Dinner Ideas
Simple and easy dinner time solutions for your family.
Group Home Presented by Betty CrockerDoes anyone know any good crock pot recipes?
Beth pots a great cp recipe everyday. You can backtrack and find some really great ones, too.
Welcome to the group, you will find a lot of great women here.
Here are the ones I make most often:
Italian Lentil & Squash Stew
1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils, rinse in a mesh strainer
1 small butternut squash (1 1/4 lb.) peeled, seeded and cut in 1" chunks (about 3 cups)
2 cups marinara sauce; home cooked or jarred (be sure the sauce does not have sugar)
8 ounces green beans -- ends trimmed and cut in half (2 cups) (frozen is fine, though I use frozen chopped spinach
1 medium bell pepper -- cored cut in 1" chunks
1 large potato -- peeled and cut in 1" chunks
3/4 cup onion -- chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix lentils and 3 cups water in a 3-quart or larger slow-cooker. In a large bowl, mix remaining ingredients except olive oil; place on lentils. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until the vegetables and lentils are tender. Stir in the oil if desired. Serve in soup plates or bowls
Indian Spinach and Tofu CrockPot Recipe
The Ingredients.
--2 boxes of frozen spinach, drained (I used one chopped frozen cauliflower, and one chopped frozen broccoli;)
--1 lb of extra firm tofu
--1 yellow onion, diced
--3 smashed and chopped garlic cloves
--1 can garbanzo beans, drained, or 1-1/2 cups home cooked
--2 inches of ginger, peeled and grated
--1/2 tsp kosher salt (and then more later to taste)
--1 tsp cumin
--1 tsp curry
--1 Tbl coriander
--1/2 tsp chile powder
--1/2 tsp garam masala
--1/2 cup water
--cornstarch (to coat the tofu)
--Earth Balance or coconut oil or olive oil (to fry the tofu)
The Directions.
Use a 3 or 4 quart crockpot. Drain your tofu. Squeeze it in between some paper towels or a clean dish cloth if need-be to get as much of the liquid out as you can. Cut it into 1-inch cubes and toss it with corn starch. Fry in butter until golden brown--resist the urge to flip; tofu takes a while to brown. While the tofu is browning, squeeze out all of the moisture from the spinach and dump it into your crockpot. Dice up the onion, and mince the garlic. Add that, too. Drain your garbanzo beans, and pour them in. Add all of the spices. Stir in 1/2 cup of water. Add the tofu to the very top of the spinach. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours. This doesn't take very long to cook. Serve over rice, and scoop up with whole wheat naan, whole wheat pitas, or whole grain tortillas
Sloppy JoJos in the crockpot
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 celery stalk diced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (if you have sensitive skin, wear gloves)
1 red or green pepper, seeded and diced
2 tsps. chili powder
1/2 tsp. allspice
1-1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed (not red lentils)
14-1/2 oz diced tomatoes (I use muir glen fire roasted, if I have them)
3 cups water or vegetable broth
2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce or tamari or braggs
1 tbsp. prepared yellow or brown mustard
1 tbsp. sugar to cut the acid
1 tsp. salt or to taste and add at the end of cooking.
Fresh pepper to taste (I use cayenne pepper)
Heat the oil in a skillet (I do this all in the crockpot) and saute the onion, celery, jalapeno pepper, and red or green pepper and chili powder for a few minutes until onion and celery are tender but still firm. Transfer the mixture to the crockpot. Add the lentils, tomatoes, water, soy sauce, mustard and sugar. Add pepper. Stir. Add the salt at the end, this
keeps the lentils from taking long to cook and becoming tough. Cover the crockpot, set it on low and cook for 7-8 hours. Or 1 hr on high and 6-7 on low. Serve on whole wheat buns and have a lot of napkins.
Vegetable Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings
3 cups peeled butternut or acorn squash cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 14-1/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained or 1.5 cups homecookes; any bean will do
1 cup water or vegetable broth
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (lots of B vitamins and a nice cheesey flavor)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg or egg replacer
2 tablespoons milk (plant or animal)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 9-ounce package frozen Italian green beans or frozen cut green beans (I hate green beans, so I use frozen chopped spinach)
Paprika
In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine squash, mushrooms, undrained tomatoes, Great Northern beans, the water, garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
For dumplings: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, parsley, bakiing powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, milk, and oil. Add to the flour mixture; stir with a fork just until combined. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir frozen green beans into stew. Drop the dumpling dough into six mounds on top of the stew. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook for 50 minutes more. (Do not lift lid while dumplings are cooking.)
