Taco Soup

I did the in the crockpot, and it was the easiest thing ever!!

1 lb of chicken (either cut boneless skinless breasts into small chunks, or I got a package of "stir fry chicken pieces" or something to that effect)
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of corn (I used a small can of shoepeg)
1 can of black beans
1 can of mild Ro*Tel tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste
1 packet of taco powder
1 packet of ranch powder
Approx. 1 c. of water (I added some awesome Glory chicken base to it--I use this stuff all the time!!)

And it can't get any easier than this: throw everything into the crockpot (don't drain any of the cans), cook on high for 4 hours, then eat! I actually cooked some cheese tortilini and threw that in the bowls when I served this to make it a little more hardy. It really didn't need it though. It can be served with Fritos, cheese and sour cream.

2 notes:
1) If you like spicy, you could use regular Ro*Tel tomatoes, but honestly, it was plenty spicy for Wes and I with the mild ones.
2) This is a similar recipe to the Sante Fe Stew, but it's thinner (and a little bit easier b/c you don't have to cook the chicken first).

Barbeque Chicken AND Pork!!

I made WONDERFUL bbq chicken for dinner tonight (along with grilled corn and Cesar salad. Yum!), and am making bbq pork for the Wofford Homecoming tailgate this weekend...go Terriers!! So, here are these two recipes. I'll have to let you know after Saturday how the pork goes over! (And of course, the measurements aren't exact...although this time I did at least use measuring spoons/cups most of the time)

BBQ Sauce
Whisk together all of the following ingredients over medium low heat. Let simmer for approximately 45 minutes, whisking often.
2 c ketchup
1 c apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Worcestershire
3 tbsp prepared mustard
¾ c sugar
½ tbsp garlic salt
½ tbsp black pepper
½ tbsp paprika
½ tbsp dry mustard
3 shakes cayenne pepper
2" cinnamon stick

BBQ Chicken
1 c. Zesty Italian dressing
¼ c apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp onion flakes
½ tbsp paprika
½ tbsp black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Combine all marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Marinate the chicken for at least a few hours (we marinated it overnight). Grill the chicken, brushing with BBQ Sauce for the last 5 minutes or so. Serve with BBQ sauce if desired (but discard the sauce you used to brush the cooking chicken!!).

BBQ Pork
1 c. Zesty Italian dressing
2/3 c. prepared mustard
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Liquid Smoke
2 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tbsp garlic salt
1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp seasoned salt (I use Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt)
1/2 tbsp dried mustard
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
5-6 lb. Boston Butt Pork

Combine all marinade ingredients, whisk together well (I used my immersion blender with the whisk attachment) so that ingredients emulsify. Place pork in a Ziploc bag, pour marinade over it. Seal, squeezing out air, and let marinate for 24 hours. We will EITHER be cooking this in the oven at very low heat overnight, or in the crock pot overnight. I'll let you know!!

Cucumber Salad

1 Large Cucumber thinly sliced
1 small white or red onion thinly sliced
3/4 c white or rice vinegar
1/2 c water
3/4 cup sugar
1 T dried dill
2 tsp red chili flakes

Over medium high heat, combine all marinade ingredients. bring to a boil, remove from heat and add onions (if you'd like them to soften a bit). When the marinade has cooled, add the cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour (Even better the next day) & serve!

Grilled Red and Green Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup tarragon vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil plus additional for brushing
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 medium head of red cabbage (about 1 3/4 pounds), quartered through core
1 medium head of green cabbage (about 13/4 pounds), quartered through core
1 bunch green onions (about 6), trimmed

I used cider vinegar and olive oil instead, then added just a touch of sesame oil and reduced the sugar and oil by half. I've also made it with fresh rosemary (I think I like it better this way!) instead of taragon.

Preparation
Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk vinegar, sugar, 1/2 cup oil, mustard, and tarragon in medium bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Brush cabbages and green onions with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill cabbages until dark grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Grill green onions until charred on 1 side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer vegetables to work surface.
Chop green onions and cabbages; place in large bowl, discarding cores. Add dressing; toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.
It's even better the second day!!

Pot Roast

2 lb. pot roast
olive oil
½ c chopped onion
1 c beef broth
minced garlic
½ c red wine
Tbsp Wooster
2 tsp Italian herbs
½ to 1 tsp liquid smoke
black pepper
Brown roast in olive oil, remove roast, brown onions, add roast and everything else; simmer for 2 ½ to 4 hrs. (You can also do this in the slow cooker)
**My notes…I did this in the crock pot—low for 8 hrs. When I got home, I added a small bag of baby carrots for the last hour or two. Right before we were ready to eat, I melted a pat of butter in a small pan, added a spoonful of flour to make a roux. I whisked in all the liquid from the crock pot and slowly boiled until thickened into a gravy.
Also, this about overflowed my crock pot! You may want to cut back on the size of the roast and amount of carrots added.

Two Chicken Crock-Pot Recipes

Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken
Chicken breasts (diced)
Jar of salsa
Can of black beans, drained
Can of corn, drained
Combine in slow-cooker, cook all day over low, and serve over rice. You can also put in other things like black olives, peppers, etc.

Slow-Cooker Italian Chicken
Chicken Breasts (diced)
Can of tomato sauce
Can of artichoke hearts, drained
Jar of roasted red peppers, drained
Italian Seasoning
Combine in slow-cooker, cook all day over low, and serve over pasta with parmesan cheese.

Easy Veggies and Rice

1 onion, diced
olive oil
¾ c. chicken broth
1 large can petit diced tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (multiple times) well
frozen chopped spinach
wild rice, cooked according to package directions
salt
seasoned pepper
parmesan cheese

While cooking the wild rice, sauté the onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until translucent and soft. Add in the chicken broth, and simmer until reduced to less than half. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes and black beans, season with salt and pepper. Simmer to reduce any remaining liquid. Stir in frozen spinach, cook for 5 or so minutes until spinach is cooked through. Serve veggie mix over rice, sprinkle with parmesan. Only takes about 15 minutes!