California Tamale Pie

Monday seems to have come and gone this week and I forgot to post something. I spent yesterday driving from one appointment to another, a bit overcome with distraction. By the time I got home,  I had to fix dinner. Then the rest of the day seemed to fly by. I woke up this morning remembering that I hadn't posted anything on my blog.

So for the frazzled among us, here's an easy recipe for the crock pot that's really tasty! Serve with salad and you have a complete meal. Enjoy!

California Tamale Pie

3/4 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup milk
1 egg slightly beaten
1 lb lean ground beef
1 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1 t seasoned salt
1 (14 oz.) can chunky salsa
1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, mix cornmeal, milk and egg.  Stir in meat, chili powder, cumin, salt, salsa, corn and olives.  Pour mixture into slow cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours.  Sprinkle cheese over top; cover and cook another 5 minutes.  Makes 6-8 servings.

Have you ever had California Tamale Pie? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Hawaiian Chicken

Summer is quickly approaching, and with summer comes vacation planning!

I don't know about you, but I'd love to go to Hawaii!  Unfortunately, with two kids in college, that won't happen any time soon. 

But I can always dream, and this Hawaiian Chicken recipe makes me feel like I'm there... well not really, but it sure tastes good!

Hope you enjoy it, too! It's a crock pot recipe and only takes minutes to assemble, but you will need to set aside up to five hours for it to cook. It's delicious over rice!

This recipe is from my General Electric Slow Cooker Recipe Book.

Hawaiian Chicken

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved (I use thighs)
1 16 ounce can pineapple slices, drained (I use chunks)
1 15 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in the crock. Stir well. Cover and cook on:
Low - 4 to 5 hours or High - 2 to 3 hours

Where will yo be vacationing this summer? 

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

I just read an interesting  article in Marieclaire.com that discussed Meghan Markle's diet now that she has become a member of the royal family. Although she's allowed to eat anything behind closed doors, while in public acting in a royal capacity, certain dietary restrictions apply:

As a royal, Meghan is not allowed to eat garlic while traveling—at least not while she's on official royal visits anyway. 

Per Sunday Express: "Garlic is banned from being included in foods eaten by royal family members. With many meetings between official visitors, it is thought to be advised against to prevent any awkward bad breath."

Shellfish is restricted as well: 

Members of the royal family are also not allowed to eat shellfish while traveling for royal visits, due to the high risk of food poisoning associated with the dish...

It's certainly nice to be able to eat what you want, when you want including this tasty garlicky recipe I found at Diethood.com. I love garlic, so if you do too, I'm sure you'll enjoy this easy Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken!

Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 4 garlic cloves , minced
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup low sodium ketchup
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Arrange chicken thighs on the bottom of your slow cooker; set aside. 
2. In a mixing bowl, combine garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oregano and parsley; whisk until thoroughly combined.
3. Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs.
4. Close with a lid and cook for 4 to 5 hours on LOW, or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH.
5. Remove lid and transfer chicken to a serving plate.
6. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
7. Serve.

Did you know the royals had to restrict their diets in some circumsatnces? Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Moroccan Spiced Chicken

Two teenagers are keeping me very busy, so I depend  on my crock pot more and more. Here's a recipe I found in a Kroger coupon booklet and tried last week. It's easy, very good, and just a little exotic. Enjoy!

Moroccan Spiced Chicken

2 T cumin
2 t coriander
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
4 parsnips, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t cinnamon
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups prepared couscous
chopped parsley for garnish

Combine all ingredients except couscous and parsley in the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Serve over warm couscous and garnish with parsley.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Easy Pork Roast with Gravy

Here's something kid tested by my kids, and mother approved by me! It's also really easy to prepare and cooks in the crock pot. This recipe comes from Reader's Digest, and they suggest serving it with mashed white potatoes. Rice works well, too. Enjoy!

Pork Roast with Gravy

1 boneless whole pork loin, 3-4 lbs.
1 can chicken broth
1 cup julienned sweet red pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1T brown sugar
2 t Italian seasoning
1 t salt
1 t pepper
2 t cornstarch
2 t cold water

Cut roast in half, transfer to 5 qt. slow cooker.  In small bowl, combine broth, red pepper, onion, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and seasonings.  Pour over pork.  Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours, or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees and meat is tender.

For gravy, strain cooking juices and skim fat.  Pour 1 cup into small saucepan. Combine corn starch and water until smooth.  Stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil, cook and stir two minutes or until thickened.

Do you have a favorite pork roast recipe that your mom used to make? Thanks for visiting, and have a wonderful week!

Reprinted from 4/15/11.

Suzie's Sloppy Joes

I love Sloppy Joes, and this particular recipe is for the crock pot.  Slow cooked and luscious, this dish, also known as a loose-meat sandwich, is sure to please the pickiest eaters!

After visiting the famous Sloppy Joes bar in Key West Florida, I assumed that that's where the name for the sandwich was born. Turns out, it's hard to pinpoint the exact origin.  According to Kerry's Island Kitchen, its history is full of contradictions.

