Slow Cooker Sesame Beef

 

With the heat in the 90's this week, cooking is not something to anticipate gladly. So I thought I'd turn to the slow cooker to keep all the cooking heat in that tiny little space. This turned out to be a very delicious recipe that I will definitely cook again. So, so easy, too. The sesame oil is the one that you would use in place of olive oil or vegetable oil, not the super condensed stuff. I always prefer to cook my stuff on low, to give it a chance to get tender and boy, oh boy, was this meat tender. I didn't find that the corn starch worked to thicken the sauce. Maybe my cooker doesn't go high enough. It wasn't a problem, though.


Ingredients:

• 16 ounces thin flank steak*, chopped into 2-inch pieces
• ½ white onion, chopped
• ¼ cup sliced green onions
• 1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced 

sauce

• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• a sprinkling of sesame seeds
•  
• ¼ cup cold water + 1 tablespoon corn starch to thicken sauce

 Instructions

1. Place beef, onions (green and white), and chopped red peppers in a greased slow cooker.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together all sauce ingredients (do not include the ¼ cup cold water, corn starch). Pour sauce into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low.
3. About 30 minutes before serving, whisk together remaining cold water and corn starch. Add corn starch slurry to the slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes or so. Stir just before serving. Serve with cooked white or fried rice.

Apple and Oat Scones with Cinnamon and Nutmeg

• PREP: 15 MINS
 
• TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINS
 
• YIELD: MAKES 12
• • SOURCE: MARTHA STEWART LIVING, FEBRUARY 2012
   

  INGREDIENTS

  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1 1/3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, plus more for topping
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups diced Granny Smith apple (2 apples cut into generous 1/4-inch cubes)
  • 2/3 cup cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing
  • Raw turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

  • • DIRECTIONS

      1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers. (The largest pieces should be the size of small peas.) With your fingertips, flatten butter pieces into small disks. Add apples and buttermilk, stirring until dough just comes together.
      2. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat dough into a 6-by-8-inch rectangle, and cut into twelve 2-by-2-inch squares with a floured knife. Place about 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with buttermilk, and sprinkle with raw turbinado sugar and oats. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

      COOK'S NOTES

      Scones keep, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 1 day.

    
    

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

 

And another great recipe from Skinnytaste. Operative word - EASY. Operative word - DELICIOUS. That's all you need to know. I think Mike ended up using two pans in order to be able to spread things out, but that's about as complicated as it gets.

Servings: 4 • Size: 2 thighs + vegetables • Points +: 10 • Smart Points: 8

Calories: 401 • Fat: 17 g • Saturated Fat: 3 g • Carb: 15 g • Fiber: 4 g • Protein: 48 g 

Sugar: 2 g • Sodium: 518 mg • Cholesterol: 214 mg

Ingredients:

• 8 (4 oz each) boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• fresh black pepper, to taste
• cooking spray
• 10 medium asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in half
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 red onions, chopped in large chunks
• 1/2 cup carrots, sliced in half long, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 5 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tbsp dried oregano or thyme
• 2 leaves fresh sage, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spray 2 large baking sheets with oil.

 

 Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl using your hands to mix well then arrange everything onto the prepared baking sheets spread out in a single layer. The vegetables should not touch the chicken or it will steam instead of roast. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are roasted and tender.

Crock Pot Chicken a la Criolla

 

Here's another winner from Skinnytaste. You will not believe how delicious this is. And easy. Three steps - chop, put it in the crock pot, turn on the pot. We just used sliced Spanish olives from a jar. Don't leave those out. They add a great zing to the meal. The chicken just falls apart. Mmmm-mmmm good.

Servings: 5 • Size: 2 thighs + sauce • Points +: 5 pts*  • Smart Points: 5
Calories: 211 • Fat: 6.2 g • Protein: 28.8 g • Carb: 9.9 g • Fiber: 1.9 g • Sugar: 2.1 g
Sodium: 447 mg (without salt)  

Ingredients:

• 10 (2 lbs) skinless boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 bell pepper, chopped or sliced
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 2 tbsp alcaparrado or pitted spanish olives
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• salt to taste
• 1-2 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus 2 tbsp more for serving)

Directions:

Place chicken, onion, garlic, pepper and tomatoes in the crock pot. Season with salt, cumin and oregano. Mix well so everything is seasoned.

Add tomato sauce, alcaparrado (or olives) along with 1 tbsp of the brine, 1/2 cup water, bay leaf and cilantro. Mix well and set crock pot to HIGH 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours. When done, taste for salt and seasoning and adjust spices as needed. Add 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro and serve over rice.

kale and butternut squash saute

SERVINGS4 PREP TIME20 mins TOTAL TIME32 mins

This caught my eye as it was billed as a Winter Superfood Saute. It was super delicious and took no time to prepare. As always my measure of success lies in consumption by young men. Triumph!

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 1/2 cups chopped fresh kale
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
• 4 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
• directions

  
  

  1. 

  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add squash, onion and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until squash is lightly browned and slightly tender, about 7 minutes.

  2. 

  Add kale, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook until kale is wilted and squash is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

  3. 

  Add cranberries and nuts; toss to combine. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

  
  

  Tip

  • A half cup of cooked butternut squash provides more than 80 percent of your daily vitamin A requirement for just 41 calories. The gourd is also a good source of fiber and vitamin C.
    For the most flesh and fewest seeds, choose a squash with a large neck and a small bulb. And forget the fridge: Butternut does best in cool -- not cold -- dark places, where it will last as long as a month.
    Candice Kumai, the author of the new cookbook Cook Yourself Sexy, purees squash and mixes it into her mac and cheese before baking. She also uses a vegetable peeler to shave it into ribbons, which can be lightly sauteed and added to salads or pasta dishes.

  
  

  NUTRITION INFORMATION

  
  

  Per Serving: cal. (kcal) 350, Fat, total (g) 17, sat. fat (g) 4.5, carb. (g) 49, fiber (g) 8, pro. (g) 10, sodium (mg) 364, Mark as Free Exchange () 0, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Moroccan Chicken with Carrots (and maybe olives)

A delicious recipe shared by a co-worker, and a departure from some of our more routine staple meals!

Lots of orange in this meal --- just like Meli's kittens. Photo Credit: J. Lesniak

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 1/2 lemon, seeded and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or sliced
• 3 large carrots sliced thinly
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1.5 lbs chicken (your choice of cut), cut into strips or chunks
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 3/4 cup mixed, herb-marinated olives (optional)
• Couscous for serving (I make a double portion of the NCC Carrot Couscous without chives)

Directions

1. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil on high in an extra large skillet.
2. Season the chicken with salt & pepper. Add it to the skillet in a single layer, cooking for 5 minutes (and turning once). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a plate.
3. Add the lemon slices to the skillet in single layer. Cook for 2 minutes (turning once).
4. Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil, carrots, and garlic. Cook for ~2 minutes.
5. Add water and cook for ~2 minutes
6. Add cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. Cook for ~1 min.
7. Add the chicken back into the skillet. Cook for ~1 min.
8. Add chicken and olives (optional). Simmer over moderate heat for ~5 min. Serve with couscous.

Recipe via Food and Wine