Cauliflower Soup in the Instant Pot

This was so delicious and very healthy – very little fat! You can add whatever spice you like at the end. I added some truffle salt and chopped parsley.

Ingredients

1 small onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped fine

1 celery stalk, chopped fine

1 small yellow potato, but into small chunks

1 head of cauliflower, separated into individual florets

4 cups of broth (I used chicken but you could use whatever broth you like)

1/2 cup nonfat milk

Salt and pepper to taste, as well as whatever seasoning you like

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

Heat some olive oil on the sauté function. Add the onions, carrot and celery. Cook until the onion is soft.

Add the cauliflower, potato, and broth to the pot. Pressure cook for 5 minutes.

Once finished, release the steam. Using an immersion blender, purée the contents of the bowl until smooth.

Add the milk and seasonings. Using a whisk, and on the sauté function, cook for a couple of minutes. If you are adding the cheese, do it now and cook until melted. (You can also use the cheese as a topping when you serve it).

Serve with some chopped parsley and a drizzle of oil.

Corned Beef in a Crock Pot

Easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

6 carrots, cut into chunks

2 onions, chopped

3 lb. corned beef brisket with seasoning packet – RINSED

12 oz. beer

2 T. yellow mustard (or 1 T. Dijon)

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 c water

1 cabbage, cut into wedges

Directions:

Combine carrots and onions in a crock pot. Place the corned beef in and sprinkle the seasoning packet over it. Pour beer over the brisket and spread mustard on top. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and water. Pour it over the brisket. Cover and cook on low for about 9 hours (or until fork tender).

Remove the brisket and keep warm. Add the cabbage to the crock pot and cook for about 30 minutes.

Return the brisket to the crock pot and warm it up altogether.

Slice the brisket thinly and serve with the vegetables and mustard on the side.

Crockpot Braised Beef Ragu Over Polenta

The original recipe wasn’t great because I didn’t take the time to make the marinara sauce (the recipe just called for putting in the sauce ingredients raw into the crock pot). Next time this is how I want to make it! Hopefully it will be better.

Ingredients:

3 lb. beef rump roast

1/2 onion, minced

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 28 oz. can of San Marzano whole tomatoes, pureed

1/2 c. red wine

3 T. tomato paste

Basil, oregano, bay leaves

Salt & pepper

Polenta

Directions:

Sear the roast on all sides until brown. Remove from stove and place in crock pot.

Saute the onions and garlic in some olive oil.

Add the tomato sauce and paste and all the spices.

Cook the sauce until flavorful. Add some bouillon if needed.

Pour the sauce into the crock pot.

Cook on low for about 8 hours.

Shred the meat and return it to the crock pot. Cook for a little bit more.

Serve the ragu over polenta.

Slow Cooker Wild Rice & Chicken Soup

This is a delicious meal for a cold winter’s night. It makes a lot, though, so, unless you’re feeding a huge crowd, you may want to half it or freeze the leftovers. I’m freezing them, so we’ll see how they hold up.

Ingredients:

1 to 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 c chicken stock

1 c wild rice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

3 stalks celery, peeled and diced

1 lb. sliced mushrooms

Fresh snipped thyme (about 5 sprigs)

Fresh snipped rosemary (about 2 sprigs)

1/2 c. half and half (if desired)

Seasonings: salt, pepper, bouillon, Italian seasonings

Directions:

Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Place them in the crock pot.

Add all the other ingredients except the mushrooms and half and half.

Cook on low for about 6 hours.

Add the mushrooms and cook for about 30 minutes.

Shred the chicken breasts and return to the pot. If desired, add the half and half.

Adjust the seasonings as needed.

If it’s too thick, add more broth or water or half and half.

Thai Chicken in the Crock Pot

This was super easy to make and very tasty. I was a bit worried about using coconut milk, since I’m not a big fan of coconut flavors, but it was great. It gave the sauce a smooth consistency and a nicer consistency than using yogurt. I think this recipe can also be made successfully on the stove top, but it’s always nice to use the crock pot for an instant dinner when you come home from work!

Ingredients:

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 can coconut milk

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

3 T. cilantro, chopped

1 T. dried basil

3/4 T. curry powder

1/2 t. chili powder

1 t. fresh ginger, grated

Cornstarch if needed for thickening sauce

Rice or Naan

 

Brown the thighs in some olive oil in a hot pan until golden on both sides.

Combine coconut milk, basil, curry, chili powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix altogether and pour into the crock pot.

Add the seared chicken, onions, jalapenos and garlic. Stir to combine.

Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours until chicken is cooked through.

Add the ginger and, if the sauce needs more thickening add a slurry of cornstarch and water, and cook for another 15 minutes. Add the cilantro and mix.

Serve over cooked rice or with some Naan bread.

 

Mongolian Beef A La Crock Pot

Cooking the meat in the crock pot really makes it tender. And the flavors all meld together nicely. Just watch the cooking time on this as it was starting to burn even though it had only been cooking on low for about 4 hours. This is definitely not one of those crock pot meals that you can put on before work and let go for 8 hours (unless you have a timer!).

Ingredients:

1 lb. flank steak, cut into bite size strips

1/4 c. corn starch

2 T. olive oil

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 T. minced garlic

1 T. minced ginger

1 t. chili flakes

1 c. shredded carrots

1 head broccoli, cut up into florets

Directions:

Combine the steak with the corn starch in a zip lock bag and make sure the cornstarch covers the meat well.

In the crock pot add the sauce ingredients minus the vegetables and the meat.

Stir it well to combine all the ingredients.

Add the meat and stir to coat with the sauce.

Cook on low for about 4 hours.

Add the carrots and broccoli and cook for another 1/2 hour.

Serve over cooked rice.

 

Spicy Beef & Pepper Stew – a la Crock Pot

It’s always easy to come home to a dinner already made! I would use a good cut of beef, though. I bought stew meat at the butcher, but it was still not tender, even though it cooked for 8 hours!

Ingredients:

2 lb. beef chuck, in small chunks

2 bell peppers, cut into squares

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1 c broth (or water and bouillon)

2 cloves minced garlic

1 T. Sriracha sauce

1/2 t. chili oil

2 T. corn starch

Desired seasonings – I used pepper and no-salt seasoning

1/2 c. chopped parsley

Directions:

Saute the onions until golden.

Place meat at the bottom of a crock pot.

Top with onions, peppers, and garlic.

Add the broth, sauce and chili oil.

Cook on low for about 8 hours, or on high for 4.

Combine 1/2 c water with 2 T. cornstarch. Add 1 cup of liquid from the stew.

Boil for about 2 minutes on the stovetop.

Add the cornstarch mixture back into the crock pot and stir to combine.

Top with parsley.

Serve over polenta, rice or potatoes.

 

Tex Mex Chicken Soup

Slow cookers are an excellent way to make soup! By the time you get home, the aroma of a good soup cooking away makes my mouth water. And when that soup is as tasty as this one, even more so! Depending on how much chile you use, there will be a little kick to this one. It will definitely warm you up – inside and out!

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup chopped onions

3 cloves of minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth (I make my own…)

1 cup tomato sauce 

1/2 T. Chipotle chile in adobo, chopped

1 t. dried oregano

1/4 t. cumin

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 avocado, chopped (optional)

Crumbled queso fresco (optional)

Directions:

Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper before placing it in the crock pot.

Saute the onion and garlic in a pan with some olive oil until it is translucent and starting to brown. Add it to the crock pot.

Add all the other ingredients except the avocado and cheese.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Shred the chicken and return it to the crock pot. Discard the bay leaves.

Serve it up with the chopped avocado and cheese!