Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice

Here's a warm dinner (because spring is taking her sweet time arriving) that is easy to prep.

Set it up in your slow cooker before heading out to work or a busy day of running errands and come home to a slightly spicy, delicious meal.

The leftovers taste even better the next day.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice
Inspired by this recipe from the Food Network

1 pound Italian sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
4 cups chicken stock (or broth)
1 smoked ham hock
Sliced green onions for serving
4-6 cups cooked rice for serving

Cook sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until each piece is nicely browned. (Sausage does not need to be cooked through.)

Drain and transfer sausage to bowl of slow cooker. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, beans, spices and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Add chicken stock and mix well. Nestle ham hock into center of crock.

Cook on low for about 7-8 hours. Alternatively, cook on high for 2 hours, then cook on low for another 3-4 hours or until ready to serve.

Serve in bowls with rice. Top with a sprinkle of sliced green onions.

Beef Stir Fry with Broccolini and Red Peppers

Like Chinese take-out, but the greasiness and saltiness not so much? Yeah, me too. I like to cook dishes that remind me of all that I love about Chinese take-out but in a healthier way. Like Sriracha Pork Noodles and now this dish, Beef Stir Fry with Broccolini and Red Peppers.

Pleased to report it was a George family crowd pleaser, though one child would have preferred it with broccoli over broccolini. BTW, that would be a fine substitution if you can't get broccolini at your market or if you know it will be met with certain resistance.

XOXO,
Amy

Beef Stir Fry with Broccolini and Red Peppers
1 cup long-grain white rice
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1 1/4 to 1 3/4 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1 pound broccolini, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch of green onions, sliced thin to the dark green parts
1 1/2 cups unsalted beef broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over high heat. Add beef and cook, tossing often, until only slight pink — about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Note that the beef will continue to cook through after you remove it from the heat, so you don't want to overcook it on the stove. Dump liquid left in the skillet into the sink.

Add broccolini, peppers and remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet. Cover and cook, uncovering to toss halfway through, for 4 minutes. Uncover and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and green onions and cook until fragrant — about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with beef and toss gently to combine.

Whisk together broth, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. Add to skillet and bring to a boil; cook until thickened and glossy — about 1 minute. Serve veggies and beef over rice and drizzle sauce on top.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice with Spinach and Feta

This is comfort food for me. I've made this recipe many, many times. It's a great dinner for dreary days because it warms you up while delivering bright flavors of lemon and briny feta.

Leftovers make for an easy lunch.

The recipe is from America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution Vol. 2: The Easy-Prep Edition. If you don't have that cookbook and you love your slow cooker, check it out.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice with Spinach and Feta

1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups Minute Ready to Serve White Rice
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 5 ounce container baby spinach (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups feta cheese crumbles
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup pine nuts, optional

Put onion, oil, garlic and oregano in a small bowl and microwave about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Transfer to bowl of slow cooker. Stir in rice. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into rice mixture.

Cover and cook 3 to 4 hours on low or until chicken is tender.

Transfer chicken to cutting board and shred into bite-sized pieces. Stir chicken, spinach and half-and-half into rice mixture remaining in slow cooker. Add feta and combine. Let sit until spinach is wilted.

Add lemon zest and lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir.

Serve topped with additional feta and a sprinkle of pine nuts.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork

When I wrote my last post at the end of March, I apologized for falling off the face of the earth because of our business move. Well I fell back off. As soon as we got settled in our new office, life got a little crazier. I was feeling relatively terrible because apparently morning sickness and exhaustion are twice as bad when you're pregnant with twins.

Yep, you heard that right. The husband and I are having identical twin boys! They'll arrive sometime in October, and we couldn't be happier. Especially now that I'm in my second trimester and eating more than crackers and cheese.

While the nausea reigned supreme, my family was subsisting on mac and cheese from a box while I laid on the couch like a cranky beached whale. But I'm back in the kitchen! And I was craving pork like you wouldn't believe.

I found this recipe on my Pinterest board, and immediately headed to the grocery store. When we sat down to dinner, I wasn't disappointed. The entire family demolished this meal; it is absolutely delicious. And you can prep everything ahead of time! The Pineapple Coleslaw might seem like an unnecessary extra step, but it's worth it. I ate my weight in slaw. The kids even helped me stir together the dressing.

