Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala

Ed and I love spicy food and have developed a taste for Indian & Thai dishes.  When I saw this simple recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala from The Family Freezer, I knew I had to try it!

Ingredients: 

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 - 15 oz cans tomato sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz heavy cream (1 cup or 1/2 pint)


Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker & stir to mix.
2. Cook on "low" setting for 4 hours in a 6-qt slow cooker or 8 hours in a 4-qt slow cooker.


What we did differently (it's what we do):

1. I used Lawry's Seasoned Salt instead of regular salt to add some extra flavor.

2. Since I was adding a bit of salt, I used one can of regular tomato sauce and one can of No Salt Added tomato sauce (Harris Teeter brand).

3. As always, I added extra minced garlic because we 💓 garlic!

4. The only curry powder we had in the spice cabinet was Hot Curry Powder and it gave a nice heat to the sauce.

Our thoughts:

We loved the heat of this dish!  Serving with garlic naan was a great idea because there was plenty of sauce in need of sopping up!  I think we will serve the leftovers over basmati rice to change things up.  Next time (and there will definitely be a next time!) we will probably use a little over 2 lbs of chicken to have a more even balance between chicken and sauce.

Cuban Pot Roast

I found this recipe on Pinterest for Cuban Pot Roast in the slow cooker & decided to give it a whirl.  I liked the homage to Ropa Vieja and the variety of spices that were used.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 - 3 lb boneless chuck roast
• ½ cup salsa verde
• ½ cup canned chopped green chilis
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ cup red and yellow peppers cut into strips
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1.  Generously season the roast with salt & pepper.

2.  Sear in a hot pan until browned on all sides.

3.  Place the meat in the bottom of a 5 qt. slow cooker.

4.  Add the salsa verde, chiles, and tomatoes to the pan you seared the meat in.

5.  Deglaze & bring to a boil.

6.  Pour over the meat in the slow cooker. 

7. Add the onion flakes, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin, coriander, oregano, chili powder, black pepper, and apple cider vinegar and stir.  

8.  Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low (or until the meat is tender). 

9.  Shred the meat & serve with your choice of toppings and/or side.

What we did differently (it's what we do):

1.  We used the HT Traders Jalapeno Verde Salsa from Harris Teeter to add some additional heat to the dish.  0 net carbs, no sugar, tons of flavor!

2.  I used half of a red bell pepper & half of a yellow bell pepper because 1/2 cup seemed too little.  In my opinion you can never have too much pepper in a meat dish like this!

3.  Because I didn't get started as early as I'd hoped, I cooked on high for the recommended 4 hours.  The meat didn't shred easily at that point, so I continued cooking for another half hour & then the meat shredded nicely.

4.  I served with steamed broccoli which added a healthy vegetable with a bit of crunch element.

Our thoughts:

We thought the meat was quite flavorful with a good spice kick. The fat rendering produced a tasty au jus and an ample amount to save with the leftovers to keep the meat moist.  Leftover options include sliders on King's Hawaiian Rolls or in quesadillas with a Mexican cheese blend.

Salsa Verde Beef

Slow cooker dishes with meat that is shredded at the end of cooking are so versatile. This beef dish is very juicy, tender, and tangy - and can be served in many different ways:  over veggie or pasta noodles, with potatoes or rice, in tacos/burritos/quesadillas...see what I mean?!

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast

1/4 cup no-sugar-added green salsa

2 cloves garlic, pushed through a press or minced

2 green onions, trimmed & chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Trim fat from beef.

2. Place beef, salsa, garlic, onions, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, & salt in a slow cooker.

3. Cover & cook on low for 8 hours, or until beef is very tender.

4. Remove beef & shred, using 2 forks.

5. Mix beef with 1/2 cup of cooking juices before serving.

What we did differently (it's what we do!):

1. We used the HT Traders Jalapeno Verde Salsa from Harris Teeter. This tasty salsa has 0 net carbs, no fat, no sugar, but tons of flavor!  1/4 cup didn't seem like much, so I upped it to 1/2 cup.

2. We aren't big onion fans, so we left out the green onions.

3. We chose to add an orange bell pepper (chopped) for color and extra flavor and also an additional jalapeno. Can you tell we like spice?!

4. We also didn't add the salt - why add more sodium when there are already other seasonings & veggies to add flavor?

5. While the recipe says to shred the beef and then mix with a portion of the juices, we found the meat to be extremely tender & easy to shred right in the slow cooker. We then mixed it with the full juices and let the meat soak up the yummy goodness!

6. We chose to serve the shredded beef over zucchini noodles, lightly sauteed in olive oil & parmesan cheese.

Our thoughts:

Loved this dish!  So much flavor & a nice kick with the additional peppers! We found the zucchini noodles added a light crunch element & blended well with the flavor of the meat. The leftovers will give us a chance to pull out our quesadilla maker - shredded beef, shredded Mexican blend cheese, and low-carb tortillas will make a fine dinner!

Kickin' Chili

We love us some chili and there are so many different types/styles out there!  Ed stumbled upon this healthy version at peaceloveandlowcarb.com and we tried it a couple nights ago. She has many tasty recipes out there - I recommend browsing her site for more good & good-for-you dishes!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

1 medium red onion - chopped - divided

4 Tbsp minced garlic

3 large ribs celery - diced

1/4 cup jalapeno slices

1 - 6 oz can tomato paste

1 - 14.5 oz can tomatoes w/green chiles

1 - 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes with Mexican seasoning

2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce

4 Tbsp chili powder

2 1/2 Tbsp cumin - mounded

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

Directions:

In large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef, half of the onions, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, and salt & pepper. Once beef is browned, drain excess fat from pan.

