Slow Cooker Short Ribs & Mushrooms

Short Ribs are a perfect protein for slow cooking. Combined with a collection of earthy ingredients they are sure to make your diners smile. I put this recipe together years ago before I was diabetic, so yes... there are potatoes. Fear not, though, diabetic friends... the pearled barley option is equally delectable with the savory brown gravy. Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

• 2- 3 lbs short ribs
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• Small bag of yellow potatoes – alternately 1 cup pearl barley with beef or vegetable stock for diabetic cooks
• 10 oz baby portobello mushrooms – halved or quartered by size
• 6-8 carrots depending on size – scrubbed and cut into manageable lengths
• 1 lge yellow onion – cut up
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 1/2 cup Marsala
• 2 10.5 oz cans unsalted cream of mushroom soup
• 1 tsp table salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 handful Italian parsley - chopped

Preparation:

Heat oil in Dutch Oven or large skillet and sear short ribs on all sides. Place seared meat in bottom of slow cooker. Set heat to low.

Add onion and garlic to Dutch Oven and toss over medium heat until onions are separated. Add Marsala and mushrooms, mix gently. Add cream of mushroom soup, salt & pepper along with parsley and stir occasionally until all ingredients are mixed and lukewarm. Use care to not break mushrooms.

Layer carrots over short ribs and cover with mushroom mix. If using potatoes, lay them in a single layer on top. Cook for 6-7 hours on low.

If you’re making the diabetic version, start the pearled barley using beef or vegetable stock in a separate pot 45 minutes before you intend to serve dinner.

Add a green vegetable or a salad to round out this great dish.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken

This is one of those really simple dishes that is chock full of flavor simply by way of the ingredients themselves. You'll notice the only spices are a bit of salt and lemon pepper, allowing everything else to shine in its natural glory. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1.75 - 2 lbs brined chicken breast
• 1 tbsp lemon pepper - I use FreshJax... great blend and the company donates meals to kids in need.
• 2 onions cut in quarters or eighths
• 6 cloves garlic diced
• 1/2 cup white wine (Not cooking wine - too much salt)
• 1 can whole tomatoes, drained and halved
• A handful of fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil, salt & pepper

    Brine:

• 4 cups water 
• 1tbsp salt
• 1 lemon

Preparation:

Brining the Chicken

Trim the breasts of fat and junk. Lay breast flat,

cut in half lengthwise and then cut halves into stew size chunks.

Mix 4 cups water with 1 tbsp regular salt and fresh squeezed juice from 1 lemon.

Add chicken to brine, stir a little so chicken pieces are in brine on all sides.

Refrigerate and let sit for 1 hour.

When time's up, pour chicken into a colander and give a quick rinse to remove most of the salt.

Gather the Slow Cooker Components

Place drained & rinsed chicken in large mixing bowl. Add olive oil and lemon pepper... mix. Heat a large skillet on medium high and sear the chicken on all sides. Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray and place chicken in bottom of pot.

Add wine, garlic and onions to skillet and stir/toss over medium heat until slightly browned.

Spread evenly over meat.

Cover with a layer of basil leaves and then tomatoes, cut side down.

Sprinkle with kosher salt as you see fit and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Gently break up the tomatoes before serving and fold in carefully with the chicken.

Serve with fresh broccoli and quinoa or barley made with a chicken broth.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Paella - Diabetic Friendly

This dish was inspired by a recipe in Better Homes & Gardens Diabetic Slow Cooker, though I felt some major changes were needed since diabetics should not be loading up on white rice (GI 70) as the author recommends. I have substituted the rice with long cook pearl barley (GI 25), modified the protein mix and made a couple changes to the cooking process itself. The result is something I can safely call my own... I've chosen chicken, Spanish chorizo and shrimp, but please feel free to create your own protein mix and balance... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken tenders or skinless, boneless thighs cut into two-bite chunks
• 1 lb Spanish chorizo - sliced
• 2 lbs lge raw shrimp - cleaned and tails removed
• 1 orange bell pepper - chopped
• 1 lge yellow onion - chopped
• 2 cloves garlic - smashed & minced
• 3 tomatoes - chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/3 cup dry Pinot Grigio
• 8 oz clam juice 
• 2 tbsp lemon juice - fresh squeezed preferred
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sriracha sauce
• 16 oz long cook pearl barley
• 1.5 cups frozen peas 

Preparation:

Cut up the chicken tenders and sausage and set aside.

Add everything but the proteins, barley and peas to the slow cooker and stir.

Lay the chicken and sausage in a single layer on top.

Cook for 6 hours on low. Rinse the barley well and gently fold into slow cooker. Turn to high and cook for 60 min. Once the barley is in, take out the shrimp and frozen peas and allow them to come to room temperature while the barley cooks.

After 60 minutes gently fold in the raw shrimp & peas. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through.

Leftovers heat up nicely in a covered skillet over low heat.

Add some littleneck or cherrystone clams for extra fun. 

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Stew

Credit for this gem goes to my Diabetic Living cookbook "Diabetic Slow Cooker". Between the subtle spices, the sweetness of apricot and the extra flavor level of the fresh scallion garnish, you are guaranteed a round of ooooohs and ahhhhhs at your table :-)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed and cut into 2-3" chunks (Use chicken breasts if you're avoiding red meats)
• kosher salt to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cups (8 oz) dry brown lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 Spanish or regular yellow onion, cut into thin wedges
• 1 32 oz carton regular chicken broth
• 3/4 cup water
• 1-2 yellow summer squash (zucchini), quartered lengthwise and cut into 3/4" long pieces
• 1/2 cup snipped dried apricots or golden raisins
• 1-2 sliced scallions

Preparation:
1. In a large bowl combine garlic, cumin, coriander, pepper and cinnamon. Add chicken and toss to coat all pieces. Lightly coat an unheated extra large skillet or Dutch oven with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat and add chicken. Cook until browned, turning meat to brown all sides - season lightly with kosher salt to taste.

2. Rinse lentils in fine mesh colander and drain over mixing bowl while cutting up onion. Transfer chicken to your slow cooker and add lentils and then onion wedges. Pour broth and water over everything in the slow cooker.

3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting 7-8 hours or on high-heat setting 3.5-4 hours. 

4. Add squash and apricots to slow cooker 30 minutes before serving. If using low heat, turn to high. Cover and cook until squash is just tender. Sprinkle each serving with scallions.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Shrimp

This is a very easy and versatile dish.  You can add shrimp or scallops or just use chicken.  I like to serve it with barley, but it’s great with rice or pasta also.  And it smells really good while it cooks!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, white or dark, cut in chunks
• non-stick cooking spray
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine - use the good stuff :-)
• 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes – drained and cut up
• 1 tsp. dried leaf basil
• 1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined - use Wild Alaskan Company spot prawns to really elevate the dish! :-)
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Cut chicken into cubes or strips.  Lightly brown in frying pan with olive oil.  

Generously spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in slow cooker.  Sautee onion, garlic and parsley in same skillet for about 1 minute.  Stir remaining ingredients, except shrimp, into skillet and then pour over chicken.

Cook on LOW 3 1/2 hours.  Add shrimp and cook an additional 30 minutes on LOW.  Be sure shrimp is cooked through before turning off slow cooker.  Serve with pearl barley, whole grain wild rice or pasta.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!