If you're looking for an easy, delicious, filling, make-ahead meal, give Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork a whirl. You're whole family will love it. Guaranteed.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Pork 
1 1/4 cups pineapple juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
3 pounds pork shoulder roast
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons water
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Coconut Rice (recipe below), for serving
Pineapple Slaw (recipe below), for serving

Mix together pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, sriracha, and ginger. Set sauce aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add pork and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add pork to slow cooker. Pour sauce over pork. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until pork falls apart when you poke it with a fork. (My slow cooker tends to run hot, and my pork was finished cooking in 6 hours.) Remove pork to a plate and shred into bite-sized pieces.

Whisk together cornstarch and water. Whisk into cooking liquid in slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to high and take off the lid. Allow the sauce to simmer until it's thickened, about 15-30 minutes. Stir shredded pork back into liquid and allow it to warm through again. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with Coconut Rice and Pineapple Slaw.


Pineapple Slaw
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
Salt and pepper
2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Stir together mayo, pineapple juice, yogurt, vinegar, brown sugar, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cabbage, pineapple, and cilantro. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Coconut Rice
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
Pinch salt
1 cup rice

Bring water, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in rice. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, until rice is firm but tender. (If you have one, you can certainly use a rice cooker in place of cooking rice on the stove.)

Parmesan Herb Risotto & Leftover Risotto Cakes

If you've never made risotto I am here to tell you how easy it is.

The myth of constant stirring required to obtain the creamy rice texture scared me off for years. But then I took the plunge. I followed the directions on whatever brand of arborio rice I purchased and got to mixing.

Here's why risotto is one of my go-to meals in colder months: it can be fancy enough for company and it's a warm and filling side dish or main meal for everyday, too.

The trick with risotto is to make sure you don't stray too far from the stove. While you do need to stir the rice often, it's OK to take small breaks to chop herbs or rest your arm.

Best thing about risotto? It is so versatile! So many combinations of vegetables, cheese and even shrimp or chicken work well in this saucy rice dish.

And if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, you can let the kids make risotto cakes the next day.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Parmesan Herb Risotto

1/2 cup chopped white or yellow onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups chicken broth, divided
1 cup white wine (Use your favorite. Chardonnay or Savignon Blanc work well in this recipe.)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs (this time I used oregano and parsley)

Note: If you plan to double this recipe use a 4 1/2 quart or a 5 quart pot.

In a 2 quart or 3 quart pot, heat oil and butter until butter is melted. Add onion and saute for about 3 minutes. Add raw rice and stir for another 2 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Add one cup of chicken broth. Continue cooking and stirring until liquid is absorbed. Add second cup of chicken broth and keep stirring until broth is absorbed. Add 1 cup wine and stir until no liquid remains.

Remove from heat and stir in remaining butter, parmesan cheese and herbs. Mix until butter and cheese is melted. Eat while still warm.

Leftover Risotto Cakes

Leftover risotto
1 or 3 Mozzarella cheese sticks
Plain or Italian seasoned bread crumbs or panko (1/2 cup is plenty for 4 risotto cakes)
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

Warm risotto in microwave for a minute or two so it is easier to handle. Scoop up a heaping tablespoon of leftover  risotto and form a large ball. Repeat until all of your risotto is used.

Unwrap a mozzarella cheese stick and cut it into pieces about a 1/2 inch long. One cheese stick will fill 4 risotto cakes. Poke a hole in each risotto ball. Insert one piece of cheese into ball and reshape so that the hole is covered and closed.

Pour breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl. Gently roll risotto balls one at a time in bread crumbs to coat.

Heat oil in a skillet. Place risotto balls in skillet and slowly flatten with a spatula. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes and then turn risotto cakes over. Cook for another 3 or 4 minutes, or until a nice crispy brown crust forms.

Remove from skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve warm with a green salad or use as a side dish for steak, pork chops or chicken.

Cheater Crockpot Chicken Curry

My pantry is always stocked with secret sauces, not that I'm tight-lipped about them. You might recall my Easy Yellow Curry Shrimp Pasta. Busy moms need some short-cuts sometimes. Every mom needs a "cheater" dish or two. I'd direct you to Andrea's Slow Cooker Pork Tomatillo-Verde Tacos.

