New England Boiled Dinner (Corned Beef)

New England Boiled Dinner

It used to be that I was the only one around here that liked Corned beef, then my oldest liked it. Now There are three of us here who like it. My oldest, my middle, and myself. My youngest likes the veggies and will eat those very happily. I stocked up on Corned beef because it was a great price and I have never made one myself from just a beef brisket. I keep saying I'm going to and I never get around to it. Maybe next year. The best part about a New England Boiled dinner is of course leftovers! It's delicious the night of, with tender veggies nom nom. But sandwiches the next day... or everything chopped up and heated in a skillet and topped with a fried egg. That is why I like to make extra, or have extra on hand!
I discovered that cooking this in and electric pressure cooker is the way to go. It's perfect because I can cook the beef from frozen or thawed in just a little over and hour. After that the vegetables take about 7-10 minutes depending on how big you cut them. I think that's my favorite part. I used to cook everything on the crock pot/ slow cooker. The problem with that is the whole house smells like corned beef. Great for the people who like it, not so much for the people who don't. Then you had to put the vegetables in and time it. There's no need to check the beef an hour out and add vegetables with the pressure cooker.

Chili Dogs (With The BEST Boiled Hot Dogs)

I'm sitting here typing this up and I just watched the Chicago Cubs win the World Series. I don't watch baseball usually. Unless it's live. But either way this would have went it would have been historical. So we watched and it was stressful at times! What a game! Appropriate that this post is about hot dogs, a great ball park food.
I made about 40 of these for a Halloween party, they are a huge hit. My kids hardly ever eat hot dogs and they loved them. I knew that for a crowd I wanted to put them in the slow cooker like I did for DD's Big Hero Six party. As I was putting them in the slow cooker (my Instant Pot was busy with the chili) I thought, I should flavor this water. I choose whole spices like garlic, bay, and celery seeds. It was PERFECT. Usually hot dogs can be salty for us, so I didn't add any salt. I didn't use stock or anything like that. Even my DH, who doesn't really eat hot dogs said they were good. My kids requested them for lunch the next day. I kept the chili hot in a thermos, and cut hot dogs up in there. I sent buns and toppings separate.

Frito Pie (Slow Cooker and Pressure Cooker)

Frito Pie topped with cheese and plain yogurt.

I know, I know. Lots of Instant Pot recipes. It just happens to be soup and stew season, and the Instant Pot makes for great soups and stews. So here's an oldie but goodie that's been adapted for Instant Pot cooking, so I'm posting it as a Manic Monday post. If you prefer a slow cooker you can use that also! You can serve this without the Frito chips and put it over baked potatoes, in a steamed winter squash, or with crackers.

Bo Kho

Have you had Bo Kho? I grew up having it with French bread to dip in the spicy fragrant broth. Not hot spicy, but aromatic herbs spicy. You can make this as spicy hot as you like by adding more spicy chilies to it. This is a Vietnamese dish. I was very fortunate growing up that my parents had such a wonderful variety of friends. Their children in turn because good friends of mine. We would gather weekly for meals at someones house. Late late nights, as they shared stores. Some of the country they left behind to come America for. Other times to sing Karaoke until early morning. And they were always "Auntie" or "Uncle" if not

Irish Beef Stew and Irish Soda Bread

Irish Beef Stew and Irish Soda bread.

Is it stew weather yet? I dropped my laptop this past summer and I have a whole folder of things and recipes to blog. Lost somewhere. They can be recovered and I suspect will be when there's time. Eek. I'm debating scheduling this for the fall. It's June 16th right now, so.. maybe September/October? Or, whenever I actually finish the post? Gives me time to test the recipe several ways and update right?

Good news, my smart husband recovered my files, fixed the laptop, and all should be well in that area. So let's talk stew.

