CROCK POT STEAK CHILI AND THIS AND THAT!

I'm riding a blessed Prednisone high these days, but the bittersweet truth is that I know my bliss is coming to an end, and soon. I go on 12 day rounds of Prednisone for my Lupus flare ups, and then slowllllly taper off, back to my "new normal", which is pretty crappy if you ask me. Anyways, despite the wretched side effects (they don't call this drug the "scare-oid" for nuttin'), Prednisone gives one lots and lots of energy, so I've been like a whirling Tazmanian Devil around the house the past couple of days. This energy is so precious to me, and I know it's going away soon, so I don't want to waste ONE. SINGLE. COTTON. PICKIN'. MINUTE of it! St. Patrick's Day Parade costume: DONE. House cleaning: DONE. Columns and Blog up to date: DONE. Dog washed and brushed and walked: DONE. Dinner in the crock pot: DONE. And speaking of crock pots........

I have a bone to pick with one of my oldest friends, a guy named Marty. He's single and happily so. Movie-star handsome. A super busy Titan of his industry, traveling non-stop for his high-tech career. Marty was in our wedding, and he's been a BFF for over 30 years now. But Marty just can't help but totally freak out whenever I even whisper the word "crock pot". He thinks they're old school and tacky--like they should have been left in the 70's, along with The Brady Bunch, for good. Poor poor misinformed boy--he surely does not know what he's been missing--do I hear a "hollah", ladies? I'm thinking that Marty needs to stop by La Casita De Willard next time he's in upstate New York, where I can proceed to rock his world with some fabulous meat-free stews (he's vegetarian) and maybe some chili. Like the chili I'm sharing with you all today--Steak Chili. Oh, wait--I said "steak"--that won't work for Marty, but if you eat meat, you're going to LOVE this recipe--super super simple (seriously, a chimpanzee could totally put this together), and the meat cooks beautifully.

I usually serve chili with some form of cornbread, and if I'm busy, like yesterday, I just use the shortcut: Jiffy Cornbread mix:

But I always jazz it up a little, adding maybe a half cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Last night, I made "Johnny Cake", and garnished the top with freshly chopped parsley. To serve it, I just cut it into squares, and top with a little butter or honey, if I'm in da mood:

For the Steak Chili, I use relatively inexpensive boneless round steak--about 2 pounds. In my book, this is where the slow cooker is worth it's weight in gold; you can use cheaper cuts of meat, but because you're cooking it over such a long period at low temperatures, the meat just cooks fabulously:

After cutting up the steak into about 3/4 inch cubes, add it, and everything else, to your crock pot:

 Turn the temperature to "low" and cook for about 8-10 hours. This chili doesn't even need condiments, but I "dolloped" mine with some plain yogurt (of course, Miss Lollie, you can use sour cream, too!). And suppah is served!:

Here's the recipe:

CROCK POT STEAK CHILI

Serves 4-6

2 lbs. boneless round steak, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 package dry french onion soup mix (like Lipton's)

2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained well

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 small can chopped green chilis

1-2 tblsp. chili powder (depending on how spicy you like it)

1 tsp. cumin

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on "low" for 8-10 hours.

TOP 3 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR TODAY:

1. I'm grateful that Big Daddy and I are heading all the way to Utica tonite, JUST for Japanese food! Sushi makes my world go 'round.

2. I'm grateful for my 3 mile walk tthis morning with Wee Willie--pain free!

3. I'm grateful that the Express newspaper ladies and I are heading to the "world famous" Buffalo Head restaurant for lunch tomorrow--funky and fabulous, just like them!

YUMMY-LICIOUS CROCK POT TORTILLA SOUP!

Here's another glare-ey slightly blurry old photo; this one is my dad, in his baby carriage, in 1932. His smile here just cracks me up, because he still smiles (and GIGGLES, really!) just like this:

And really, this old picture has NOTHING to do with Tortilla Soup, but it's my blog and I can do what I want to!

