Shredded beef tacos --- Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

I can't be the only one on the lookout for new tacos to mix up my Taco Tuesday options. This one turned out so good and was easy. Either throw it in the Instant Pot for 35 minutes or the slow cooker option all day long and you'll have tender shredded beef tacos for dinner. I chose to go the IP route, because I love the functionality of just being able to throw everything in at the last minute. Although there is a special place in my heart (and nose) that LOVES having my food slow cooked all day long. Just serve with corn or flour tortillas.  So here it is:


Shredded Beef Tacos
3-4 lbs of stew meat
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 Tbsp tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup either picante or green salsa*
1 cup beef broth

For Garnish
Cilantro
Green Onions
Limes
Sour cream
Guacamole
Salsa
Lettuce
*I used green because I knew it wouldn't be too spicy for the 4 little mouths I have to feed.

In bowl mix stew meat and salt. Toss to coat.
Press the Saute button on IP add olive oil
Add in onions and garlic until fragrant and softened
Add in tomato paste, cumin and oregano. Stir for about a minute
Add meat
Pour in salsa and beef broth
Cover and set to "Meat/Stew" option (remember to do so you must press the "Keep Warm/Cancel" button). Set cook time to 35 minutes.
Let pressure release naturally
Remove meat and shred.

Slow Cooker option:
Place all ingredients in IP and choose slow cook option, cook on low for 5-7 hours. If you're up for it browning the meat prior to placing in IP will add to the depth of flavor.

Crock Pot Beef with Broccoli

I've been wanting beef with broccoli for a few weeks now, but haven't gotten around to making it. By the time dinner came around we needed to do something a little bit faster in preparation. Today I was planning on it for dinner again and was thinking about timing, especially with the time change. Then I realized that I could probably manipulate my current recipe to be a crock pot recipe. So I gave it a shot. It turned out really good, simple and the meat melted in your mouth. So now I share with you.

Crock pot Beef with Broccoli
1 lb beef (I used flank steak), cut into bite size pieces
1 onion sliced into quarters (I used red because that's what I had you could use yellow)
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/3 cup slightly packed brown sugar
4 Tbsp garlic minced
3 Tbsp chopped ginger
2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 cups broccoli florets
Green onions, to garnish
Sesame seeds, to garnish

Add beef and onion quarters to crock pot
In a bowl mix together, beef broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic & ginger.
Pour mixture over beef and onions in crock pot
Cover with lid and cook on low 4-6 hours
Ladle out 1/4 of broth from crock pot into a bowl, add cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
Remove onion quarters from crock pot
Return cornstarch mixture to crock pot and stir gently
Add in broccoli pieces (if you would like them to stay bright green you'll want to steam them first and then add right before you want to eat.)  To make things simple I prefer just adding the broccoli to the crock pot and turning on high for 20 minutes, or until broccoli has your desired tenderness and the sauce has thickened.
Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame and green onions.

Crock Pot Minestrone

I've tried many Crock Pot Minestrone recipes, and I have a "go-to" but this is my new favorite and will replace my old one for sure.

Crock pot Minestrone
1 lb sausage
2 cups vegetable/chicken stock
2 cups water
1 lg can diced tomatoes
chopped celery
chopped carrots
chopped onion
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
chopped zucchini
garlic minced
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup pasta (I used Stelline) cooked
Finely shredded Parmesan

Cook sausage in skillet on stove until brown, add to crock pot
Add stock, water, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, herbs and sugar to crock pot.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
An hour before ready to eat add zucchini and kidney beans.
5 minutes before ready to eat add cooked pasta and spinach
Serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese

As much as I love a "throw everything in" and be done recipe, slowly adding the ingredients like zucchini, kidney beans and spinach gives a great texture to the soup.  Remember I don't give "amounts" for the vegetables/garlic etc, because every family likes things differently. You may want to add more carrots than celery, this way you can customize your minestrone yourself.
Enjoy!

Chicken Bone Broth in the Crock Pot

Start to an amazing Bone Broth

I've recently been fascinated with learning all I can about food for its health benefits not just for how tasty it is. In my search I've been experimenting with home fermentation. I have mastered a mean sauerkraut (both a Japanese one as well as a traditional one), I've made some pretty great kimchi.  I have delved into making medicinal pickled garlic, today I'll be making some medicinal oils, and one of the families all times favorites is what is now become a weekly ritual of bone broth.  Not only is it really tasty, either by itself, with an egg stirred into it, used as a stock for risotto, soups, or added to any cooking where you would traditionally use chicken/beef broth. But the health benefits are plentiful.

Bone broth is an excellent source of minerals and is known to boost the immune system and it helps improve digestion.  The broth itself is high in calcium, magnesium, amino acids and phosphorus which is great for bone and tooth health.  Bone broth has a high collagen content which supports joints, hair, skin and nails.  In cases of stomach bugs or vomiting, bone broth works to calm the stomach and can help shorten the illness.  

