I have decided though, that I do need to get a second large slow cooker. My small one just isn't big enough for most dishes I'm making these days. And since I've started making stock in the slow cooker, that's occupying the large one. Stay tuned for slow cooker updates!
The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftovers (S) Asian Ribs
Sun (L) pasty (S) leftover Ribs
Mon (yoga) (L) Me - out (S) Asian Chicken Soup
Tues (yoga) soup
Wed (yoga) soup
Thurs (yoga) soup
Fri (??)
Lunches - Vegetarian Chili
Asian Ribs (ATK Slow Cook Revolution)If you haven't figured out by now...I really like this cookbook. I've had reasonably success with just about everything I've made and I love the variety. This cook book contains a handful of recipes that I've made more than once.
This dish falls in the middle of the spectrum right now, and that could be because the ribs I used weren't quite right for this dish. But I had them in the freezer and I wanted something other than ribs in basic BBQ sauce.
Front end assembly was decent - chop and plot. Back end is where it got putzy: pull ribs out of liquid and set aside, separate fat and reduce liquid mixture, glaze ribs and broil (and this is where my fire alarms go off...), keep glazing and flipping ribs until "brown and sticky" (with windows open and husband standing under alarm waving a towel), and serve with extra sauce.
Tasty? Oh, yes. Definitely tasty, wonderful Asian flavors. But I admit the extra 45 minutes of "prep" at the end was...annoying. So NOT a weeknight meal unless you have some extra time once you get home.
Recipe is a bit long to type out, so you'll have to check out the book from the library.
Chinese Chicken and Ramen Soup (modified from ATK Slow Cook Revolution) gluten free option
I've had my eye on this recipe for a while and decided to finally make it - I had nearly everything on hand anyway, I made a fresh pot of stock the day before, and substituted some Udon noodles I had in the pantry for the ramen. Just a few things (like the star anise pods) to grab from the store.
Husband had some hiccups with this one though - I used my smaller slow cooker, which did NOT fit 8 cups of broth, two cups of onion, carrots and a quartered chicken. Husband improvised and cooked the meat separately that didn't fit, then we shredded and added to the soup. He noted the meat did not cook in four hours, so that was also finished separately and added back in. We cooked the Udon noodles separately as well (sense a theme?).
And on top of all that...I forgot the napa cabbage. Oy.
Yet, this was pretty darn tasty. I admit to being a bit put off by the smell of the Star Anise, it made the soup smell very 'black licorice-y' which I can't stand the taste of. But the soup itself didn't taste like black licorice. If anything it was very chicken-soup like, with notes of Asian flavor, and a bit on the bland side. I found a squirt of Siracha helped.
I would make this again, using my large slow cooker and remembering to add the cabbage...
2 cups onion, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp ginger, grated and divided
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup carrots, sliced 1/4" thick
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 star anise pods (use one if you don't like black licorice)
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
(I used a home-grown chicken, quartered, wings and back removed)
2 (3 oz pkg) ramen, flavor packets discarded (I used 1-6oz pkg Udon noodles, cooked separately)** gluten free noodles can be substituted, but cook according to direction on package.
1/2 medium head Nappa cabbage, sliced
optional 2 scallions, sliced thin (I skipped)
1) Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, 1 tbsp ginger and cook 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste, red pepper flakes and cook until tomato paste is fragrant. Add to slow cooker.
2) Combine broth, carrots, soy sauce, sugar, star anise and bay leaves in slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to broth mixture. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.
3) Remove chicken to a platter or cutting board, let cool slightly and shred meat. Let soup settle and remove fat with a large spoon. Remove bay leaves and star anise pods.
4). IF using noodles other than raman, cook noodles according to direction on pan, until al dente, add to soup with cabbage. IF using raman, add to slow cooker with cabbage, cover and cook on high 3-8 minutes.
5) Return meat to slow cooker, add remaining ginger, season and serve with additional soy sauce or siracha if desired.
Vegetarian Chili (modified from ATK Slow Cooker Revolution) gluten free
The title in the cookbook is Vegetarian Black Bean Chili, but the Husband isn't wild about black beans. First modification was to substitute pinto beans. Second modification was to cut back on the chili and chipolte - I have Penzey's "medium-hot" chili in my pantry and it can pack a punch. Chipolte can go either way and be super spicy or just flavorful. Third modification was to brine the beans ahead of time. I have calcium rich well water and sometimes, the beans just don't cook all the way. Soaking the beans ahead of time in a salt water solution has helped significantly.
End result - this was pretty tasty and...a bit bland. Go figure! I would make this again though, super easy to prep and I enjoyed the chili flavors and consistency. Perfect for these cold and snowy days.
2 cups onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
2 jalepeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced
9 garlic cloves, minced (I grate mine)
3 tbsp chili powder (I used 1 tbsp Penzey's "medium-hot" and I should have done 1 1/2 tbsp)
4 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
2 1/2 cups water
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) black beans (I used pinto)
10 oz white mushrooms, trimmed and halved if small, quartered if large
1 tbsp minced canned chipolte chili in adobo sauce (I used just the sauce)
2 bay leaves
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained and cut (I used 1 28oz can diced tomatoes, drained)
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro (drat! I forgot! And I even had some in the fridge...)
1) Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic, chili powder, mustard seeds, cumin and oregano and cook until vegetables are softened and slightly browned (8-10 minutes). Stir in 1 cup broth to release any browned bits and transfer to a large slow cooker.
2) Stir water, beans, mushrooms, remaining broth, chipoltes and bay leaves into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beans are tender 9-11 hours on low or 5-7 hours on high.
3) Remove bay leaves. You can at this point remove 1 cup of beans, mash and return to slow cooker, but I thought it was perfectly thick the way it was. Add drained tomatoes and let heat through. Stir in cilantro if desired, and serve.
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