It's hotter than Hades... good thing it's a crock pot night!

Holy hot June. Did someone secretly move me to Texas?? Unreal. Anyhow, tonight's is a family favorite (I mean everyone including extended family). I make these throughout the summer as they are often requested. They're very simple. Don't be alarmed by the long ingredient list... it's all spices. This was a Cooking Light recipe that I've modified for the crock pot.

Pulled chicken sandwiches:

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Rub:
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Sauce:
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 c. ketchup
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses

Rub chicken with spices. Place in crock pot. Mix all sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken. I cook on low for about 6 hours and then mash it with a potato masher to get it "pulled" without having to remove it from the crock pot. Serve on buns with pickle slices.

Enjoy! I serve these with slaw, fries and baked beans.

A two-fer

Yes, Friday feels like a ways away, but alas here is what we had on Friday in addition to what we are having here tonight. Friday's was a great way to use a flank steak. I would definitely hollow out the buns cause ours were too "bunny" tasting. Tonight is simple but Greek, always a hit around here.

Mexican steak sandwiches: (I served with corn & bean salad and chips & salsa)

1 flank steak, seasoned with any seasoning you like (I used Montreal steak)
1 can refried beans, warmed
1 avacado, thinly sliced
1/4 c. light mayo
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped finely
1 t. lime juice
buns (dig the "bread" part out leaving them almost hollow)

Grill steak, about 6 minutes per side, and slice against the grain thinly. Spread beans on one half of the bun. Top with steak and avacado slices. Mix mayo, chipotles and lime juice and spread on top halves of the bun. Enjoy!

Greek chicken with orzo:

4 bonless skinless chicken breasts, pounded
greek seasoning blend (I happen to have a Pampered Chef one)
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 c. lemon juice
crumbled feta

sprinkle chicken with seasoning. Add to pan and cook about 5 minutes per side. Then add artichoke hearts, lemon juice and a little more seasoning to pan until it all comes together. Serve over orzo and top with crumbled cheese. (recipe follows)

1 carton chicken broth
1 T. butter
orzo
crumbled feta

This is a made up recipe, so I have no quantity on the orzo. Bring the broth and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Add orzo and cook according to package directions. IF there is leftover broth, drain it. If not, just leave it in the pan. Add feta while it's warm to get "melty".

I served this with greek salad which I have posted my dressing recipe for in a prior post. Enjoy!

A light salad for a beautiful night

Ok, I'd like to be the first to officially welcome the warm weather back. Thanks :) Just in time, our lettuce box is full of goodness, so we did a salad tonight in honor of the multiple greens we've been able to harvest. I served this one with some grilled La Brea roasted garlic bread. Yum!

Light Green Goddess Salad

1/2 c. plain yogurt (I use Fage non-fat)
3 T. light mayo
2 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. fresh parsley
1 T. fresh dill
s&p
Bowlful of lettuce (I would say one bag of the baby greens if you're buying them)
1 package chicken tenderloins, grilled and diced
grape tomatoes, halved
croutons

Mix yogurt, mayo, vinegar, herbs and s&p in a blender. Toss with lettuce, chicken, tomatoes and croutons. Enjoy!

A nod to the mediterranean

I, and my family, love anything Greek. Add hummus to just about anything and we'll all eat it. I saw a recipe something like this a while back and figured we had to try it. It was delicious. I cut a pita in half for each kid and stuff it, while for the adults I served it on top of the pita and we used a knife to cut it into pizza-like wedges. Enjoy!

Greek Tuna Pitas

3 cans albacore, drained and flaked
10 kalamata olives, chopped finely
2 T. finely chopped red onion
1/2 can artichoke hearts, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
juice of one lemon
1 T. evoo
pepper
4 pitas
hummus (any flavor you like... I had red pepper, horseradish and garlic, so everyone chose what they wanted)
shredded romaine lettuce
feta cheese, crumbled

Combine tuna, olives, onion, artichoke hearts and celery. Squeeze lemon over mixture and add oil and pepper to taste. Spread hummus on flat pita (or inside if making "pockets") and top with lettuce, tuna mixture and crumbled feta.

I served these with hummus and pita chips. Easy and tasty!

Beautiful Weather calls for a BBQ

What a gorgeous day!! To take advantage of it fully, I thought it was time for some burgers on the grill. Unfortunately we didn't get to eat them outside... thankfully the rain held off. These were awesome. Served them with chips & salsa and corn & bean salad. Enjoy!

