Crock Pot Hoagies

Rarely do I post recipes that I find in cookbooks, magazines or blogs. My feeling is that if a recipe has already been published, why just rewrite the recipe and publish it again? But every once in a blue moon, I run across a recipe that is so unique and delicious and easy to prepare, that I feel the need to share it.

Crock Pot Hoagies is one such recipe.  All of the ingredients for a hoagie sandwich are stuffed between slices of a large loaf of artisanal bread and heated until hot and melty and just plain good -- in your crock pot!  Slices of Virgina ham, Capicola, salami, and provolone cheese and layered with sweet peppers, red onions and Italian spices and make a meal that is waiting for you instead of you waiting for it.

Thanks Robin Sue for another fantastic recipe.  Check out her blog Big Red Kitchen for many dinner, lunch, breakfast, and dessert recipes and ideas.

Crock Pot Hoagies

serves 6

Adapted from a  recipe on the Big Red Kitchen blog. This recipe uses a  6-quart oval crock pot.  If your loaf of bread is too large for your crock pot, slice off some of the end.  Use thin sliced meats and cheeses in this sandwich.

one oval loaf artisan bread - make sure it fits in your crock pot
18 slices provolone
18 slices Virginia ham
18 slices sweet or hot Capicola
18 slices Genoa Salami
sweet pepper rings
thin red onion slices
olive oil
oregano and basil
Large 6 quart oval crock pot

Slice bread 13 times, almost all the way through but leaving 1/2 inch space at the bottom. Layer three slices of cheese and top with 3 slices each of ham, Capicola, and Salami. Top with pepper rings and onions. Sprinkle with oregano and basil and repeat 5 times. Fold each bundle in half and tuck down between every other slice of bread to create 6 sandwiches. The sandwich may have "arched" its back, gently push down and wrap tightly in one then a second piece of heavy foil.

Place in crock pot on top of a small aluminum foil pan or balls of foil so it does not touch bottom of insert. Pour in 1/3 cup of water (I never like to have a "dry" crock pot, it just seemed to make sense to me to have a little water in there), it does nothing for the sandwich since it is wrapped up so tightly in foil. Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours.

Remove foil-wrapped sandwich from crock pot.  To serve, cut each sandwich apart, drizzle the insides lightly with olive oil, and enjoy. Makes six sandwiches with the center two being quite generous in size.

Note- you may not need all the meat and cheese as the sandwiches on the ends are a bit smaller and will not hold as much.  Since the sandwich is wrapped in foil, it does not get soggy.  it is hot and steamy with the ham, Capicola, salami, and cheese all melted together.

Slow Cooker Summer Ratatouille with Parmesan Polenta

The end of summer is turning out to be just as hot as was the beginning of summer. With temperatures creeping back up into the 90s, I decided a slow cooker meal was in order. This time, I went with a vegetarian option - Slow Cooker Summer Ratatouille with Parmesan Polenta. I knew this dinner would be hard to sell to my kids; therefore, The Husband and I enjoyed our veggie-filled dinner while the kids fended for themselves.

I was a little skeptical that an entree consisting mainly of of eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes would turn to mush after spending 5 hours in my slow cooker. To my surprise, the vegetables were cooked just right and still held their shape after an afternoon of cooking. The garlic and herbs de Provence (a spice mix of savory, fennel, thyme, basil, and tarragon) added just the right kick. Nestled in creamy polenta, the ratatouille was a healthy and filling dinner.

After the success of Slow Cooker Summer Ratatouille with Parmesan Polenta, I see more vegetarian entrees in my slow cooker future.


Slow Cooker Summer Ratatouille with Parmesan Polenta

Print recipe

Note -- I used a quick cooking polenta which only takes 5 minutes to prepare. Therefore, I made only 2 portions when I made this for dinner. And I used milk instead of water to make it have a richer taste.

serves 6

4 cups eggplant, large dice
3 cups zucchini and yellow squash, large dice
2 cups tomatoes, large dice
1 can (8-ounce) tomato sauce
1 cup red pepper, large dice
1 cup onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
extra Parmesan cheese for serving

for the polenta (for 2 servings)--
2 cups 1% milk
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup polenta
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

In a slow cooker, combine eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, tomato, tomato sauce, red pepper, onion, salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs de Provence.

