Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken

 A recipe I made up on the fly for a church potluck inspired by spinach artichoke dip. It turned out so well that I decided to guesstimate the amounts of what I used and turn it into an actual recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (I like Costco’s, but any kind will do. 

        Note: Raw chicken could also be used, but the cooking time will need to be increased, and the                    chicken will have to be shredded after it is cooked.

1lb frozen spinach thawed and drained

12 oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

1 cup of chicken broth

1 8oz pack of cream cheese, cubed

1.5 cups of shredded mozzarella

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Place everything except for the mozzarella in a crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours until heated through. Stir in the mozzarella and add salt and pepper as needed to taste. Serve over rice.

Hollandaise Sauce

 2 egg yolks

2 T water

1T lemon juice

1/2 C butter cut into small cubes

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/4 t salt

In a double boiler, mix egg yolks, water and lemon juice. Add butter and turn on heat. Whisk constantly until butter is melted and mixture thickens. Turn off heat and add cayenne and salt. Enjoy!

Indian Lentil Curry (Dahl)

 From the blog "Veggie Desserts"

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil or coconut oil

2 onions diced

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and grated (or ½ tablespoon dried ginger)

½ teaspoon finely chopped red chili (or ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes), optional

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala TIP: If you don't have all the whole spices, just use 3 teaspoons of Garam Masala instead.

1 cup (200g) dried red lentils, uncooked (rinsed and drained)

4 carrots, sliced thick

1 zucchini, quartered and sliced thick

1 can (14oz/400ml) chopped tomatoes

1 can (14oz/400ml) coconut milk

2 cups (500ml) vegetable broth/stock

Salt and pepper

Juice of half a lemon or a small splash of vinegar

2 handfuls fresh spinach washed

Cilantro

Directions 

***Stove Top***

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and red chilli and cook for a few minutes.

Grind the cumin, coriander and mustard seeds lightly in a pestle and mortar, then add to the pan, along with the turmeric and garam masala and cook for 1 minute. 

Add the lentils, tomatoes with their juice, coconut milk and broth/stock, then stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a medium/low heat for 15-20 minutes until reduced and thick. If you have time, you can leave it a little longer on a very low heat for even more flavor (just stir often and check it doesn't scorch on the bottom of the pan).Taste and add more chilli if desired. 

Stir in the lemon juice and spinach until it wilts. 

Top with cilantro and serve warm with rice, naan bread or poppadoms.

***Instant Pot***

Set the Instant Pot to 'saute' setting and heat the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes until it gets soft but not browned. Add the garlic, ginger and red chili and cook for a minute, then turn off the Instant Pot.

Grind the cumin, coriander and mustard seeds lightly in a pestle and mortar, then add to the pan, along with the turmeric and garam masala and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (there will be enough heat left in the Instant Pot to do this). 

Stir in the lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk and broth/stock. Put the lid on the Instant Pot, close the steam vent and set to Manual (Pressure Cook)/High Pressure pressure using the manual setting, then set the time to 8 minutes.

After the time is up, wait for 10 minutes and then carefully use the quick release valve to release remaining pressure, or let the pressure release naturally. Stir in the lemon juice and the spinach until it wilts and serve!

***Slow Cooker***

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and red chili and cook for a few minutes.

Grind the cumin, coriander and mustard seeds lightly in a pestle and mortar, then add to the frying pan, along with the turmeric and garam masala and cook for 1 minute.

Add the onion mixture to the bowl of the slow cooker, along with the lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk and broth/stock. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours. Taste and cook longer if necessary for the lentils to be lovely and soft. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the lemon juice and spinach. 

Café Rio's Sweet Pork Barbacoa

A Pinterest Recipe

This pork is the pork that made Café Rio famous. If you have never been to Café Rio, you are truly missing out and need to make this amazing pork. You do have to marinate the pork overnight, but it is totally worth it!

Ingredients:

2 lbs of Pork Shoulder, Butt, or Rib Meat
3 Cans of Coca Cola (You can use the Non-Caffeinated kind, but do NOT use Diet Coca Cola)
1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup of Water
Garlic Salt
1 Can Diced Green Chiles
3/4 of a 10oz Can of Red Enchilada Sauce
1 Cup of Brown Sugar

Directions:

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Marinade overnight. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke and water in a crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get too dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork and sprinkle garlic salt to taste (about 1 tsp). In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and 1 cup of brown sugar. If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little. Put shredded pork and sauce in a crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours.

Cooked Wheat Berries

From Leisa Card "I Dare You To Eat It"

4 cups raw whole wheat
10 cups water
1 T salt

Grease a large crock pot and fill with ingredients. Cook on low for about 8 hours. You want the wheat to be soft, but not mushy. The time might vary according to your crock pot. You can then refrigerate or freeze them for later use.

These are great eaten like oatmeal with a litle maple syrup and cinnamon or can be used in place of rice (like in Chinese fried rice) or as a filler for ground meat recipes. Give it a try!

Cajun Stew

This is like a jambalaya without the rice. Adapted from "Everyday Food" March 2012 issue.

1 lb andouille or kielbasa sliced into rounds
1 lb cubed ham
1 red onion sliced into wedges
4 garlic cloves minced or put through a garlic press
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 red or yellow pepper chopped
3 T all purpose flour
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel (tomatoes and green chiles)
Salt
1 lb shrimp - peeled and deveined
1 pkg frozen cut okra - thawed

Mix sausage, ham, onion, garlic, celery, and peppers in a 6 qt slow cooker. Add flour and toss to coat. Mix in tomatoes, Rotel, 1/2 c water and salt to taste. Cover and cook until veggies are tender - 3 1/2 hours on high or 7 hours on low. Add shrimp and okra and cook until shrimp are done - 30 minutes to 1 hour more. Serve plain or over rice. BAM!

You can add some cayenne pepper if you like it hot. This could also be done on the stove.

Taco Soup

Similar to the one on Crockpot365 blog

4 cans of beans - whatever combination you like, kidney, black, pinto, white - drained
2 cans of corn
1 small can chopped green chiles
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 can tomatoes and chiles (like Rotel)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin to taste
1 onion chopped
1 lb browned ground turkey or hamburger
corn chips, cilantro, shredded cheese and sour cream for topping

The Directions:
brown meat with chopped onion
drain fat and add to crockpot stoneware insert (the meat. not the fat.)
sprinkle seasonings on top of meat
drain and rinse the beans and add
the ENTIRE contents of the corn, green chiles, and tomato cans
stir

cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5. I think the longer you cook soup, the better, so if you have the time, opt for cooking on low. Stir well, and serve with a handful of corn chips, cilantro, shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Crock Pot Pasta & Sauce

1 lb dry pasta - such as corkscrew
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded cheese
8 oz cubed fresh mozzarella
1 cup cottage cheese
1 lb cooked meatballs or sausage
1 cup water

Spray the stoneware with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients except meat and place the meatballs or sausage on top. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. If it is getting too dry, add a little water.

Hot Cider

2 - 64 oz bottles apple juice or apple cider
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate
32 oz bottle cranberry juice
1 orange sliced
3 or 4 whole cinnamon sticks
1 t nutmeg
1 t ground cloves
1 t cinnamon

Heat all ingredients in crock pot until hot and steaming. You could also heat on the stove and then transfer to a crock pot to keep warm.

Nacho Dip

8 oz Velveeta Mexican
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 large onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
8 oz picante salsa
1 small can chopped green chiles

Put all ingredients in crock pot. Heat until heated through and onion is soft. Enjoy with corn chips.