Slow cooker chicken chili

Sorry, soups, stews, and CHILIs, right?

This is an oldie, but goodie in our house. I have made it for a couple people and they always ask for the recipe. I never toast the spices, but I do use good quality spices from penzey's. Also, I never use dried beans, just 2 cans of already prepared beans. I just don't trust the crock pot to cook them enough! Usually, I use chicken breast, but this time I did use the thighs instead because they were on sale...I think I prefer the white meat!

Like most chilis, it is not just the chili, but how you top it. This time I topped it with cheese, sour cream, red onion, and cilantro.

SOUPS and STEWS!!!

Sweet!! In honor of Fall and colder weather(...right Robin?), let's make some delicious soups and stews. I don't make enough stews...who does? I am very excited! I hope to get some good recipes, so SHARE SHARE SHARE!!!

OMG!! This was SOOO GOOD! ( Roasted chicken)

Be warned that it was greasy... BUT, delicious!!! I found this when I looked at the current message board and found that this thread had a good number of views. I just loved it...with the lemon and the garlic and the thyme!!! YUM! I also made some chicken stock!!

I had never cooked with a fennel bulb before. It reminded me of a onion/celery. Are you suppose to eat it? I wasn't sure since it smells like black liquorice. I put it with the broth, but then didn't eat it :)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Perfect Roast Chicken

1 roasting chicken -- (5 to 6 pound)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch fresh thyme -- plus 20 sprigs

1 lemon -- halved

1 head garlic -- cut in half crosswise

2 tablespoons butter -- (1/4 stick) melted

1 large yellow onion -- thickly sliced

4 carrots -- cut into 2-inch chunks

1 bulb fennel -- tops removed, and cut into wedges

Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Source:"Barefoot Contessa Cookbook page 130"

Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops with Red Pepper Grits

We love pork chops at our house. Those things are always on sale and they are pretty good. We usually don't do much to them. Just some salt and pepper, maybe a simple marinade works for us as a week night staple. They are pretty healthy too. ( Ya know, the other white meat.) I am so glad I pulled up this thread with so many great chop recipes for me to try. Tonight we tried the recipe below and thought it was so simple and delicious.

Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops with Red Pepper Grits

* Exported from MasterCook *

Recipe By :Lorrie Hulston Corvin/Krista Montgomery

3 cups water

3/4 teaspoon salt -- divided

3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell pepper -- drained and diced

Cooking spray

4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

Bring water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add grits, butter, and garlic, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in red pepper.While grits cook, heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. Stir in vinegar and honey, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return pork to pan; turn to coat. Serve pork and sauce over grits.

Source:"Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2003"

NOTES : Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 1 cup grits).

Shrimp Marinara

I have to admit this CLBB is not easy to navigate and I find it a bit clicky. The search feature isn't the best and leads to a lot of dead ends. By chance, I found this recent post and followed it to a new blog for this shrimp marinara. It was really good, quick and light tasting. I didn't make my own sauce but I did use the Mom's Special Marinara brand sauce that I like to mention. When I went back to look for the thread it had been deleted and every CLBB member was blasting her for promoting her new blog in the forum ... apparently there are rules about what you can and can't talk about. Anyway, make what you want of it ... I thought it was a great recipe.

Chipotle Roast for Tacos

In case you missed it, someone has started a weekly "what a crock" thread about using their slow cookers. I am not sure if I have mention it on this blog, but I have a love/hate relationship with my crock pot. I just think it still cooks a little high and for best results, I use my oven. Since I am a SAHM, I am able to do this. But still, you can find apropiate crock pot recipes and I was hoping this was one.

Chipotle Roast for Tacos

3 lbs Beef Chuck Roast, trimmed of visible fat
*(or try with a Pork Roast)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
3 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies

1 (7 ounce) can Salsa Verde
1 cup chopped Yellow or Red Onion
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup beef broth

Directions
**Place chuck roast in large crock pot and sprinkle with the salt and pepper, chili powder and cumin.
**Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on high for 5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
**Shred the meat with a fork and simmer on high for additional 10-15 minutes.
**Serve in taco shells, rolled up in Tortillas, or on crusty rolls with some of the juice for dipping (ala a French Dip)

I pretty much followed the recipe as written, well, I just didn't use much beef broth. I find there ends up being plenty of liquid. It was ok. I think I like using a rump roast for this as it shreds easier. It was a good basic taco filling.

I served it with mexican rice from another thread. This rice turned out pretty close to what you get in "real" mexican restaurants. I was still a little disappointed. It might need a little more salt, but I did mix it up ahead of time, and put it in the oven with the start timer set. That might have affected the consistancy a little big.

Pork Lo Mein

I was recently following this thread, because it also annoyings me that ATK and CI do not allow for easy access to their recipes. But in this internet age, all you have to do is ask the right people and there you have it. Anyways, I was inspired to make the Pork Lo Mein that ended up being posted.



I did really like this one and it came out looking pretty authentic (ie was made in a real fake chinese restaurant like Pei Wei). My only complaint was that I felt the 5-spice powder was overwhelming. I don't think it really was, I just feel it was. I use the Penzy's 5 spice powder and there is just too much cinnamon for me. Mark really like it. He said, "this is pretty good." which is an overwhelming compliment for him. I served it with the crunch edamame that KAJ posted.