Do you remember a few posts ago, when I cooked the crock pot Pork Carnitas Tacos? Well, we alwayyyyzzzzz have lots of leftover pork from that (seeing that it's only the two of us at home anymore), so I freeze it to use in this soup recipe. You could also use the leftover shredded pork in burritos, but that's a whole 'nuther post. I love this recipe because it's so stinkin' easy--just get out your crock pot, dump everything in and off you go! If you are using uncooked meat, like chicken, you'll put it in at the beginning of cooking, but if you're using pre-cooked meat, you can just add it a few hours before the end of cooking time.

Here's what the soup looks like, cooked:

Now, because this is TORTILLA Soup, you're probably going to want some tortillas! I like to cut my corn tortillas into strips, cook them in olive oil, salt and pepper until golden brown. You can also cook them in the oven, like my friend Lisa does, for a lower fat version. I always make lots extra, just to nibble on:

Ladle your soup into bowls, and top with grated Monterey Jack cheese, fresh parsley and these tortilla strips, and you've got dinner! Enjoy:

CROCK POT TORTILLA SOUP

Serves 4-6
                                                                                      
2 chicken breast halves, skinned and cubed (or you can use pre-cooked chicken or pork in this)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tblsp. chili powder
1 small can chopped green chilis
2 tblsp. vegetable oil
4-6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips
salt  to taste
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Fresh chopped parsley or Cilantro

Combine first 9 ingredients in slow cooker (or, if using pre-cooked meats, do not add meat until 2 hours before end of cooking time). Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Heat oil in large skillet and add tortilla strips. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until crisp and browned, adding salt about half-way through cooking time. Drain on paper towels. Ladle soup into bowls; top with shredded Jack cheese, fresh cilantro or parsley and tortilla chips.

TOP 3 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR TODAY:

1. I'm grateful for my nice, warm home; it was negative 11 out this morning!
2. I'm grateful for the sun shining in my windows, telling me it's time to dust!
3. I'm gratful that I have leftover split pea soup in the freezer for tonite's dinner; I really don't feel like cooking!

PORK CARNITAS AND A LIL' SUMPIN' SUMPIN'!!!

Okay, I think I had the best Valentine's Day, EVER, this year! I made a wonderful pot of Wild Rice and Kielbasa soup for dinner, a fantastic and from scratch Lemon Cake with Glaze for dessert, and sent Big Daddy a pretty plant for his office, where all living things go to die.  In turn, Big Daddy came home from his day bearing gifts, and since there's nobody else living in this house except me and the dog and cats and the spiders, I suspected they were all for ME ME ME, and boy was I right! Big Daddy did a little shopping, it seems, while he was away on business last weekend--he gave me a bottle of my favorite perfume (Donna Karan's "Delicious"--the bottle is shaped like a darling little apple!), and the biggest surprise of my life. A camera. A "real" camera--a Nikon L110:

I'm over the moon, because he knows how much this little blog means to me, and how frustrated I was with my piece of #*@T digital camera. So now, after I've kissed his face about a gazillion times,  I really have my work cut out for me--hopefully by next week I'll be up and running with more professional looking photos. It's gonna take me that long, because the user's manual is about 45,823 pages long, and kinda technical looking. But I"m a smart girl, and a motivated girl, so you should be expecting something great!

