Slow Cooker Turkey and Stuffing

I am still without oven and it has now been long enough that I am getting tired of traditional slow cooker food.  I was thumbing through a slow cooker cookbook I have and decided to try something different.  There was a recipe for basic turkey and stuffing, but it seemed like the turkey would be dry and/or flavorless.  I decided to take the basic idea and mix it up a bit.  What I came up with was pretty flavorful and moist, so I think it was a winner.

Serves 4

2 strips bacon
1/4 cup diced onion
4 cups sage and onion stuffing mix
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 egg
1 1/2-2 lb boneless skinless turkey breast
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Cut one strip of bacon into bite-sized pieces.  In skillet or microwave, cook bacon until it just starts to brown.  Add onion and continue cooking until onion is soft and bacon is cooked through, about 1-2 minutes.  Add stuffing mix and stir well.  Stir in a bit of chicken broth and the egg.  Continue adding broth to the stuffing mix until it is desired consistency, but try to keep it as dry as possible.  Stuffing should just hang together when stirred.  Pour stuffing into greased slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle turkey breast with salt and pepper. Take the remaining strip of bacon and stretch it slightly between your hands.  Wrap bacon strip around turkey breast, placing ends under the turkey so that the weight holds it down.  Nestle turkey breast in stuffing.
3. Cover slow cooker.  Cook turkey and stuffing on low for 6-7 hours. 
4. To serve, remove turkey from slow cooker to platter or plate.  Turn off slow cooker and allow stuffing to sit for five minutes.  Stir well and spoon stuffing into serving bowl.  Slice turkey and serve.

White Chili

I don't really remember when I first had white chili, but I seem to recall having a fantastic bowl of it in a restaurant at some point when I was a teenager and thinking that I needed to learn how to make it.  No recipe that I tried could replicate the depth of spice and flavor that I wanted, so I ended up embellishing a number of recipes and concluding with this one recipe.  I can never decide if the taste or the smell is more fantastic, since the smell seems to seep into every room of the house and even outside.  The taste, however, is really something extraordinary.

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion, minced
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small can chopped green chilies, drained
1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
Shredded Jack cheese and tortilla chips, for serving

1. In dutch oven or stock pot, saute garlic in olive oil until fragrant.  Add onion and saute until translucent.  Add chicken and saute until chicken is evenly browned, about 5 minutes.  Stir in chilies and beans, then broth. Measure spices into mixture and stir well.  Bring mixture to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is tender.
2. In small bowl or measuring cup, whisk flour and milk together.  Stir milk mixture into simmering soup and stir well.  Return mixture to a simmer to thicken.
3. Remove chili from heat and stir in sour cream.  Serve with desired stir-ins.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

I had baking and other things to do yesterday, so I decided that something in the slow cooker was in order.  In looking at slow cooker recipes online, I happened upon one that was for a turkey breast.  I thought it would be far enough away from Thanksgiving to have turkey.  I decided to make it more-or-less how I would make a turkey for Thanksgiving, herbs and all, and was impressed by the results.  The turkey was moist and had a good flavor, just without the oven being tied up for hours.

Serves 4

1/2 onion, cut into pieces
2 sprigs fresh thyme
9-10 fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
3 cups water
2-3 lbs turkey breast with bone and skin
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Scatter onion pieces over bottom of slow cooker.  Add thyme, sage, garlic salt, and water.  Place turkey on top of this and season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook turkey on low for 7-8 hours.  Remove from slow cooker carefully, as turkey will likely fall apart.  Cut into pieces to serve. 
3. If desired, reserve broth for another use.  Use a slotted spoon to remove onion pieces and herbs, then pour broth into a container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Pasta Bolognese

I didn't really set out to make bolognese sauce, but I sort of realized partway through the day that I had all the ingredients for it if I did some tweaking.  This sauce was really good but make no mistake, this is not marinara.  I don't really have a lot of experience with bolognese, so I was surprised at how much flavor this had but also how filling it was.  Luckily the leftovers reheated really well.

Serves 6

4 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 cup sliced baby portabella mushrooms
1 lb ground pork
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
Salt and garlic salt to taste
1 lb pasta, for serving
Parmesan cheese, for serving

1. In large skillet with lid, saute bacon pieces until browned and crispy.  Remove bacon pieces and set aside, but reserve drippings in pan.
2.  Saute garlic and onions in bacon drippings until soft and opaque.  Add mushrooms and saute until soft.  Add pork and brown until pork is no longer pink.  Stir in oregano and basil.  Add beef broth and red wine, simmering until liquids in the pan are reduced by about half.  Add tomatoes and tomato paste.  Stir browned bacon pieces into sauce, season to taste, and cover sauce.  Simmer sauce on low for about 30 minutes to combine flavors.  Serve sauce over pasta, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Slow Cooker Minestrone

Because my birthday cake was delicious, but also sort of rich, this was the soup that accompanied it.  It was hearty but also not terribly heavy, which was good because it has been unseasonably warm here and heavy food hasn't really been and option of late.  Putting this in the slow cooker also meant no added heat to the house, which is a definite bonus.  In the interest of full disclosure and giving credit where credit is due, I should also point out that I didn't make this soup.  It was made for me for my birthday.