French Dip, Baby Dip. Pressure Cooker/Slow Cooker

We've had these French Dip sandwiches several times over the course of about two months. They are so easy to make and we all, aside from Pixie, really enjoy them. Pixie prefers to eat every component but the onions separate. I am not even sure if I can call that a win or not. These sandwiches are not medium rare/rare beef sliced and served with Au Jus. That's a whole other post that you can use this here beef for. Making the Au Jus from any pan drippings, but like I said, that's a whole other post. This sandwich has a slow cooked, all day tender, juicy beef. I top the beef with caramelized onions, and gooey cheese after I slather butter and horseradish mayonnaise sauce on the crusty rolls.
DROOOLLL...

The beef for these sandwiches can be made in a pressure cooker, I use an Instant Pot so the directions are for that brand electric pressure cooker. You can also make them in a slow cooker, I have done both. You know, for educational purposes.

Use your favorite beef stock or bone broth for this, I make my own with beef bones, vegetables, 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaf. I cook it on MANUAL, HIGH, 240 minutes. I freeze it in ice cube trays and in 2 cup portions. Find more Freezer Tips here.

Italian Chicken Soup (Pressure Cooker/Slow Cooker)

We have a busy schedule this school year. The time between the kids getting home from school before we run off to soccer, scouts, or Awana's seems realllly short this year. That means I either need to start dinner way before the kids get home, use my crock pot, serve sandwiches, cereal, or rotisserie chickens from Costco, or cook the night before. None of those all the time is appealing to me. In walks my pressure cooker... the Instant Pot. It's such a great tool to have in the kitchen! We came home one day after a soccer tournament and I threw this together so quickly. I am loving using my Instant Pot for dishes like this. Soups, stews, roasts, anything that needs a wet environment to cook. The chicken is moist and flavorful, not dry. Sometimes chicken cook too long in a slow cooker and get either mushy or dry.

I use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this soup but I buy bone in with the skin on. I skin and bone them myself. I use the bones for stock and save the skin and fat to make schmaltz for Matzo balls. It's a great way to store bones for stocks. To render schmaltz for cooking I just toss it in a pan and render with some onion. I may do a blog post on that sometime. 

I use Castelvetrono olives in this soup because they are one of our favorite olives. Probably our most favorite. They are buttery and they impart a yummy salty flavor to this broth. As you can see from the picture below, we love these olives. Sadly that ten pound bucket is gone now.

I keep kale in my freezer. I freeze it from fresh and just grab handfuls at a time for smoothies, soups, and to cook with. It is great because I can always have it on hand to add greens to any dish. Chopped carrots and onions can also be frozen if they are going to be used for cooking.

I hope you'll try this soup, it's filling and quick!

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup with Kale and Goat Cheese Salad

Crock pot Butternut Squash soup with Maple roasted chickpeas with a Kale, beet, and goat cheese salad.

Soups on! Yes, I know again. This one's for me. My family will eat it, but they don't love it. *Lucky me it freezes well in portions. Just enough for me, and my eldest child. Can't win them all folks. I am blessed that my family will eat what I put on the table, but I really want them to love it all. HAHA. Tall order right? That's okay, lets make some soup. In the slow cooker even, imagine that.I topped this soup with Roasted Chickpeas that I tossed with a little maple syrup before roasting.

*Update, my kid's love Delicata squash, so try a different variety of squash to suit your taste. Yay!!!

Big Hero Six Birthday Party Food

I can't believe there's a number nine candle on that top cupcake. What on earth? I just keeps going faster and faster and people keep getting older and growing. These kids. I'm so blessed that they are healthy, happy, and growing. But come on now. Where are all my babies: Sigh.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I don't make Pot Roast the way I used to. I should, because it's good. But I haven't bought French Onion soup mix in... years. We don't eat post roast often so I think using the soup mix wouldn't be a huge deal. I do love the taste of beef though, so I don't like to mask it too much with overpowering flavors.
 When I make my roasts now I toss everything in the crock pot. Rarely do I brown the meat. This is mainly because I put my roasts in the crock pot while frozen. That's just me. It's one of the few dishes I can make in the crock pot, but sometimes it's still touch and go. Crock pot's hate me.