Cover and cook on low heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours or on high heat setting for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. About 10 minutes prior to serving, stir in the cannellini beans and basil.

Meanwhile, for the polenta, bring the milk to a boil, add the salt, and pour the polenta into the pot in a steady stream, while stirring. Cook, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes or until the mixture comes together but is still soft. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and parmesan cheese.

To serve, spoon polenta into a shallow bowl and top with the ratatouille. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

Announcement!! The winner of the second $100 Visa giftcard Lean Meat Match-Up swag bag is ......... Natalie!!!!

East West Barbecued Chicken in the Crock Pot

I don't think of my crock pot for summer time meals. But after reading a few slow cooker recipes in the latest issue of Woman's Day magazine, I decided it was time to drag out the crock pot.

East West Barbecued Chicken is definitely going into our menu rotation for the warm summer months. The sweet and spicy chicken recipe is not as heavy as some typical slow cooker recipes for winter time stews and chilis. The oh-so-moist chicken is covered in a Asian style barbecue sauce that is highlighted with sweet onions.

As with most dinners around our house, we ate in shifts. My Middle One and I ate first and couldn't get enough of the onions. Our dinner was paired with a noodle salad which combined a half pound of cooked and drained linguine tossed with 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, a couple teaspoons of sesame oil, a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, a cup each of steamed broccoli, green beans, and yellow pepper, and a few shakes of sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.

No Thank You Boy, his buddy Two Scoops, and My Oldest ate later in the evening and devoured the rest of the chicken. The boys were not big fans of the vegetables in the salad. They both said, "No thank you" when I asked if they wanted something green with their noodles. They added a few generous shakes of hot sauce to their chicken because they like living on the spicy side of life.

There were no leftovers from our dinner of East West Barbecued Chicken, and I will be making this many more times this summer.

East West Barbecued Chicken in the Crock Pot

Serves 4

2 medium onions, sliced, about 2 cups
2 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on
5 chicken drumsticks, bone-in and skin on
1 cup spicy barbecue sauce such as Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet 'n Spicy
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
hot sauce, for serving

Place sliced onions in the crock pot and top with the chicken.

In a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and orange juice. Pour over the chicken.

Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 4 - 5 hours or low for 7 - 8 hours.

When the cooking time is complete, remove the chicken to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. In a small pot over medium high heat, add 1 cup of the sauce from the crock pot. In a small bowl combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir into the sauce in the pot and cook for 3 - 5 minutes until it is thickened. Pour the thickened sauce back into the crock pot and stir to combine. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve with extra hot sauce if desired.

Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches

Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches

Tailgate - [teyl-geyt] adjective - relating to or pertaining to a picnic set up on a tailgate.

Who would think that eating and drinking in a parking lot surrounded by rows and rows of cars, buses, and RVs could be so much fun?! Food tastes better and a cold beer is that much more thirst quenching when served out of the back of your car while enjoyed with good friends at a sporting event on the outskirts of a huge sports arena.

Spending an afternoon and evening at a college lacrosse tournament, the highlight for me was the tailgate. My contribution to the parking lot picnic was Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches. Thin sliced deli roast beef is combined with roasted red peppers, peppperoncinis, dried thyme and oregano and beef stock. If you are in a hurry, just a couple hours on High are all that is needed to make these satisfying sandwiches which taste like you spent all day preparing them. To make your sandwich more parking lot-worthy, add a generous squirt of Kraft Sharp Cheddar Easy Cheese

Eating out of the back of your car never tasted so good.

No cheese, please.

Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches

serves 12

3 pounds of thin sliced deli roast beef
4 cups of beef stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 jar (12 ounce) sliced pepperoncinis
1 jar (12 ounce) sliced roasted red peppers
12 long rolls, split
1 can Kraft Sharp Cheddar Easy Cheese

Place all the ingredients in crock pot and stir to evenly distribute. Set crock pot to High and cook for 2 - 3 hours or set to Low for 5 - 6 hours.

To serve, put a generous amount of the beef and peppers into a roll and drizzle with the broth. Squirt cheese on top if desired.

Top 10 Recipes on Dinners for a Year and Beyond

Last year during the Christmas season, I undertook a task that I thought was a difficult one but by no means unattainable. I decided to post my 12 Dinners of Christmas which is a collection of dinner recipes to make during the busy hustle and bustle of the month of December. Surely I would be getting dinner on the table for my family and why not help others do the same?

I started off preparing dinner and posting my family's reviews of the meals with a bang. With the first post for Dinner #1 on December 1st, the second dinner and post on December 3rd, and the third recipe and accompanying post on December 4th, there was no stopping me. Or so I thought. The posts came fewer and farther between as the month progressed and lo and behold I did not finish my 12 Dinners of Christmas endeavour until two weeks after Christmas on January 14, 2009!.

This year, I am giving myself a Christmas gift. Even though I love experimenting in the kitchen and cooking up new recipes, I will be serving my tried and true family and blog favorites for dinner this Christmas season. I will be putting my feet up and perfecting those recipes I know my family enjoys and my readers have commented on as their favorites.

Give one, two, or all of these recipes a try. They are easy to prepare and hopefully will become family favorites in your home too.

Happy cooking and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Roasted Orange and Thyme Chicken Thighs with Crispy Parmesan Potatoes




Korean Barbeque Short Ribs



Pan Sauteed Chicken and Mushrooms with Garlic Spinach



Pan Roasted Salmon with Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts



Chicken a la King



Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls



Beef Kebabs with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce



Raspberry Hoisin Glazed Roast Pork Loin



Spicy Shrimp, Sausage, and Spinach Fettuccine

Garlic Lovers' Crock Pot Chicken

Garlic Lovers' Crock Pot Chicken

We had a few days of cool and rainy weather which prompted me to dust off my crock pot and search for some new recipes. My slow cooker usually gets the summers off, but I may be enlisting it more often after our latest dinner. Garlic Lovers' Crock Pot Chicken was ridiculously easy to prepare and received high praises all around.

"I could eat this every night," said My Oldest.

It was a very quiet dinner which is usual at our house. But the reason for the lack of conversation was that our mouths were constantly full.

"I am eating too fast, but that is because it is so good," I finally blurted out.

"The garlic is my favorite part. Let's just make a whole crock pot full of garlic next time," commented The Husband.

Garlic cloves ready to be spread on sourdough bread

My dinner prep started at about 10:30 in the morning. Into the crock pot went a sliced onion, a 7 pound chicken, 30 cloves of garlic, some wine, chicken stock, and seasonings. About 6 hours later, the entree for for dinner was ready. We also had Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Parmesan Potatoes, and a loaf of sourdough bread. The garlic cloves, which mellow after hours in the crock pot have a subtle but rich flavor. It is delicious spread on a crusty slice of bread.

After the ease of making a scrumptious dinner tonight, my crock pot will be a fixture on my kitchen counter for some time to come.

Garlic Lovers' Crock Pot Chicken
serves about 5

1 whole chicken, about 6 - 7 pounds
1 onion, sliced
30 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup flour dissolved in 1/2 cup chicken stock

Place chicken, onion, and garlic in crock pot. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper, and thyme over the chicken. Add wine and chicken stock mixture to the crock pot. Cook on low for about 6 hours. The internal temperature of the chicken should register about 165 degrees when it is done.

I kept the chicken in the crock pot about another hour on warm after it was finished cooking. Remove chicken and garlic from the crock pot and serve.

