Crockpot chicken tacos

Happy Saturday all!

Today was another day filled with homework and cloudy weather. Nothing better than crock-pot food under these circumstances. So procrastinating on Pintrest one day I found the popular recipe for the tacos. Quite tasty I may add. They are very juicy and fairly healthy. All that the tacos needed for perfection was a little guacamole. 

Inredients:
1 packet taco seasoning
1 jar salsa (I used a 24oz jar from Aldi- spicy level medium)
~6 pieces of chicken breasts.

Combine all three ingredients in the crock-pot. My chicken was frozen when I put it in and turned out just fine.

 Cover and put on high for a couple of hours athen reduce to low.

 I topped with guac (but not my best :(, I forgot cilantro) I also made some jasmine rice and frozen peas. So tasty!

I was quite pleased with this recipe. Definitely a keeper recipe! 

How do you make your guacamole? packet, chunks, smooth?

Happy eatings,

Smashley

MMMM Pot Roast!!!

Happy Saturday Al!!

Today couldn't have been a better day for a wonderfully tender pot roast. It was cool, and for the most part gloomy. Perfect for crock-pot pot roast and studying for neurobiology and growth and development. Studying- not so great. The pot roast- FAB! So good.

I used the normal recipe of cream of mushroom soup and onion soup powder mix, but jazzed it up a bit. I added baby carrots, celery, onion, some Italian seasoning, and some Winking Owl Chardonnay. Very glad I added all of the extras. To go with the pot roast I made some cauliflower mashed "potatoes", some cheesy garlic bread, and some frozen peas. The cauliflower was meh. Not the best but not awful. It tasted fine, but didn't have to creamy fluffy texture like potatoes. Good to know for the next time.

Pot Roast:
3lbs chuck roast-  I got mine at Wal*Mart- be on the look out for mark downs. Mine was marked down $4 because the sell by date was 2 days away. Much cheaper- seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper
Handful of baby carrots
2 stalks of celery cut into chunks
2 cans "Fit and Active" brand cream of mushroom soup (I love Aldi, just saying)
1 package of powdered onion soup mix
A few dashes of Italian seasoning
A few splashes of chardonnay.

All of the ingredients went into the crock pot. It was set to high for the first two hours and then on low for about 5 more hours.

The cauliflower recipe I got here, and I am not knocking their recipe, just wasn't quite what I wanted as my side.

The roast was wonderful, though I did do a lot of scooping off grease. I got probably about a half of a cup of grease off. Just an FYI. I would say it was worth it. The meat was tender and juicy. I wish I had a larger to eat more ;) The wine in the cup is Oliver honey wine with black cherry flavoring, not as good as their soft red/rose/white.

Well- happy eatings,
Smashley

Cinnamon Apples

Howdy!

Fall is probably my favorite season of the year. The weather allows for outdoors activity, it is the season for apple and pumpkin goodies, and the beginning of my busy season of birthdays and holidays.  So in the spirit of the fall equinox yesterday, I made crock-pot cinnamon apples. 

I found the recipe on pintrest (I am fully addicted) and thought it would be the perfect treat for a day full of studying for a neurobiology test on Tuesday. This is the recipe for the apples. I did some tweaking due to what I had on hand and previous apple dishes I have made before. 

First I did not have large apples- I bought a large bag of small gala apple from the store and needed to use them up. To supplement the lack or large apples i used 9 instead of 6. (yes I know there was 10 apples in the picture, but I felt that there were plenty of apple slices in the pot when slicing) Second I do not have nutmeg, so that went out the window. Finally I used 2tbsp of orange juice to give it a tart kick. I learned to make a baked apple in the microwave when I was a kid using a cored apple, stuffing it with cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and OJ and putting it in the microwave. Turns out great. So That is where I got the idea for O.J. 

 Apples sliced and in the crock pot.

 The rest of the ingredients in the pot. I then stirred all of the ingredients together.

 Final product. I chose to do the low for 4hrs in hopes of a wonderful smelling apartment for a longer period of time. Unfortunately I did not notice the fabulous smell unless I was stirring it. It turned out so good. Warm, gooey, happiness in a bowl!

Well, that is all for now. Happy autumnal equinox all! 
Happy eatings,
Smashley

Crock-pot soup- Asian themed

Hello all!

So this weekend when I was supposed to be studying for neurobiology...BLECH...I came up with this wonderful recipe. My apartment smelled heavenly. If only you could capture smell in pictures. This soup combined two of my greatest loves in the kitchen: Asian flavors and my crock-pot. To me, the crock-pot or slow cooker whatever you want to call it, is the best invention ever....well for cooking devices at least. To just throw stuff in it, and slowly let it meld together and make the entire house fragrant, is just amazing and awesome. 

 This soup is super comforting, at least to me. It is has three strong flavors that are three of my favorite savory flavors- ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. I have been on such a ginger kick the past week. Putting sliced ginger in my water/tea with a squirt of lime....just make sure you don't cut the ginger on a cutting board previously used to cut garlic and put said ginger in tea, makes tea garlicky. Not so great actually. 

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs- bone in, but skinned

~4 cups chicken broth ( I have since added 2-3 more cups because I added WAY to many noodles)

1 inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced,

4 cloves garlic- roughly chopped

~ 2tsp sesame oil or to taste. Remember sesame oil is very strong. A little goes a long way and it will overpower other flavors. 

~1/2 tsp sriracha sauce (rooster sauce)- once again a little goes a long way, it is flavorful but very hot. Best to add too little and add more later than add a whole bunch and not be able to taste.

1/2tsp cumin

1/2tsp dried onion

3/4tsp onion salt

3/4tsp celery salt

3/4tsp black pepper

~10 dashes of soy sauce

1 large carrot, sliced into coins

~2tsp of red wine vinegar (optional)

drizzle of agave (optional)- the vinegar and agave were to add a sweet/sour element...but not enough to really tell. 

Rice noodles- DON'T USE WHOLE 6OZ PACKAGE!!! WAY TOO MANE NOODLES!!!

lime, cilantro, and green onions for garnish

 Add all ingredients to crockpot (I used bullion cubes and added them in here)

 Add in 4cups of water

 Cover and set to high. Cook on high for ~5hrs, take chicken out and shred, set to low and cook 2 more hours.

 Add in rice noodles and let soften.

 

 Add garnishes of choice, and devour! Just looking makes my mouth water.

  

 Just a warning, I did not actually measure the spices, these are an approximation on the low side of what I used. Taste when chicken is cooked and alter to taste. 

What do you think of the recipe format? Any suggestions?

Happy eatings,

Smashley

Chicken in sauce

I finally got back into the kitchen and made dinner. I made chicken and carrots in a wine sauce over white rice. On the side a salad with a dressing of onion salt and vegetable oil, and last but not least garlic bread on walmart Italian 9 grain bread baked in store with smoked provolone. MMMMM

The Chicken recipe can be found here. This website is amazing. They have hundreds of recipes if you go to the main site. It may look like the amound of garlic is crazy, but really its not that strong. It is made in the crockpot. Super easy, super cheap, and super tasty. 

Happy eatings,
Smashley