My Best Friend, the Crockpot: Easy Tacos and Chicken with Lentils

So, lately I cook almost every meal in the crock pot.  I know, that sounds bad.  Lazy and unhealthy.  But it's NOT.  Seriously, when did the crock pot get such a bad name?  It's the perfect tool for cooking when it's too hot, creating comfort food on a cold day, or just allowing you to make a delicious meal while taking care of a baby.  I am telling you, it is the way to go, especially when dinner could be at 5 pm, 8 pm, or anywhere in between.  And to prove it here are two recipes that are both manageable with an infant... I will let you figure out which is the easier of the two :)

Easy Tacos

• 2 lbs ground beef, thawed
• Taco seasoning packet (or your own)
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• salt and pepper
• potato masher

Put meat (partially or fully thawed) in crock pot on low for 5 hours with lime juice, water, Worcestershire, and a dash of salt and pepper.  Every 1-2 hours, lightly mash with a potato masher just to break up meat to let it cook, then re-cover it.

After 5 hours turn to warm, drain grease, add remaining ingredients, mix well, and let sit for 2-4 hours (at least 1 hour).  Add toppings of your choice and eat!

Chicken and Lentils
(crockpot version of the original my brother made, inspired by this recipe)

• 2 pounds chicken thighs (or breast)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 carrots, diced
• 1 cup dried green lentils
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups (or more) chicken broth
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from a real lemon preferred)
• rice (optional)

Spray the inside of the crock-pot with non-stick spray.  Use the onion and carrot to cover the bottom of the crock-pot, and then add lentils over the top.  Sprinkle a small pinch of salt and pepper over it all.

Pre-heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high with the olive oil. Place chicken in and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until brown, about 3-5 minutes. Flip and repeat, then remove from heat.

Place chicken in an even layer on top of onions in the crock-pot.  Then mix the tomato paste in with the broth, and pour over the top.  Add the apple cider vinegar as well and then sprinkle the remaining spices on the chicken.

Cover and cook on high setting 1 hour; reduce to low setting, and cook 7 hours.

With one hour left, sprinkle with thyme and add lemon juice.  If making rice, start it up.  If more "sauce" is wanted, just add a little more broth towards the end... otherwise, enjoy!

Fall Eats: Chai-der and Apple Fritters

First of all, no more apologies for lateness.  G is keeping us both busy, and is growing so fast.  I am finding less time, and more creative ways to cook, and as always have so many recipes to share and no time to do it.  Regardless, I will share when I can, and if you get antsy for more you can always ask :)

My favorite season is upon us, and with it comes a plethora of apples, preferrably picked from your favorite local orchard.  I am definitely not complaining, in fact, I find apples to be the best thing to have an over stock of.  You can make pie, crisp, applesauce, pancakes WITH applesauce, or just drink some warm apple cider... the list is endless.  So, in honor of fall, and the endless list of possibilities, I give you "chai-der" and apple fritters!

Chai-der

(super easy)

• 1 mug of cider
• chai tea of your choosing

Heat cider in pan or microwave.  Put in mug, let tea steep, drink... you will NOT be disappointed.  And for the more adventurous, you can steam the cider like milk would be in a latte and REALLY go crazy.  Also delicious but a little more work and clean up!

Apple Fritters

(makes 8ish)

• 1 cup grated ripe apples, juice squeezed out, firmly packed (3 small apples, skin removed)
• 1 apple, peeled and finely diced
• 1/4 cup juice from grated apples
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• maple syrup or honey (optional topping or add to batter for sweeter flavor)
• butter or coconut oil (for frying)

Place the all ingredients but coconut flour in bowl and combine well using a fork.  Then sprinkle the coconut flour on top and fold in.  Heat coconut oil in a frying pan on medium-low heat and add 1/4 cup of the batter per fritter.  Load up that pan!

Cook for 4-5 minutes then flip over, squish out the sides, and cook through. Remove and repeat.

Top with maple syrup, honey, butter, almond butter... again the list is endless!

Enjoy :)

Freezer Meals Part Three: No More Delivery Please!

So, baby H has arrived, and with him a flurry of odd hours, visitors, and lots of guesswork.  6 weeks in and we are finally figuring this baby thing out.  We think. ;)

With baby H (we shall now call him G since he does have a name) also came a change to how we eat.  Gone are the days where we could cook together when Eric arrived home, then sit down to a Netflix evening with a warm meal.  Now G dictates when we eat... Once the initial wave of baby visitors and food deliveries wore off, Eric and I found ourselves with a 4 week old baby and not much time to cook.  So, after 2 weeks of Eric frantically grilling when he got home, then eating in shifts, or ordering delivery, we missed our old habits of healthy primal meals.  So, I decided it was time to take advantage of the weekends and make enough meals to last us the following week. This Sunday marked our first attempt, and an hour and a half later we had a baby that was still napping (!) and four meals that we'd prepared together.  They are now sitting in the freezer ready to be thrown in a crock pot and reheated.  Can I say how excited I am?!

