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Crock Pot Adventures with Nettie
Here's the recipe for the first dinner I made with my new crockpot.  Let's call it

Caribbean Chicken 

Layer in crock pot:
(depending on size of your pot, the amounts will vary, so go with whatever fits.  This is what fit in my 6 quart size.):
  • 8 medium potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
  • 1 large onions, chopped
  • 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and cut in large chunks
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut in large chunks
  • 5-6 medium carrots, scrubbed and sliced diagonally

Sprinkle layers with spices including, but not limited to:
  • Garlic granules
  • Caribbean Jerk Seasoning (don't be shy with this - it's got kick but that's what makes it good!)
  • Paprika (LOTS!  Go crazy with it!)
  • Some salt (not too much)

Finish off with:
  • Chicken tenderloins
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into medium chunks
  • Worcestershire sauce over top of all
  • more seasonings (above)

Finally, the Pièce de résistance:
  • 2 handfuls dried cranberries


Cook for 8 hours on low, or 4.5 on high

A few minutes before serving time, add one 8-oz. brick of cream cheese (may use low-fat if you wish), cover and allow to soften.  When soft, stir in several dollops of sour cream with the softened cream cheese, and serve.

That, to the best of my recollection, is what I put in.  Since I made it up as I went, and nothing is measured, it's one of those "works of art" - you will end up with something different every time.  But that's the way I like it! 

Pasta Fagioli (pasta & bean soup)
(From Shar's Bosch Kitchen Center)

In 8 Litre Pressure cooker:
  • 2 Tbsp. Garlic Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion, Chopped
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed

Sauté until onion is transparent.
Add:
  • 2 quarts Chicken Broth
  • 2 tsp minced Crystal Ginger
  • 2 cups cleaned Beans (White Cannellini or Kidney)
  • 28 oz. can Muir Glen Crushed Tomatoes
  • Seasonings (Herbamare, Roasted Garlic, Sea Salt, Garlic Pepper)
Bring to a boil.  Place lid on cooker.  Bring to a second red ring.  Maintain pressure for 30 to 40 minutes.  Remove from heat source and allow pressure to drop on its own.  Add:

Dinner in a Pumpkin 
(cooked in a pressure cooker)
(From Shar's Bosch Kitchen Center)
  • 1 Small to medium Pumpkin (to fit your pressure cooker)
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 lb. fresh Mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 Tbsp. Garlic Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp. Braggs Soy Sauce
  • 1 1/2 lbs. Ground Beef
  • 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup (10-3/4 oz)
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked Rice
Cut off the top of the Pumpkin and thoroughly clean out seeds and pulp.  Paint an appropriate face on the front of the pumpkin with a permanent marking pen or acrylic paint.
 
In a large skillet, sauté Onions, Garlic, and Mushrooms until tender.  Add Ground Beef to brown.  Add to mixture the Braggs, Soup, and Rice.  Stir until combined. 
 
Spoon mixture into the cleaned pumpkin shell.  Replace top and secure with toothpicks.  Place filled Pumpkin on a trivet, in an appropriate size pressure cooker with 1/2 cups of water.  Pressure on second ring for 10 minutes.  Remove cooker from heat and allow pressure to drop on its own.
 
Remove pumpkin top and serve meat mixture.  Scoop out cooked Pumpkin for your vegetables.

Hearty Hull-Less Barley Soup
(From Bob's Red Mill)

This easy-to-prepare soup is a meal. Serve with homemade bread and a salad.

In a large pot brown the onion in butter (this reduces the acid of the onion), drop in the ground meat, carrots, celery and sprinkle salt over the meat and onion mixture. Add water and barley. Bring to a boil and cover the pot, lowering the temperature to a simmer for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Mix in the crushed tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Make sure the pot does not run out of liquids. Serve hot.

Yield: 6-8 servings


Hawaiian-Style Salmon (in parchment paper)
 (From Kathy Smith's Wellness Newsletter)
Serves 4
  • 4 (4-oz.) salmon steaks
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 tsp. canola oil
  • 2 cored pineapple slices, diced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. minced cilantro

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Rinse the salmon steaks and pat them dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the oil on the steaks and reserve. Cut the parchment paper (one for each salmon steak) in circular shapes about 12 inches in diameter, fold in half, and place the fish steaks at the center of the half circle. Top with the remaining ingredients. Fold the other half of the parchment over the ingredients and crimp the edges to seal. Place parchment "bags" on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Oriental-Style Salmon (in parchment paper)
Serves 4
  • 4 (4-oz.) salmon steaks
  • 4 tsp. sesame oil
  • 4 tsp. soy sauce
  • 4 asparagus stalks, cut into segments
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. minced ginger

 (Prepare as above)

Bon Appetit!