I'm a big fan of Trader Joe's bottled curry sauces -- the Thai Yellow Curry Sauce used in my shrimp pasta dish mentioned above and the Thai Red Curry Sauce used in my Cheater Crockpot Chicken Curry.

This is a go-to meal Chez George, especially in the colder months.

XOXO,
Amy

Cheater Crockpot Chicken Curry

6 frozen chicken breasts
1 pound carrots, peeled and trimmed, but left whole
1-2 onions, cut into big hunks
3-6 potatoes, red or sweet, cut into big hunks (I peel sweet potatoes, but not the red potatoes.)
2 bottles Trader Joe's Thai Red Curry Sauce (or Yellow Curry Sauce -- your preference!)
Jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions.

First note that in the above ingredient list, the quantities are subject to your preference and what you have on hand. I usually use just one kind of potato -- red or sweet. But this last time I happened to have both potatoes around. Anyhow, you cannot mess this up.

Add all ingredients, except the jasmine rice, to the crockpot. The frozen chicken should be on the bottom and the sauce is the last thing that you add. Cook on low for eight hours.

If you'd like to add frozen peas or fresh basil to your curry, toss those in about 15-20 minutes before serving.

Serve over rice. Enjoy the leftovers, too!

Green Rice

Summer is a great time to have fun with fresh herbs from the garden. When fellow mother-of-two-boys Molly W. gave me a big bunch of cilantro, I got to thinking about some new ways to use it. Enter this rice dish, which is inspired by the many recipes I've seen for cilantro rice.

As I've said before, we love Latin-inspired meals in our house. And my boys enjoy a little spicy kick, too.

I combined a poblano pepper with the cilantro, some flat-leaf parsley and green onions. The result is quite tasty. I served it with grilled pork tenderloin, but it would also go perfectly with tacos of any variety, especially — steak, fish, DIY or slow-cooker pork. A little guacamole on the side would be nice, too.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Green Rice

1 poblano pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley
2 to 4 green onions, cut into chunks (depending on how much you like onions)
1 or 2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups chicken stock 
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked medium or long grain rice

Place first six ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until pureed. Set aside.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan or skillet with lid. Add uncooked rice and saute until lightly browned.

Stir in puree and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and serve.

Zucchini Rice

I found Zucchini Rice on Pinterest forever ago, and I'm kicking myself for not trying this simple and delicious recipe sooner. It's incredibly flavorful, but still versatile enough to pair with just about anything. Pork chops, grilled steak, teriyaki salmon...My friends, you have found your side dish.

In addition to being tasty, Zucchini Rice is healthy! It's the perfect way to sneak an extra veggie into your meal. Your kids might not even know they're eating zucchini. And I won't tell them. Your secret's safe here, folks.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Zucchini Rice
Adapted from: Dishing with Leslie
Serves: 6

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large zucchini, grated (about 2 1/2 cups)
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium. Stir in rice and allow it to toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow rice to cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. (It's okay if the liquid isn't totally absorbed. Just make sure the rice is tender.)

Stir in Parmesan, grated zucchini, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover skillet and allow to sit for 5 more minutes. Stir again and serve.

Bacon Cheeseburger Rice

I was in search of dinner inspiration last week, and I went old school. People, I busted out the church cookbook from 2001.

These are the recipes of my youth. The casseroles, the jello salads, the cakes eaten off Styrofoam plates in the church basement. Comfort food made by people who love you. The smile on my face grew wider as I flipped through each page. Yes, I was thinking about how good Bonnie's Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is, but more than that, I was thinking about how good the people are.

The recipe I landed on was contributed by Amy, our fearless babysitter back in the 90's. She took us to the county fair and let us swim until we were pruney. We spent summers cruising in the backseat of her giant whale of a car, listening to Billy Joel's Greatest Hits. I could hear the opening strains of Piano Man whispering through my subconscious as I made Amy's Bacon Cheeseburger Rice.

This is fall-is-here comfort food at its finest. Quick, easy, and delicious, The husband and I couldn't stop eating it. I kept sneaking bites as I was cleaning up the dinner dishes. Truth. Bacon Cheeseburger Rice will be a regular on the menu rotation around here.

Thanks for a divine hot dinner, Amy. And thanks for being such a great babysitter.