Transfer ground beef mixture to slow cooker.  Add remaining onions, garlic, celery, jalapenos, tomato paste, tomatoes w/chiles (with liquid), stewed tomatoes (with liquid), Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, black pepper, and bay leaf. 

Stir until all ingredients are well combined.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Our thoughts:

We set the timer for 6 1/2 hours and the chili was just the right consistency & thickness. Nice darker brown color & really looks like my mental picture of chili!  Since all slow cookers seem to have their own unique heat level & speed (much like our ovens), just be sure you let it cook long enough so that it is not soupy.  Lots of flavor in this dish. Ed says you could add a touch of hot sauce to it if you like your chili on the hotter side, but I think the variety of spices cooked in give it a pleasant robust heat on their own.  You'd never guess it was low carb & gluten-free!  This chili also reheats well for lunches & such.

Slow Cooker Mushrooms

I love ordering a side of button mushrooms when out for dinner, and this recipe tastes just as good as those I've had at a restaurant!  I'm also excited about finally getting to use our 1 quart crock pot to make this dish!

Ingredients:

1 pound white button mushrooms - don´t buy them in the little blue boxes though. Hand pick them from the bin and choose medium to larger size because you will be cutting these into quarters. You need a decent size.

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley - It comes in a small bunch and you may find it under Italian parsley in the produce section.

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Cut off the ends of each mushroom leaving a little bit of the stem. Do not pop out like you would with stuffed mushrooms.

2. Wipe each mushroom clean with a damp cloth. Mushroom soak up liquid so you don't want to float them in water to clean.

3. Cut each mushroom into quarters.

4. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl & mix to coat all of the mushroom quarters.

5. Pour into crock pot.

6. Cook on HIGH 2 to 3 hours.

7. This dish works well as a side dish or as an appetizer with toothpicks.  The recipe is very easy to double or triple, depending on the size of your crowd - just use a larger crock pot to cook!

Our thoughts:

So easy to cook and very tasty as a side dish!  I can definitely see serving this dish on a regular basis, either as a side with meats, or as an additional salad topping.

Barbacoa Beef

Ed was in the mood for some barbacoa beef with kick to put in a wrap and found this recipe after consulting the Googles.

Ingredients:

(1) 2.5 - 3 lb boneless chuck roast

Adobo Sauce

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small can chipotle chiles in adobo [you'll use 1 chili & 1 Tbsp of the adobo sauce from the can]

1/2 tsp cumin

3 Tbsp tomato paste

4 large garlic cloves

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cloves

Directions:

1. In a blender, blend all of the ingredients for the adobo sauce.

2. Place the roast in the slow cooker and pour adobo sauce over meat.

3. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or until the roast is pull-apart tender.

4. Shred meat & place in a bowl, then dump the crock pot sauce on top.

5. Add an additional pinch of salt.

Our thoughts:

The meat turned out very tender & had lots of kick to it.  We served in a low-carb wrap with shredded cheese with a side of slow-cooked mushrooms (this dish has a blog post too!) and found it to be a tasty, filling meal.  I could definitely see serving the leftover meat as topping on a salad for another nice healthy dinner. Another option for leftovers would be in another wrap, adding some of the leftover slow-cooked mushrooms and some additional fresh veggies.

Potato Curry Chili

We were looking for a chili that was a little different and came across this recipe on Pinterest from a vegan blog called Vegan Yack Attack.   We figured beans, veggies, and lots of spices would be quite tasty, and they were!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed and Diced
• 1½ C. Bell Pepper, Diced (I used half Red & half Yellow)
• 1¼ C. White Onion, Diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• Optional: 1 T. Fresh Jalapeño, Diced
• 4 tsp. Yellow Curry Powder
• 1 T. Chili Powder
• ½ tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1- 14.5 oz. Can Fire Roasted & Diced Tomatoes (with Green Chiles)
• 1- 15 oz. Can Pinto Beans, with liquid
• 1- 15 oz. Can Black Bean, with liquid
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 1-2 T. Fresh Lime Juice

Directions:

1. Turn the temperature setting to High on a 4-6 Qt. Slow cooker.
2. Place the potatoes, bell peppers, onion, garlic and jalapeño (if using) into the pot, along with the curry powder, chili powder and smoked paprika. Stir all of them together until the spices coat everything evenly.
3. Next, add the tomatoes, beans and bay leaves to the pot and stir together, adding salt and pepper to taste.
4. You can either leave the temperature on HIGH and cook for 3-4 hours or LOW and cook for 6 hours (or until the potatoes are tender); it just depends on the slow cooker, really.
5. Just before you are getting ready to serve it, stir the lime juice into the chili and remove the bay leaves.
6. Serve hot and garnish with a lime wedge or bay leaf.

What we did differently:

1. In our house, jalapeño is never optional, so I diced a whole small one. It was probably a little over a tablespoon, but did not overpower the dish.
2. I did not have plain yellow curry powder, so I used hot curry powder (which was kind of yellow). Not knowing how much hotter it was, I used 3 tsp instead of 4. Ed told me I could have gone with the full 4 tsp.
3. I forgot to stir in the lime juice before I ladled the chili into bowls, but did add it to the pot afterwards. It definitely added some zest to the flavor profile of the second bowl (yes, it was that tasty that we had seconds!) 
4. We served with some lightly toasted naan to sop up any stray sauce.

Our thoughts:

Very hearty dish! Easy, very flavorful, and perfect for a cool fall evening. Shows that a chili doesn't have to have meat in it to be yummy!