Since G will wake up any minute, here they are, some more modified than others.  They make great non-freezer meals too, so don't be shy about using them as such!

Salisbury Beef and Noodles

• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1/4 cup Brown Mustard
• 1/4 cup Ketchup
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 diced medium onion
• 1 diced red pepper
• 1 can beef broth
• 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder, mix with a little broth to make paste
• 1 pound noodles cooked and drained

Brown meat until slightly pink, then drain grease and add 2 tbsp butter to meat.  When melted, add onion and pepper, and potato (if using).  After 3-4 minutes, add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and mustard. Stir to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a gentle boil and add the cornstarch mixture. Allow them to simmer in for 10 minutes or until sauce is thick.  Either set aside to let cool and then freeze (this option you make the noodles when you reheat the dish), or serve meatballs over a platter of noodles.

Reheat instructions: Crock pot on low for 2-3 hours, until heated through

**modified from Pioneer Woman

Easy Chicken Chili

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans
• 1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
• 2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
• 1 packet taco seasoning or make your own
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 oz can chopped green chili peppers, chopped

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, diced tomato, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker and mix well. Nestle the chicken in, cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours or on HIGH for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.

If freezing, I recommend mixing ingredients raw and then thawing and putting in crock pot when ready to use. But if it's something you plan to eat that day, just follow instructions above!

**minimally modified from Skinny Taste, only addition is an extra lb of chicken… if want fully primal cut out beans and corn and sub in kale!

Tomato Sauce with Spicy Sausage and Pasta

• half of a yellow onion, diced
• 4 carrots, diced
• ½ bag frozen peas
• ½ bunch kale, chopped
• 12 ounces spicy Italian sausage (casings removed - just the ground meat)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup red wine
• 28 ounce can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup balsamic
• pasta of your choice, cooked and drained

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat with the onion, kale, and carrots.  Saute for until the vegetables are soft.  Add the ground sausage, peas, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. When the sausage is fully cooked, add the wine to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomatoes and balsamic - simmer for 10-20 minutes while the pasta is cooking (if not freezing meal).  Freeze or add to pasta and enjoy!

Reheat instructions: Crockpot on low for 2-3 hours, until heated through

**modified from Pinch of Yum

Mediterranean Chicken

• 2 rotisserie chicken, cut into bite sized pieces, skin removed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large potato, diced
• ½ bag frozen peas
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and potato and cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes.  Pour in everything else except chicken and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Add chicken, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  When sauce has thickened, add lemon juice, stir a few times, and remove from heat.  Serve with rice or couscous, or cool and freeze for later.

Reheat instructions: Crockpot on low for 2-3 hours, until heated through

** modified from the kitchn

That's it, enjoy!

Freezer Meals Part Two: Pre-cooked Originals

It's me again! Last time I shared some new easy to prep meals that I was then freezing in preparation for the arrival of our first child. Well, that was just part one. Today it's all about recipes I have already shared, but that I put a little twist on to make freezer-friendly. This time, they are pre-cooked, cooled, and then frozen in serving trays (see below) for easy re-heating. Not many pictures this time, but you can see the original blogs posts for the visuals...

Freezer Beef Chili - similar to this, minus the beer

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pepper, chopped
• 1 can Trader Joe's fire roasted green chiles
• 1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
• 1/2 can tomato sauce
• ½ lb of frozen corn
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper to taste

Heat pan on medium with a little olive oil, add pepper and onion, cook for a few minutes.  Add the meat, cooking for about 5 minutes until light pink.  Drain the fat, place back on stove, add all remaining ingredients.  Cook until slight pink remains.  Allow to cool.  If watery, drain a little liquid before portioning into ziploc bags or re-heatable container.

When ready to cook, place in crock pot on low for 3-4 hours.

Spaghetti Squash Bake - similar to this

• 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 2 cups when shredded)
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• veggies of choice, chopped (mushrooms, zucchini, pepper, etc.)
• 1 can tomato sauce (14.5 oz)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzerella

Cut spaghetti squash in half and cook in oven at 350 until fork goes in easily... like in this blog post about shrimp scampi!  Set aside and let cool, then shred with a fork.