Give Peas A Chance Simple Pot Roast

What I put in the crock pot-

Roast

Veggies such as-

Carrots

Potatoes

Parsnips

Fennel

Celery

Onion

Mushrooms

Seasonings- a mixture of different ones, not all though. I just rub them all on the roast.

Better Than Bouillon Organic - just the paste (no water)

Worcestershire sauce

Soy Sauce

Minced Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Parsley

Thyme

Throw it all in the crockpot. Turn it on low all day. 8 ish hours.

Done.

More  roast posts-
Pot Roast 
Beef and Noodles
Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Give Peas A Chance Curry Meatball Stew

Remember these Yummy EASY Curry Meatballs? Did you freeze some after you cooked them? I hope so because this Curry Meatball Stew is such an easy fast meal to throw in your crock pot. You all heard that right. CROCK. POT. Baby. You all know I suck at cooking in the crock pot so, if I can do this, so can you!   

Click here for more Whole30 posts.
More Give Peas A Chance on Chowstalker.

Coconut Curry Spaghetti Squash

I made this dish one day when DH called and asked if we'd pick him up and take him to McDonald's before he had to get back to school. So I threw this together in literally less than ten minutes. I had leftovers, so of course it was fast. But even if you make this from scratch it's soo worth it. I promise. Just that afternoon I was posting on Facebook about how yummy Coconut butter was and that I was brainstorming more ways to use it. So the opportunity rose when DH called, talk about no time to think either! This sauce is much like the Sunbutter Satay sauce I have posted here.
This will serve 2-4 people depending on how much you are serving, if it's all you are serving or if it's a side dish. I didn't make that much but even the serving I made was so much!
Make your Spaghetti Squash in the crock pot, recipe HERE, if you haven't prepared it in advance or don't have leftovers.

Click here for more Whole30 posts.
More Give Peas A Chance on Chowstalker.

Crock Pot Sweet Sticky Chicken

MMMM. Winner, Winner, (Crock Pot!!) Chicken Dinner! Every time I do something in the crock pot and I like it I want to shout it from the roof tops. Because the crock pot is my Kryptonite, one of many really. Many. But let's just focus on the crock pot.

This chicken is easy. I put it in the crock pot frozen, poured the sauce on top- which can be made the night before, and turned it on low. I did take these out of the crock pot and browned them under the broiler after I reduced the sauce/juices in the crock pot. It wasn't a huge deal and didn't take long.
Fresh ginger and garlic give this chicken flavor and spice. Black Soy sauce is thicker than regular soy, it's also got a different flavor to me. Almost... woody like mushrooms? If you can't find any, use regular soy sauce or coconut amnios.

Double the sauce if you'd like to pour some over rice. Speaking of this sauce it can be used to glaze salmon, on pork, on beef, to roast a chicken, or on turkey breasts. You can use it with tofu if you like also. I hope you like this GPAC recipe!

Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash

Yumm,  Spaghetti Squash. I admit I don't like using it as a pasta replacement as much as zucchini noodles. But I know so many people do, I love eating it just as is. Some days though I don't want to heat up the oven, or I'm already using the oven for something else. I know you can microwave Spaghetti squash, but this crock pot method is so easy.
You can also put the whole squash in the crock pot without cutting it, just pierce it all over and wash it. Add the water to the crock pot.

Spaghetti Squash... medley?
For babies
Simply seasoned
Coconut Curry Spaghetti Squash- A favorite one Give Peas A Chance 

Other noodle "replacement" posts

Zucchini/ Squash for Spaghetti

Daikon for Curry Noodle bowls

Carrot and Daikon for Pho

Zucchini for Chicken Paprikash

Manic Monday- Pork Carnitas

Ok, obviously I talk to darn much to make this a Wordless Wednesday posting, so Repeat Wednesday it is. These Pork Carnitas can be made with beef, or chicken. I'm not a fan of chicken. I made this in the crock pot. I served this with Black Beans and Rice (I'll blog this soon, but try the Grilled Confetti Rice linked below), and a Simple Cabbage Salad. The Carnitas are served on lettuce with vegetables. You can use or tortillas also.
 Leftovers are great for lunch or breakfast. Make a soup, stew, enchiladas, burritos, sandwich on Torta bread. I love this heated up with a fried egg and sliced jalapenos on top. Such an easy meal to make.