The Great Goulash with Potato Dumplings

The Great Goulash with Potato Dumplings

A slow cooker is a magical thing. How many other appliances do you know that allow you to throw in a few inexpensive ingredients in the morning and at the end of the day, dinner has miraculously prepared itself?

With most dinners, a little planning goes a long way. I started my morning browning cubes of stew meat and sauteing diced onions and garlic. My Oldest commented that she thought it was odd I was starting dinner at 6:30 in the morning while wearing my pink robe. She did not think it was so odd when she was devouring The Great Goulash with Potato Dumplings for dinner that night. Some tomato paste, flour, paprika, oregano, beef stock, and lemon juice are stirred in and added to the slow cooker along the the seared beef and dinner is under way.

Off to work I go while my trusty slow cooker does the work.

Upon arriving home, another 20 minutes are spent preparing the potato dumplings, and they are oh so worth the extra 20 minutes of work. Don't skip this step. Saute a couple zucchinis for a fresh tasting side dish and, dinner is on the table.

My husband who said he wasn't in a stew kinda mood had two servings plus the leftover bite or two from No Thank You Boy's dish. At first glance, My Middle One and No Thank You Boy turned their noses up at the new dish gracing our dinner table. After one bite, they were hooked and requesting that I make this entree again. My Oldest's only concern was that there was enough for leftovers the next day.

Print out the recipe. Add it to your list of dinners to make. Now.

Dinner's ready!

The Great Goulash with Potato Dumplings

The potato dumplings are a delicious addition to this tasty goulash. If you are pressed for time, serve goulash on top of wide noodles or mashed potatoes.

adapted from a recipe in The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes

serves 5
for the goulash,
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 pounds stew meat, cut in large chunks
2 cups onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 cups beef stock
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup sour cream

for the potato dumplings,
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubes
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

In a large saute pan over medium high heat add the olive oil and brown the stew meat in batches. Transfer to slow cooker.

In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add onions and garlic and saute for 3 - 4 minutes. Add paprika, oregano, pepper, and flour and cook for an additional minute. Add tomato paste and stir well. The mixture will be thick. Add beef broth and lemon juice and cook, stirring, for a minute or two.

Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 - 5 hours. The beef will be very tender and shred easily.

About 45 minutes before dinner time, make the potato dumplings. Cook potato chunks in a large pot of water until tender. Drain and mash until smooth. Add bread crumbs, egg, and salt and mix well. Form into 2 inch balls. Set aside.

Stir sour cream into goulash. Top with potato dumplings, spooning some of the sauce over them. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 15 minutes.

To serve, spoon goulash and dumplings into shallow bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

My Carnitas Recipe or Wow! Did You See the Size of Your Mom's Butt?

I am still searching northern New Jersey for authentic Mexican food. Looking for an Italian restaurant? There is one on every street corner. Craving a Dunkin Donuts latte? There is one next to the Italian restaurant on every street corner.

During our stint in Southern California, we were spoiled with all the Mexican restaurants. One frequent stop for our family was Sagebrush Cantina. The food was good, but not great Mexican. The attraction was that my 3 toddler kids and I could show up about 5 p.m. and get a table outside with chips and salsa and a margarita (on the rocks with salt please) and my husband would stop by after work. Before you call child welfare services, I will clarify that the margarita was for The Mom. The kids drank lemonade.

Craving some Mexican food, I decided on Carnitas for dinner. The slow cooked pork is shredded or cubed and crisped up in a hot oven. It is delicious in tacos, burritos, quesedillas, or just about any Mexican entree you want to put it in. Most recipes call for a slow cook in a dutch oven. Not in the mood to stick around while my Carnitas cooked, I opted for a crock pot method.

Slow cooking of the pork began early in the morning. Into the crock pot went a pork butt seasoned with cumin, salt, and pepper, a bottle of beer, a couple sliced onions, some cubenelle peppers, whole garlic cloves, and a sliced orange for the 9 hour cooking time.

As my son descended the stairs to the kitchen at about 7 in the morning, he was greeted by my husband exclaiming, "Wow! Did you see the size of your Mom's butt?"

