Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Veggies

Now that Valentines day is behind us, next up is St. Patrick's Day! My husband loves Corned Beef and never waits for St. Patty's Day to cook it.  I personally don't eat it but have a great recipe passed along from Scott's mom.  Since they are Irish and all it MUST be good right?!? Well I have heard its the best from both of them and easy to make too!  Now the traditional way is Corned Beef and Cabbage but we leave that out since he isn't a fan, feel free to add it if you like it. Here is what you need:

1 Corned Beef Brisket
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Whole Grain Mustard
1 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Bottle of Beer
1/2 Bag Baby Carrots
5 Small White Potatoes
1 Small Onion

Place the Beef in a large slow cooker, fat side up.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and spread mustard on top of sugar.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper then add beer around the sides.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours.  Baste beef with liquid after 4 hours of cooking.  With 1 hour left add the veggies and continue to cook for an additional hour or until veggies are cooked.  Serve and ENJOY!

Shrimp Mozambique

Tonight I was feeling like shrimp but not wanting the same old shrimp scampi that I always make.  I decided to go with a Portuguese dish, Shrimp Mozambique.   This dish is full of flavor and so easy and quick to make.  I love making it with Shrimp but you can also make it with Chicken.  I actually made this dish last Valentine's Day with both chicken and shrimp and used a heart shape cookie cutter to make the chicken pieces in the shape of hearts! 

 To start off you will need all the ingredients below: 

2 bags of boil in a bag whole grain rice
20 large shrimp peeled and deveined
 2 sticks of margarine
1 bottle of light beer
3 cloves of garlic sliced
1/2 a sweet onion, chopped
3 teaspoons minced garlic with two teaspoons of juice (jarred)
2 teaspoons paprika
Salt to taste
4 packets of Goya con azafern seasoning

 First you can start to cook your rice by following the directions on the box.  In a large skillet melt the margarine with the can on beer.  Add the onion, garlic and paprika.  Saute for about 10 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook until pink.  Add the Goya Seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir, turn the heat off and cover for about 15 minutes to let the shrimp absorb the flavor.  Serve over rice and Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

There is nothing like a big bowl of hot soup on a cold winters day, and lately it has been colder than COLD! My boss gave me a recipe for minestrone soup last week.  I normally don't eat it but know that my husband loves it so I gave it a try.  Yes, I actually gave it a try and I LOVED it! Who would have thought?!?!  I did change a few things, left some things out and added another and everyone who tried it said it was the best they have ever had. So here is what you will need and how you make it:

1/4 cup EVOO
5 cloves garlic crushed 

Saute in a large stockpot for 5 minutes
1 medium sweet onion chopped
1lb carrots sliced
6 stalks of celery
1/3 each red, yellow, Orange peppers squared 

Add the above and saute for 10 minutes

1/2 lb French style frozen green beans
Add the beans to the mix and saute 5 minutes

8 cups low fat low sodium chicken broth

1 large can Italian plum tomatoes

1 small can diced tomatoes with green chillies

1/2 cup dried parsley

1 tablespoon basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Add the above and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover for 35 minutes

1 can red kidney beans drained and rinsed

1 can chick peas drained and rinsed

Add and raise heat to high and simmer 10 minutes

Serve topped with  Parmesan cheese and pumpernickel rye swirl bread is great on the side for dunking!

ENJOY!

Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork

I made this about a week or so ago, in fact I believe it was my last meal with meat that I had.  Let me tell you, probably one of the best tasting meats I've had in a long time AND the easiest.  I've been making pulled pork for a while now so I decided to try something new, I mean its always good when I make it normally but I wanted that little extra flavor in there.  I used about 3lbs of Boneless Pork Butt for this recipe and started by coating them is a McCormick Grill Mates Slow and Low Memphis Pit BBQ Rub.  I then added them to my lined slow cooker (saves on cleanup!).  Next I created a sauce also using a McCormick seasoning mix specifically for pulled pork and followed the instructions on the back.  Pour your sauce over the meat, set cooker on low and now you have about 7 hours to do whatever you want.  

