Crock Pot Honey Pork & Apples

About a month ago, I bought several different kinds of meats to cook up in the slow cooker and a pork tenderloin was one of the meats. I started looking around on Pinterest and came upon this recipe. It sounded different from anything I've ever made before so I decided to try it. I came home yesterday from work and my apartment smelled amazing! I didn't get an after picture because it wasn't very appetizing to look at right away lol. I think the top part burned a little in the slow cooker because it was all black when I opened the lid. Once I stirred things around, the meat looked okay though. And then I started eating it and forgot to post an after picture! I would definitely make this recipe again! The pork was very tender and tasted sweet. I think the apples fully cooked down though because I couldn't find any in the broth, which was okay because I could taste hints of them in the pork. The recipe says to cook it for 8-10 hours but I checked mine after 7 hours and it was completely done, so it may depend on the slow cooker.

Crock Pot Honey Pork & Apples (6 servings):

1 (3-4 lb) pork tenderloin
2 large Granny Smith apples, sliced
1/2 c honey, divided
2 tbsp cinnamon

Slice slits in the pork tenderloin. Place 1-2 apple slices per slit into the pork tenderloin. Place 3/4 of remaining apple slices in bottom of crock pot. Drizzle 1/2 of the honey over the apple slices. Place pork on top of the apple slices. Sprinkle cinnamon over everything. Place remaining apple slices on top and drizzle the remaining honey over everything.

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove from slow cooker, slice and serve with apples on top.




Apples at the bottom of the slow cooker...






Pork stuffed with apples...






Honey poured in...

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

I'm from MN and I've been living in Las Vegas for exactly two months today. Back home at Panera I could easily get chicken & wild rice soup-at the Paneras out here, that's not one of the soups. So I've been craving it. I have a couple bags of real wild rice that I've been wanting to play around with but I've never really made anything with it before. I found this recipe on Pinterest and it had a mixture of long grain rice and wild rice so I thought I'd try it out and if I liked it, I would find a soup that didn't have the long grain rice but only the wild rice. I did like this soup but I wasn't sure I liked the leftovers. It was really thick after sitting in the fridge so I had to add about 1/2 to 1 cup of chicken broth to water it down so I could eat it. If I made this again, I wouldn't add as much flour in the roux and hopefully it won't make the soup as thick. I made two substitutions in this recipe-it calls for Rice-a-Roni long grain & wild rice but I used Uncle Ben's. And I also used gluten-free all-purpose flour. The soup was good and it tasted similar to the Panera one so I'll probably make this again.

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup:

4 1/2 c chicken broth
2 c water
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c butter
2 c half-and-half
1 c grated carrots
1 c diced celery

Combine broth, water, carrots, celery, chicken and rice (along with seasoning packet) in large slow cooker. Cook on low 6 hours or on high 4 hours. Take chicken out and shred with two forks and then add them back into the slow cooker.

In small bowl combine salt, pepper and flour. In med saucepan over med heat, melt butter. Stir in flour mixture by tbsp to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Stir cream mixture into slow cooker and then let cook on low 15 more minutes. Enjoy!




The roux...






Enjoy!...

Elbow Macaroni with Crispy Breadcrumbs & Broccoli

I found this recipe in the Food Network magazine and it stood out because the pasta wasn't in a heavy sauce. This was a really good dish and I'd definitely make this again. The breadcrumb mixture really made the pasta good and added an extra kick with the pepper flakes. I substituted the regular pasta with gluten-free pasta because I've been trying to cut back on my carbs and the gluten-free pasta is a lot healthier. I chose the quinoa pasta and this was my first time making it-I think I overcooked my pasta a tad but all in all it tasted just like regular pasta. I also added 2 more cloves of garlic than what was called for, because everyone knows you can never have too much garlic! I think you could actually use the breadcrumb mixture over any type of pasta-I could definitely play around with this recipe in other ways!