Bacon Cheeseburger Rice
Serves: 4-6
Gently adapted from the Randall Memorial Baptist Church Cookbook

6 strips bacon
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
Salt and pepper
1 3/4 cups water
2/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups uncooked instant rice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Once the bacon is cool enough to handle, crumble and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon grease from the pan and return to medium heat.

Add ground beef or turkey to reserved bacon grease and cook, stirring, until cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add water, barbecue sauce, mustard, and onion powder. Bring to a boil and stir in rice. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved bacon before serving.

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken with Coconut Cilantro Rice

Sorry I fell of the face of the earth interweb for a minute there; I was on vacation. Usually I plan ahead when I'm going out of town and have posts ready for all of you dear readers, but I was a total slacker this time. My bad. I'd like to say it won't happen again, but let's be real. It might.

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken is the perfect meal for adjusting to life after vacation. Since your trip is over, it's no longer acceptable to eat frozen yogurt for dinner every night. You need to cook at some point. But since I wasn't ready to let go of vacation wholly, I decided to let my crockpot cook for me.

The simplicity of this meal is one of the reasons I had to give it a whirl. It features pantry staples, and you can even use the chicken straight from the freezer. (Just cook it a bit longer if you're using frozen chicken. Maybe an extra hour or so.) The slightly sweet sauce is perfect over Coconut Cilantro Rice. A sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top makes it look fancy so you can trick your family into thinking you slaved over the stove for hours.

If anyone asks, tell them you worked so hard on this dinner that you need another vacation.

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken
Adapted from a million places online
Serves: 6-8

6 chicken breasts*
20 ounce can crushed pineapple
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low for four hours. Once chicken is cooked through, remove and shred with two forks. Stir back into the sauce in the slow cooker. Serve over Coconut Cilantro Rice. Sprinkle with extra fresh cilantro for garnish.

*If you want to use frozen chicken breasts, cook for an extra hour or so.

Coconut Cilantro Rice
Adapted from Bev Cooks
Serve: 4

1 cup coconut milk** (I used light coconut milk.)
1 cup water**
1 cup rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or more or less to taste)

Bring coconut milk and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in rice. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, until rice is firm but tender. (If you have one, you can certainly use a rice cooker in place of cooking rice on the stove.)

Once rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork. Stir in cilantro. Serve with Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken...or anything, for that matter!

**The amount of liquid you use depends on what type of rice you use. Most white rice calls for a 2:1 ratio of liquid to rice. Check the package and adjust the amount of liquid accordingly, using half coconut milk and half water.

Mexican Chicken and Rice

True confession: I have a hard time cooking in the summer. The heat makes my taste buds go a little crazy. I could subsist on ice cream, cereal, fruit, PB&J, yogurt, and the Culver's Cranberry Bacon Bleu Salad with Chicken. Seriously. I want one (or all) of those items for every single meal, every single day.

Since a giant bowl of ice cream doesn't make a very convincing hot dinner, I've been pouring over my Pinterest boards in search of something easy and delicious. When I stumbled upon the recipe below, it was like the angels burst into song. This is my kind of summer cooking! You just have to stir a bunch of stuff together and dump it into a casserole dish. And it's the kind of stuff I usually keep in my cupboards. Bonus for not having to go to the grocery store for the seventh time this week.

Next time you feel like feeding the family PB&J for dinner, do it. (Everyone needs peanut butter and jam sometimes, am I right??) And the night after that, make Mexican Chicken and Rice.

Mexican Chicken and Rice
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Serves: 8

3-4 ears corn on the cob*
2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (Use those leftovers!)
4-ounce can of diced green chiles
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups cooked brown rice (I used the kind that cooks in 5 minutes. Easy.)
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 ounces Greek yogurt
1/2 cup salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
A couple handfuls of tortilla chips
Extra salsa and sour cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add corn and cook for 4 minutes. Remove corn and allow it to cool until you can handle it. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cob.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except tortilla chips, extra salsa, and sour cream. Pour into prepared baking dish. Crumble tortilla chips and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden around the edges. Serve with extra salsa and sour cream

*I used 4 ears of corn because fresh summer corn rocks my world. Feel free to use less if you're not as gung-ho about corn as I am. And if you don't feel like dealing with cutting kernels off the cob (there is no shame in looking for short-cuts), feel free to substitute about 2 cups of frozen corn.