Slow Cooker Applesauce March 2, 2010

We have a new produce store near our house, so I have been stopping in every couple of days to pick up produce. They have been having an apple sale, so I bought a 10 pound bag with the intention of making apple pie filling. Well, my weekend came and went and still I have a 10 pound bag of apples on my counter and even more eating apples in the fridge. Today is filled with extracurricular activities, not leaving nearly enough time to get apple pie filling made; but slow cooker applesauce, that I can do.

My mom has always made her own applesauce, I am sure it stems from the fact she lives in the country and has apple tress, along with all her friends and neighbors, so she has an abundant supply of free apples. I guess I have always been around homemade applesauce, so it doesn’t seem like too big of a chore, however there are a few different ways to make applesauce and I have found the easiest way is to make it in your slow cooker. You simply add the ingredients and forget about it; and the best part, your house will be filled with the amazing aroma of spiced apples. Simply delicious.

You could use any apple you want here, I know the “experts” say that Jonagold, Pink Lady, Macoun, Gala, and Fuji are the best due to their balanced flavor and water content; but I just use what I have and adjust the water and sugar as needed. So if you choose to use a really tart apple, know that you might have to add a little extra sugar; for a sweet apple, use less sugar. Today I used a combination of Honeycrips and Granny Smiths. If you prefer your applesauce unsweetened, just leave out the sugar and spices; my version tastes very similar to an apple pie filling. I think applesauce is pretty forgiving, so if you have never made it, give it a try. It is a great rainy day activity with the kids. I am sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy and good it is, especially when served warm.

One word of caution though, if you are tempted to start these at night and go to bed, just know that the smell will be quite strong, and quite possibly will prevent you from sleeping. Trust me, I know from experience. My husband has asked me to never again cook food in the slow cooker while we sleep, it just smells too good.

Slow Cooker Applesauce

• about 3 pounds apples, cored, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (white sugar would also work), optional
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin or apple pie spice, optional

1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours.
2. When apples are very soft, smash with potato masher, fork, immersion blender, etc to get desired consistency. If very smooth consistency is desired, a blender or food processor would work well.
3. Applesauce can be served warm or cold. Leftovers need refrigerated or frozen.

BBQ Baked Potato February 24, 2010

I am having one of those weeks. You probably know what kind of week I mean; the one where it would help if I was more organized, planned my meals better and just had more time. So, last night in an effort to be more of this organized super-mom I wish to be, I surveyed my fridge, seeing what quick meal ideas I could come up with. I had leftover homemade BBQ Sauce, so I decided I would defrost some chicken in the fridge overnight and make slow cooker bbq chicken the next day.

So, the next day happens. I go to throw my ingredients into the slow cooker, only to remember we don’t eat gluten. The only way I know how to serve shredded BBQ chicken is on a roll. And sure, I have made some gluten free breads and rolls, but they aren’t all that special. And truth be told, homemade bread is only worth the trouble if it tastes great, or at least good. And even if I did have a gluten free bread recipe up my sleeve, today was not a day I had time to make bread.

I do the only think I know to do, I call my sister and ask what else her family eats bbq shredded meat on or with. She suggests a baked potato, apparently this is popular in bbq country. So I chopped up some green onions, grated some cheddar cheese (although I think colby-jack would be better, I had none) and went about my day. When I arrived home, very tired and way past our regular dinner time, with a very grumpy toddler at my foot, I quickly washed up some potatoes, threw them in the microwave and had dinner on the table in no time. It was delicious, thanks Lynn. Dinner Saved.

BBQ Baked Potatoes

Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce
• 1/2 cup Italian Dressing
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• diced onions and garlic, optional (my homemade bbq sauce has onions and garlic, so I don’t add more)

1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook around 3 hours on low. Using a fork, shred chicken and stir back into sauce to combine.
2. Cook on high for approximately 1 more hour, or until meat is done.

• 4-6 baked potatoes
• sour cream, cheese, green onions or chives, all optional but delicious

1. To serve, split open potatoes, lengthwise. Spoon chicken on top of potatoes. Top with optional ingredients if desired. Enjoy.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak February 22, 2010

I have a love/hate relationship with my crock pot. I love the ease and convenience, but I have hated more than one slow cooker meal. And what is with all  the slow cooker recipes and the ingredients they call for, the cream of this, cream of that soup? And cheese whiz. The last thing I want slow cooking with my meat is a congealed can of fat or artificial cheese. Seriously, what were our mothers thinking? And slow cookers can be a pain in the you know what to wash.

Even with all the drawbacks, there are days when my crock pot is a life saver, especially now that we eat gluten free. Long gone are the days when we can just order a pizza or pick up some deli food on a hectic day. And between school, work, activities and normal family life, isn’t every week just a little chaotic? So, in the end I need my crock pot, but I also need dependable recipes that will produce a delicious meal. This isn’t always easy.

I have found that things that naturally require low and slow cooking also work the best in a crock pot, go figure, huh? Things I have been the happiest with are: beans, broths, stews, soups and roasts. Red meat seems to work better than chicken. Chicken is notorious for being easy to  over cook and dry out, so slow cook chicken with caution. Another warning, the old slow cookers required a longer cooking time. So if you are using an old recipe and a new crock pot, make sure to adjust the cooking time. I doubt anything requires 12 hours in a newer slow cooker, but this seemed to be the norm in the old ones. And please, for the love of all things delicious, do not use cream of anything soup. Your family and your arteries will thank you.

This is my all time favorite slow cooker meal. I believe it came from an old Taste of Home of Country magazine. Feel free to use a can of tomato sauce in place of the canned tomatoes if you prefer, it will be good either way. And the original recipe called for a 16 oz can of tomatoes, but the brands I use are all 14.5 oz cans, so I changed this accordingly. But I seriously doubt it will matter which size of can you use.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

• 1 1/2-2 pounds round steak (or any other appropriate cut)
• 2 Tb oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (if eating gf, San-J makes a good one)
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• 1 tsp sugar
• pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger  (or about 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced)
  
• 1-  14.5oz can of cut tomatoes with liquid (or a can of tomato sauce)
  
• 2 large bell peppers, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tb Cornstarch

1. Cut beef into 3-inch strips and brown in oil in skillet (if short on time, browning  can be skipped). Place beef in slow cooker.
2. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, onion, garlic, sugar, pepper, ginger, tomatoes and green peppers. Cook on low 5-6 hours or until beef is tender.
3. Combine cornstarch and water in small dish. Stir into slow cooker and cook on high until thick; about 30 minutes.  Serve over rice.