After you have read you book, watched tv, cleaned, brought the dog for a walk, worked or possibly all of the above its time to check your pork.  I like to remove it from the crock-pot to shred it so that I don't puncture my liner and love all those juices. You will know it ready for shredding when it just falls apart just from poking it with a fork.  Shred all the meat and return to the pot, stir in all those juices and let simmer for another hour.  NOW we are ready to serve, I prefer it in a sandwich but you can always eat it as is as well.  What do you think?!?!? Delish isn't it! AND now you have lunch for tomorrow as well! Enjoy!

Chilly Weather Chili

It tends to be a bit chilly in New England this time of year.  What better to warm you up than a big hot bowl of chili?!?!?  I am not going to lie, I have never made chili before since I don't really like it but my husband does so I figured I would give it a go.  I researched a few different ways to make it and most people prefer slow cooked chili that sits and simmers for hours.  I did not have this kind of time today and needed a quick version.  My chili only took about 45minutes from start to finish! Here is what you will need to begin:

1.3lbs of 15% fat Hamburg 

1 sweet onion chopped

1 can of chili (14oz)

1 can tomato sauce (8oz)

1 can regular rotel (14oz)

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (We like the spice you can use just a can of diced tomato 14oz)

1 package of chili seasoning

1 cup water

Cook hamburg and onion in large stock pot until hamburg is fully cooked.  Next stir in the seasoning to the hamburg.  Finally add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Once boiling reduce to a simmer and cover for about 20minutes.  That't it, it is that simple!  Now just pour into a bowl and top with the shredded cheese of your choice! ENJOY!

The Green Monster - Flour Girls Baking Company

I was in bit of a time crunch for lunch yesterday and did not want to resort to something fast on the go since, lets face it, things that are fast on the go are NOT good for you the majority of the time.  Then I remembered I saw that Flour Girls Baking Company and Cafe now has smoothies.  The perfect grab and go quick lunch to have while on the road.  

I went with The Green Monster which seemed to me to be the healthiest option for me as it was made with almond milk, almond butter, flax seed, banana and spinach.  You get your dose of fruit and veggies as well as dairy.  Flax seed is great for your health as it is most popularly known to lower overall cholesterol levels especially LDL levels and to help prevent heart attacks.  Newer studies on Flax Seed and now showing it may help in the prevention of cancer, specifically breast cancer, due to the fact that it is high in Lignan, which provides fiber to your body.  

So next time you are in the Fairhaven, Ma area be sure to stop by and check out The Flour Girls! 

Whole Grains with a side of Mushrooms

After eating mainly fruits and veggies the past few days I was needing something with flavor and wholesomeness.  I decided to try Near East 100% natural Whole Grain Blends.  I am usually not a huge rice fan but I am now wishing I bought more than one box to try.....it was absolutely DELISH! I used the Roasted Pecan and Garlic but they have many different flavors to try and there is 1 serving of Whole Grains per a 1cup serving as well as a bit of protein to since I am not eating meat this month.

On that note, my husband still is eating meat so tonight I made him zesty herb pan seared chicken tenders topped with sauteed baby bella mushrooms. What you will need to prepare the mushrooms:

1/2 cup baby bella's sliced

2 T EVOO

2 T Margarine

2 T Minced Garlic

2 T green onion chopped

Heat oil in a medium skillet and add garlic.  Let cook for a few minutes while stirring.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of the margarine.  Next add the onion and mushrooms and let simmer for about 10 minutes.  Make sure to stir occasionally so that they do not stick and burn.  Lastly add the last tablespoon of butter and simmer for 2 additional minutes.  Remove mushrooms while leaving some garlic and butter behind to cook the chicken in.** Top the cooked chicken with the mushrooms and ENJOY!

 ** The chicken was coated in a Zesty Herb marinade mix by McCormick and then added to the pan after the mushrooms were removed.