This creamy dish features two of my favorite ingredients, sweet butternut squash and hearty quinoa. It’s the perfect dish to serve for dinner on a cold winter’s night.
Sunday is all about the fams! Whether it’s a trip to the Zoo, strolling through the mall or having fun at the park, Sunday is the one day I don’t want to be in the kitchen! Yesterday, I was able to throw ingredients in the slow cooker and enjoy a day out without worrying about what’s for dinner. Yes, this particular recipe does require some prep work, but trust me it’s worth it. I tried it once without first browning the meat and it was not as tender. After a long day out, it felt great coming home to a delicious home cooked meal. This goes great with leftover challah from Shabbat or fresh pita.
I’m a hungry mama and winter definitely brings more cravings than my pregnancy did! When it’s cold out, and I’m inside trying to stay warm my body screams for tasty comforting dishes to help fight the winter blues. Creamy Mac and Cheese and Tuna Casserole are just a few of the dishes I have been making in my search for the ultimate comfort food. This recipe for slow cooker Salsa Chicken not only fits the list, it’s also super easy to whip up. I usually reserve my slow cooker for Shabbat cholent, however I decided to bring it out before the weekend for some easy week night cooking.
Crock Pot Stew is a comforting cold weather one pot recipe that can be baked in a slow cooker while you are out of the house. The savory ingredients used in this recipe include olives and sundried tomatoes – not your mom’s stew! Prepare this dish using a crock pot or simply bake in the oven in a covered casserole or Dutch oven.
Ingredients:
3 lbs. lean stewing beef or veal
1 tbsp. oil (use a bit more, if needed)
1 tbsp. dried herbs including basil, oregano and thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 medium or 2 small cloves of garlic, minced (or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder)
1/2 cup sliced, drained olives (your favorite type)
1/2 cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained
1 cup broth – beef or chicken (use 2 cups broth if baking in the oven)
1/2 cup fresh pearl onions, peeled (I use one large onion, chopped)
Directions:
In large skillet, lightly brown meat in oil, in batches to avoid steaming, and drain. Tranfer meat to 5 qt. crock pot. Add herbs, salt and garlic to meat. Place olives and tomatoes on top. Pour broth over top and place onions all around the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours, until meat is tender.
If you are preparing the stew in the oven, combine all ingredients including browned meat and 2 cups broth and place in covered heavy casserole or Dutch oven. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, baste and turn down temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for another 60 minutes, basting occasionally, until meat is tender.
Ingredients:
3/4 of a bag of barley
3-4 potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into pieces
1 large sweet potato, skin on kept whole!
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, diced
Meat (flankin on the bone or off)
Kishka (I use Benzies)
2-3 eggs in shell not boiled (I toss a few eggs in, cuz it browns and tastes awesome when mixed in or on the side, once served.)
1 jalapeño (if the mood strikes)
Cumin
Onion Soup Mix
3 handfuls of salt (ok maybe not handfuls, but lots of salt!)
Black Pepper
Paprika
Schug (according to how much spiciness you would like)
Directions:
Place potatoes, onion and garlic into the crockpot. Then add the barley, meat and kishka. Fill the crockpot with water and add the spices. Then add the eggs slowly so they don’t break. Cook on high for 1-2 hours then set on low for Shabbat.
Ingredients:
3 frozen chicken breasts
8 red baby potatoes, cut in half (scrub, but leave peel on)
1 small-medium onion, sliced
Italian dressing (see mixture below)
Italian Dressing:
Mix together the following ingredients for the dressing:
1/2 cup canola oil
3 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp white sugar
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried parsley
¼ tsp dried basil
a pinch of dried thyme
Directions:
Place chicken breasts at the bottom of the crock pot. Put onion slices on top. Pour half of the dressing on the chicken and onions. Place the potato halves on top and pour the rest of the dressing on. Either cook on high for 4 hours and then low for 2 hours OR cook on low for about 10 hours, or until chicken is done and potatoes are tender. It makes a delicious gravy that can also go over rice or pasta.