The owners of a restaurant in Sioux City, Iowa, where the lose meat sandwich is popular, claim that they had a cook once named Joe, and  the sloppy sandwich was named after him.  And of course, Sloppy Joe’s in Florida says they coined the name.

What's in a name? Taste is what's important, and I can't wait until you taste these! Throw some together this weekend and enjoy!

By the way, I don't know who Suzie is, but this recipe comes from a great book purchase I made at the dollar store called Easy Home Cooking All New Slow Cooker.

Suzie's Sloppy Joes 

3 lbs lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups ketchup
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
5 T Worcestershire sauce
4 T brown sugar
3 T perpared mustard
3 T vinegar
2 t chili powder
Hamburger buns

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in small saucepan. Drain fat.

Combine ketchup, bell pepper, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and chili powder in slow cooker. Stir in beef mixture. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours. Spoon onto burger buns. Makes 8-10 servings.

I didn't know there were so many names for "the loose-meat sandwich" until I did a little research today.  For instance, in southern Illinois, it's called a Yip Yip, in Nebraska, a Yum Yum and in Northern Pennsylvania, a Wimpie.What are Sloppy Joes called where you live?

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

Reprinted from February 4, 2011.

A barbecue competition is like going to a family reunion, only you get to pick your relatives." Judy Fry, The Frying Pan

If you're not from North Carolina, you may not appreciate NC barbecue.  I lived in the Tar Heel State for about 15 years and never liked it's version of BBQ as much as Ohio's, but it is tasty.

My husband, who grew up in NC, really loves it!  And my kids, who are picky eaters, actually like this version I cooked in my crock pot the other day. If you find it strange, douse in your favorite BBQ sauce and you'll love it!

This recipe is from my Slow Cooker Recipe Book that came with my GE crock pot. Hope you like it!

North Carolina Barbecue

3 lbs boneless pork butt, shoulder or blade roast
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomato
1/2 cup vinegar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T sugar
1 heaping T red pepper flakes
1 T salt
2 t black pepper

Combine all ingredients in crock. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. Pull meat apart with fork when done.  Makes about 3 pounds of BBQ. Great Served with baked beans and cole slaw.

What's your favorite BBQ? Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!

Reprinted from April 8, 2011

Indonesian Pork

I'll be out of town next week, so this will be my last post until August 12.  In the meantime, if you're looking for something tasty and easy to prepare, look no further!

This recipe is from Mabel Hoffman's Crockery Cookery and it's absolutely delicious! Hope you enjoy it.

Indonesian Pork

1 4-5 pound pork roast
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 t dried red pepper flakes
1/4 lemon juice
1 T crystallized ginger
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter]

Place a metal rack or trivet in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place meat on rack.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, pepper flakes and lemon juice. Pour mixture over meat.  Cover and cook on low 9-10 hours  Remove meat and keep warm.  Skim off excess fat from juices. Turn control to high.  Stir in peanut butter and cook about five minutes.  Slice meat and serve.  Makes 5-6 servings.

Have you ever tasted any Indonesian dishes?

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Orange Juiced Pork Chops

Cooking is time consuming, which is why I love my crock pot! There just aren't enough hours in the day to fit in everything that needs to get done--along with all that you want to get done--like reading and writing! So why use up precious time standing over a stove?

Although crock pot meals may take hours to cook (but keep in mind, the crock does the cooking, not you), some only take minutes to prepare, like this tasty recipe I'm sharing today from my GE Slow Cooker Recipe Book!

Serve this with rice and a salad, and you're good to go! Enjoy!

Orange Juiced Pork Chops

1 6oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 t soy sauce
2 T cornstarch
1/2 t garlic powder
6 1 inch thick boneless, center cut pork chops

Combine all ingredients, except for meat, in the crock.  Stir well.  Add meat and stir well to coat.  Cover and cook on:

Low - 6-8 hours
 or
High - 3 hours

Do you own a crock pot?  If so, what's your favorite crock pot recipe?  Thanks for visiting!

Hawaiian Chicken

As we commemorate Memorial Day, I want to thank all the brave men and women who have served our country!

The Memorial Day weekend kicks off the unofficial start of summer.  And with summer comes vacation planning!

I don't know about you, but I'd love to go to Hawaii!  Unfortunately, with two kids in braces, that won't be happening any time soon. However, I can always dream, and this Hawaiian Chicken recipe makes me feel like I'm there--okay, not really, but it sure tastes good!

Hope you enjoy it, too! It's a crock pot recipe and only takes minutes to assemble, but you will need to set aside up to five hours for it to cook. It's delicious over rice!

This recipe is from my General Electric Slow Cooker Recipe Book.


Hawaiian Chicken

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved (I use thighs)
1 16 ounce can pineapple slices, drained (I use chunks)
1 15 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger


Combine all ingredients in the crock. Stir well. Cover and cook on:
Low - 4 to 5 hours
or
High- 2 to 3 hours


Where will yo be vacationing this summer? Have you ever been to Hawaii?

Thanks for visiting! By the way, if you're looking for a summer read, give my novel The Governor's Sons a try!