When I moved out of my parents' house, they gave me a crock pot. I used it maybe twice. Crock pottery was just not my thing. It involved planning ahead - not my forte.
When I moved in with Aric, we discovered that we had the same crock pot. The only difference was that mine has a glass lid, while his has a plastic lid. Otherwise, they are identical.
For Christmas this year, both of our mothers got us crock pots, having heard us bemoan the terrible Cheesey Poop Sauce Spill in the Brand New Vehicle incident of 2009. Please don't ask. Only recently has the beef-n-cheese smell left my vehicle.
Aric's mom got us a lovely crock pot with a "little dipper" - a small quart crock pot that's very useful for melting chocolate for bonbons.
My mother got us the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go crock pot, with the lids that click on to the top and keep the lid in place. You can carry your crock pot (slow cooker, I guess, since it isn't Crock Pot brand) upside-down, if you so desire.
Long story short: we went from a two crock pot house to a FIVE crock pot house. I guess it's time to get better at this crock pot thing.
Aunt Janet and her endless recipe book to the rescue!
Apple Roast Pork and Vegetables
Ingredients
1 or 2 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
1 tbsp. cooking oil
2 cups parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1.5 cups carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large green pepper, cut into 1 inch wide pieces
1 cup celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca
6 oz. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Directions
1) Trim fat from the roast. If necessary, cut roast to fit into slow cooker. Brown roast in a large skillet on all sides in hot oil.
2) Meanwhile, place parsnips, carrots, green pepper, and celery into slow cooker. Sprinkle with tapioca. Combine apple juice concentrate, wine, beef bouillon, salt, pepper, and cinnamon and pour over vegetables. Place roast atop vegetables.
3) Cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
We cooked our roast for 10 hours and it was incredible. While the roast cooked the whole house smelled of warm, sweet and spicy apple cider. When we pulled the pork out, it literally fell apart. It was incredible. And while I had my doubts about the green peppers (I've never cooked them in a slow cooker before), they came out beautifully.
I highly, highly recommend this recipe. It's warm and homey and requires very little attention. Perfect for a cold winter night.
Showing posts with label celery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label celery. Show all posts
2/2/10
Cheeseburger Soup
My Aunt Janet calls me several times a month, just to catch up and see what's going on with my life. Our conversations usually revolve around two things: our wacky cats and our favorite recipes.
I enjoy trying out my aunt's recipes because she's very much a penny pincher. Her recipes are incredibly cheap to make. When a recipe calls for one pound of ground beef, she usually only uses half a pound. And it works! Aunt Janet is very much in favor of replacing meat with beans or other proteins.
When she mentioned cheeseburger soup, I was immediately curious. I'd never heard of it before. And I do love cheeseburgers, so I had to know. She emailed me the recipe and a few days later I gave it a try.
It was delicious, although it did remind me more of a creamy, slightly cheesey potato soup with a hint of ground beef. When I make it again, I think I will add more cheese, or perhaps try a sharp cheddar, instead of just plain cheddar.
Cheeseburger Soup
(via Aunt Janet)
Ingredients
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parlsey
4 tbsp. butter
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups cubed potatoes
1/4 cup flour
2 cups cubed cheddar cheese
1.5 cups milk
1/4 cup sour cream
Directions
1) In a large pot, melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Cook and stir vegetables and beef until beef is brown.
2) Stir in basil and parlsye. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
3) Melt the remainder of the butter in a small pot. When melted, stir in the flour, then add the milk, stirring until smooth.
4) Gradually add the milk mixture to the soup, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Stir in cheese. When cheese is melted, add sour cream and heat through - do not boil.
5) Serve and enjoy!
I think chopping up some green onion and sprinkling that on top would be a lovely addition to the soup, as well as adding some fun color.
I have also been told that this soup freezes and reheats well, although I have yet to test this for myself.
I enjoy trying out my aunt's recipes because she's very much a penny pincher. Her recipes are incredibly cheap to make. When a recipe calls for one pound of ground beef, she usually only uses half a pound. And it works! Aunt Janet is very much in favor of replacing meat with beans or other proteins.