SPEAKING of something great--I made one of my favorite and easy crock pot recipes last week, my Pork Carnitas Tacos. You simply cannot find an easier recipe, and all you have to do before you eat them is shred the meat with a fork, and maybe throw together a side dish (I served mine with refried beans) and some "fixins". Big Daddy LOVES this recipe, Card-Carrying-Mexican-Food-Loving-California-Boy that he is:

See that--he's shoving his face full, then licking his fingers! If you want to lick your fingers, too, then make these Carnitas for supper. Here are the ingredients you'll need:

Just throw all the ingredients in your crock pot (well, gently place them in, actually, and NOT the tortillas!), first thing in the morning--it'll look something like this, before cooking:

Cook on "low" for 10 hours, then shred the pork with two forks:

The flavor of this pork is INSANE, and so very tender! I serve mine with shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes and cheese, and let everyone put their own tacos together at the table:

Like I mentioned, I served mine that night with refried beans, but some Spanish rice would be good, too. And before I forget, this recipe makes a lot of cooked pork, so I usually freeze what we don't use and use it later in Tortilla Soup. I'll be sure to share that recipe with you, soon. Here's the Pork Carnitas Taco recipe:

PORK CARNITAS TACOS

Serves 6-8

2 lb. pork tenderloin (or, you can use a less expensive 2 lb. boneless pork roast)

1 10oz. can Rotel tomatoes, drained

1 4.5 oz. can chopped green chilis

1 16oz. jar green salsa

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tblsp. chili powder

flour tortillas

Serve with: shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado or guacamole, tomatoes, shredded lettuce and sour cream, if desired

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on "low" for 10 hours, or until pork shreds easily with two forks. Serve using a slotted spoon in flour tortillas. Serve with desired "fixins".

TOP 3 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR TODAY:

1. I'm grateful that my wonderful husband of 23 years encourages my creativity.

2. I'm grateful that our daughter received her Valentine's Day care package ON Valentine's Day (instead of after!), and that NONE of the delicate cookies broke.

3. I'm grateful that our "handyman" Marc, who will be spending the next week or so in our house for some necessary construction, is so easy to be around, and so neat! He even asks to mop up his snowy footprints!

SUPER NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS CROCK POT TURKEY CHILI TO WARM UP YOUR WICKED COLD DAYS!

Before I begin, I must tell you about a new addition to my blog. It's CATEGORIES, so now, if you are looking for say, a chicken recipe, you can search for it easily on the right hand margin of the blog--just scroll down. Of course this blog is still a relative "youngster", but as time goes by, more and more recipes will be added. I am here to please!

There's a wicked, wicked cold wind blowing around here today, and our "high" is pretty low--somewhere in the teens. So girls, get out those crock pots! I keep mine in my new 7 foot tall "appliance pantry". I seriously, seriously do not know how I survived without this! In it I keep all of my appliances that I don't want cluttering up my kitchen counters, plus dog food bins, baking/cake pans and all of my cookbooks. So nice to FINALLY have a place for everything! Someday soon I'll have to show you my nifty new BAKING SHEET pantry, but I digress; here's the bottom of the pantry, where I store my crock pot:

So, in our household, we've pretty much eliminated eating ground beef, choosing to cook with lowfat ground turkey, instead. To be truthful, I believe nothing, and I mean NOTHING, replaces a good old fashioned REAL cheeseburger, medium rare, but most of the time we try to be good. You will just love this chili recipe--super easy and super good for you, with very little fat. If you're a multi-tasker, like me, while you're browning your ground turkey, you can be opening and straining cans of kidney beans (always use the dark red beans--many more vitamins!) and corn (the corn is optional here, but I like it). You will want to rinse them well, as they are loaded with sodium:

Next dice up some green bell pepper, some onion (I like to use red in this recipe) and, of course, GARLIC! I use 3 cloves--you can use more or less, depending on how much you like it!:

Add all of the above to your slow cooker, then add your spices, like chili powder and salt and pepper. I felt like a little extra heat today, so I added my "Slap Ya Mama" Cajun spice that I found in New Orleans:

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. I like to garnish mine with tortilla chips, cheddar cheese and sour cream--mmmmmm!!!:

Perfect for a blustery winter's eve (or lunch!) Enjoy

LESLIE'S CROCK POT TURKEY CHILI

Serves 8-10

1.3 lb. package 97% low fat ground turkey

2 16oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 14oz. can corn, rinsed and drained (optional)

2 14oz. cans diced tomatoes, UNDRAINED

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

1 large red onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tblsp. chili powder

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Garnishes:

sour cream, cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, tortilla chips, optional

Brown ground turkey in a skillet. Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Garnish individual servings, if desired.