With a curious and slightly disgusted look on his face he replied, "Uh, no."

"I mean the pork butt your Mom just put in the crock pot," my husband clarified.

Still with a grossed out look on his face, he said, "No Dad. I haven't seen Mom's butt."

After some online research, I discovered that pork butt is not actually the butt of a pig. It is part of the shoulder. But isn't it more fun to say pork butt than pork shoulder?

The pork butt spent the day in the crock pot. It really is not a pretty sight.


It is removed from the pot cooled slightly, shredded and put on a large baking sheet with the peppers and onions. A couple cups of the cooking liquid were drizzled over the top followed by 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven. The resulting pork was both crispy and melt-in-your-mouth good.



The Carnitas was served with fresh salsa, black beans spiked with cumin, salt, and freshly ground pepper, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, salsa verde, and warmed flour tortillas.



An added benefit of making a 7 pound pork butt for Carnitas is that there are bound to be leftovers. Is it almost lunch time?

Carnitas
1 (6 to 7 pound) bone-in pork butt or shoulder
salt
pepper
cumin
2 medium onions, sliced
3 cubenelle peppers, sliced in long strips
1 orange, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bottle of beer

for serving --
flour tortillas wrapped in foil and warmed in oven
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
black beans
fresh salsa
salsa verde

Generously sprinkle the pork with salt, pepper, and cumin. Place the onions in the bottom of the crock pot and top with pork. Add the peppers, orange slices, garlic cloves, and the beer. Set the crock pot to low and cook for about 9 - 10 hours or until the pork shreds easily.

After the cooking time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the pork from pot and cool slightly before shredding in bite-sized pieces. Discard any fat and bones. Place pork on a large rimmed baking sheet along the the peppers and onions from the pot. Pour about 2 cups of the cooking liquid over the pork and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes. Some of the pork should be browned and crispy while some is juicy and tender.

Remove from oven and serve with flour tortillas, shredded cheese, black beans, and salsas.

Dinner # 5 of the 12 Dinner of Christmas -- Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

With less than 2 weeks until Christmas, life can get hectic around the house. Being smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, No Thank You Boy thinks homework should be optional. Every night we have a discussion on why he has to do homework, why his teachers are so mean to even give homework, and his general lack of enthusiasm toward homework in general. I bought him a new 24-pack of shiny yellow #2 pencils yesterday. Hopefully they will bolster his cranial thought process until the much anticipated 2 week break from school. If all it took was a $.94 package of pencils to get him excited about school, I would be getting off easy.

For Dinner # 5 of the 12 Dinners of Christmas, I dusted off the trusty crock pot. Baked Potato Soup is a ridiculously easy recipe. I am embarrassed to post it. Not really because on a cold winter night, a bowl of this soup along with a BLT sandwich hits the spot. I treat this soup like a baked potato and offer a variety of toppings: crumbled bacon, chunks of ham, cut up kielbasa, shredded cheddar cheese, corn niblets, petite peas, chopped scallions, and sour cream are just of few ingredients that could top your bowl of soup.

After a week of business travel crisscrossing the United States, The Husband will be kissing my feet when he sees 2 quarts of Baked Potato Soup in the refrigerator.

Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

makes 2 1/2 quarts

6 large potatoes, peeled and diced - I used Yukon, russet, & red potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
5 cups of chicken stock or use vegetable stock to make this soup vegetarian
1 (15-ounce) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

toppings - crumbled bacon, chunks of ham, cut up kielbasa, shredded cheddar cheese, corn niblets, petite peas, chopped scallions, and sour cream

extra chicken or vegetable stock to thin soup

Place potatoes, onions, and stock in a crock pot. Cook on low for 9 hours. After the cooking time, mash potatoes with a potato masher and add evaporated milk and butter. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top as desired.

Note: After the soup is refrigerated, it can become quite thick. Keep some extra stock on hand to thin out soup if you so choose.