Serves 6

2 links hot turkey sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
12 oz can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
14 oz can diced tomatoes, Italian seasoned style
2 bay leaves
9 cups chicken broth
2 cups small pasta
Parmesan cheese

1. In small skillet, brown hot turkey sausage with onion and garlic.  Season with salt, thyme, and basil.  Stir in flour and continue to cook over medium heat until liquids are reduced.  Pour mixture into pot of a slow cooker.
2. Add chicken, carrots, beans, and diced tomatoes to sausage mixture.  Stir well.  Add bay leaves and chicken broth and stir well.  Cook soup on high heat for 4-6 hours or low heat for 8 hours.
3. About 30-45 minutes before you are ready to eat, add pasta.  Serve once pasta is cooked through.  Remove bay leaves for serving. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for serving.

Chicken Marsala

This is one of those dishes that I love, but I never order at restaurants.  I like the way that I make it and apparently not many other ways.  It's not a terribly difficult meal, but it tastes pretty fantastic.

Serves 4

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup minced onion
1 1/2 cup sliced baby portabella mushrooms
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup marsala wine
3 cups farafalle pasta

1. Put water on for pasta.  Leave to heat while you complete the rest of the steps.
2. Heat oil and butter in a skillet with a lid.  When butter melts, add garlic and onions.  Saute until they just begin to turn golden, then add mushrooms.  Continue sauteing until the mushrooms put off liquid and garlic and onions are soft.  Remove from skillet and set aside.
3. On small plate, mix marjoram and flour.  Dunk chicken breasts in flour mixture until evenly coated.  Saute coated chicken breasts in skillet until golden brown,flipping as needed.  Top chicken with garlic mushroom mixture.  Reduce heat to low.  In measuring cup, combine broth and wine.  Pour broth wine mixture over chicken and cover skillet with lid.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
4.  While the chicken is cooking, cook the pasta until it is slightly undercooked.  After chicken is done, remove from skillet but leave liquid.  Toss pasta with liquid in skillet and bring pasta to a simmer in sauce.  Remove skillet from heat.  Serve pasta with chicken breasts.

Week 16 Box

Apparently next week we will be box-less, so they really overloaded this week's box. Many of the things listed were in bulk.

• Potatoes
• Swiss chard
• Kale
• Garlic
• Onions
• Edamame
• Green beans
• Rosemary

Baked Penne

I still had marinara sauce from the last time I made some, so I thought I would make something different with it.  I have made something like this before, but I wanted to try it with a few new things added in.  It still tastes delicious, even more so with the changes.  Notice that the tags include ingredients from the marinara.

Serves 4-6

3 cups uncooked penne
3 cups meatless marinara, homemade or jarred
5 oz Italian sausage
1 cup chopped swiss chard
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup shredded Italian cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, undercooking slightly.  Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, brown sausage in a small skillet.  Add swiss chard and cook until chard is wilted.  Set aside.
3. Also while pasta is cooking, mix ricotta and egg together in small bowl.  Add Parmesan cheese and garlic salt and stir well.  Set aside.
4. Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish and set aside.
5. In pasta saucepan, mix cooked pasta with sausage mixture and marinara.  Pour half of the pasta mixture into the greased baking dish and smooth.  Dollop ricotta mixture over pasta and smooth into an even layer over pasta.  Top with remaining pasta and smooth this pasta layer to hide the cheese.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over pasta.
6. Bake penne in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly.  Serve hot.

Beef Stew

I love the convenience of the slow cooker.  Even though it is still in the 80s here, I decided it was close enough to fall to justify beef stew.

Serves 4

2 lbs round steak, cubed
6 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
4 red potatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 cup baby carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces

1. In slow cooker, mix together beef and broth.  Stir in Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, red wine, thyme, and bay leaf.  Season to taste.  Cook beef and liquids on low heat for 8 hours.
2. Stir potatoes and carrots into slow cooker.  Remove bay leaf.  Raise heat to high and cook for 45-60 minutes or until potatoes are done.  Serve hot.

