Chicken with Fresh Tomato and Fennel Sauce

Chicken with Fresh Tomato Fennel Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 2 - 3 pound chicken breast
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 8 ounces baby carrots
• 12 ounces fresh fennel
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 28 ounces fresh chopped tomatoes (or substitute canned crushed tomatoes)

Preparation

Heat the oil in  large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken breast in the skillet and season with salt, pepper, basil and parsley. Add the minced garlic, onion, carrots and fennel. 

Cook the chicken until lightly browned on both sides. 

Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. 

Crockpot Honey Baked Beans

We all love baked beans and we continue to have them even while eating more whole foods. We just turned our recipes into a healthier version by using honey and Canadian bacon instead of brown sugar and regular bacon.  

 

Crockpot Honey Baked Beans

Ingredients

• 1 pound small white beans
• 6 cups water
• 1 large onion chopped
• 3/4 -1 cup natural or organic ketchup
• 1/2 honey (I used raw)
• 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounce Canadian bacon chopped

Preparation

Wash and sort beans. Cover with water and let set over night or at least 8 hours. After soaking, place beans into your crockpot along with the water. The water should cover the beans. If not add more. Add the chopped onion, ketchup, honey, mustard, liquid smoke, salt and Canadian Bacon. Mix well and cook 8-10 hours or overnight on low. If your beans are not the desired thickness take the lid off turn to high and continue to cook until desired  thickness .

Planning Ahead: Crockpot Marinara

If you like to plan, prep and cook some of your meals ahead... this recipe is for you! We'll make up 1 or 2 batches of this sauce each month and have it on hand for any recipe that may come our way. From a simple spaghetti or lasagna to pizza sauce or to top a meatloaf. 

Crockpot Marinara 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper (any color), finely chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 #10 can crushed tomatoes *
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano **
• 2 tablespoons dried basil **
• 2 tablespoons fennel seed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (more or less, to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (more or less, to taste)

Preparation

Start to heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until the celery and onion are translucent and the carrots have softened.

Add the cooked vegetables and all remaining ingredients to a crock-pot. Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on low about 8 hours. Use in recipes right away, or freeze in individual servings to have on hand for later use.

* These are the large cans (approx. 106 ounces) you see at warehouse stores or restaurant supply stores.

** You could also substitute 2-3 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning for these spices.

Crock-pot BBQ Beef

Crock-Pot BBQ Beef

Ingredients

• 4 pounds beef chuck roast
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 - 18 ounce bottles of BBQ sauce (your choice)
• 12 hamburger buns

Preparation

Put the roast in the bottom of the crock-pot. Sprinkle the minced garlic and spices over the meat. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours, or until roast is cooked through. Drain the broth from the meat. (If you want, you can save the broth for a later use -- soup, noodles, etc.) Shred the beef with two forks, Add the BBQ sauce to the shredded beef and mix well. Cover and cook for another hour or so. Serve inside of a hamburger bun (sandwich-style) or open-faced.

Chips, coleslaw, green salad, and watermelon all make excellent side dishes for this meal!

It's crowd-pleasing, lip-smacking good! 

Simple Crockpot Applesause

Tis the season... for crockpots and apples! 

We picked about 25 pounds of apples today from some of our local growers. They're very inexpensive and taste so much better than the store-bought ones! Last batch of apples we picked, I made batches and batches of Crockpot Apple Butter and froze it in freezer containers so it's ready when we are. This time we decided to make applesauce (in addition to eating some of the apples, of course). School has started and applesauce is always a great "side dish" for the lunch box.

We just randomly picked a variety of apples. You can use whatever your favorite apples are to create a flavor for your own liking.  Enjoy!

Simple Crockpot Applesauce

Ingredients

• 5 pounds apples (cored, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice *

Preparation

Add all ingredients to the crockpot. Cook on high for approximately 4 hours (or low for 6-8 hours). Stir apples half-way through. Cook until apples are very soft and mash when stirring. Mash the applesauce to your desired texture. I used a wooden spoon for this batch. You can use a potato masher or a blender as well.