You can make bone broth from bones of chicken, lamb, fish, turkey, beef...etc.  Add in some vegetables, herbs of your choice and you have an amazing immune boosting liquid.  You can add egg shells, which are also rich in minerals and the egg membranes have nutrients that are supportive for joint health.

One thing I love about this is every time I make it it turns out differently depending on what I have in the house to add to it. We have only made chicken bone broth at this point because it's easy to find an organic whole chicken to start the broth. Although I am determined to find myself some organic grass fed beef bones so that I can make a beef bone broth, but as I said the chicken is easy.  We typically each drink a glass or so a day just heated up.  One of our favorite ways to use the broth (other than in cooking) is heat up some soup and whisk in an egg until cooked (similar to an egg-drop soup).

I buy the whole chicken, we roast it for dinner, eat all the meat and all the bones (and giblets) become the base for the broth.

Here's what you need:
2 lbs or more bones, although at this point I've only ever used 1 chicken carcass and it's turned out really good (they need to be high quality, organic/grass fed animal/wild caught fish)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (this is crucial as it helps draw more of the mineral content out of the bone)
Salt/Pepper to taste
*chicken feet, optional (for extra gelatin)

Here's what else you can add:
**The great thing about this is this can now become your "compost" (if you don't typically compost this is a great place to put all your vegetable scraps). Throughout the week as you cut up onions, vegetables, cook with eggs you can put all the scraps and egg shells into a Ziploc and store in the freezer to use when you're ready to make your bone broth.  The options are endless depending on what your family eats.

Here's just a run down of my typical bone broth
1 onion (no need to peel, just cut in quarters put peel, roots and all in broth)
4-5 carrots (rinse and chop roughly)
4-5 stalks of celery including leaves (can use base of celery too)
3 garlic cloves (just crushed, skin and peel left on)
3 roughly chopped green onions including root
2 ends of fennel heads and tops
1 shallot (cut in half, peel and all)
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp sea salt

Here's ideas of other things to add:
Egg shells
Broccoli stalks
Carrot tops & peels (if you happen to peel your carrots)

Here's how to cook it:
Add bones to pot
Cover with water (about an inch above bones)
Add Apple Cider Vinegar and let sit for 20-30 minutes
Now add all your vegetables/herbs/garlic and salt
Cook on low for 24 hours (for poultry)
Cook on low for 48 hours (for beef)
Cook on low for 8  hours (for fish)
When done, strain (with cheesecloth or a very fine strainer) and store in fridge for 5 days or in the freezer.
During the first few hours of simmering you may need to remove the impurities that float on the surface (although I've never had a problem with this), throw this part away. Usually check every 20 minutes for the first 2 hours.

Now don't be concerned if once you put your bone broth in the fridge that it becomes jello like, as that's a good sign. That's a sign of high gelatin content, feel free to scrape that off and use the gelatin for roasting vegetables, or other cooking uses.

Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana

Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana
1 lb Italian Sausage
1/2 lb bacon chopped
chopped potatoes (I added 4 medium sized potatoes)
2 cups chicken both
4 cups water
1 medium onion chopped
2 tsp garlic
1 cup kale
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Chop sausage into bite sized pieces and brown sausage in skillet and add to crock pot
Brown bacon until crisp, drain and add to crock pot
Place water, broth, potatoes, onion and garlic into crock pot
Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours, until potatoes are tender
Add kale and whipping cream and stir to combine, cook on low an additional 30 minutes
***recipe called for 1lb bacon cooked in skillet and added to crock pot, personally although I LOVE bacon I didn't think the recipe "needed a full lb", so I cut it to 1/2 lb.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

This is a recipe I switch out the vegetables based on seasonal options. I'll replace potatoes for sweet potaotes or butternut squash as they add a completely different flavor.


Crock Pot Beef Stew
1 lb stew meat
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 6oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
chopped onion
Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes/Butternut Squash
Carrots
Celery
bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp garlic
2 cups beef broth

Chop all vegetables and add to crock pot
Add tomato paste, herbs & beef broth

Cut stew meat into bite size pieces, dredge in flour & cook on stove top in olive oil until browned. Add meat to slow cooker, use red wine to deglaze pan. Let red wine come to boil and scrap off any residual meat flour in pan, pour into crock pot.
Cook on low 6-8 hours

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff
1 lb beef (I like to use stew meat)
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup red wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup onion
3 tbsp flour
1 cup sour cream
Pasta