While squash is cooking, combine beef and onions in pan and cook until meat is light pink.  Drain grease and remaining ingredients EXCEPT cheese, stirring for about 5 minutes.  You don’t want the meat or veggies completely cooked.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Once cool, mix in cheddar and parmesan cheese.  Portion into re-heatable containers (glass or aluminum) and add mozzarella to the top of each.

When ready to cook, bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, until bubbling.

Non-freezing option:

Follow above directions.  Instead of portioning into freezer containers, put in casserole dish and top with mozzarella.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until bubbling.



The last item on the menu is my travel-able protein cookies that we love to take hiking. This one was not modified, just allow to fully cool and place in a ziploc bag and freeze!

Here's the meals (not scones or cookies) in the freezer ready to be eaten. Oh, and as always... enjoy :)

Freezer Meals Part One: Minimally Modified and Ready to Bake

Yes. It's been a few months. But I have been busy battling blizzards, eating constantly, and growing a baby, so I figure it's okay Anyways, 'm going to get right to the point... being only weeks from a potential baby arrival is a little intimidating. There's so much to wonder about, worry over, and prepare. And, since you all know how much I love food (and how scary I get when i don't have it), I decided the safest thing for everyone was to prep some meals beforehand for easy cooking once this kid decides to make an appearance.

So, I went to my parents in WMass over April vacation and my mom helped me make four meals (8 lbs of meat total). Below are the groceries for those meals, which are split between this post and the next. It was surprisingly easy, took maybe 90 minutes total with my mom and I working together. The idea is that everything can either get reheated, or thrown in a crock pot or oven to cook while I worry about other things.

I also plan on making the rest of the more "snack like" or easy to prep items this weekend, since they will not keep as long as the main meals. Anyways, you get the idea. This first post is all recipes I pretty much pulled right from Pinterest, and therefore are minimally modified, but delicious (yes, I tested them all before I made them for the main event). So, here they are. Make them now, or prep them for later... it's like a choose your own adventure!

#1 - Blueberry Lemon Protein Scones

• 1 cup blanched almond flour
• ½ cup protein powder (I use unflavored Sunwarrior)
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tbsp honey (2 if like really sweet)
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (melted coconut oil or butter will work too)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ½ cup blueberries OR raspberries OR chocolate chips
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt (optional sprinkle on top)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix until a loose dough forms. Gently fold in raspberries and lemon zest.  Using hands, get some dough and press it down with your hands to form scone (size to your preference).  Place on lined baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough.  OR you can put this mixture into muffin tins. less sticky mess, but also don't look like scones. Either way, Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Allow them to cool down slightly prior to eating.

For freezing, based on original recipe:
Double this recipe and freeze unbaked and shaped scones on a parchment lined sheet. Once frozen, I transfer them to a zip bag and freeze up to 3 months. To bake, remove from freezer while oven preheats and add 2-3 minutes to baking time.

That's the "snack" that needs to be baked. Below are the "raw meals" that I prepped and stored in ziploc bags to throw in crock pot or oven. The first two are from this site.

#2 - Chicken Fajitas

• 2 lbs chicken breast
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 can green chili peppers, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 taco seasoning packet
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in the freezer bag, and squeeze out all air before sealing. Lay flat in the freezer and once frozen you will have an easy shape to stuff anywhere. Remember, write directions on bag, or if you are eating now, just follow below:

1. When it’s time to cook it, dump it all in your slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours. **equally delicious when baked in the oven for 35-40 minutes
2. When it’s cooked, remove and shred the meat and add it back to the pepper mixture and serve on warm tortillas and your favorite toppings.

#3 - Salsa Chicken

• 2lbs chicken breast
• 1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 pound bag frozen corn
• 1 can diced tomatoes with chilis
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 packet of taco seasoning

Mix all ingredients in the freezer bag, and squeeze out all air before sealing. Lay flat in the freezer and once frozen you will have an easy shape to stuff anywhere. Remember, write directions on bag, or if you are eating now, just follow below:

1. When it’s time to cook it, thaw and cook on low 8 hours. **equally delicious when baked in the oven for 35-40 minutes
2. When it’s cooked, remove and shred the meat and add it back to the pepper mixture and serve on rice with your favorite toppings.

Lastly, I will also be marinating 2 lbs of meat in our favorite marinade and storing this as well for easy defrosting and grilling. Kind of self-explanatory, but I wanted you to know it's another easy option for a prepped meal that is ready to go and doesn't involve many brain cells.

Whew! That's the first installment. Part two will follow shortly... enjoy!