* You may need to adjust this measurement depending on the type(s) of apples you use... flavor, sweetness, tartness, etc.

Crockpot Congee (a.k.a. Chinese Oatmeal)

Congee is not a dish many people are familiar with. It is a (rice-based) porridge that has its origins all throughout Asia. There are no real "rules and regulations" for what you put in your congee. Various countries base their ingredients on what meal they traditionally eat their congee (meats and veggies for supper, various grains and fruits for breakfasts, beans, plain, etc.).

This variation is a delicious and hearty breakfast easily prepared in the crockpot ... which makes it a perfect breakfast for those cold mornings! Why waste money on a fast food breakfast when you can prepare a healthy dish faster than you can get through a drive through window!

Crockpot Congee (Chinese Oatmeal)

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 pears and/or apples, unpeeled
• 2/3 cups oat groats
• 2/3 cup brown rice
• 3/4 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, prunes, etc)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 cups water

Preparation:

Wash and dice the apples (or pears). Place all ingredients into a 6 cup (1.5 quart) crock-pot. Stir and cook on low for 8 hours or overnight. 

Makes 6 cups of cereal.

Be sure to use a smaller (preferably 1.5 or 2 quart) crockpot so your congee does not dry out while cooking!

Try experimenting with the different dried fruits and spices (pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, etc.).

Easy Crockpot Apple Butter

Easy Crockpot Apple Butter

Ingredients:

• 12 "good sized" apples (approx. 5-6 pounds) - variety(s) of your choice
• 1 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• dash of salt, to taste

Preparation

Wash, peel, core and cut all of the apples into 1 inch x 1 inch chunks. Place the apples in the crock-pot. Add the honey and pumpkin pie spice to the crockpot. Cover. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until reduced to almost half. You can stir every few hours, as the apples cook down, to mix the honey and spices in.

Stir the apple mixture well to combine. Use a potato masher to mash the mixture until desired consistency. You can also use an immersion blender or blender as well. 

Be careful if using a blender!! Putting the steaming hot apple mix in there may cause it to blow the lid off the blender! Wait until the mixture cools a bit, then blend in small batches until desired consistency.

Enjoy on toast, pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, scones, biscuits.... possibilities are endless! 


Try this recipe with a variety of apples. Each apple has it's own texture, sweetness or tartness, and flavor. Use all one kind, or mix and match! 

Crockpot Lentil Sloppy Joes

Lentils are budget-friendly and a great meat-subsitite in many recipes. Even if you're not looking to give up meat altogether, but you are looking to save money ... consider going LOCO FOR LENTILS!

Lentil Sloppy Joes

 Ingredients

• 2 cups dry lentils
• 8 cups water 
• 1 tablespoon chicken stock base
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, Bragg's aminos, or coconut aminos
• 3 carrots, shredded

Directions

Place 2 cups of dried lentils into a large microwave safe bowl. Add the 8 cups of water and chicken stock base. Microwave for 25 minutes. Water should (almost) completely absorbed into the lentils. For a stovetop method --add the 2 cups dried lentils, 8 cups water, and 1 tablespoon chicken stock base to a stockpot. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until almost all of the water is absorbed (about 15-20 minutes). Do not drain remaining water from the lentils!

Spray a skillet with non-stick spray. Add the garlic and onion and cook on medium-high until onion is translucent. Add the cooked lentils, onion and garlic, and remaining ingredients to a crockpot. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Fresh Roasted Tomato Sauce

Fresh Roasted Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 24 Whole Roasted Roma Tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons fennel seed
• 2 teaspoons marjoram
• 1 - 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 (6 ounce) can water

Preparation:

Put the tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. In a pot on the stovetop, saute onion and garlic in olive oil just until starting to brown.  Place roasted tomato puree into the pot with the onion and garlic. Stir to combine. Add the spices, tomato paste, and can of water. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.