Shrimp and Grits

A restaurant here in town served shrimp and grits for a short time.  I never had them there, but I found the idea intriguing.  The sauce seemed to be tomato-based, which I like in general, but most of the recipes I found were cheese-based and that did not sound good.  I had bits of CSA stuff and I ended up throwing a lot of things together.  It was actually remarkably good and not as heavy as Southern Sunday normally is.

Serves 2-3

1 lb shrimp (60-80 size)
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 small onion, minced
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
Splash Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Salt and garlic salt to taste
Cheese Grits

1. Shell and de-vein shrimp.  Set aside.
2. Mix together tomatoes, pepper, and onion.  Stir to combine and set aside.
3. Mix cornstarch with shrimp.  Set bowl aside again.
4. In skillet, heat butter and oil.  Saute garlic until soft.  Add shrimp to skillet and saute until shrimp is cooked.  Drain any liquid from tomato mixture and pour over shrimp in skillet.  Cook until tomatoes release juices and those juices thicken.  Season with Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, salt, and garlic salt.  Serve over grits.

Week 15 Box

I neglected to pick up the box from the person I share with last week, so you might have noticed that there was no post for what was in the box.  I still had produce from the week before, though, so it was nice to use that up before getting new.  This week, though, I have the box all to myself so I'm going to have to work hard to use up all the stuff.  Fingers crossed.

• Swiss chard
• Kale
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Garlic
• Zucchini
• Green beans
• Tomatoes
• Thyme

Yellow Squash and Onions

I had these in North Carolina when I was there this spring.  It seemed like a fitting way to use the yellow squash that has been building up and to accompany a Southern entree. 

Serves 3

1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 slice onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 small yellow squash, cut into coins
Dash garlic salt
Dash salt
Dash ground black pepper

1. In skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and squash and saute until edges are brown and vegetables are soft.  Season with garlic salt, salt, and pepper.  Serve hot.

Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe was developed last year, when we decided that chicken and dumplings were pretty Southern.  I think it is one of the few recipes that I invented that has not changed since I started making it. To me, it is perfect just as it is.

Serves 3-4

1 onion, quartered
2 carrots, quartered (or about 15-20 baby carrots)
1 stalk celery, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
2 slices of lemon
3 lbs chicken thighs with bones and skin, skin removed
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Extra water as needed

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Dash ground black pepper
3 tablespoons shortening
1/4-1/2 cup cold water
Extra flour, for rolling

1. Place onion, garlic, celery, carrots, lemon, and chicken thighs in large stock pot.  They can be stacked.  Pour chicken broth and water over top.  Add thyme, garlic salt, and bay leaf.  Stir to distribute, cover, and heat to a simmer.  Simmer on low heat for at least an hour or until chicken is tender.
2. Remove vegetables, bay leaf, thyme, and chicken from pot. Discard vegetables and herbs.  Allow chicken to cool while you prepare the dumplings.
3. In bowl, combine flour and seasonings.  Cut in shortening until mixture resembles crumbs and a a handful clumps when you squeeze it.  Stir in water until it forms a dough.  On floured surface, knead dough until smooth.  Roll dough out into an oblong rectangle that is about 1/8 inch thick.  Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut dough into 1-inch wide strips.
4. Return broth to a simmer, if it isn't still. If broth looks lower than 1-2 cups, add a cup of water and bring broth to simmer.  Tear strips of dough into pieces and drop into simmering broth.  Simmer dumplings for 10 minutes, uncovered, while you shred the chicken and drop it into the broth over the dumplings.  After 10 minutes of uncovered simmering, cover the stockpot and simmer for 10 minutes more.  Serve immediately.

Week 13 Box

I didn't do a great job with using last week's box, so this week the goal is to get it gone before another box shows up. We'll see how that goes.

• Swiss chard
• Kale
• Onion
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Okra
• Green peppers
• Sage
• Thyme
• Tarragon
  

Red Beans and Rice

I made red beans and rice last year and wasn't real impressed.  The recipe I made took a really long time and didn't really taste good enough to justify the work.   We had a lot of flooding in my town this week and were on severely restricted water usage, so my main goal with this meal was to make something filling with as little water and as few dishes as possible.  It was a real bonus that it also tasted fantastic.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 ring link smoked sausage, chopped (I used turkey)
14 oz can diced tomatoes
14 oz can chili beans
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Rice, for serving

1. In medium saucepan, heat oil and butter over medium heat.  Add onion, pepper, and garlic and saute until bright.  Stir in sausage and heat until fragrant. Add tomatoes and beans.  Stir well and add seasoning.  Heat to a simmer and reduce heat to low.  Simmer steadily for 45 minutes or until thick.  Serve over rice.

