Crock pot ideas/Recipie

[KnottedYet]

I usually toss the whole shebang in, and it holds together enough that I can pull it out whole. But the last time i did it, the ribs and spine came apart. It was miserable, bones in every spoonful.

Next time I'm just pulling off the good stuff and throwing out the ribs and spine. Ick.

[Trek420]

I'm discovering I like this crockpot thang.

This one an experiment, no recipe just thought it'd work....and it did.

Large'ish tri tip cubed
1 1/2 large red onion diced
4-6 tomatoes wedged
4 very beeeeg portobello 'shrooms
water & red wine near to top cooked over night.

turned out nice, portobellos in beefy tomato'y goodness.

Next time I think lots of garlic, more wine, less H2o ...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I regularly make a whole roast chicken in the oven for DH and myself.
We eat chicken dinner two nights in a row (with stuffing and cranberry sauce ).
Then there's usually a bunch of meat pickings left on the carcass. I take the time to pick of all the meat and good bits I can off the carcass, which is usually a nice bowlfull. I throw out the bones. Then I divide the meat bits in half, and put them in two freezer bags in the freezer. Whenever I want to make chicken soup, I just grab a bag out and throw the frozen bits in the crockpot with maybe 6 cups water and let it get going for about 3 hours. Then I throw in carrots, celery, onion, and seasonings and let it go another 3 hours or so. I turn it up to high and put in some egg noodles 15 minutes before serving.
I find it's usually worth the time to pick the meat bits off the bones otherwise the gazillion bone parts tend to fall apart into the soup.

[Kimmyt]

Lisa, do you make stock from the bones for your soups?

I have a leg of lamb that is leftover, some scraps on it but mostly bone and I am contemplating making Scotch broth with it. I've never made a stock, though... can I put any amount of water in? It's a smallish leg bone, but I was going to buy some bouillion in case the stock came out weak.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Hi,
No, i don't use the bones for anything. Call me lazy. I put the chicken pickings (mostly meat, a little roasted skin bits too) in a pot with several cups water to start my soup. I did buy some pre-made organic vegetable stock and sometimes I use that 1/2 and 1/2 with water if I want a really rich soup, but mostly I find my soups rich enough if I add plenty of veggies and whatever meat I choose or not. Seasoning works well for me rather than making and storing stocks.

I often use the crock-pot tip of quickly browning stuff like meat, onions, garlic, or peppers in a pan before dumping it into the pot...this REALLY adds a great flavor and is well worth the extra few minutes in my opinion. It makes a huge flavor improvement.

The other day I made ham hocks & beans. First I trimmed the skin and outside fat off the hocks...then browned the ham hocks in olive oil in a skillet. The taste of the browned hocks is very different from just simmered hocks. Then I took them out and browned some onions and fresh garlic. All that then got dumped in to crockpot along with 2 LARGE cans baked beans, a big squirt each of molasses, ketchup, and bbq sauce, also 1/2 cup brown sugar and some pepper. I put it on low for 7 hours and it was INCREDIBLY yummy, and the hocks melted in your mouth.

[Brandi]

I'm discovering I like this crockpot thang.

This one an experiment, no recipe just thought it'd work....and it did.

Large'ish tri tip cubed
1 1/2 large red onion diced
4-6 tomatoes wedged
4 very beeeeg portobello 'shrooms
water & red wine near to top cooked over night.

turned out nice, portobellos in beefy tomato'y goodness.

Next time I think lots of garlic, more wine, less H2o ...

Not everyone in the united states has or even knows what a tri tip is. I have found with all my traveling with work that only the west die of the rockies seems to have tri- tip! My friend in florida iwh moved there is always saying how he misses tri- tip.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Made some black bean soup in my 3 qt crockpot today, and it came out great.
Here's what I did, if anyone is interested:

Preparation time about 20 minutes.

