Hello Friends,

Well, the Weekend's finally here and I'm really looking forward to it. Got a Full Calendar at Church this Weekend, so you know what that means. Going to have to bring out the Crock Pot to fix Sunday Dinner. But that's fine, since this is another of my Favorites anyway.

Although Lamb has been traditionally linked to roasts and BBQs, it really comes into its own whenever it's Slow Cooked. The results are mouth watering, tender, and full flavored meats. Just add some Rice and a loaf or two of Crusty Homemade Bread and the meal's complete.

Slow Cooker Lamb & Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:

• 3lb Lamb stew meat
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1 Squash
• 1 Courgette
• 1 Potatoes
• 1 Carrot
• 1 can Mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup Bell peppers, chopped
• 1 cup Onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 each Garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ teaspoon Thyme leaves
• 1 each Bay leaves
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 2 tablespoons Flour

Steps:

Peel, seed, and slice tomatoes. Slice squash, carrots and courgette. Dice potatoes. Place lamb and vegetables in slow cooker. Mix salt, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf into chicken stock; pour into crock pot over lamb and vegetables.

Cook on low 8 hours. Turn to high. Blend flour and butter, then shape into small balls. Drop into stew and cook, stirring several times, until thickened. Serve over hot noodles or rice.

May God's Smile Brighten Your Weekend,

Phil

Hello My Friends,

Although it's great for a Sunday meal, this slow cooker twist on traditional pork roast will melt in your mouth, no matter when you eat it. And the orange sauce adds an unusual accent and complements the curry. Break out your Crock Pot and whip this up this weekend.

Slow Cooker Curry Pork Roast with Cherry Orange Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon red or yellow curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin roast
1 cup hard cider, beef broth, or water
1 pound fresh dark cherries, stems removed, pitted, halved (or frozen, thawed, drained)
1/4 cup dried cherries
Zest and juice of an orange
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Pinch of cayenne or more to taste

Directions:

1. Combine curry powder, salt, allspice and garlic in a small bowl and massage into pork.

2. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, sear roast, turning every 30 to 60 seconds to lightly brown all sides.

3. Transfer roast to a slow cooker or crockery pot, add hard cider or other liquid, cover, and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or until internal temperature of the roast reaches 145 degrees F. Transfer roast to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, place cherries, orange zest and juice, balsamic vinegar and cayenne in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cherries break down and mixture is thickened, about 15 minutes. If sauce begins to stick to the pan, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

5. Slice pork and fan onto a plate. Spoon sauce on top of pork and serve immediately.

Hope Your Weekend's Terrific,

Phil

Hello Friends,

For the past few weeks I've been sharing a few of my favorite Weight Watchers inspired Recipes over at my other Forum Thread. Well tonight, here's one for your Slow Cooker.

Crock Pot Spicy Shrimp & Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 oz smoked turkey sausage
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup thin sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 (14 1/2 oz) can low salt diced tomatoes,
undrained

1 (10 oz) can undrained Rotel* tomatoes &
green chiles

2 tbsp quick tapioca
1 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 oz frozen peeled and deveined medium
shrimp, thawed

2 cups frozen cut okra
3 cups hot cooked brown rice

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Halve sausage lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker, combine chicken, sausage, sweet pepper, celery and onion.
Stir in diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes and green chile peppers, tapioca, basil and cayenne pepper.

2. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours or HIGH 3 to 4 hours.

3. If using LOW setting, after 6 to 8 hours turn to HIGH setting and stir in shrimp and okra. Cover and cook about 30 minutes more or until shrimp are opaque. Serve with hot cooked brown rice.

Serving Size = 1 1/3 cups chicken mixture plus 1/2 cup rice. Yield: 6 servings

8 WW Points Per Serving With 319 Calories; Total Fat (g)6; Saturated Fat (g)1; Cholesterol (mg)104; Carbohydrate (g)40; Fiber (g)6; Protein (g)27.

Hello My Friends,

In this family favorite, strips of sirloin are seasoned with garlic powder, then slow cooked with onion, green pepper and stewed tomatoes. Very tender and flavorful, this recipe is great to make ahead of time in the slow cooker and then serve over rice, egg noodles, or chow mein.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
• garlic powder to taste
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cube beef bouillon
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.
2. Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Wishing You A Wonderful Wednesday,

Phil

Hello Everyone,

Here’s a different chicken dish to add to your repertoire. To complete your meal, all you need is a side of homemade bread. Also, a dry rosé wine goes perfectly with this dish.

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. bone-in skinless chicken thighs
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• One 16 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• One 10 oz. box plain couscous
• ½ cup pitted green olives

Steps:

1. Combine squash, tomatoes, onion, garlic, beans, broth, and raisins in slow cooker.
2. Combine coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a small dish. Rub spice mixture on chicken thighs.
3. Place chicken on top of vegetables in slow cooker
4. Cover and cook on Low setting for 8 hours or on High setting for 4 hours.
5. About a quarter-hour before serving, prepare coucous according to package directions.
6. Fluff couscous with fork.
7. Stir olives into chicken mixture. Serve chicken and vegetable mixture over couscous.

Have A Terrific Week,

Phil