted in RecipesTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Ever since I made my first corned beef and cabbage in the crock pot 10+ years ago, I’ve been hooked on slow cooked St. Patty’s fare.

With limited staples on hand, I decided to try my hand at this Shepherds pie recipe using ground turkey, baby Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots and broccoli. It turned out well! Luck of the Irish perhaps?

Untitled

First, prepare mashed potatoes using your preferred technique and scoop into a bowl so you can use the same pot for the meat to cut back on dishes. 

Brown ground turkey and 2 cloves of garlic, and then add the following:

  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 generous handfuls of sliced baby carrots (or 2 regular chopped carrots)
  • 1 cup frozen broccoli (or peas)
  • 1 cup broth (I used chicken)
  • 1/4 cup wine (I used white)
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Generous sprinkling dried thyme

Stir and simmer until liquid is almost fully absorbed. Add to a greased crock pot in an even layer and then spread the mashed potatoes over the top. Season with salt and pepper.

After cooking on low for about 3-4 hours, grate cheddar cheese over the top. Slainte!

Broth-Braised Crock Pot Pork and Noodles

Posted in BRAT friendly, Dairy-free, RecipesTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

New year, new kitchen quandaries! Rather than freezing four separate containers of homemade crab stock, I used it to make a healthy Ramen/Pho-like pulled pork and soba noodles dish. We even had leftover pulled pork at the end of it.

Untitled

Pulled Pork: place all ingredients in a crock pot on low for 6 hours.

3 cups broth or stock
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sake
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pork tenderloin

Noodles: once pork is ready, cook noodles of choice separately in their own pot using additional broth. Add kale or other greens once noodles are near al dente.

Serve pork on top of noodles and add condiments of choice. David had his with a little Sriracha sauce.

Thai Peanut Crock-Pot Pork and Coconut Milk-Steamed Potatoes

Posted in Dairy-free, RecipesTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Tonight’s dinner was a Thai spin on slow cooked meat and potatoes, minus the caloric unknowns of takeout. Even with my simplified and somewhat clumsy hybrid of Domestic Superhero’s Crock Pot Thai Peanut Pork and Eats Well with Others’ Coconut Potato Curry, the crock pot generated heavenly smells all afternoon, and the potatoes turned out oh so tender.

Untitled

Here’s what to do:

In the crock pot, place a pork tenderloin followed by a jar or so (drained) of roasted red (bell) peppers, 1/2 cup of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Sprinkle 2 minced garlic cloves and 1/2 cup of peanut butter around the liquid. Set the crock pot on low for 6-7 hours.

Midway through, turn loins over and distribute peppers over the top to keep meat moist.

Towards the end of the cooking time, shred meat in the pot and let it cook in its own juices until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, drizzle about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven over medium to low heat. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cumin, followed by 1/2 cup soaked and chopped cashews, and stir to coat. (Keep heat low so cashews don’t burn.) Add about 1 pound red potatoes and toss to coat. Next, add a mixture of 1/2 cup water and 2 tbsp tomato paste, followed by a can of lite coconut milk, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1/2 bag of frozen peas.

Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender; turn potatoes from time to time. (If needed, add almond milk to bring the liquid level to the mid point of the potatoes.)

Serve shredded pork in a bowl with the potatoes, peas and coconut milk broth. Enjoy the clearing of your sinuses!

Crock Pot Pulled Pork & Quinoa

Posted in RecipesTagged , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Part two of this week’s pre-made meal makeover was pulled pork in the crockpot, served twice (and counting!) with quinoa and veggies. It started with my recipe for taco-ready crock pot pulled pork, which basically consists of a pork tenderloin, a large can of diced tomatoes, frozen corn and taco seasoning in the crock pot.

I served mine two ways with quinoa as a base: accompanied by spinach and tomatoes on the first night…

On the second night, I melted a slice of pepper jack cheese over quinoa in the microwave, then topped it with leftover pork and sliced avocado…

And there is still plenty of leftover pork!

Healthy Crock Pot Bangers & Mash

Posted in Dairy-free, RecipesTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

My favorite part of summer is eating dinner al fresco with the heavenly Delta breeze in effect. In winter and spring, my crockpot became a Sunday ritual, so why I figured why not put it to use for June’s maiden dinner on the patio.

With chicken apple sausage in the fridge, onions from the farmers market, and potatoes in the cupboard, I came up with a healthy, dairy-free version of bangers and mash.

Untitled

In the crock pot, pour about 4 cups of broth (I used leftover mushroom broth from soaking dried mushrooms for Wednesday night’s quinoa) and add two sliced onions (I used yellow with 1-2 inches of the light green stems). Then place four chicken apple sausages (or other healthy, all natural brats) in the crockpot, followed by peeled russet potatoes (as many as can fit as a top layer). Sprinkle generously with salt and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Remove potatoes and mash in a separate dish, using spoonfuls of cooked broth and almond milk, until desired consistency. Salt to taste. Serve potatoes, followed by broth and onions, and place a sausage or two on top.

Oscar Remix: Crock Pot Almond Milk Pulled Pork

Posted in RecipesTagged , , , Leave a comment

In 2009, it was raining on Oscar Sunday, so I whipped up a milk-braised pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes dinner using ingredients on hand in our tiny SF apartment. Last year, same occasion, I swapped in almond milk and added pappardelle. Today, it’s act III, but the crock pot is now playing a lead role in my kitchen.

