I’m learning lots about cooking in a crock pot. Apparently it seems that the order of things matters. Also, you can’t just dump raw beans into your pot the way you would if you were cooking it on the stove.

This weekend I had lots of running around to do and so I decided to use the crock pot to make some chili since I didn’t want to have to keep an eye on something on the stove. I also decided to take some step-by-step photos for you!

Chorizo & Pork Red Bean Chile

Ingredients:

1 lb red beans
2 lbs pork loin chopped
2 small chorizos chopped
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped leeks
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomato and chile
3 tablespoon chile powder
1 tablespoon cumin
3 bay leaves

Directions:

You’ll add the ingredients to the crock pot in the order shown above.

Wash and check red beans for stones and debris. Place in small cooking pot with enough water to cover them and a pinch of salt. Boil to soften. I started these when I began prep for the rest, so they cooked for about 30 minutes before I added them to the crock pot. Add water as necessary, but not too much. You’ll want to put the beans and their water into the crock pot once they are softer.

Place a little oil in a non-stick pan and add the chopped chorizo. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the chopped pork loin. Why chopped pork loin again? Well, Cubans and pork go together like peanut butter and jelly. Also, it was on sale and I’m counting pennies. Finally, it’s lean and has a lot less fat than a chuck roast, so I could use those calories for the tastier chorizo.

Brown the meat and transfer to a plate. Leave some of the oil from the pan in there to cook the onions and leeks.

Saute the onions, garlic, and leeks until just browning. You want the brown on both the meat and veggies since these are the sugars caramelizing on them and will add flavor to your chili. Why leeks? I love them and I had some in the fridge that I had to use. Feel free to also clean out your fridge and add carrots, celery, etc. during this step.

Now it’s time to put everything into the crock pot in the order listed above. When it’s all in there, add the cumin, chili powder and bay leaves and set your crock pot to cook. I did mine for 6 hours on high.

We ate it with some chopped fresh tomatoes, onions and grated cheddar cheese. A hearty and warming meal for a chilly day.

I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe!

It’s getting chilly and we’ve all got lots of work so that may make it hard to have a nice hot and hearty meal waiting for us when we get home. I mentioned weeks earlier that I’d finally purchased a slow cooker and our first attempt at a pot roast was fabulous!

Last night I started up a pork loin for today’s meal and I hope it’s as tasty. Here’s the recipe, but again I haven’t tried it yet myself. But considering the ingredients, I’m hopeful I’ll have a tasty meal waiting for me tonight.

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Roast Pork Loin

1 cup Chopped Onions
1 cup Chopped Red Peppers
1/8 cup chopped celery (this will add natural salt taste)
2 lb pork loin
1 can Rotel Tomatoes & Chiles ( I LOVE THIS STUFF!!)
Pepper to taste

Saute the red peppers. When soft, add the chopped onions and celery and saute until translucent.

Brown the pork loin roast on all sides.

De-glaze the cooking pan with the Rotel Tomatoes and Chiles and then put the mix of celery, onions, peppers, Rotel and pork loin into your crockpot.

Set it on low of 6 hours.

When it’s done, you should be able to shred the meat together with all the other ingredients. Serve over rice or in tortillas (either corn or flour). Top with cheese and any other ingredients you love for a Tex-Mex kind of meal.

Sometimes at the end of the work day, I need a quick pick-me-up on the train ride home and to tide me over during my workout. I try to keep things healthy and not grab something bad at the local deli and lately I’ve taken to keeping some kind of granola bar in my knapsack for that quick bite.

Of course, those quick bites can be chock full of calories also, so I try to be careful about what I grab. Because of that, the thought of making my own bars with my favorite things popped into my head and after scouring the Net, I’ve come up with this Nutty Granola Bar recipe.

Nutty Granola Bar

1/2 cup melted Almond Butter (you can substitute peanut butter)
1/4 cup fat free condensed milk (not evaporate – condensed! The really thick sweet stuff)
4 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup honey (or agave syrup **warning** agave is way sweeter!)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts/almonds/peanuts)
1/4 dried cranberries (or raisins)

You can also mix into the above:

Flaxseed
Chia Seeds
Chocolate Chips
Butterscotch Chips
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan.

Mix all of the above in a bowl. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more almond butter and/or condensed milk. Press the mixture into the 9×13 pan. Cook for about 25 minutes.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool a little bit. Cut out your squares or bars while it’s still hot. It’ll make it easier to get them out of there when they are cool. This will make about a dozen bars for you.

If you are lactose intolerant and can’t handle the condensed milk, substitute more almond butter and/or peanut butter for the milk. Also, if you find it’s too sweet, also substitute the nut butter for the condensed milk.