Crock Pot Cranberry Chicken

WARNING!!!! Photos may be disturbing.

Crock pot meals typically are not the most photogenic. I debated on whether to post my photos of last night's dinner because they do not do the meal justice. But, this super easy recipe for Crock Pot Cranberry Chicken was delicious.

Only a few ingredients were needed to prepare the chicken entree.

The supporting cast

Add a whole chicken, your slow cooker, and 5 hours and dinner will make itself.

The Family loved the not too sweet cranberry sauce as well as the moist, fall off the bone meat. I loved the ease of dinner prep. I spent all of 15 minutes to get dinner on the table. Sauteed zucchini and steamed rice to sop up all the sauce rounded out the meal.

With the Holidays right around the corner, add this recipe to your repertoire for a no fuss dinner option.

Crock Pot Cranberry Chicken

1 whole chicken - (6 - 7 pounds) - giblets removed
1 (15-ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 (2-ounce) envelope onion soup mix

Place chicken in crock pot and top with cranberry sauce, brown sugar and onion soup mix. Cook on low for 5 hours or until thermometer registers 170 degrees in the breast meat.

Remove chicken from crock pot to a platter. Slice and serve.

And now the photos for those you who are brave enough to look....


Our chicken waiting in the crock pot.

It made it to the cutting board.

And then to the platter.

The drumstick was reserved for My Middle One.

Korean Barbecue Short Ribs

I like ribs. But usually only baby back pork ribs. Nice, uniform slabs of 13 ribs waiting for a sweet and spicy rub and a slow roasting in the oven. Finish them off on a hot grill with some Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce, and I'm happy. All those other overly meaty and fatty, prehistoric looking ribs at the meat market counter look intimidating.

For those who are faithful readers of my blog, you know I am not a huge fan of my crock pot. It's great for making pulled pork and keeping sausage and meatballs warm for a Super Bowl party. But, I have never found a recipe that was fantastic. They were all pretty good, but nothing that knocked my socks off. Then I came across the blog of Stefanie who is vowing to cook in her crock pot every day for an entire year. I thought she must have a few stellar crockpotting recipes for me to try.

Korean Barbecue Short Ribs was the first recipe that caught my eye on her blog. It met the criteria for a good meal in my house. Beef. Check. Asian-inspired. Check. Some spicy jalapenos in the recipe (for The Husband). Check. Easy to prepare. Check. Ok. I'll give it a try. I browned up about 8 beef short ribs on my grill pan, threw them in the crock pot, poured in 1 cup of soy sauce, 1 cup of brown sugar, and 6 big jalapenos and set it low for 6 hours. A friend of No Thank You Boy who was over for the day commented that it really looked good even before it had started cooking.


Here are the ribs before their 6-hour slow cook.

We left the crock pot to do what is does best and headed for an afternoon at the pool. We returned to a wonderful aroma in our house. "Man that smells good," said My Middle One. "When is it ready?"

"Only 2 more hours to go," I informed her.

When 7 p.m. finally rolled around, these ribs did not disappoint. Superb flavor. Lacquer-colored beef falling off the bones. And everyone commented on how much they enjoyed them. I served the ribs with jasmine rice and steamed green beans. Dinner was a success.

With school starting up and all the running around it involves, get out the crock pot and make some ribs tonight.

Korean Barbecue Short Ribs

serves 3 - 4

10 beef short ribs
olive oil
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
6 jalapeno peppers, whole

Heat a grill pan to high. Drizzle ribs with olive oil and brown on all sides in hot grill pan. Remove ribs from pan and place in crock pot. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, and jalapeno peppers. Set to low and cook for 6 hours.

Remove from crock pot and enjoy! Make sure to drizzle the ribs with the sauce.

