Slow Cooker Jambalaya

 This tasty dish is adapted from an original found on Eating Well.

This recipe will most likely need your own personal touches to give you the depth of flavor and heat level you desire. My version is adapted just a tad from the original in that regard, but as Chef Jacques Pepin preaches: Never be afraid to make any given dish your own! 

Right off the bat you know I no longer use white or even brown rice. Yes, brown rice is still in the low GI range at 50, but I'd much rather use my beloved barley with a GI of 35. For most heat infused dishes that call for crushed red pepper I tend to use Aleppo pepper instead as I've found it to be amazingly well-rounded in its flavor profile as opposed to the BAM!!! effect crushed red tends to deliver.

Regarding bell peppers... I almost always opt for the riper colors of orange or red because of family health needs. Nothing wrong with green if your stomach tolerates them. :-) In a nutshell... have fun with this dish... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 oz Andouille sausage - chopped (try a smoked turkey sausage if red meats are an issue)
• 5-6 cups chopped fresh collard greens - stems/ribs removed
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper - I prefer easier-on-stomach red or orange
• 2 stalks celery - thinly sliced (~1 cup)
• 1 lge yellow onion - chopped
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in puree - undrained
• 4 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme - crushed
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper - I prefer Aleppo for a more rounded heat profile and use 2 tsp
• 8 oz raw frozen peeled and deveined large shrimp - thawed - tail off
• 2 cups hot cooked brown rice - I prefer barley for a lower glycemic index
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Empty canned tomatoes into a bowl, cut up and gently mash with a potato masher.

Combine chicken, sausage, collard greens, bell pepper, celery, and onion in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes,  garlic, thyme, salt & pepper and crushed red or Aleppo pepper.

Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours or on High for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Time the rice or barley to be ready when you are. :-)

If using low setting, turn to High. Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more or until shrimp are opaque. 

Serve over hot rice or barley. Sprinkle with parsley.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Cranberry Orange Pork Loin

I have been cooking for decades. When I was diagnosed type 2 back in 2013 my whole culinary world went into a tailspin, and I basically had to learn to cook all over again. I'm not gonna lie... it was very very hard to give up so many things that I had loved for years. Yes... there was anger and there were tears. I started this blog to share my newly learned skills but could never quite let go of my culinary past completely. That is why I have the quotation marks in the blog's name.

My "Diabetic" Food

My goal is to share good food for all with a strong lean toward recipes that serve the diabetic foodies well. This slow cooker is not one of those recipes. Today's slow cooker is for the folks following me who are not diabetic and it is a culinary memory that makes me salivate to this day. If this dish does get made in a diabetic home, please be sure you stick to one slice of meat and maybe 1 tbsp of the sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4.5 - 5 lbs boneless pork loin roast
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 - 14 oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 - 3” strips orange zest (no white stuff)
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparation:

1: Dry pork with paper towel and season all sides with salt & pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat until almost smoking. Brown pork well on all sides, about 7 – 10 minutes.

2: Stir cranberry sauce, cranberries, orange juice, orange zest and cinnamon into slow cooker. Nestle browned pork into slow cooker. Cover and cook until pork is tender and registers 140 - 145 degrees on meat thermometer. This will take about four hours on low.

3:Transfer pork to cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon. Discard orange zest. Transfer braising liquid to saucepan and simmer until reduced to ~ 2 cups, about 12 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

4: Remove twine (if used) from pork, slice into 1/2” thick slices, and arrange on serving platter. Spoon 1 cup sauce over meat and serve with remaining sauce.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs & Sauerkraut

This recipe is a revival from years ago when I used to eat red meat 4-5 times a week. Even though I now limit myself to having red meat maybe twice a month, not everyone else does and this recipe is just too easy and too flavorful to not share. Enjoy, meat lovers! 

So we all know that slow cooking is the bomb, right? Well, dear foodies.... this one simply takes the cake! Five ingredients, no special seasoning and prep so easy you can set this up before morning coffee if need be :-) Don't let the Easy Button fool you though.... This dish is absolutely brimming with flavor!!!

Ingredients:
· 2 15 oz cans sauerkraut
· 1 yellow onion - chopped
· 1 red-skinned apple - diced
· 2 to 3 pounds country style pork ribs
· 1.5 cups white wine - Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio are good choices

Preparation:
Put sauerkraut in bottom of crock pot. Add the chopped onion and diced apple. No need to peel the apple... we want to keep the good nutrients. Mix with sauerkraut and even off the top. 

Brown ribs in a sear pan, layer them on top of kraut mixture and pour wine over all. 

Cover and cook 6 hours on low setting. Serve with a simple tossed salad.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers - Chef Michael's Own

Deer season left me with a freezer full of venison once again, so here I am playing with flavor combos and techniques. There is quite a bit of prep work to get this slow cooker going so start early enough to leave 4-5 hours of cooking time. The end result is absolutely worth the effort! 

I use venison in my stuffed peppers but you can absolutely use lean beef as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb ground venison or beef
• 1 yellow onion - chopped
• 5 cloves garlic - smashed & minced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 28 oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree
• 1/4 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper
• 4-5 orange and red bell peppers depending on size
• 1 cup long cook pearl barley - yields 2+ cups
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 handful broccoli rabe - blanched and then chopped
• 1 cup baby portobello mushrooms - chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil
• shredded Parmesan for final garnish 

Preparation:

Bring the beef stock to a boil. Thoroughly rinse the pearl barley, add to boiling stock and simmer for 25 minutes, covered. Drain and reserve remaining stock for later.

Take one tomato from the 28 oz can and chop it up. Combine onion, garlic, tomato, Aleppo pepper and olive oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix, microwave 2 min on high, mix and repeat once.

Start your slow cooker on low. Cut the tops from the peppers and remove insides as best you can.

Once your peppers are prepped, get a large bowl and combine everything for the filling, including ~1/2 cup of the reserved beef stock. Mix well using hands.

At this time cut up the remaining canned tomatoes and start a gentle saute in a separate skillet. Season with salt, pepper and some garlic powder. Cook for a few minutes and transfer to the warmed up slow cooker.

Fill the peppers with meat mixture, gently pressing mix to make sure the pepper is fully filled. Place upright into pot on top of tomato base.

Cook for 4-5 hours on low.

Give each person a whole pepper for plating beauty. Cut the pepper in half and then top each half with some of the tomato base. Serve with a green vegetable of your choosing.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

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!