Dredge beef in flour, salt & pepper. Melt butter in skillet and brown beef & onion. After browned pour into crock pot. Use red wine to deglaze the pan and pour in crock pot.
Place all other ingredients (except pasta and sour cream) in crock pot and stir
Cook on low for 5-6 hours
Add sour cream, cover and cook on low for 30-45 minutes (do not allow mix to boil)
Prior to eating cook pasta, serve beef stroganoff over pasta

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup
1 lb chicken
1 lg can diced tomatoes
1 can beans (kidney, great northern, garbanzo) rinsed & drained
2-4 cups chicken broth (depending on how much broth you want)
zucchini
carrots
celery
Kale
Pasta (farfalle, penne, shells, orzo...etc)

Put all ingredients except kale & pasta in crock pot
Cook on low 6-8 hours
10 minutes before being ready to eat cook pasta and add to crock pot
Turn crock pot to high and add kale cook to desired tenderness

Crockpot Whole Chicken

This is a recipe I've wanted to do for a while, but seeing that my husband had some doubts about how it would turn out I hesitated. Well, next time I'll ignore his doubts because this was absolutely amazing and he is now a believer.
This recipe is VERY flexible, you can add any spices you like, any veggies you like and regardless it's going to turn out fantastic.

Whole Crockpot Chicken
1 whole chicken
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 Fennel bulb chopped into large pieces
1 tbsp sage
1/2-1 cup white wine (depending on how much "broth" you want)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Rub whole chicken with salt, pepper and sage
Place in bottom of crockpot legs down
Place rosemary, fennel pieces around chicken
Add wine
Cook on low 6-8 hours

As I said this recipe is very flexible, replace the fennel for onion, use parsley, cilantro, thyme, any herb you want. Add different veggies, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, the options are endless.

****The chicken turns out very moist, just be careful as the bones can easily be hidden as the  meat falls off the bone and some of the bones are very small.

Crock Pot Korean Beef w/Cucumber salad

This was probably one of the better meats I've made in the crock pot, the kids devoured every last bite. We had no left overs which definitely proves it was a good dinner. The recipe calls for chuck roast, short ribs or back ribs however I wasn't able to find any of those where I shop and I ended up using a flank steak and it turned out amazing as well. I do think it would be perfect with ribs as they have a little more fat on them.

Crock Pot Korean Beef
1 lb beef (chuck roast, short ribs, back ribs, flank steak)
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp veg oil
1 tbsp ginger
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp sriracha (optional, we left this out due to tiny mouths)

Mix all together and pour over beef. After I mixed the sauce (prior to pouring on beef) I tasted it to see how I liked the flavor I did need to increase the amount of rice vinegar as I thought it was a little too oily, I added an additional 1 tsp rice vinegar.
Cook on low 6-8 hours

Cucumber Slaw
1 cucumber (seedless recommended)
Thinly slice red onion
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
Mix all together

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

I've been searching for a good crock pot recipe for chicken and dumplings, I finally found one that I think turned out really well.

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings
1 lb chicken (I use thighs)
Potatoes chopped
Carrots chopped
Celery chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tsp garlic
4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup flour
1/2 pkg frozen peas

Dumplings
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk

Add all veggies and meat to crock pot
In bowl combine chicken broth and 1/2 cup flour until dissolved, add spices
Pour into crock pot
Cook on low for 6-8 hours
Dumpling will take 20-30 minutes, when ready to eat turn crock pot to high add peas and dumplings. Let cook covered for 20-30 minutes.

Crock Pot Tortellini Soup

Crock Pot Tortellini Soup
Chopped onion
2 medium zucchini chopped
3 1/2 cup chicken/vegetable broth
1 lg can crushed tomatoes
1 can beans (great northern, kidney, garbanzo) rinsed & drained
2 tbsp chopped basil
8 oz fresh tortellini

Combine all ingredients except tortellini
Mix well
Cook low for 6 hours
Increase to high 10 minutes before being ready to eat and add tortellini
Serve with parmesan

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

I got a request from my husband to mix things up a little and experiment with some new recipes as sometimes the crock pot always seems like a pot of soup, or cooked down vegetables with meat. SO...I did some quick (actually it wasn't quick as I was interrupted every 5 seconds by little ones wanting a snack, or to play with me, or just to ask me something) BUT I found some new recipes and if they're good I'll share them.
This was last nights dinner and it was a huge hit all around.



Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
1 lb chicken (I use thighs)
8 green onions, sliced
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp chopped ginger (optional)
2 tsp fish sauce (optional)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 ketchup
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, we opted to leave this out)
4 tsp cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1/2 tbsp (or more) sesame seeds
3 scallions chopped
Cooked rice
Broccoli

Place chicken in crock pot
In small bowl combine 1/2 of your green onions (other 1/2 reserved for garnish), garlic, ginger, honey, fish sauce, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Mix
Pour over chicken. Cook on low 3-4 hours or on high for 2 hours
Remove chicken and shred into bite sized pieces.
In small bowl dissolve 4 tsp cornstarch with 1/3 cup water.
Add to crock pot.
Stir to combine with sauce.
Place broccoli and chicken back in crock pot and cook an additional 10 minutes to thicken the sauce (if you want the sauce thicker continue to add cornstarch dissolved in water until you get desired thickness).
Serve over rice with sesame seeds & green onions to garnish.