Wordless/Repeat Wednesday's are now posting on Monday's under the tag Manic Monday*
Find more "ManIc MoNdaY" posts here.

Chipotle Rub Carnitas (Crock pot)

Recently I was gifted with some Pampered Chef Chipotle Rub seasoning, my friend Becky who is a Pampered Chef consultant tossed it in with my order. I decided to use it since avocados were 10 for $10, and pork loin was on sale also. I made use some carnitas in the crock pot, easy peasy.
If you don't have the Pampered Chef Chipotle rub I'll be posting my Smokey Ancho Spice soon.
You can do this with chicken and beef also!
Smokey Ancho Chile Spice
Crock pot Carnitas
Chipotle Carnitas (Crock pot)
Carnitas 
Holy Mole Carnitas
Carnitas as leftovers for breakfast
Carnitas as leftovers in Green Chile Stew

Crock Pot Spiced Holiday Wassail

A friend of mine (Becky- check out her site!) brought this over to our house when we had the Operation Christmas Child party. OK, not really this glass, but she brought some to the house. She had said there was apple juice, orange juice, and I think a pineapple/orange juice concentrate. Which she said she used part of a can of that. She also said there were spices. I didn't write it down. I don't have the best memory but it wasn't too much to remember. We had some friends over for Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday so I decided to make some. It's nice because you just throw it all in the crock pot. I added some spices and it was really good!

Quick Crock Pot/Pressure Cooker Carnitas

I had a huge headache/migraine. Couldn't think straight hardly and all of the girls were home. I'm glad I had enough insight to throw this in the crock pot in the morning. By the time the evening rolled around I had enough meds in my blood stream my head was letting up a bit, all I had to make were salsa, (Mango Salsa would be good too), guacamole, and Simple Cabbage Salad. And wash the vegetables for the wraps. It took no time at all because these items had basically the same ingredients throughout, so I chopped all the cilantro at once, chopped the tomatoes together, sliced the jalapenos all at once, etc. Easy. By the way, it's embarrassing linking to posts from 2007, I mean I'm not a great photographer now, but I was horrible then!
I've posted Carnitas HERE, HERE, and HERE. This time I used a pork loin, which we prefer because it's leaner but you can use what you like. This isn't involved. I didn't put a lot into it. It's still so good and flavorful! I used a two pound pork loin, I always try to "cook ahead" so leftovers will be made into Green Chile Stew, put in more wraps, in Chimmichangas, over salad, or served with fried eggs. I don't add a lot of water to my crock pot, the meat gives off enough juices that are flavorful. When I pack the carnitas away for later  pack it with the juices so I can toss it all in a soup pot if I go that route. I also don't buy juice often. Maybe twice a year. So I use water, if you want to replace half of the water with orange juice that would be fine also. I also put my pork in the crock pot right out of the freezer. I know people don't like to do that, but one of my biggest issues with crock pots is that everything gets all mushy and gross. This helps a ton.
I added an Instant Pot method for these, and truthfully it's the easiest and quickest way to make this I hardly ever slow cook carnitas anymore.

Free... Friday?

I forgot to post a "Free Friday" post, but I hope you and your family had a lovely/yummy St. Patrick's Day/Saturday!

We had corn beef with potatoes and carrots , and roasted cabbage. I made the corn beef in the crock pot.

I have the flu, I did have plans to make Irish Soda Bread. But I spent most of the day on the couch.

How about you all? What did you do?

.

Garden Vegetable soup- crock pot

You can find the method for this recipe here. I put rib in chicken breasts in the crock pot with salt and pepper. Then I sauteed all the vegetables and put them in the crock pot, with the spices, broth, tomatoes. When the chicken was done I took it out to shred it so it wouldn't get over down.I put kale in this soup and I put the kale in 20 minutes before serving, I don't like it mushy. I didn't put the corn in until about 10 minutes before serving.