When she mentioned cheeseburger soup, I was immediately curious. I'd never heard of it before. And I do love cheeseburgers, so I had to know. She emailed me the recipe and a few days later I gave it a try.
It was delicious, although it did remind me more of a creamy, slightly cheesey potato soup with a hint of ground beef. When I make it again, I think I will add more cheese, or perhaps try a sharp cheddar, instead of just plain cheddar.
Cheeseburger Soup
(via Aunt Janet)
Ingredients
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parlsey
4 tbsp. butter
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups cubed potatoes
1/4 cup flour
2 cups cubed cheddar cheese
1.5 cups milk
1/4 cup sour cream
Directions
1) In a large pot, melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Cook and stir vegetables and beef until beef is brown.
2) Stir in basil and parlsye. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
3) Melt the remainder of the butter in a small pot. When melted, stir in the flour, then add the milk, stirring until smooth.
4) Gradually add the milk mixture to the soup, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Stir in cheese. When cheese is melted, add sour cream and heat through - do not boil.
5) Serve and enjoy!
I think chopping up some green onion and sprinkling that on top would be a lovely addition to the soup, as well as adding some fun color.
I have also been told that this soup freezes and reheats well, although I have yet to test this for myself.
5/29/09
Adventures in Cooking - Double Dumpling Chicken Stoup
It's been really muggy here for the past two days, so I haven't really felt like cooking. Turning on the stove or oven would be agony. And while we could have microwaved something, the idea of putting warm food in our bellies was 100% unappealing.
So today when the humidity broke, I decided to take full advantage and use the stove. I also had some ground turkey in the fridge that I'd totally forgotten about (thanks for reminding me, Aric!) and needed to use up before it went bad.
It's about time to go grocery shopping, so my choices are limited. I briefly considered making a meatloaf (I have a kickass recipe for turkey meatloaf, which I'll share at a later date), but I just wasn't feeling it. Then it hit me - turkey ball soup!
Turkey ball soup began as a 30-minute recipe by Rachel Ray. Her recipe is good, but I've been able to customize it a bit to my preferences. I'll cover the changes I've made a little bit later ("turkey ball soup" will make a lot more sense when I'm done, I promise).
So now, with no further ado, I present you with...
DOUBLE DUMPLING CHICKEN STOUP (by Rachel Ray)
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. EVOO
4 celery ribs from the heart, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups store-bought shredded carrots
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
Salt and pepper
6 cups chicken stock
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 package gnocchi
1 cup frozen peas
Parsley, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Heat the EVOO in a large soup pot over medium to medium-high heat.
2) Add the celery, onions, carrots, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, and cook for about five minutes, until the onions become soft.
3) Add the chicken stock, cover, and bring to a gentle boil.
4) While the stock comes to a boil, combine the ground chicken, salt, pepper, egg, bread crumbs, nutmeg, and cheese.
5) Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls and gently drop them into the boiling stock. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
6) Add the gnocchi to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until they float to the surface.
7) Add the peas and parsley, and cook for 2 minutes longer.
8) Turn the heat off and allow the "stoup" to sit for a few minutes, to cool off and thicken.
9) Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
WHAT I DO DIFFERENTLY
1) I have never been able to find ground chicken in my grocery store. I can, however, find ground turkey (and it's frequently on sale), so that's what I use - thus "turkey ball soup" was born.
2) I hate chopping carrots, so I usually use frozen peas and carrots, and just add them when it says to add the peas. Bigger chunks of carrot might be nice, but lazy wins out in this case.
3) Rachel Ray says you can find gnocchi in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. I have never seen gnocchi anywhere other than the international/pasta aisle.
4) Another note about the gnocchi - normally I use plain potato gnocchi, but I was in Horrocks the other day and found some basil gnocchi, so I decided to give that a try.
5) This is the first time I've ever used the bay leaf. I've never had bay leaves - I always thought they were too expensive. But the other week McCormick's spices went on sale, so I picked up some spices that I'd normally done without. The soup is delicious either way, so if you prefer not to fish around for a tiny little leaf in your soup, feel free to omit.