Nettie's Picadillo Casserole
  • 2 16-oz. Jars Trader Joe's Picadillo Sauce
  • 2 20-oz. Cans Pineapple Chunks
  • 2 15-oz. Cans Black Beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained
  • 1  8-oz. pkg. Dried Cranberries
  • 6 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 32-oz. pkg. Elbow Noodles
Topping:
  • Coconut, Shredded and Toasted
  • Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

In the morning, cut chicken into 1/2 inch cubes.  Combine with Picadillo sauce, pineapple chunks and juice, black beans, dried cranberries and elbow noodles in a large slow cooker.  Cover with water.  Simmer on low all day, checking water levels and adding more as needed.  If you are planning to be out of the house all day, simply add extra water at the start.  To serve, spoon casserole onto plates and top with coconut, cheese, or both for an easy, tasty supper. 

This casserole would be wonderful with a spinach salad, topped with dried cranberries, slivered almonds, and balsamic vinagrette!
After I came up with the above recipe, I sat down and looked for similar recipes, thinking lots of people probably don't have access to a Trader Joe's store for that special sauce.  Here's a great looking recipe for Chicken Picadillo!  Like everything, it's more complicated to make your own sauce, but it's always satisfying to put your own touch on something, too.  Enjoy!

Chicken Picadillo
  • 1/3 cup Slivered Almonds
  • 1/2 cup Picante Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
  • 2 medium Tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/3 cup sliced pimiento stuffed green olives
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 2 Tablespoons snipped parsley
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1-1/2 pound skinless, boneless Chicken Breast Halves
  • 12 (8-inch) Flour Tortillas
  • 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 medium Onions, chopped
  • 1 medium Apple, cored and chopped
  • 2 fresh, pickled, or cnaned jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 12 leaves of leaf lettuce

Preheat a wok or 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add almonds; stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Remove almonds from the wok. Let wok cool. For sauce, stir together picante sauce and cornstarch. Set aside. In a medium bowl stir together tomatoes, olives, raisins, parsley, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and the almonds; set aside. Cut chicken into thin bite size strips; set aside. Stack tortillas; wrap in foil. Heat in a 350F oven for 10 minutes or until warm. Or, place tortillas, half at a time, between layers of microwave safe paper towels. Microcook on 100% power, high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until warm. Pour oil into wok. Add more oil as necessary during cooking. Preheat over medium high heat. Stir fry garlic in hot oil for 15 seconds. Add onions, apple, and jalapeño peppers; stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp tender. Remove apple mixture from the wok. Add half of the chicken to the hot wok. stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until no pink remains. Remove chicken from the wok. Repeat with remaining chicken. Return all of the chicken and the apple mixture to wok. Push from center of wok. Stir sauce. Add sauce and tomato mixture to the center of the wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir all ingredients together to coat with sauce. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Place a lettuce leaf on each tortilla. Top with chicken mixture. Roll up tortilla. Serve immediately.
Nettie's Southwestern Breakfast Pizza:

 From the category "What I've Got In The Fridge"

**********

  • Prepared Pizza Crust (or home-made, if time is no object - see * below)
  • 4-6 Eggs (go with four if you buy the Jumbo size like I do, more if you buy the smaller size)
  • Southwestern Style Salsa (with black beans and corn)
  • Shredded Cheddar or Colbyjack cheese
  • Butter or Olive Oil
Soft-scramble eggs in either nonstick pan, or lightly oiled with seasoning to taste.  Baste pre-baked pizza crust with either melted butter or olive oil.  Spread salsa over crust, top with scrambled eggs, and finish off with shredded cheese.  Bake at 400F until cheese is bubbly and browning.

**********


Alternate recipes might include sundried tomato paste instead of salsa, with feta cheese instead of shredded cheddar or colbyjack.  Go with your tastes, or whatever's in the fridge - be creative!  If you're concerned about high carbs, replace pizza crust with a thin crisp-bread, like Lavosh, and broil instead of baking.
Nettie's Indian Tomato Red Pepper Soup
  • 2  32-oz boxes Trader Joe's **Tomato Roasted Red Pepper Soup (heat-n-serve style, no additional water required)
  • 1  15-oz. jar Trader Joe's Punjab Spinach Sauce
  • 1  lb. bag Frozen Chopped Spinach
  • 1.5  cups Frozen Roasted Corn
  • 2  Tbsp.  Crushed Sun-dried Tomatoes
  • 1/2  tsp Garam Masala
  • 1/4-1/2  tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/2-1 tsp Granulated Garlic Powder
Heat and serve.

**********

**This boxed soup could be made from scratch by roasting, steaming, or sauteeing red bell peppers in olive oil; puree the cooked peppers with a small amount of light cream and add to your choice of tomato based soup. Another way to make the soup is to cook some fresh tomatoes, or use canned diced tomatoes, and puree with a bit of light cream to make your soup base.  I just happened to pick up the boxed soup while at the store and thought this would be a fun way to try it.