Dear Barb:
A while ago, I noticed that you included some recipes in your column. I was wondering if you could do that again soon. I am a busy mother of three, who is also working on her degree through Athabasca University. I was wondering if you have any easy crock-pot recipes that I could prepare in the morning before I leave for the day. My family eats far too much fast food. I would like to prepare home-cooked meals, but I’m just too tired at the end of the day. I would also appreciate any books you could recommend. I just don’t have the time to spend hunting in bookstores or checking for online resources. Thanks a lot.
Melissa – Calgary
I know where you’re coming from Melissa. I found a great web site for crock-pot recipes located at http://www.cookingcache.com. This web site has hundreds of recipes for every type of food you could imagine. I am providing a few crock-pots recipes. However, I suggest that if you can find a little bit of time, you should check out the web site.
Chicken in a Crock-pot Recipe
2 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1/2 cup of hot water
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 c. catsup
Sliced onion
Salt
Use enough chicken to feed your family. Boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs will work the best.
Place the chicken in the crock-pot. Sprinkle with salt and top with as many onion slices as desired. Combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour the ingredients over the onions. Cook on low for six to eight hours. This is great when served as sandwiches on potato rolls.
Crock-pot Almost Lasagna Recipe
1 box rotini (or ziti or any fun and flavourful pasta will work as well)
2 – 28-oz jars of pasta sauce (one with tomato chunks works well)
1 egg
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb sausage
2 tbsp olive oil
1 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. Italian breadcrumbs
1 bag mozzarella cheese
16 – 20 oz. Ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 c. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
dash salt and pepper
Grease the crock-pot, or spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Cook the rotini according to package directions and drain. Brown and drain the meat. Toss the pasta with olive oil. Add pasta sauce to the mixture and toss well. Stir together Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, 1/2 bag mozzarella cheese, and the browned meat. You can sprinkle this lightly with garlic powder. Beat together the Ricotta cheese, two eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour half of the pasta/sauce/meat mixture into the crock-pot. Spread the entire Ricotta mixture over the first layer of pasta. Cover the Ricotta layer with the remaining pasta mixture. Cover it with the remaining cheese. Cover and cook on low for four to six hours.
All Day Crock-pot Delight Recipe
2-3 lbs. boneless chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 c. beer
1/4 c. flour
Coat the beef cubes with the 1/2 cup flour. Brown the meat in melted butter. Drain off the excess fat. In the crock-pot, combine the browned meat with onion, salt, pepper, garlic and beer. Cover and cook on low five to seven hours (all day) until the meat is tender. Turn the control to high. Dissolve the remaining 1/4 cup flour in a small amount of water. Stir into the meat mixture. Cook on high 30-40 minutes. Serve with rice and salad.
An excellent book is available on this subject. The book is written by Judy Finlayson and is titled The Healthy Slow Cooker: More than 100 Dishes for Health and Wellness. It was published in 2005 by Robert Rose. As well, Judy Finlayson has several other recipe books worth checking out at your local bookstore or library.
I hope you and your family enjoy these recipes and references to other resources.
E-mail your questions to advice.voice@ausu.org. Some submissions may be edited for length or to protect confidentiality: your real name and location will never be printed. This column is for entertainment only. The author is not a professional counsellor and this column is not intended to take the place of professional advice.