Slow Cooker Chili

*From "Simply in Season"

1 lb ground beef
*Brown in large fry pan

1 onion (chopped)
1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 c. green pepper (chopped)
1 c. celery (chopped)
*Add and saute for 3-5 min. Place in Slow Cooker

4 c. cooked kidney beans or pinto beans
4 c. tomatoes (chopped) OR tomato juice OR canned tomatoes
1-2 Tb. Chili powder
1 Tb sugar, honey or molasses
1 tsp salt or seasoned salt
1 c. corn (I used frozen)
1 c. mushrooms (chopped. optional, but a yummy addition!)
1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
1 hot chili pepper (minced; optional) - I didn't use this. I used a little hot sauce instead.
*Add everything (except mushrooms if using) and cook on high for 15 min. Then cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Add mushrooms during last hour. Serve as a soup or over rice or pasta.

Yields 8 c.
(this lasted us more than two meals)

Vegetarian Groundnut Stew

*From "Simply in Season"

2 c. onion (chopped)
2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
3 c. winter squash such as butternut (peeled and cubed)
2 c. cabbage (chopped
1 dried chili pepper or ground red pepper to taste (I left this out because my kids won't eat spicy)
3 c. tomato juice (or pureed canned tomatoes)
1 c. apple juice
1-2 teaspoons ginger root (peeled and minced)
1-2 c. green beans (I cut them into bite-sized pieces)
1/2 c. peanut butter (*Note: if you use natural peanut butter, you will need to add salt to this dish)

1. In large frypan, saute onion and garlic in 1 Tbs oil until translucent.
2. Add squash, cabbage and chili pepper. Saute until flavors are mixed.
3. Add tomato juice, apple juice and ginger root. Cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 min.
4. Add green beans and simmer 5 minutes more.
5. Stir in peanut butter and simmer at very low heat until ready to serve. Serve on top of brown rice or millet with toppings (optional- I didn't use any of these): chopped green onions, parsley, cilantro, peaches or other fruit, crushed peanuts, flaked coconut.

Says it make 6 servings. It lasted the four of us three meals.

Crock Pot Chicken Wings

3 pounds of chicken wings
2 jars of Chicken Wing Sauce (12 oz jars)
2 TBSP butter, melted
1 to 2 teaspoons bottled hot pepper sauce
2/3 cup blue cheese or ranch dressing (for dipping)

For sauce, in a slow cooker combine chicken wing sauce, melted butter, and hot pepper sauce. Add chicken wings, stirring to coat with sauce.
Cover and cook on low heat setting for 4-5 hours, or high heat setting for 2-2 1/2 hours.
Serve immediately or keep warm on low heat setting for up to 2 hours. Serve chicken wings with salad dressing.

Number of Servings: 16
From: Kim Martin

BUTTER PECAN TURTLE BAR COOKIES

(Kay McVay)

Crust:

     2 cups flour

     1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

     1/2 cups softened butter

Carmel:

     2/3 cup butter

     1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup whole pecan halves

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine crust ingredients.  Mix at medium speed 2 to 3 minutes.  Pat firmly into ungreased 9" x 13" baking pan.  Sprinkle nuts onto unbaked crust.  Prepare caramel layer and pour evenly over crust.  Bake for 18 to 22 minutes.  Remove and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Allow chips to melt 2 to 3 minutes.  Swirl and cool completely.  Cut.  Freezes well.

To prepare caramel layer:

     In saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until entire surface boils.  Boil 1/2 minutes 

     and stir constantly.

NEW YORK WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

(Kay McVay)

Crust:

     1 (9-oz.) pkg. chocolate wafer cookies, crushed (2 1/4 cups)

     6 T. butter, melted

Filling:

     2 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

     1/2 cup sugar

     3 eggs

     1 (12-oz.) pkg. (2 cups) white vanilla chips or 12 oz. vanilla-flavored candy coating, chopped, melted*

     1 cup whipping cream

     1 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate Sauce:

     1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

     1 T. butter

     1/4 cup boiling water

     3/4 cup sugar

     3 T. corn syrup

     1/2 tsp. vanilla or mint extract

1.  Place 12-inch square sheet of foil on rack below center oven rack in oven.  Heat oven to 325 degrees.  In medium bowl, combine crust ingredients, mix well.  Press in bottom and about 1 inch up sides of ungreased 10-inch springform pan.  Refrigerate while preparing filling.

2.  Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth.  Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until smooth.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Quickly add melted chips, whipping cream and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Pour into crust-lined pan.

3.  Bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes or until edges are set; center of cheesecake will be soft.  Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches.  Let cheesecake sit in oven for 30 minutes or until center is set.

4.  Remove cheesecake from oven  Cool in pan on wire rack for 1 hour or until completely cooled.  Carefully remove sides of pan.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours or over night.

5.  In small heavy saucepan, combine chocolate chips, 1 T butter and boiling water.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Whisk chocolate mixture until smooth.  Add 3/4 cup sugar and corn syrup; mix well.  Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low; boil 8 minutes without stirring.

6.  Remove saucepan from heat.  Stir 1/2 tsp. vanilla into chocolate sauce.  Cool 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Sauce will thicken as it cools. 

*To melt white vanilla chips, place 1 cup at a time in medium microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on MEDIUM for 3 to 4 minutes or until melted, stirring once halfway through cooking.  Stir until smooth.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

       Ready in 2hr. 40 min.

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
24 mini graham cracker pie crusts (such as Keebler®)
1 1/2 cups whipped cream
1 pinch ground cinnamon, or more to taste

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, and flour in a small bowl.

Beat cream cheese in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin puree, sour cream, vanilla extract, almond extract, and sugar and spice mixture; mix until smooth and thoroughly combined. Spoon mixture evenly into the mini pie crusts.

Bake in preheated oven until cheesecakes are set, about 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Refrigerate for 90 minutes before serving.

To serve, top each mini cheesecake with whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon.


Printed from Allrecipes.com

Jess's Crockpot Beef Stew

When we were at a play date a few weeks ago, my sweet friend Jess served this for lunch over mashed potatoes, and it was DELICIOUS!! And it's an easy slow cooker recipe, which makes it that much better.

Serves 4 : 1 1/2 cups per serving

3- to 4 1/2 quart round or oval slow cooker

Slow cooking time: 8 to 10 hours on low, plus 10 minutes on high

OR 5 to 6 hours on high plus 10 minutes on high

Dark beer gives this stew its complex flavor.   You'll definitely want to soak up all the sauce, so serve the stew over whole-wheat no-yolk noodles, brown rice, or mashed potatoes

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless sirloin steak, all visible fat discarded, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/4 cups fat free, low sodium beef broth

12 oz dark beer

2 medium turnips or potatoes (about 1 pound total), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices

1 medium rib of celery, chopped

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tbsp cold water

2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley (optional)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Spread the beef on a large plate.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the beef.  Toss to coat.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over the medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom.  Cook the beef and onion for 5 minutes, or until the beef is browned on all sides, stirring frequently.  Transfer to the slow cooker.

Stir in the broth, beer, turnips, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme.  Cook, covered, on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours., or until the beef and vegetables are tender.

Put the flour in a small bowl.  Add the water, whisking to dissolve.  Quickly pour into the beef mixture, stirring until well combined, and re-cover the slow cooker.  If using the low setting, change it to high.  Cook for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Stir in the parsley and vinegar.

Cook's tip:  If you don't care for dark beer, you can use light beer instead, or for a nonalcoholic alternative, substitute an additional 11/2 cups of fat-free, low sodium beef broth for the beer.