Untitled

To the crock pot, add pork tenderloin and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Add about 1 cup of chicken broth and 2 cups of almond milk. Cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6-8), or until pork can be easily separated with forks.

Optional mashed potatoes:

Midway through cooking the pork, place 4 peeled russet potatoes around or on top of the pork. Cook for 2 hours, and flip halfway through. Remove potatoes and mash with melted butter and almond milk. Season with salt & pepper, and stir in green onions. Keep warm in the oven at 200 degrees, as needed.

Served pulled pork over a bed of mashed potatoes; ladle juices over the top.

Easy Like Sunday Morning Crock Pot Pork & Mashed Potatoes

Posted in RecipesTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

2014 is the year of the crock pot, in my book. But finding recipes that use my favorite staples, like pork tenderloin, without delving into canned this or processed that, can be difficult. So this morning, I borrowed from some basic crock pot concepts and added my own healthy spin, to attempt pork tenderloin and carrot stew with mashed potatoes. Fortunately, it worked!

Untitled

You will need:
– 1 onion
– Pork tenderloin
– Baby carrots (1 package)
– Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
– Salt & pepper
– Optional: green onions, butter for mashed potatoes; flour for gravy

Slice a whole onion and spread evenly to create a layer on the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add two pork loins (from one package) on top of onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pour one small package of baby carrots on top of the pork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

For the final layer, add as many freshly peeled potatoes as you can fit on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Untitled

Cook on low for 6 hours, and then keep on warm while you prepare the potatoes (or as long as needed).

For the mashed potatoes, remove the cooked potatoes one by one with a spoon from the crock pot (they will be soft). Then mash in an oven-safe casserole dish with desired ingredients. I used 1 cube of melted butter, 1 cup of almond milk, 1-2 chopped green onions, and salt & pepper to taste. Keep warm in the oven at 200 degrees until ready to serve.

For gravy, I ladled some of the juice from the crock pot into a small saucepan and whisked in about 1/8 cup of flour slowly. My gravy turned out pretty lumpy, so this part will require further refinement.

I may also add more liquid next go around, so there’s even more juicy goodness. But all in all, this was a hearty and health home style meal without a parade of dishes!

Crock Pot Short Ribs for Dummies

Posted in Dairy-free, RecipesTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I desperately needed to find a new meat technique to take me out of my weeknight rut. So when I came across slow cooked Asian-style short ribs on Pinterest, I decided to give it a whirl. But there was a catch: all I had to go off of was a list of ingredients, and a leap of faith. As hoped, the meat fell off the bone about 5 hours in. And the results were deceivingly decadent!

Untitled

In the crock pot goes:

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 cloves of garlic, diced or thinly sliced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons sake
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together in the crock pot, and then arrange 4 pounds’ worth of beef short ribs in the sauce. Cook on low for 6 hours. Flip about half way through cooking, and then again towards the end if you plan to leave it on warm for extra time like I did. I served the ribs over salad that had been mixed with Asian vinaigrette, but rice or noodles would work well too.

I’m a convert and just pinned about 20 new recipes for my new weekly staple. Welcome to the family, short ribs!

Taco-Ready Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Posted in Dairy-free, RecipesTagged , , , , Leave a comment

It bothers me when I pile a bunch of delicious toppings into a taco shell while propping it straight up, and as soon as I let go, all the toppings fall out. This crock pot recipe solves that problem.

Untitled

I’ve seen similar shredded chicken recipes, but I’m a fan of the low maintenance pork tenderloin, so that was the nexus of this recipe:

In a crock pot, mix 1 large can of crushed or diced tomatoes with 4 tbsp taco seasoning and 1 bag of frozen corn. Add pork tenderloin and stir to cover loins with sauce. Cook on low for 6 hours. Pull meat apart with two forks and stir until blended.

Untitled

Since corn and tomatoes are already included, you technically don’t need to add toppings. But, we had ours with fuss-free shredded cheese and green onions.

The results were so delicious, I kept sneaking bites before dinner, David had spoonfuls on a plate for seconds, and Indy wouldn’t stay out of the kitchen all night.

Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Posted in Dairy-free, RecipesTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

The Sunday crock pot chronicles continued with a pulled pork that was heavy on the cinnamon, but easy on the kitchen.

Untitled

Inspired by this pin, I combined 1-1/3 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl. Meanwhile, I diced the remaining half of an onion from dinner last week. I also coated the bottom of the crock pot with a thin layer of olive oil, which turns out the aforementioned 3 tbsp was for (but you can’t really OD on olive oil, so no worries). Then I placed the two pieces of a pork tenderloin in the crockpot, sprinkled the onions around the sides and poured the mixture over the top. I cooked it on low for 6 hours, then shredded the extremely tender meat, and stirred it around to sit in its gooey goodness on the warm setting until I was ready to serve.

David not only went back for seconds, but definitely thirds and potentially even fourths. If you have a sweet tooth like he does, it’s a winner! For more savory-leaning palates like mine, I recommend serving it with plain rice to cut the sweet.

Lesson learned: beaucoup de olive oil equals ridiculously tender pulled pork.