Pulled Pork (Cafe Rio Style)

This is a family favorite. My kids ask for this all the time. The great thing is that unless you're feeding company, it is good for a couple of meals and a lunch here and there. Don't forget the green sauce--it makes it! Don't skimp on the cooking time. It doesn't take long to do the preliminary steps and it so so tender and delicious. You'll love it!

6lb Pork Roast: Put in Crock Pot and cover halfway up with water. Cook it overnight. Discard Water (or pour over your dog's food). Shred.

In separate bowl mix a 12oz can of salsa, 1 can caffiene-free Coke, and 2 cups brown sugar. Pour over meat. Cook an additional 3 or 4 hours.

Eat on a tortilla or in a taco. You can add rice, black beans, cheese, whatever you'd put on a regular taco or burrito.

Top with this delicious sauce (or pour a giant puddle on your plate and dip each bite like I do.)

In bowl combine
1 Buttermilk Ranch Mix packet.
2 cups mayo
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream

In a blender combine
2 tomatillos (I use canned and then freeze the rest for the next time I make this)
1 jalapeno, seeded (I use canned and then freeze the rest for the next time I make this)
1/2 - 1 bunch cilantro, washed
1 Tbs lime juice (lemon juice will work in a pinch)
1 clove garlic, crushed

Mix everything together and enjoy on your pork. Delicious!

Italian Crock Pot Chicken

This recipe is AWESOME!!! I had just a few minutes to get out the door so I threw frozen chicken in the crockpot with the seasoning and sat a stick of butter on top. Turned on my crockpot and ran out the door. Hours later I came home and finished this off quickly. It really was so great to walk in the door and finish this meal as quick as I could make rice.
The chicken is amazingly tender and this meal was so so good.
It came from 4 different people in my neighborhood cookbook. It's a hit and will be a regular around here now.
I used the leftovers to make Chicken Pillows. It was yummy.

Ingredients:

6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 packets Italian dressing seasoning mix
1/4 c. water or 1 cube of butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
Directions:Combine chicken, Italian dressing mix, and water or butter in crock pot. Cook on high 5-7 hours until chicken falls apart and is very tender. Add the cream of chicken soup and cream cheese and mix it together. Let the chicken slightly shred as you stir it then let it all heat together. Serve over rice or noodles.

*Be careful mixing in the cream cheese and soup. I stirred too much and it got mushy.

*You can also add a can of drained mushrooms or serve it over potatoes. YUM!!!

Vegetable Pork Soup

A perfect, hearty soup for a busy fall day.  

Ingredients:

1 lb. Cubed pork

¼ cup dried lentils

4 cups water, divided

¼ cup italian dressing

salt and pepper to taste

2 T. chicken bouillon

6 medium carrots

2 stalks celery, diced

6 med. Potatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

¼ cabbage sliced thin and chopped

Directions:

Brown the pork if desired. Place the pork, lentils, 2cups of water, Italian dressing, salt and pepper into a crock pot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. When pork is done, turn crock pot on high, adding about 2 more cups of water and chicken bouillon. In a separate pan cook celery and carrots together until done. Boil potatoes until just tender. Don't overcook. While potatoes, celery, carrots are cooking, add onion and cabbage to the crock pot. Cook until translucent and soft. Drain the other vegetables and add them to the crock pot. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Recipe created by Marilyn Hendrickson (my mother)

Spinach & Mushroom Pot Roast

We love having pot roast and mashed potatoes and gravy on Sundays. I got the idea for the spinach & mushroom from The Domestic Art Cookbook (Vol. II).  I normally make a more traditional pot roast but it was nice to try something new. My kids were less than enthused about the spinach in it. But John & I loved it. Next time I wouldn't throw the carrots in, because we like to steam them and candy them with some butter and sugar. I think this pot roast would especially be good for a special occasion because it is more colorful and pretty.

Ingredients:

3 lb. beef roast

1 small onion, sliced

1 packet dry onion soup mix

4-6 cups water (enough so that the roast is 1/2 submerged)

2 cloves minced garlic

2 bay leaves

1 box frozen chopped spinach or

2-3 cups fresh spinach

2-3 cups sliced mushrooms

Directions:

Combine onion, soup mix, garlic, bay leaves, and water, mix. Place roast in crock pot. Cook on high 5-7 hours. (I like to start it the night before on low, especially if it is frozen, and then turn it to high 4 hours before we eat). Add spinach & mushrooms and cook until vegetables are tender (around 1 hour). Mix 1 cup of drippings with 1 packet brown gravy mix (substitute 4 T cornstarch if needed). 

Wonderful with mashed potatoes.

Triple Rich Chocolate Crock Pot Cake

Sounds silly to bake a cake in the crockpot but this cake turned out so moist and delicious. We will do it again!

Ingredients:

1 box Devil's Food Cake mix1 small box (3 oz) Instant Chocolate pudding4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 cup sour cream1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Combine all ingredients by hand in a bowl. Pour batter into a greased crock pot. Cover and cook on low heat 5-6 hours or until done in the center. Do not cook on high heat.

**My cake was done in 3-4 hours!

Chicken Lentil Crock-Pot Soup

This had a rich, hearty taste. I love lentils. Eating them makes me feel healthier. I served this with a crusty bread and butter and the whole family enjoyed it! I also love ham and lentil soup and next time I'm going to try this soup with ham.

Ingredients:9 cups broth

2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed

4 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced

3 celery stocks, finely diced

1/2 cup uncooked rice (I used black rice, but you can use any rice you want)

2 tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups cooked chicken cut or broken into bite-sized pieces

sour creamDirections:

Stir together broth, lentils, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, thyme and salt and pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. With one hour left, remove 2 cups of soup and puree in a blender or food processer until almost smooth. Stir back into soup. Add cooked chicken for the last hour.

Garnish soup with sour cream. I think it would be good with grated cheese as well.

Crock Pot San Fransico Chops

These have a fantastic salty/teriyaki flavor. I made the meat in the crock pot but then supplemented the meal with rice and a pineapple/veggie stir fry. Turns out that sweetness of the pineapple didn't go great with the meat. Next time I will do a regular stir fry and exclude the pineapple.
This recipe is just for the chops.

San Francisco Chops

Ingredients:

4 pork loin chops (1-inch thick)

1 to 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

¼ cup red wine or chicken broth

2 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. cold water

Hot cooked rice.

Directions:

In a skillet, brown pork chops on both sides in oil; transfer to a slow cooker. Add garlic to drippings; cook and stir for about 1 minute or until golden. Stir in soy sauce, wine or broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove chops. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook for at least 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve over rice. Yield: 4 servings.