Poblano burgers:

Pickled onions (see recipe)
2 poblanos
1 slice bread, crumbled
1 T. milk
3 T. chopped cilantro
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. sour cream
1 T. minced shallot
1 t. lime juice
1 chipotle and 2 t. adobo sauce

Roast poblanos until the skins are charred. Put them in a ziploc for about 15 minutes, then peel and seed them. Chope them finely. In a bowl, add milk to the bread and turn it into a paste. To this paste add the chopped poblanos, 1/2 the cilantro, cumin, 1/4 t. salt and the beef. Mix well and form into patties.

Combine sour cream, shallot, lime juice, remaining cilantro and salt and chipotles/adobo sauce. Set aside.

Grill burgers about 6 minutes per side. I also grilled the buns.

Pickled red onions:

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. water
1 jalepeno, halved
2 red onions, sliced thinly

Boil sugar, vinegar, water and jalepeno until sugar is dissolved. Add onion and remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature.

Serve burgers topped with sour cream sauce and onions.

Two New Ones: One Crock Pot, one Oven

When it rains it pours. I am on a roll here with actually posting. We have a hectic night yesterday with music class and a dentist visit, so it was crock pot to the rescue part 2 this week at the McGady house. Tonight I had a little more time, but the effort was minimal and it really was something I'd serve company (even if it was only Mom and Dad). Enjoy!

Fire Roasted Tomato and Chicken Tortilla Soup:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 box chicken stock
2 c. frozen corn
1 can fire roasted tomato (I used the Trader Joe's brand with green chiles)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
6 corn tortillas, cut into squares
1 T. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Throw everything in the crock pot up to the cilantro and cook on low for 5 or so hours. Take the chicken out and shred it with 2 forks. Add it back in along with the cilantro and allow it to warm through. Can serve with tortilla chips, avacado slices and lime. Enjoy!

Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Onion-Fig Relish

1 package pork tenderloin, trimmed
8 dried figs (I could only find fresh... didn't seem to matter), diced
1 chopped onion
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. water
1 T. soy sauce

Salt & pepper tenderloin and pre-heat oven to 425. Take an oven-proof skillet and brown the pork on all sides. Remove it from the heat and add sauce ingredients, onions and figs. Put in the oven for about 15 minutes or until cooked to your liking (I like mine a little pink). Slice and enjoy.

I served this with Trader Joe's new orzo pilaf (two thumbs up), broccoli and a salad. Hope you enjoy!

Hiatus Over

I came out here to look up Julie's delicious rib recipe and realized how long it's been since I posted. How sad! I was telling a girlfriend about this the other night, so figured if I'm going to share the link I ought to at least be updating this. So, here goes. The first one we had last night and it was delicious. It comes from Cuisine at Home and of course I modified it a bit. Tonight's is a crock pot, hence the theme of the blog. Enjoy!

German Brat Salad:

Dressing:
1 c. bock beer
4 T. horseradish
2 T. dijon
1 T. red wine vinegar
s&p

Salad:
1 package beer brats (I used the Johnsonville ones)
1/2 head each red and green cabbage, quartered
4 slices unseeded rye bread
1 red onion, sliced

Whisk dressing together. Put each piece of cabbage on a piece of foil. Pour a little dressing on each and close the foil packet. You will grill the brats, cabbage, rye bread (I sprayed with a little evoo spray) and onion until they're done. Times vary, cabbage and brats took the longest. Once done, slice them all and toss with the rest of the dressing.

I served this with a side of store-bought pierogies. Yummy!

Turkey Taco Sloppy Joes:

2 t. canola oil
2 lb. ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 t. minced garlic
1 package taco seasoning
1 T. worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. water
1 c. chili sauce
8 oz. tomato sauce

In skillet, brown onion and turkey in oil. Drain and pour into crock pot. Top with remaining ingredients. Stir together and cook on low for 5 hours. Serve on buns.

I served this with fries, fruit salad and a slaw using the leftover cabbage from above:

1/2 each red and green cabbage, shredded
1 can mandarin oranges
slivered almonds
1 green onion, diced
Newman's Own Sesame Ginger vinaigrette

Combine all ingredients. I also added chow mein noodles for a bit more crunch.