TOP 3 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR TODAY:

1. I'm grateful that I think I've finally found a mineral makeup that matches my ruddy winter skin tone and covers up my flaws, of which there are endless!

2. I'm grateful that Big Daddy is home from Buffalo, safe and sound. He's off to Hartford, Connecticut this weekend for more business-- my busy man!

3. I'm grateful that this head cold that has lingered FAR TOO LONG is finally, finally lightening up. I can smell things again!

BLACK BEAN SOUP AND MY B.F.F.!

Who is my best friend in the kitchen today? Could it be...

my coffee maker? No m'am.

How about......

My mixer? Nuh Uh.

Or......

My grimy I Phone? Not today!

Oh COME ON, it's gotta be one of these then....

  (Just so you know, this is me taking an embroidered heart that I had JUST FINISHED away from my sometimes best friend, Wee Willie Willard. Doesn't he look pissed??? Bad dog!)

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong--especially the last one--she's my MEAN boss! Hah! My bestest bestest friend this week is none other than:





(Actually, this one's not mine--I stole it from Google)

THAT'S RIGHT, A CROCK POT! I've just had one of those weeks--running around like a Tazmanian Devil with my head cut off. I just love whipping this bad boy out early in the morning, throwing a few ingredients into it and not thinking about dinner again until it's time to eat. Big Daddy and I were also feeling the need to, shall we say, purify ourselves after a rather gluttonous, wine-soaked weekend. The kind of weekend where you end up leg-wrestling your town's doctor on your neighbor's living room floor. I kid you not. Annnnnyyyywaaaayyys.....when I really feel like being "good", I love to whip up a big batch of my Crock Pot Black Bean Soup--so delicious, warming AND nutritious, you gotta love it. This week, I had some leftover Andouille sausage in the freezer (from some gumbo I made a few weeks back; I SO wanna be southern!), so I added that to the soup. You can add whatever you like to this, like chicken, sausage or beef. Or, you can keep it vegetarian. The first thing you'll need to do, if you'd like to try this fabulous soup, is to raid your pantry for canned staples, like beans, corn and tomatoes:

Then you'll want to drain your beans and corn (always, always rinse these super well--they are loaded with sodium!), but NOT the tomatoes--you'll need their juice for the soup:

Then slice up your green onions (kitchen scissors work so well) and your sausage, if you're using it:

And don't forget the spices--chili powder, cumin and of course freshly minced garlic:

Then, you just throw everything together in your crock pot and give it a good stir. Look at these COLORS--how can something so colorful NOT be good for you? And this isn't even cooked yet!:

Set your crock pot on "low" and cook for 8 hours or so. This is the end result (in my friend Nancy Venetz's handmade bowls--she made these just for me!), with a dollop of sour cream:

Sooo very good on a cold winter evening! Here's the recipe--don't forget, recipes are just guidelines--you can tailor them to please you and your family, any way you like:

LESLIE'S CROCK POT BLACK BEAN SOUP

Serves 6-8

2 15oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 141/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 11oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

1 bunch green onions, sliced

2-3 tblsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

diced cooked meat of your choice, optional

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on "low" for 8 hours, or on "high" for 5 hours.

TOP 3 THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR TODAY:

1.I am grateful that my house is clean, at least for the moment!

2. I am grateful that our daughter, once again, pulled straight A's at school. I don't know where she gets it. And I need to mention that the school she attends, UC Berkeley, is SO rigorous that straight A's don't even get you onto the Dean's list--for that I thing you need a 4.25! Terrifying.

3. I am grateful that Big Daddy and I are getting away for a few days--photos to come next week!