Vegetable Casserole

Today on our menu is the crockpot vegetable casserole.

Crockpot Vegetable Casserole

2 cups carrots, cut in strips
2 cups celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1 pint tomato juice
4 cups green beans, drained
1 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
3 tbs tapioca (to thicken)

Mix all ingredients together in crackpot. Dot with 2 tablespoons butter and cook on low for 8-10 hour or on high for 4-5 hours.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com

Pros and Cons of the Crockpot

Good morning, crockpot lovers. Today I thought we'd do something a bit different. This is the first issue of my brand new crockpot newsletter series, which will be available for free very soon. So in the stead of a crockpot recipe, here's some basic info about the crockpot and some pros and cons of crockpot cooking.

Let's begin, shall we?

Here's what Dictionary.com has to say about the crockpot:

Crock-Pot (krok'pot)

A trademark used for an electric cooker that maintains a low temperature. This trademark often occurs in print in lowercase without a hyphen.

Wow, what a simple definition. That should tell you one or two things about the crockpot, or "slow-cooker" as some call it.

The crockpot is the ideal tool for cooking when you don't have a lot of time, or you have little or zero desire to actually cook, bake, fry, broil, stir-fry, grill, rotisserie, or shish-kabob.
Cooking with a crockpot is a healthy and simple alternative to fast foods or other franchise-prepared meals found in the freezer section of your local friendly grocer.

All you really need to do is chop up some vegetables and/or some meat, place them in the crockpot, and then turn the unit to the desired setting (low, or high) and let it sit all day while you're at work or doing something else that's certainly not cooking.

When you come home, you'll smell the delicious aroma radiating from your crockpot which has filled your entire home as if you HAD been cooking all day.

The Pros and Cons of Crockpot Cooking

Below is a list of pros and cons I've compiled about the crockpot.
+ As mentioned above, the crockpot provides an ease of homecooking parallel to no other kitchen apparatus.
+ The only preparation needed is to gather the ingredients, making them fit inside the pot, and turning on the heat.
+ Slow cooked food is much healthier than frozen and processed foods.
+ Recipes have that home-cooked taste and feeling.
+ Margin of cooking error is incredibly slim.
+ Saves room in the oven and save a stove eye for other dishes.
+ Tastes just like Grandma used to make!

And now the cons...

- Recipes more often than not resemble stews and vegetables and meat become very tender (could be a plus if you're like me and like it this way).
- Requires a free outlet and uses up space on the counter or table.
- Big, bulky pot to clean.
- Dairy usually does not belong in the crockpot.

As you can see, the pros clearly outnumber the cons.

To sum it all up, you can't go wrong with crockpot cooking.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com

Crockpot Curried Rice

Do you like your rice spicy? Throw some curry into your crockpot.

Curried Vegetable Rice

3 cups coarsely chopped red potatoes
2 cups peeled and coarsely chopped sweet potatoes
1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (14-oz) can vegetable broth
1 (13.5-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rice
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews

Add the first 9 ingredients to your crockpot; stir the ingredients to mix them up. Pour the broth and coconut milk over the vegetable mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours. Stir in the rice and frozen peas; cover and cook 5 more minutes. Ladle mixture onto individual plates and sprinkle with cashews.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://crockpotcrazy101.com

Crockpot Hot Pot Steak

Just when you thought you couldn't make good steak in the crockpot, here comes a recipe...

Colonial Hot Pot Steak

2 lbs. chuck steak, cubed (or use lean stewing beef)
1/4 cup flour
2 cup tomato juice
2 tsp instant beef broth
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 potatoes, pared and sliced
8 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1 acorn squash, split and seed (peeled if desired)
2 Tbs butter

Trim all excess fat from beef. Shake cubes, divide up and do 1/2 at a time or less, with flour in a plastic bag to coat well.

Combine tomato juice and instant beef broth in a small saucepan; heat just to boiling; remove from heat. Combine parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a cup. Layer vegetables and meat into a slow cooker this way; Half of each of potatoes, onions and beef, sprinkling each layer lightly with seasoning mixture. Repeat with remaining potatoes, onions, beef and seasonings. Cut each squash half into 6 slices; pare; arrange on top. Pour hot tomato juice mixture over; dot with butter, cover.

Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, or until meat and vegetables are tender. Yield: eight servings.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com/

Crockpot Stuffed Peppers

Stuff some of these green peppers in your crockpot to make... stuffed green peppers!

Stuffed Green Peppers

1 package (10 oz) frozen corn kernels
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 can ( 14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided
6 green peppers, tops removed & seeded

Combine all ingredients, except 1/4 cup cheese and green peppers. Stuff peppers. Arrange peppers in crockpot. Cover, cook on low 6-8 hours (high 3-4 hours). Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese during the last 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com

Crockpot Poached Salmon

Here's another Friday fish recipe!

Poached Salmon

1 1/4 lb salmon fillet
1 tsp chopped chives
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice

Lay salmon in crockpot. Sprinkle chives, celery and bay leaf beside salmon. Stir remaining ingredients together in bowl. Pour over salmon. Cover and cook on Low for 3-4 hours or on High for 2 hours. Cook until salmon flakes with fork. Discard bay leaf.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com

Crockpot Leeks

So what is a leek? People ate them in the middle ages. It's a root vegetable similar to an onion with a white, slender bulb and flat and dark green leaves.

