Tag: crockpot

Just Another Mexican Monday, Oooooh, Oooh… Super Easy Crockpot Pork Tacos!!

Sometimes we need a great all day crockpot recipe, especially on Mondays!! Throw all of the ingredients in and leave for the day! This one is more delicious the longer you cook it and adds a mouthwatering edge to the traditional beef taco!

Add your own twist! Not beans people? Add corn!
Add your own twist! Not beans people? Add corn!

Crockpot Pork Tacos

Ingredients:

2.5 lb. pork shoulder butt roast, fat trimmed and cut into 3 chunks

Cut off the big hunk of white fat. Don't worry about swirls of white! A marbleized pork butt roast gives nice flavors!
Cut off the big hunk of white fat. Don’t worry about swirls of white! A marbleized pork butt roast gives nice flavors!

1 35 oz. can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell peppers, choppd
1/4 cup taco seasoning
1/2 cup medium salsa
1 can black beans

Directions:
Add all ingredients to the crockpot.

The meat falls apart! Mmmmm
The meat falls apart! Mmmmm

Cook 6-8 hours.

Have you seen these cute New Ortega fiesta flats?  So fun for apps and margaritas night!
Have you seen these cute New Ortega fiesta flats? So fun for apps and margaritas night!

Mix well.
Serve in your tortilla shells with your favorite toppings or on top of a salad!

So easy!! On the table in 5 minutes! Voila!
So easy!! On the table in 5 minutes! Voila!

Enjoy!
Ciao!

Hearty Healthy Super Easy Crockpot Lentil Soup! Optional Add… Sausage And Potatoes!!

As our first-week-of-Spring low temps here in Western PA tank back into the 20s and 30s, we need a hearty soup to warm our bones! Again!! Hopefully for the last time! I love this recipe!!! So easy in the crockpot!!

Add your own twist to this soup! Like spicy? Add red pepper flakes and hot sausage!
Add your own twist to this soup! Like spice? Add red pepper flakes and hot sausage!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic pressed
4 carrots chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 tbsp. each Basil, rosemary, thyme
1/2 tbsp. fennel seed
Salt/pepper
1 28oz. can LaValle San Marzano
1 cup dry lentils rinsed
1 32oz.box of low sodium chicken stock
 

Optional:
1-1/2 lb. kielbasa, sweet or hot sausage link cut into 1 inch chunks.
3 cups chopped red potatoes washed and skinned.
Remember the superfood chia! Add your gel or the seeds right into to the soup!

Directions:

Add olive oil to frying pan on medium heat.
Start with garlic and chopped onions.
Add celery and carrots and let cook 15 minutes.
Season with basil, rosemary, thyme and add fennel seed.

I love to start off a soup with olive oil, garlic and veggies in the frying pan. I season all of it with my spices!  The flavors mix and the veggies have an opportunity to soften a bit!
I love to start off a soup with olive oil, garlic and veggies in the frying pan. I season all of it with my spices! The flavors mix and the veggies have an opportunity to soften a bit!

Add contents of frying pan and all other ingredients to the crockpot! Cook for 6 hours on high!

Add lentils dry, but washed with water! Like any other veggie, clean them off dab with a paper towel! They will cook in the crockpot!
Add lentils dry, but washed with water! Not soap!!! Like any other veggie, clean them off dab with a paper towel! They will cook in the crockpot!

Always top off with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, grab a fresh loaf of ciabatta bread and enjoy!

Ciao!

Superfood Quinoa Crockpot Stuffed Peppers!! Anti-aging Disease Preventing…Yes, Please!!

The term “superfood” is used by nutritionists, doctors and scientists to describe foods with extremely high nutritional benefits and obvious disease fighting chemical properties. Dr. Oz is pretty convincing in his arguments promoting superfoods for anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, cancer fighting, cancer prevention and the overall health of our bodies’ systems!

Some of Dr. Oz’s favorites:
Sweet potatoes
Kale
Black soy beans
Quinoa
Red wine

In our crazy busy worlds, let’s try to add some superfoods a few times each week. Ever heard of chia?? It can add 10+ years to your life! Look for plenty of chia recipes coming soon!!!! All I need to hear is anti-aging, cancer preventing and red wine and I’m in!!