Marinaded Steak Kabobs

I feel that it is a development to mention here that my city is currently flooded and our water is limited in access and under a boil alert.  Luckily I had planned a dinner that was low on dishes.  Anything using a grill or the oven with no dishes will probably be very popular in my house for like a week or so, until the boil ordinance is lifted.

Serves 4

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary (1 full sprig)
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper
Salt
2/3 cup dry red wine
1 1/2-2 lbs beef roast, cut into large cubes
1 red onion, cut into large pieces
1 green pepper, cut into large pieces
1 zucchini, sliced
8 oz baby bella mushrooms

1. In medium bowl, mix garlic and rosemary.  Add worchestershire sauce, oil, salt and black pepper.  Mix well and add wine.  Stir in meat chunks well, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
2. On skewers, thread meat chunks and vegetables in desired pattern.  Once skewers are threaded and bowl of meat is empty, brush remaining marinade over kabobs.
3. Over hot flame, cook kabobs until browned.  Vegetables should be still crunchy and the meat about medium well.  Remove from skewers to serve.

Roasted Cornish Game Hens

I have always wanted to try making Cornish game hens.  When sage and rosemary appeared in the box this week, I thought I would make something chicken and potatoes.  One of our grocery stores had twin packs of game hens on sale and I figured now was as good a time as any to try them.  I don't really know how you would eat them delicately--since I always imagined them being something you would eat at a fancy restaurant--but my husband thought they tasted awfully good.

Serves 2

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 small onion, quartered and separated into sections
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh sage, plus two leaves for garnish
1/2 lemon, cut into slices
2 Cornish game hens (2-3 lbs total)
1/2 cup water
Salt and ground black pepper

1. Grease a roaster or dutch oven.  Line the bottom of the roaster with onion, celery, garlic, rosemary, sage, and lemon slices. 
2. Brush game hens with softened butter.  Place game hens over vegetables in roaster.  Flatten sage leaf over breast of hens, if using, and brush sage with butter.  Any leftover butter can be dropped into roaster around game hens.  Sprinkle hens with salt and pepper and pour water around hens in roaster.
3. Roast game hens in 375 degree oven, uncovered, for 1 hour or until thigh meat tests done.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Discard vegetables for serving.

Week 10 Box

I've been sick the past few days, so you might notice that the entries have less of a description of what the food tastes like.  Mostly I have been tasting metallic, so I don't really feel comfortable talking about how things taste.  The vegetables in the box this week look really good, though.

• Potatoes
• Onions
• Okra
• Zucchini
• Grape tomatoes (those are from my bushes)
• Sage
• Basil

Slow Cooker Gumbo

I have made this gumbo a number of times, regardless of the season.  I started making it when fresh okra showed up in our CSA box, but continued once I realized that frozen okra works too.  This gumbo lacks the usual rue base, but it has that classic gumbo bite and flavor.  And putting it in the slow cooker makes it much less time-consuming.

Serves 4

3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups okra, chopped
1 chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
8-10 oz Andouille sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups chicken broth
14 oz can diced tomatoes
Salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
Rice, to serve

1. Combine celery, onion, green pepper, and garlic in a microwaveable bowl.  Add butter and olive oil.  Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until vegetables are softened.  Mix 3 tablespoons flour into vegetables until a paste forms.  Pour vegetables into pot of a slow cooker.  Stir okra, chicken, and sausage into vegetables.  Add bay leaves and cayenne pepper.  Pour chicken broth and tomatoes over meat and vegetables and stir well.
2. Cook gumbo on low for 8-12 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  Remove bay leaves and season to taste.  Serve over rice.

Tomato Eggplant Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella

I have always wanted to have a good pasta recipe that uses fresh mozzarella.  I got a pretty small eggplant in the CSA box this week and that seemed like the sort of thing that would go well with mozzarella.  Tomatoes also seemed necessary to make some kind of sauce, so I picked up a can of whole tomatoes at the store because that way I could take out the seeds and make a thicker sauce.  The whole thing turned out really well.

Serves 3-4

2 cups penne
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 very small onion, minced
1 small eggplant, chopped
28 oz can whole tomatoes, drained, seeded, and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
Salt to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.
2. In skillet or same saucepan that you cooked the pasta in, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and onion, cooking until soft and translucent.  Add eggplant and cook until soft and darkened in color.  Pour tomatoes, basil, and garlic salt over eggplant and cook for about 5 minutes more, until tomatoes begin to reduce.
3. Add pasta and mozzarella to sauce in pot.  Stir sauce, pasta, and cheese well until all is combined and cheese just begins to melt.  Season with salt as needed.  Remove pan from heat and serve immediately.