Mediterranean Vegetable Stew with Poached Eggs
1 medium onion, halved, thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, bruised
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large vine ripened tomatoes, cored, coarsely chunked
1 bay leaf
1 medium eggplant, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch dice
2 small zucchini, cut in 1/4-inch thick rounds
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in puree
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese or grated Parmesan cheese, (I use goat cheese)
Layer onion, pepper and garlic in a 4 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, in order listed, up to and including canned crushed tomatoes. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours. About 20 minutes before serving, spoon a little of the cooking liquid into a small bowl. Add tomato paste and stir well to smooth. Stir back into stew. Break the eggs into 4 small ramekins or custard cups. Using the back of a ladle, make 4 shallow depressions on top of the stew. Slide an egg into each one. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes more, until the eggs are done to your liking. Serve some of the stew with an egg on top, garnished with the parsley and cheese, if desired
Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls
1TB packed brown sugar
1 large head green cabbage
1 can (15 oz.) black beans or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (or 1.5 cups home cooked)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3-1/2 cups marinara sauce or meatless spaghetti sauce (jarred or home cooked)
1/3 cup raisins
3 TB lemon juice
Remove 8 large outer leaves from head of cabbage. In a Dutch oven cook cabbage leaves in boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes or just until leaves are limp. Drain cabbage leaves. Trim the thick rib in center of each leaf. Set leaves aside. Shred 4 cups of the remaining cabbage; place shredded cabbage in a 3-1/2 to 6 quart crock pot. In medium bowl combine beans, cooked rice, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce. Divide bean mixture evenly among the 8 cabbage leaves, using about 1/3 cup per leaf. Fold sides of leaf over filling and roll up. Repeat with remaining cabbage rolls Combine remaining marinara sauce, raisins, lemon juice, and brown sugar. Pour about half of the sauce mixture over shredded cabbage in cooker. Stir to mix. Place cabbage rolls atop shredded cabbage. Top with remaining sauce. Cover and cook on LOW heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on HIGH heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours. Carefully remove the cooked cabbage rolls and serve with the shredded cabbage.
Crockpot Cheesy White Cauliflower Chili
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 onions finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cracked black peppercorns
1 14 to 19 oz. can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 C dried white kidney beans, cooked and drained
3 cups vegetable stock
3 cup cauliflower florets, cooked for 4 minutes in salted boiling water and drained
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
4 ozs. cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and softened
1 can chopped mild green chilies
finely chopped green onions, optional, for garnish
finely chopped cilantro, optional, for garnish
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cumin seeds, oregano, chili powder, salt and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to slow cooker stoneware. Add beans and stock and stir to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until hot and bubbling.
Stir in cauliflower, jalapeno pepper, green pepper, Monterey jack cheese, and cream cheese and chilies, if using. Cover and cook on high for 25 to 30 minutes, until the green peppers are softened and cauliflower is heated through. Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired with chopped green onions and cilantro.
If you prefer thicker chili, mash some or all of the beans or puree in a food processor before adding to the recipe.NOTE: if you don't have a slow cooker, you can certainly simmer this on the stove, stirring and adding liquid as needed
Best Chili Ever - you can use any bean; 1 can = 1.5 cups home cooked
2 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can white (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen baby lima beans or regular lima beans or corn
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder, or more to taste
2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano or regular oregano (or more to taste)
2 teaspoons ground cumin (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground coriander (or more to taste)
1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1-2 Tbl masa, mixed with cold water
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt to taste (I add this last)
If you don't have a slowcooker, this can simmer on the stove; stir and add liquid as needed. In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients but the masa, shredded cheese, cilantro and salt. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Five to 10 minutes before serving (depending on temperature of slow cooker) add masa and water mixture, cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and other spices.
Just before serving, top each serving with shredded cheese and cilantro
No Hurry Vegetable Curry
Serve over hot cooked basmati rice with chutney on the side. This can easily be made on the stove top; stir and add liquid as needed.
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 to 2 large carrots, sliced on a diagonal
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups slow-cooked or one 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
Salt
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat (i do this in the slowcooker). Add the carrots and onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, curry powder, coriander, and cayenne, stirring to coat. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. Add the potatoes, green beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, and stock; cover, and
cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours. Just before serving, stir in the peas and coconut milk and season with sea salt. Taste to adjust the seasonings
Quoting Granny1952:Beth pots a great cp recipe everyday. You can backtrack and find some really great ones, too.
Welcome to the group, you will find a lot of great women here.
Thank you
Prepping for Summer - Grilled Three Potato Medley
- LiLMaMaCiTa87
on Feb. 15, 2012 at 2:30 AM