So Here it is:

Superfood Quinoa Crockpot Stuffed Peppers

Be healthy , look younger and feel great!!
Be healthy , look younger and feel great!!

Ingredients:
5-6 whole peppers- hollowed out and de-seeded with the tops cut of (see photo)
2tbsp. Olive oil
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 small onion chopped
5 carrots peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
1/3 cup chopped spinach
1 35oz can San Marzano tomatoes
1-1/2 cups quinoa- cooked
2tsp. of Salt/pepper/sage
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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I keep the ‘hats”, the top of the peppers you cut off, for a cute presentation!

Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package -3 cups water cook until tender,quinoa will absorb water

1 cup quinoa 2 cups water -it absorbs the liquid!
1 cup quinoa 2 cups water -it absorbs the liquid!

Meanwhile,
Add olive oil to frying pan on medium heat and add garlic

Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook 5-10 minutes

Add can of tomatoes.

As soon as carrots start to soften, add tomatoes!
As soon as carrots start to soften, add tomatoes!

Let it cook another 10 minutes

Add chopped spinach last

In a large mixing bowl, add quinoa to veggies and stir until blended.

Carefully spoon mixture into peppers

Mix well together. Taste - add extra salt, pepper, sage or spice it up with some cayenne pepper!
Mix well together. Taste – add extra salt, pepper, sage or spice it up with some cayenne pepper!

Add 2 cups of water to crockpot.

Set peppers in crockpot

Peppers will hold each other up in the crockpot! Be sure to see how many fit and choose your peppers accordingly! Maybe you need tall peppers instead of fat!
Peppers will hold each other up in the crockpot! Be sure to see how many fit and choose your peppers accordingly! Maybe you need tall peppers instead of fat!

Cook on low for 3-4 hours

**Careful not to overcook the peppers!! You cannot cook them all day in the crockpot or you will end up with Quinoa Stuffed Pepper Soup!!**

Serve with a simple salad.
Always top off with freshly grated parmesan!! Enjoy!

Happy St.Patrick’s Day!! Wow Your Family With A Traditional Irish Meal! Quick and Easy Shepherd’s Pie!!

Happy St.Patrick’s Day!!

Surprise your family with a Quick and Easy Shepherd’s Pie!

 

I married Irish!! XOXO Kevin! Happy St.Patrick's Day!
I married Irish!! XOXO Kevin! Happy St.Patrick’s Day!

In crockpot:

1lb. Ground beef

1 small onion

2cloves of garlic chopped

4strips bacon chopped

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

Salt and pepper

 

Let this cook 4-6 hours

 

30 mins before dinner,

51/2 cups Mashed potatoes (without milk and butter)

2 eggs

Pinch of Salt

 

Spread mashed potatoes in a greased pie plate bottom and sides.

Layer with the drained beef mixture and then top with more potatoes.

Brush pie with melted butter

Bake at. 375 for 20 mins!

Enjoy!
Ciao!

 

Kick Monday’s Ass!!! Get dinner done early and get more done today!!! Try my super easy Crockpot Chicken Tacos!!

I love to use my crockpot! It is an amazing feeling to have dinner cooking by 9am! Start early in the morning, throw everything in and it is ready by dinner time! We are never home during the day, so I feel comfortable leaving the crockpot cooking!!

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Don’t have every ingredient when you start? No problem! Neither do I most of the time! Just start with your base and your meat and get it cooking! We cannot stand mushy overcooked veggies in this house, so it is better to add the fresh veggies later! Add them at 4 when you get home and dinner is ready by 5:30!

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Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

Crockpot
1-2 lb.boneless skinless chicken breasts- frozen or fresh!
1 cup salsa
1/4 cup taco seasoning
1 onion chopped
1 pepper chopped
1 22oz. can diced tomatoes
1 14oz. can black beans

Non Crockpot ingredients:
10 Taco shells soft/hard
1 c.Shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 c.Shredded Mexican cheese
1/2 c.Diced tomatoes
Sour cream

Recipe:
Put salsa, diced tomatoes, chicken chopped onions and taco seasoning in crockpot.
Set time for 6 hours on high.
Add peppers, black beans and all other crockpot ingredients in last 1-2 hours.
Let cook.

Serve in shells with your favorite toppings!

Feel free to add hot salsa, hot sauce or Cayenne pepper to make it spicy!

Enjoy!