This would also be very good over chow mein like noodles, if I was to use the noodles I'd cook separately and then toss in the crock pot to cover with the sauce.

Crock Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken

What I love about this one is you can change up the flavor just by changing what salsa you use, well and it's a super simple recipe that only needs 4 ingredients.



Crock Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken
chicken (I use thighs or breasts)

1 jar salsa (my favorite is the Salsa Verde from Trader Joes as it's not too spicy for the kiddos)
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1 lime squeezed
1 chopped onion

Place all ingredients in crock pot, cook on low 6-8 hours.

Serve as taco meat, burrito meat, on top of rice, in a soup, meat for enchiladas, with beans, the options are endless....


This would also be really good with a ground beef, ground turkey or even a pork loin/roast.

Crock Pot BBQ Ribs/Crock Pot pulled chicken/pork

This has to be one of my all time favorite recipes as I've adapted it to many uses.

BBQ Sauce
1 Cup ketchup
1/3 cup molasses
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 tsp chopped garlic

Mix sauce, pour over ribs, chicken, pork roast and cook on low 6-8 hours

If using ribs the rib meat literally falls off the bone. When using chicken/pork loin it turns into more of a pulled chicken, pulled pork type dish. I then serve with brussel sprouts and buttermilk biscuits.

***When I do as a pulled chicken/pork I chop up a red onion to cook in the crock pot as well.

Crock Pot Chili (Pumpkin/Butternut Squash Chili recipe too)

This is a recipe I change up the meat on a lot and it changes the flavor and texture of the chili. Sometimes I do a chili con carne, other times a chicken chili and I've also done a ground turkey chili. All turn out very good, and just dependent on what meat I have in the refrigerator.

Crock Pot Chili
2 cans of beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 lb meat (chicken, ground beef, ground turkey)
1 chopped onion
1-2 tbsp taco seasoning (this is a definite cheat for me, as the flavors are perfect for chili and I don't often use cayenne or chili powder so those spices usually just sit in my pantry)
2 tbs chopped garlic

That's it! I typically use whatever beans I have in the pantry and usually use two different types, pinto, kidney, great northern, black beans...etc

When I use ground beef or ground turkey I brown them both first on the stove top and then drain off the excess cooking grease.
I typically serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped cilantro.
And of course cornbread!

Pumpkin Chili/Butternut Squash Chili
Come Fall I add some flavors from the season, by following the recipe above and then either chopping up some butternut squash and putting that in or adding a can of pumpkin puree (make sure it's not the pie filling).

Crock Pot Ground Beef Vegetable Medley

For me this was a "clean out the fridge/pantry" creation. I had no plans for dinner just random ingredients and this is what came together. A perfect Fall addition.

Ground Beef Vegetable Medley
3 cups beef broth
1 lb ground beef
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can beans (Kidney, great northern, garbanzo...etc) rinsed and drained
Onion chopped
Zucchini
Carrots
Celery
1 bell pepper
1 tbsp garlic
pinch of thyme
pinch of rosemary
bay leaf

Cut veggies add to crock pot
Pour in beans and tomatoes
Add broth
Add spices and stir
Cook ground beef & drain, add to crock pot and stir altogether
Cook on low 8-10 hours

Lets get Crocking

I'm going to start with my newest all time favorite go to crock pot soup. What I love about this soup is not only how easy it is but also the flavors are different than most crock pot soups/stews.

Thai Chicken Rice Noodle Soup

2 cans coconut milk (I prefer using 1 full fat and 1 low fat)
1 lb chicken thighs/breasts
3-4 garlic cloves minced
2 tbsp minced ginger (I probably add closer to 4 tbsp)
4 Cups chicken stock
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 red bell peppers
2 cups snow peas
limes
cilantro
jalapeno (optional, I don't use as we have small tummies we are feeding, but could easily be served on side for people who like spicy)
Rice noodles

Put coconut milk, chicken, garlic, ginger, chicken stock, soy sauce in crock pot.
Cook on low 6-8 hours
10 minutes before being ready to eat cook rice noodles on stove top and add to crock pot
5-10 minutes before dinner is ready (depends on how crunchy you like your vegetables) add in bell peppers and snow peas.
Allow people to add their own limes, jalapeno and cilantro as a garnish

In this recipe I play around with the vegetables we add, carrots, bean sprouts, organic pea shoots, bok choy, etc...