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast! I could eat eggs, pancakes, french toast, bacon, etc. at any time of the day. In fact, when hubby and I hit one of our local Jersey diners, I almost always get a breakfast kind of meal for dinner.

But as you know, I’ve been trying to eat healthier and change my lifestyle. That doesn’t necessarily mean losing some favorites, just making them healthier.

This recipe is not only healthier, but easier than regular french toast. Why? Well, it’s all assembled in the fridge the night before, so no hurried make each toast and hope it soaks enough, etc.

I use this recipe when I have company staying over, like my writing buddies for a weekend. It lets me still get some writing done in the morning and lets them get some sleep until the aromas of the french toast make them too hungry to stay asleep! LOL!

Multi-Grain French Toast in the Oven

You will need the following ingredients:

1 loaf slightly stale multi-grain bread (you can also use challah or raisin cinnamon bread)
8 eggs
2 cups 2% milk
1/2 cup low fat half & half
1/2 cup flour
1/2 brown sugar
2/3 cup honey
1 stick butter (softened)
2 tbsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Break bread into chunks and place in the baking dish.

Mix the eggs, milk, half & half, vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/3 cup honey together. Pour over the bread. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350. Mix the softened butter, 1/3 cup honey, 1 tsp cinnamon and brown sugar. When that’s mixed, add the flower. Remove your baking dish with the bread from the fridge. Cover with the butter/sugar mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on how set you like your french toast!).

Serve with maple syrup and/or honey and/or powdered sugar. Some turkey bacon on the side to watch the calories and fat again!

Hope you enjoyed today’s recipe.

I have to confess: I’m a horrible water drinker. I just hate the taste of plain old water. Put I also understand that it’s important to stay hydrated in order to stay healthy.

Water is necessary for detoxification of your body and here’s one easy way to do it: Have a glass of water with lemon/lemon juice.

Some say drink it warm as soon as you wake up for the best effects. I usually have it after my morning coffee and breakfast.

There are quite a number of other detoxifying waters you can try and here are some places where you can find more water detox recipes:

Fat Flushing Drinks

Orange and Vanilla Water

Lemon/Mint/Cucumber Detox Water

Apple Cinnamon Water

Before we get to today’s Tuesday Tip, please visit with me at My Not So Vacant Shelf Blogspot later today for a chance to win a copy of THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE e-book!

And now, on to roasted peppers. Today’s tips are really more about how to make them! I know you can buy them in the store, but nothing tastes better than a freshly roasted pepper. Plus, you mostly find red roasted pepper in the stores, but once you master how to make them, you can roast up all kinds of peppers. Cubanelles, anchos, jalapenos, you name it. You’ll be thankful for it since with this knowledge you’ll be able to make all kinds of recipes, like:

Red Pepper Pesto
Pimento Cheese
Pasta with Sausages, tomatoes and roasted red peppers
Red Pepper Remoulade

You can mix in any kind of pepper in the recipes above or a favorite recipe. For example, how about a Roasted Pepper Alfredo? In fact, use this recipe I’m about to give you, thin it out with a little milk, heat and pour over pasta. YUMMY!! Trust me.

But first: How do you roast a pepper?

I do mine on the gas grill, but you can also do them in the broiler or like my grandma used to do, on the electric range element. That takes asbestos hands and you’ll likely set off your smoke alarm, so better to stick to the grill or broiler.

Wash the peppers and either place them on the grill or on a lightly oiled baking pan. If using the broiler, get it cranking and use a small ball of aluminum foil to prop open the door to keep the broiler going.

Place the peppers on the top rack directly below the broiler. If you’re using the gas grill, put them right on the lightly oiled grill racks.

Now, wait until the skin on the one side is black and charred, then flip to the next side. Keep on doing this until all the sides are blackened, but don’t overdo. The peppers will keep on cooking even after you take them off the rack/broiler.

Place the charred peppers in a plastic storage container and seal it. Let the peppers cool to room temperature. They will steam and finish cooking in the container and the steam will make taking the charred skin off that much easier.

When cool enough to handle, remove the skin by hand and toss. DO NOT WASH the peppers. They will lose a lot of their taste. Also, don’t throw away that nice brown liquid that’s in the plastic container. Mix that in to whatever you are making for a blast of smokey taste!

That’s it. If you want to be a purist, a little salt, olive oil and finely minced garlic over the peppers and you’re ready to eat with a hearty bread to soak up the oil and juices.

Red Pepper and Scallion Cream Cheese

1 large roasted pepper
Juice from the steaming
1 bar cream cheese
Chopped scallions

You can either mash the peppers by hand or using a food processor. Once mashed, add the liquid and the cream cheese and mix. To finish, hand blend the chopped scallions. Spread on a nicely toasted bagel, muffin or toast or add milk to thin and heat. Mix in some cooked pasta and you’ve got an easy Alfredo!