Carolina Pot Roast with Ginger Snap Gravy

Carolina Pot Roast with Ginger Snap Gravy

I have never been a fan of pot roast. A tough piece of meat that takes way too long to cook. That is where a crock pot comes in. I have one of those super big crock pots. The idea of throwing a few ingredients in the pot, turning it on low, and coming home to a meal sounds like a dream too good to be true. And usually it is. I have only found a few recipes I like in my crock pot. One is Pulled Pork. Tender pork bathed in barbecue sauce and topped with crunchy cole slaw on a soft roll is heaven. I may have found another recipe to add to my small file of crock pot recipes.

The other night I attended a movie screening for Two Angry Moms by the SlowFood of Northern New Jersey group so dinner needed to be made in advance for my family. Carolina Pot Roast with Ginger Snap Gravy turned out to be a delightful dinner. A very flavorful gravy highlighted with crushed ginger snaps and tender shredded beef on top of wide egg noodles was a satisfying and delicious winter time dinner.

The meal received 4 thumbs up from my family. I also gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up when I had it for lunch the next day. I love leftovers for lunch. For a no-brainer of a meal, try this recipe. You won't be disappointed.

Carolina Pot Roast with Ginger Snap Gravy

adapted from a recipe inThe 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson

serves about 6

4 pound eye round roast or rump roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped (Maui or Vadalia)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger root, grated
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup flour
3 cups beef broth, low salt
2 teaspoons beef bouillon
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ginger snap crumbs
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Brown roast on all sides. Transfer to crock pot. Reduce heat to medium and saute onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chili powder, nutmeg, beef bouillon, and pepper and cook for about a minute. Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook for another minute. Add beef broth and cook for another minute.

Pour mixture over roast, cover and cook on low for 9 - 10 hours, until meat is tender.

Remove meat and add sour cream and ginger snap crumbs. If the gravy seems to thick, add a little hot water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over noodles.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Go Bears!!! That is the Chicago Bears. Having lived in the Chicago suburbs for over 30 years, I am a Bears fan now living in a sea of Giants and Jets fans. With the Bears in the "BIG GAME" this weekend, I look at it as an opportunity to make lots of food and sit on the couch all day while it was consumed. We have invited over 50 of our favorite friends, purchased and installed the appropriate t.v., and planned a menu to include all the best football foods. One of the entrees that will be served is also one of the easiest to prepare - Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cole Slaw. The pork is made in a crock pot so it basically cooks itself. I am not a huge fan of the crock pot but, for this recipe it works great. All I make is the barbecue sauce and Cole Slaw and these you can even purchase if you are pressed for time. Get ready to cheer the Bears to victory and eat yourself silly. Maybe a few orange and blue martinis too.

Pulled Pork

serves about 10
7 - 8 pound pork shoulder, bone in
1 large onion, sliced
8 - 10 cloves garlic, chopped
1 and 1/2 cups water

2 -3 cups barbecue sauce, recipe follows
Cole Slaw, recipe follows
Kaiser rolls for serving

Now comes the hard part. Put pork, onion, cloves and water in the crock pot and cook on low for about 9 hours. When finished, take pork out of the crock pot and separate/shred the meat away from the bone and fat. Put the shredded pork back in the crock pot and add about 2 - 3 cups of barbecue sauce. A couple good store brands are Sweet Baby Ray's and Bone Suckin' Sauce or make your own. Cook on low for another hour or two. This only gets better as it sits for a day or so in the fridge. Serve on rolls with a spoonful of cole slaw on top.

Barbecue Sauce

Adapted from this Barefoot Contessa recipe

1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small can tomato paste - about 6 - 8 ounces
1 1/4 cups honey
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup hoisin sauce
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon chipolte powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chili powder

In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil for about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent and not browned. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes. Use immediately or cool and store in the refrigerator.

Cole Slaw

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons 1/2 and 1/2 or light cream
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon celery salt
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 apple, julienned

Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, 1/2 and 1/2, honey, vinegar, celery salt and about a 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Combine cabbage, carrots and apples in a large bowl and add enough of the dressing to coat. Let coleslaw sit for about a half hour to allow the cabbage to release some of its water. Stir again and add more dressing if the cole slaw seems too dry.