Braised Leeks with Dill

8 medium leeks
2 medium onions
1 clove garlic
1 large tomato
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable or nonfat, low sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs fresh dill, chopped

Rinse leeks under cool running water. Halve them lengthwise, peeling off the tough outer layer and including about 2 inches of the green tops. Rinse them again. Slice onions, chop garlic, and peel, seed and chop tomato. In a skillet, saute onions and garlic in olive oil 2 minutes. Put onions, garlic, leeks, tomato and stock into slow-cooker; cover and cook on low 6 to 10 hours. Salt and pepper to taste at end of cooking. Garnish with chopped dill at serving time. Serves 6.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com

Crockpot Cabbage and Apricots

Here's a sweet crockpot dish featuring apricots... enjoy!

Red Cabbage with Apricots

2 1/2 pounds red cabbage, sliced thin
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup dry red wine
Salt

In a 4-quart or larger crockpot, combine cabbage and apricots. In a small bowl, mix honey and juice; drizzle over cabbage mixture. Pour in wine. Cover crockpot and cook LOW until cabbage is very tender (5 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours.) Season to taste with salt.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com

Crockpot Vegetable Stew

I think today's recipe will be a crockpot vegetable stew with a tricky name...

Garden Vegetable Tabbouleh Stew

Courtesy of Christine Allsup
Found in One-Dish Collection Cookbook

1 large onion, chopped
2 med. carrots, cut lengthwise into halves, then cut
into 1" pcs.
1 cup green beans, cut into 1" pcs.
2 med. green onions, thinly sliced
1 small zucchini (4 oz.) sliced
1 can (15 1/2 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed
and drained
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 box (6 to 7 oz.) tabbouleh mix (or bulgar wheat or
couscous)
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbs olive oil
Sour cream (optional)
Fresh mint (optional)

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the following order: onion, carrots, green beans, green onions, zucchini, chickpeas, tomatoes with juice, salt and pepper. Sprinkle tabbouleh mix over vegetables. Pour water and olive oil evenly over top. Cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hrs. or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Serve in bowls and garnish with sour cream and fresh mint, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com

Crockpot Lima Beans

Personally, I hate lima beans, but here's a crockpot recipe for them. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Limas

1 lb. dried baby limas
4 cups water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbs yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream

Rinse beans and drain. Combine all but sour cream in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Stir beans, cover again and continue cooking on low for about 4 more hours or until tender. Stir in sour cream. This is a good overnight recipe. You can cook the first 8 hours, refrigerate, and cook the next 4 hours (let set out for about 1/2 hour before putting back in cooking unit) before dinner, adding 1/2 hour more for chilled pot and contents. Then add sour cream before serving.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com/

Crockpot Ribs

Hey, because I missed yesterday's entry, how does TWO crockpot recipes sound for today?

Hawaiian Ribs

3 Tbs cornstarch
3 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup catsup
1 tbs soy sauce
1 can (9 oz) crushed pineapple
3 lb spareribs, trimmed

Combine all ingredients, except ribs, in pan. Bring to a boil until thick. Arrange sauce and spareribs in crock pot and cook 6 to 8 hours on Low.

Hungarian Short Ribs

4 pounds beef short ribs
2 Tbs favorite oil
2 medium onions -- sliced
1 can tomato sauce - (15 oz)
1 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
6 ounces medium noodles
1 cup water

Brown meat. Add onions and sauce mixture and cook, covered, in a slow cooker set on low for about 6 to 8 hours. Cook noodles until tender and add to slow cooker. This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings. (To serve more in a pinch, just add more noodles.)

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com/

Crockpot Texas Hash

Hope you like hash, cause here's a crockpot recipe for Texas Hash...

Texas Hash

2 pounds ground beef (round)
2 onions -- chopped
2 1 lb. cans tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup long grain white rice -- raw

Brown ground beef and drain well. Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com/

Crockpot Citrus Fish

Here's a Friday fish recipe just for you.

Crockpot Citrus Fish

1 1/2 pounds fish fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
5 Tbs chopped parsley
4 tsp oil
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp grated orange rind
Orange and lemon slices

Butter crockpot and put salt and pepper on fish to taste. Then place fish in pot. Put onion, parsley and grated rinds and oil over fish. Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 hours. Serve garnished with orange and lemon slices.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com/

Simple Guacamole

Ok, so today's recipe is not exactly crockpot-worthy, but I thought you'd dig it anyway...

Simple Guacamole

1 avocado
1/2 lemon (for juice)
1 clove of garlic
1/4 tsp of salt
Pepper to taste

Slice avocado in half and mash halves into soft pulp. Squeeze lemon and mince the garlic. Season to taste. Cilantro and tomatoes make good additions.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com/

Carribean Jerked Chicken

It's time to jerk your chicken. In a crockpot, that is.

Carribean Jerked Chicken

1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 tbs grated gingerroot
1 tsp ground allspice
3 fresh jalapeno chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp seasoned pepepr
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
1 tbs honey
5 chicken thighs and drumsticks (joined together)
Cooked rice
Papaya (optional, peeled and sliced)

In a blender or food processor, combine onions, gingerroot, allspice, jalapeno chiles, oil, seasoned pepper, salt and garlic. Process until finely chopped. Stir in honey to form a paste. Brush on all sides of chicken. Place a rack in a slow cooker. Place chicken on rack. Cover and cook on low 4 to 4 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve with rice. Garish with papaya.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com/

Crockpot Roasted Garlic

Here's a recipe for roasted garlic. Perfect for making garlic bread!

Crockpot Roasted Garlic

6 heads garlic
2 tsp olive oil

Place the 6 heads of garlic on one layer of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil. Fold foil loosely around garlic. Place in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. Squeeze garlic out of skins and add whatever floats your boat. Note: This is a great method for roasting garlic, so it can be ready when you start cooking in the evening. I've even done it overnight and started cooking in the morning. Roasted garlic goes great with mashed potatoes, on pasta, or simply spread on crusty bread.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://www.crockpotrecipes101.com