Roasted Vegetables in the Crock Pot

I just went grocery shopping and red peppers were on sale!  They are one of my favorite veggies.  So, I stocked up on those and some other great end of summer veggies.  If I'm not eating red peppers raw, dipped in hummus, it is most likely that I am roasting them.  I didn't want to turn on my oven so I decided to use the slow cooker!!

Ingredients:

* 4 bell peppers
* 2 large sweet potatoes
* 5 small zucchini
* 4 garlic cloves
* Salt, your choice of seasonings and oil (I use 1/2 teaspoon of salt and onion powder and 2 tablespoons of olive oil)

Directions:

* Cut the peppers into large slices
* Peel sweet potatoes and cut into cubes
* Cut zucchini into thick slices
* Peel garlic cloves and cut in half
* Grease inside of crock pot
* Add vegetables
* Season with salt, seasoning and oil.
* Stir to evenly distribute seasonings and oil
* Cook on low for 4-6 hours (depending on how soft you like your vegetables) stirring once every hour.
* Drain any liquid and enjoy!
PS - That liquid is delicious. Use it to saute chicken or fish!

Granola in the Crock Pot!

Crisp Brown Rice CerealYes! You read correctly - Granola! Make your own granola and use it for all different things.  I like to add it to my yogurt for just a little crunch! You can't just leave this though so it's not like other crock pot recipes but at least you don't have to put your oven on and be hot!

Granola in the Crock Pot

Ingredients
1) 1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
2) 2 cups Crisp Brown Rice Cereal
3) 2 large (room temperature) egg whites
4) 1/4 cup of Honey
5) 1/2 cup of additions of your choice (dried fruit, nuts, etc.

Directions
1) Spray the inside of your crock pot with a nonstick cooking spray.
2) Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside
3) In a large bowl, combine the oats and rice cereal.
4) In a different bowl, combine the egg whites and honey
5) Pour the eggs and honey over the cereal and toss until all the cereal is coated
6) Place the cereal in the slow cooker
7) Place the lid on so that there is a slight vent to it allowing the moisture to escape
8) Cook the granola on high for 2 hours stirring very gently every 45 minutes
9)  Once the granola reaches a crunchy texture, place on the baking sheet
10) Cool completely before mixing in your dried fruit etc.
11) Enjoy!!

Quinoa Risotto with Carrots and Asparagus

With the abundance of fresh vegetables still around, this is a great way to use some of them.

Quinoa Risotto with Carrots and Asparagus

Ingredients
1) 1 1/2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts                              
2) 1 cup of quinoa, rinsed
3) 2 cups of low sodium chicken broth (divided)
4) 2 cloves of garlic, minced
5) 3 large carrots, sliced into rounds
6) salt and pepper
7) 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and quartered
8) 2 cups of frozen peas

Directions
1) Place chicken, quinoa, 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth, garlic and carrots into crock pot and cover
2) Season with salt and pepper
3) Cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is easily shreddable
4) Shred chicken, add aspatagus and peas and cook 30 minutes more on high
5) Pour remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth into crock pot and stir until creamy
6) Enjoy!

• 
  

Coconut Lime Chicken in the Crock Pot

This recipe is not creamy and thick but more of a refreshing twist on chicken.

Ingredients:
1) 3 pounds of chicken (bone-in with the skin on)
2) 13.5 ounce can of Coconut Milk
3) 1/2 cup pineapple juice
4) 2 tablespoons lime juice
5) 1/2 teaspoon salt
6) 1/2 garlic powder
7) 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger


Directions
1) Place chicken in crock pot
2) In a bowl, mix the remaining ingredients
3) Pour over chicken
4) Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours
5) Optional - place cooked chicken in broiler pan and crisp the skin for 5 minutes.

Hot Dogs In the Slow Cooker

Hot Dogs in the Crock Pot (I know it's not clean eating!!)

I am 100% sure this does not fall under the clean eating heading but I just had to share.  My friend was having a huge BBQ and trying to figure out the timing of when to put what on the grill.  As we were working through it, we thought of boiling the hot dogs except the big pot was being used for the corn. I suggested using the crock pot.  Neither of us knew what would happen but we were willing to try.  Here's is what we did - Successfully!!!

Ingredients

50 hot dogs (or however many fit in your crock pot)
50 buns

Directions
Place hot dogs standing straight up in your crock pot
Put crock pot on high and cover for 1 hour
Enjoy

I'm telling you that this saved sooooo much time it was unbelievable.  We also used these holders instead of wasting an entire plate

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

I love love love pork tenderloin.  I love balsamic vinegar too.  This recipe puts them both together for an amazing taste!!

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients
1) 1 boneless pork tenderloin - It should be about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds 

2) 1 Cup vegetable broth - you may also use chicken broth
3) 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce - to be REALLY clean, you can make your own but I haven't done that.
5) 1 tablespoon honey
6) 2 cloves of garlic  - chopped or smashed or try this Garlic Slicer

Directions
1) Place pork into crock pot
2)  Mix broth, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey and garlic together
3) Pour liquid over pork
4) Cook on low for 8 hours
5) Enjoy!!

Pork Carnitas in the Crock Pot

Pork Carnitas

Ingredients
1) Boneless pork shoulder (about 3 pounds)
2) 8 garlic cloves
3) 2 teaspoons ground cumin
4) 1 teaspoon dried oregano
5) 1/2 teaspoon pepper
6) 3/4 cup orange juice
7) 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
8) 2 chipotle chiles canned in adobo sauce
9) 6 inch flour or corn tortillas
10) For topping - chopped onion, salsa, cilantro and lime

Directions
1) Drain and chop chipotle chiles
2) Trim pork shoulder of fat
3) Make 1/2 inch deep slits on outside of roast and stuff with garlic
4) Combine cumin, oregano and pepper in a small bowl
5) Place roast in crock pot and sprinkle spice mixture onto all sides
6) Combine orange and lime juice with chipotle chiles.
7) Pour mixture over pork
8) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
9) Remove pork from crock pot and shred with 2 forks
10) Add 1/2 cup of liquid from crock pot and mix well
11) Spoon pork mixture onto tortilla
12) Top with onions, salsa and cilantro and serve with lime wedge