Elbow Macaroni with Crispy Breadcrumbs & Broccoli (4-6 servings) (Food Network):

Salt
6 tbsp EVOO, plus more for drizzling
1/2 c panko
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 c elbow macaroni
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (I used 3 cloves)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 c chicken stock
1 c freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, in large skillet over med, add 2 tbsp oil. Add the breadcrumbs and toast, stirring constantly, until they are crisp and golden, 4-5 minutes, taking care not to let them burn. Scrape into a small bowl and toss with the lemon zest and parsley and then season with salt.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to pkg directions until al dente while you make the sauce. Wipe out the skillet used to toast the breadcrumbs and return it to med-high heat. Add the remaining 4 tbsp oil and when oil is hot, add the broccoli and toss to coat. Saute until it turns bright green, 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and pepper flakes. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute, then pour in the stock. Simmer until the broccoli is tender, 5-6 minutes.

When pasta is done, scoop it out of the water with a small strainer and add directly to the sauce, reserving the pasta water. Simmer the pasta with the sauce just to blend the flavors, 1-2 more minutes, then drizzle with a tbsp or so of oil and toss again If sauce seems too dry, add up to 1/2 c pasta water. Off heat, stir in the cheese. Serve in warmed bowls and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Enjoy!




Breadcrumb mixture...






Pasta stirred into sauce...






Enjoy!...

Crock Pot Coke Baby Back Ribs

I've been on a crock pot kick lately and I wanted to make a bunch of meat meals to freeze. I've never made ribs before and this recipe sounded pretty easy to me. I found the recipe on Pinterest and it was so easy to make. And the ribs were so tender, they were falling off the bone. The coke added a neat flavor to the ribs. I've never used a broiler before either and this recipe made it easy. I will definitely make this recipe again!

Crock Pot Coke Baby Back Ribs:

1 rack Pork Baby Back ribs
1 can Coke
Salt and pepper
1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce of your choice

Cut the ribs down if your slow cooker is smaller. Rub both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper. Place the ribs or wrap them around the outside of the slow cooker. Pour the coke over the ribs and cook 8-10 hours on low.

Place foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Carefully transfer the ribs to the prepared sheet, meaty side up. Cover the ribs with the BBQ sauce and place under the broiler until sauce starts to sizzle and caramelized, no longer than 5 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Enjoy!




Ribs and coke added to slow cooker...






And they are done...






Before the BBQ sauce...






Enjoy!...

Muffin Omelets

I got the original idea for this recipe on Pinterest but I made these with my own desired toppings. I started working out-doing 1 hour intensive full-body workouts and I discovered I needed to eat a good meal before working out. Egg whites are better for you, which I've already been eating a lot of. These are easy to make and they are convenient, not to mention they can be put in the freezer so you can make a large batch. You can add whatever toppings you want. I wasn't too fond of the parm cheese that I added to mine so when I make these again, I may omit that. I also discovered you can add quinoa to these, which I will do in the future. Even more needed protein before a workout!

Muffin Omelets (6-9 servings):

32 oz carton egg white substitute
1/2 to 1 c broccoli florets, cut into smaller pieces
2-3 pieces ham, cubed
Cheese of your choice
Pepper and garlic powder, to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Add your ingredients to each muffin tin, spreading evenly. Fill with egg white substitute. Top with cheese, pepper and garlic powder. Bake until eggs are set, about 30 minutes. Cool in muffin pan. Enjoy!




Fillings...





Egg whites & cheese added...






Fresh from the oven...








Enjoy!...

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

I had the girls over for dinner one night a couple weeks ago and my best friend Mandi made bacon wrapped asparagus. It was sooo good! And ever since that dinner, I've been craving it. I decided to use prosciutto with mine and I drizzled the finishing product with the aged balsamic vinegar that I bought in Italy. Soooo good! I only made half of the bunch of asparagus but it was a perfect serving size.

Prosciutto or bacon
Asparagus
Balsamic Vinegar, if desired

Slice off the top ends of the asparagus. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Slice the prosciutto, or bacon if using, in half. Wrap each half around a stalk of asparagus and place on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the prosciutto is crisp. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, if using. Enjoy!




Ready to be baked...






Enjoy!...