Cut about 4-6 strips of bacon into pieces and fried them up in a skillet. (I always keep some cut up bacon pieces in little bags in the freezer for this purpose). Take out bacon and put aside. Drain off "most" of the bacon fat but leave a bit in skillet to brown the onion in. Roughly chop 1 onion and about 5 cloves fresh garlic and quickly brown on high heat in the skillet. Put aside with the bacon.
Now, open 3 large cans of Progresso black beans and put in crock pot along with all the liquid from the beans. Whiz the beans with a blender stick right in the crock until mostly smooth but with some whole beans reamining here and there for texture (this takes about 10 seconds). Add the onions bacon & garlic. Chop a generous bunch of fresh cilantro and throw in. (save some cilantro for garnish). Add some freshly ground black pepper and any other favorite seasonings if desired, but don't overpower the cilantro as the main herb flavor. Stir, cover and cook in slow cooker for 6 hours on low. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh cilantro on top.
If you hate cilantro leave it out...maybe put some green pepper into the browning onions instead, and use sour cream and onion as garnish.
This, and my chicken noodle soup are my DH's faves.

[emily_in_nc]

That sounds delicious, Lisa! I'm forwarding the idea on to my DH, who does nearly all the cooking (he's retired) and LOVES BB soup. Since we're finally going to get some winter (starting tomorrow) after all this unseasonably spring-like weather, soup sounds perfect!

Emily

[KnottedYet]

Dinner at Lisa's house! I'll bring the gluten-free beer!

I love cilantro and black beans, so I want to try this recipe! Thanks!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I put a BIG bunch of cilantro in- the flavor is what makes this soup the best.
Also, Progresso cans of black beans are larger than a "typical" can of beans (and better beans in my opinion), so if you use another brand of typical size can, use 4 instead of 3 cans.

P.S. Knot- Just for the record, I don't mind gluten, ....but don't be slippin' any TOFU in there anywhere!


P.P.S. Is it just me, or does anyone else always read the title of this thread as "Crack pot ideas"??

[7rider]

Sounds yummy. I usually have cilantro around for the bunnies. I so rarely use it for my own meals!

Does anyone ever put chicken in a CP frozen (or nearly so)? Most recipes call for cooking on low 6-8 hours, but DH and I will be away from the house for 10 - sometimes 11 hours. My recent attempt with Cornish game hens had them falling apart as I tried to remove them. They were yummy, but I'd like a better "presentation" and perhaps would have done so if I cooked them only 8 hours, instead of 10-11. I wondered if I could put them in half frozen, or if I was just inviting a good case of botulism!!

[annie]

Sounds yummy. I usually have cilantro around for the bunnies. I so rarely use it for my own meals!

Does anyone ever put chicken in a CP frozen (or nearly so)? Most recipes call for cooking on low 6-8 hours, but DH and I will be away from the house for 10 - sometimes 11 hours. My recent attempt with Cornish game hens had them falling apart as I tried to remove them. They were yummy, but I'd like a better "presentation" and perhaps would have done so if I cooked them only 8 hours, instead of 10-11. I wondered if I could put them in half frozen, or if I was just inviting a good case of botulism!!

I often cook completely frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot. Just open the package the throw them in, add whatever seasonings, etc. and they cook on low for 8-10 hours. They are quite done! Never had any problems. If you were doing an entire chicken, it might take a bit more time. Cornish hens are small, tho', so I think they'd work well. I may have to try that! What else did you put in with them, Regina?

[Tuckervill]

I, too put frozen chicken breasts in the crock-pot. Works just fine, and yes, it does keep them from falling apart altogether.

Make sure it's a long slow cook, though. They won't be done on High after 6 hours.

Karen

[7rider]

I often cook completely frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot. Just open the package the throw them in, add whatever seasonings, etc. and they cook on low for 8-10 hours. They are quite done! Never had any problems. If you were doing an entire chicken, it might take a bit more time. Cornish hens are small, tho', so I think they'd work well. I may have to try that! What else did you put in with them, Regina?

Thanks!
I just put a bunch of diced potatoes, carrots, and onions. A little S&P and seasoning on the birds. I went for simple.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Wow, I am very pleased about this-
For xmas I gave one of my daughters and her partner a crock pot and my favorite vegetarian crock cook book. I figured they might experiment with it for soups. They are vegetarians.
Well my daughter called last night and told me it has totally changed their LIFE! They both go to work around noon and come home tired in the evening. They've been planning their crock meals and getting the ingredients fo 3 meals at a time and then chopping everything in the morning and setting it up and going off.
My daughter says they love chopping and preparing the stuff together in the morning, and they just lOVE coming home with everything ready and smelling good. She also says they are eating much more healthily because of it- buying more fresh veggies and unusual things like parsnips and kinds of exotic beans and greens that they had never tried or considered before. I was so thrilled by her excitement & enthusiasm! Guess I picked a good present for them.