6) I usually don't use cheese in the meatballs. I never kept cheese in the house, and now that I live with Aric, we typically only have American sliced cheese. But again, I was at Horrocks and found some parmesan cheese with peppercorns in it, so I bought it, and used it in the meatballs. Fancy! Anyway, you aren't missing anything if you don't put cheese in the meatballs, so don't worry.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It's a little expensive to get all of the components for this soup, but sweet fancy pants, is it ever delicious! You can go as fancy or as lazy as you want with this soup, and it will taste like you slaved over the stove for hours.
This is also an incredibly filling soup - excuse me, stoup (so called because it is more stew-like than it is soup-like). I don't like watery soups with nothing to them. I really hate drinking just broth. Turkey ball soup is incredibly hearty, and only gets better the longer it sits in your fridge.
Thank you, Rachel Ray!
So today when the humidity broke, I decided to take full advantage and use the stove. I also had some ground turkey in the fridge that I'd totally forgotten about (thanks for reminding me, Aric!) and needed to use up before it went bad.
It's about time to go grocery shopping, so my choices are limited. I briefly considered making a meatloaf (I have a kickass recipe for turkey meatloaf, which I'll share at a later date), but I just wasn't feeling it. Then it hit me - turkey ball soup!
Turkey ball soup began as a 30-minute recipe by Rachel Ray. Her recipe is good, but I've been able to customize it a bit to my preferences. I'll cover the changes I've made a little bit later ("turkey ball soup" will make a lot more sense when I'm done, I promise).
So now, with no further ado, I present you with...
DOUBLE DUMPLING CHICKEN STOUP (by Rachel Ray)
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. EVOO
4 celery ribs from the heart, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups store-bought shredded carrots
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
Salt and pepper
6 cups chicken stock
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 package gnocchi
1 cup frozen peas
Parsley, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Heat the EVOO in a large soup pot over medium to medium-high heat.
2) Add the celery, onions, carrots, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, and cook for about five minutes, until the onions become soft.
3) Add the chicken stock, cover, and bring to a gentle boil.
4) While the stock comes to a boil, combine the ground chicken, salt, pepper, egg, bread crumbs, nutmeg, and cheese.
5) Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls and gently drop them into the boiling stock. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
6) Add the gnocchi to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until they float to the surface.
7) Add the peas and parsley, and cook for 2 minutes longer.
8) Turn the heat off and allow the "stoup" to sit for a few minutes, to cool off and thicken.
9) Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
WHAT I DO DIFFERENTLY
1) I have never been able to find ground chicken in my grocery store. I can, however, find ground turkey (and it's frequently on sale), so that's what I use - thus "turkey ball soup" was born.
2) I hate chopping carrots, so I usually use frozen peas and carrots, and just add them when it says to add the peas. Bigger chunks of carrot might be nice, but lazy wins out in this case.
3) Rachel Ray says you can find gnocchi in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. I have never seen gnocchi anywhere other than the international/pasta aisle.
4) Another note about the gnocchi - normally I use plain potato gnocchi, but I was in Horrocks the other day and found some basil gnocchi, so I decided to give that a try.
5) This is the first time I've ever used the bay leaf. I've never had bay leaves - I always thought they were too expensive. But the other week McCormick's spices went on sale, so I picked up some spices that I'd normally done without. The soup is delicious either way, so if you prefer not to fish around for a tiny little leaf in your soup, feel free to omit.
6) I usually don't use cheese in the meatballs. I never kept cheese in the house, and now that I live with Aric, we typically only have American sliced cheese. But again, I was at Horrocks and found some parmesan cheese with peppercorns in it, so I bought it, and used it in the meatballs. Fancy! Anyway, you aren't missing anything if you don't put cheese in the meatballs, so don't worry.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It's a little expensive to get all of the components for this soup, but sweet fancy pants, is it ever delicious! You can go as fancy or as lazy as you want with this soup, and it will taste like you slaved over the stove for hours.
This is also an incredibly filling soup - excuse me, stoup (so called because it is more stew-like than it is soup-like). I don't like watery soups with nothing to them. I really hate drinking just broth. Turkey ball soup is incredibly hearty, and only gets better the longer it sits in your fridge.
Thank you, Rachel Ray!
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