Salsa Dancing

I was telling my co worker about my crock potting mission and he suggested this Salsa Chicken recipe! I looked it up online and found out that it was actually pretty low in calories (the canned soup part scared me so I had to make sure). Of course I had to substitute the g-free canned soup but other than that it was a cinch! I added a couple things to his recipe just to boost the nutrition.


Yellow rice made a delicious dancing partner in this salsa dance. I think next time I will add some fresh avocado slices on top and make it even more delectable.

Ingredients

• 1 cup salsa
• 1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning
• 1 can organic black beans, rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can gluten free reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed)
• 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

Directions

Add chicken, beans, and corn to the crock pot. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken followed by the soup and salsa. I cooked on low for 7 hours, then turned it off and added the sour cream. Throw over a bed of yellow rice and this dish will dance on your taste buds.

Pavlov's Pork Chops

My slow cooker now has the Pavlov’s dog effect on me…the drool begins as soon as I pull into the drive. I have come to accept it, although you might be alarmed if you were riding passenger.

Today’s crockpot recipe has been a weekly request from my kiddo. I mentioned to him last night that I wrote about him in my blog yesterday and he was tickled pink. Although if he knew I used that expression to describe him he would most certainly be appalled as my 100% “boy” would want no correlation to the color pink. So, I guess I’ll say he was tickled red (his favorite color). My red cheeked child even offered to let me take a picture of his plate wiped clean but I decided leftover pork bits and seven year old’s saliva smeared on a plate wouldn’t exactly spark an appetite in my readers. I am sure you agree.

Now on to the recipe, as that is the reason why you are putting up with my drool stories right?

I used to shake and bake my chops every week in college, not really knowing how else to cook them. I was also terrified that I could somehow undercook them and get sick (see minute steak story a few posts ago). However my fear was slowly cooked away in my slow cooker all day. The meat literal fell off the bones, and I had to scoop them onto our plates, ladling the luscious veggies adjacent.

To the kitchen! Chop Chop!!

Slow Cooker Chops with Red Potatoes and Baby Carrots
This was inspired by a recipe given to my husband at work. You can’t pass up a recipe that contains the words simple, few ingredients, and scrumptious all within the first few lines now can you? The great part about it is you can swap or subtract the veggies to your own taste! Although I myself am a sucker for potatoes.

Ingredients

• 4 bone in center pork loin chops
• 6-8 Red new potatoes, sliced half inch thick
• 1-2 cups baby carrots
• 1 package zesty Italian dry mix
• Ground pepper
• Kosher salt
• Tbs olive oil
• Water

Directions

Place veggies in the crock pot and toss with oil, then add salt and pepper to your liking. I used probably a tablespoon of each. Add about an inch of water (creates a brothy sauce).Layer chops on top with as little overlap possible. Sprinkle packet of zesty Italian over the top and secure the lid. Cook on high for 5 hours, then low for close to an hour. Serve!

Crockpot-O-dile Rock

I have been constantly crock-potting the last month. Yes, “crock-potting”, it’s my new verb for continuous crock pot usage. I suppose I could substitute “slow cooking” but that just doesn’t sound a cool right? So, I blame my lack of writing to my constant crock-potting. The darn thing is addictive and causing me to only want to commit my loyalties to its remarkable power. I feel like I can plop my pantry contents into it and creates a masterpiece in 5 hours. And who can resist getting home from work and having a delicious meal already waiting for you? It’s my own little 50’s housewife. I step out of my car after a long day, the chilly air numbing my bones and am delighted with wafts of sumptuous smells emerging from under the door.


I felt if I filled the last 3 weeks of posts with just crock pot recipes you would call out my laziness and not my actual ingenious obsession. I may quite possibly still be in the denial stages of addiction so just go with my self flattery.

Taking this into consideration, and saving my dignity for now, I decided to theme it crockpot week and post my favorite meat and meat-less recipe so far. Yes, I realize it is Wednesday my day-conscious readers so I will run it through the middle of next week, posting at least 4 days of recipes. Days of yummy, thumb licking, I’ll never stress and cool at 6:00 at night if I can help it recipes.

Oh and get this…my picky little 7 year old…clearing his plate every night. Bless you crock potting, bless you. This post will be for my meat eaters out there. Enjoy!

Drip Beef Sandwiches
This recipe was passed down to my husband from our good friends the Darby's years ago and spurred his desires for it last Sunday when the weather just begged for a warm beef stew. I altered it with the amounts of seasoning. Note: this makes a TON!! We used the leftovers for three days, feeding my parents, the three of us, and still having leftover. I suggest making quesadillas with them one night!

Ingredients

5 pounds boneless chuck, trimmed slightly and cut into pieces
1 tbs kosher salt
1 tbs fresh ground pepper
2 tsp or cube of bullion
2 tbs rosemary
1 tbs basil
2 tbs garlic salt
4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbs Worchester sauce

You know that I always error on the high side of all ingredients so be liberal if you would like! It's a crock pot not a surgical procedure.
Directions

Place the chuck in the crock pot and add water until it covers the top. Top with all seasonings. Cook for 6 hours on high or until meat starts to shred. I served on gluten free baguettes. I recommend dipping the bread into the juice then stuffing the meat into it! My husband topped his with provolone but I think it stands good alone!