**OR** Place the (blended) roasted tomato puree, sauteed onion and garlic, and remaining ingredients into a crockpot. Cook on low for 4 hours.

If you prefer a meat sauce, brown one pound of ground meat and add it to the sauce.

Quick Tip: Simple Shredded Chicken

Shredded Chicken In the Crock-pot

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup water

Preparation:
Place the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. Cover with water and seasonings. Put the lid on and let cook on low 6-8 hours, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove chicken from crockpot. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken. It should fall apart very easy.

Variation: You can add chopped onion and 1 cup of salsa to create a more mexi-style chicken. 

Shredded Chicken on the Stove-top

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• about 4 cups of water

Preparation:
Place water and chicken in a pot on the stove-top. Cover. Turn burner on high and bring water to a boil. Turn heat down to  medium and let cook until chicken is done and no longer pink. Strain pot contents through a colander (reserving the strained liquid in a bowl). Remove chicken from colander and shred with 2 forks. Let the strained liquid cool. Use this liquid as you would chicken broth in any recipes. 

See Quick Tip: Chicken Broth for ideas on freezing your broth once it has cooled.

Quick Tip: Make Your Own Chicken Broth

There are a variety of ways to make chicken broth. These are our 2 preferred methods, depending what you have on hand and what your "intentions" are for the broth. The directions are the same for both methods. The only differences are the ingredients and how the broth turns out in the end.

• Method #1 would be a "leaner" and more watery broth when cooled (great for an easy quick-add to a recipe). You're basically infusing water with chicken and other "flavorings". 
• Method #2 is a great "leftover" method for when you have cooked a chicken and only the carcass is remaining. You could also do this with a whole uncooked chicken as well. This broth is very rich,  not as lean and has more of a "jello-like" consistency when cooled. When you add this broth to a recipe you can keep it as-is, or add a bit of water to thin it down.

Chicken Broth - Method 1

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8 cups water
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 4-5 garlic cloves (leave whole)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chicken Broth - Method 2

Ingredients:

• Carcass of a whole, cooked chicken (only the bones and minimal remains) OR 1 whole uncooked chicken (gizzards, neck and all that stuff removed from the inside)
• Water (about 8 cups)

STOVE-TOP
Place all ingredients in a stockpot on the stove-top. Turn stove burner on high and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer for roughly 1 1/2 - 2 hours .  Let the pot rest until contents are cool enough to handle.

If you are using a whole uncooked chicken, be sure to boil until the chicken is cooked through. This may take a bit longer than the suggested 2 hours, depending on the size of your chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a plate until cool enough to handle. The meat should fall right off the bone. Use the meat in any recipe as you normally would. Discard the skin and carcass. Once the chicken has been removed from the pot, continue with the directions below.

Place a colander in /over a large bowl. Pour the pot contents through the strainer. The broth will be in the bowl, ready for your recipe or to freeze into broth cubes (see below). 


CROCK-POT:
Place all ingredients into a crock-pot. Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours, or high setting for 4-6 hours. Turn off the crock-pot and let it cool down. 

If you are using a whole uncooked chicken, be sure to cook in the crock-pot until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. This may potentially take longer than the suggested cook time, depending on the size of your chicken. When the whole chicken is done cooking, carefully remove it from the crock and place it on a plate until cool enough to handle. The meat should fall right off the bone. Use the meat in any recipe as you normally would. Discard the skin and carcass. Once the chicken has been removed from the pot, continue with the directions below.

Once the crock is cool enough to handle, place a colander over a large bowl. Strain the crock-pot contents through the colander. The broth will now be in the bowl. Remove the chicken from the colander and use in any recipe. Discard the carcass.




See Quick Tip: Shredded Chicken to learn how to shred your cooked chicken (Method #1) for use in other recipes.
 




To Make the Chicken Broth Cubes:
When the broth is cool, pour it into an ice cube tray and place tray in the freezer. When cubes are frozen, you can pop them out and store them in a freezer bag for future use!