Slow Cooker Ragu - Weekend Recipe

I love this recipe because it uses fennel to make a sweeter sauce.  You can set it and forget it in your crockpot or make it in your insta pot.  Leave out the pasta and just make the sauce if you want to use other pasta, but you need to drain the tomatoes if you do not add pasta.

Slow Cooker Ragu

• 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
• 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups thinly sliced fennel
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• ⅓ cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed 
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
• ribbon cut fresh basil (about 1 Tablespoon packed)
• 1 12-ounce pkg. no-boil, no-drain penne pasta, such as Barilla Pronto 
• ½ cup snipped fresh basil for garnish

Directions:

Break ground beef into bite-size pieces and place in a 6-qt. slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients except pasta and fresh snipped basil garnish. Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours or high 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

If using low, turn to high. Stir in pasta. Cover and cook 20 minutes more or just until pasta is tender, stirring after 10 minutes. Stir in basil.

Pressure Cooker / Instapot Instructions:

Break ground beef into bite-size pieces and place in a 6-qt. multifunction electric or stove-top pressure cooker. Add next 11 ingredients (except pasta and fresh basil.) Stir to combine. Lock lid in place. Set electric cooker on high pressure to cook 2 minutes. For stove-top cooker, bring up to pressure over medium-high heat; reduce heat enough to maintain steady (but not excessive) pressure. Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. For both models, let stand 5 minutes to release pressure naturally. Release any remaining pressure. Open lid carefully. If desired, let stand, covered, up to 10 minutes for pasta to reach desired doneness. Stir in basil.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  

To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, Recipe2019, or Recipe2020.

 
You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD for each month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2021 so you can find them all.

The themes are:
Jan 2021 – Baked Items
Feb 2021 – Breakfast Dishes
March 2021 – Italian Dishes
April 2021 - Chicken Recipes
May 2021 - Appetizers
June 2021 – Mediterranean Dishes
July 2021 – Pork Recipes
August 2021 - Seafood
September 2021 - Pizzas
October 2021 – Mexican Dishes
November 2021 - Cookies
December 2021 – Gift Recipes

Can your own Sugar-free Applesauce - Weekend Recipe

This crockpot recipe is for a homemade applesauce that you can enjoy, give as a gift and preserve through canning to enjoy in the long winter.  Apples are sweet enough no sugar need be added until you are tasting at serving time, then you can add sweetener as desired.  I make my applesauce using Backyard Patch Cinnful Dessert blend, which is my alternative to apple pie or pumpkin pie spice made with cinnamon, lemon peel, nutmeg, allspice and ginger.  It is sweeter and less sharp than traditional commercial spices -- and perfect for your holiday baking.

Crock Pot Applesauce No Sugar Added

12 Gala or Jonagold Apples (or apples of your choice) cored and peeled

2 tsp Backyard Patch Cinnful Dessert Blend (or ground cinnamon)
1 oz lemon juice
Water

Directions

Core and peel apples, slice into 8 pieces each and place all in crock pot. Add BYP Cinnful Dessert Blend, and lemon juice. Add enough water to almost cover apples. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Unplug crock pot, remove lid and let cool for about 30 minutes. Scoop apples out with slotted spoon. Add 1/3 at a time to blender and blend to desired consistency. Repeat with the rest of the apples. Combine all of your thirds and store.  If you are going to eat it fresh do so within a month.  If you want to can the applesauce, place it back into drained crockpot and cook on high for 30 minutes to rewarm.   Scoop hot applesauce into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean, remove any air bubbles, and place your lids. Waterbath can for 15 minutes. Makes 10 servings, approximately 3/4 cup each or cans 4 to 5 pints.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole (C&CMay)

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes (VegJun)

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes (ZucJul)

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes (MustardAug)

September 2019 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals (CrockOct)

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails

Crockpot Teriyaki for the overbooked

Today I booked myself to do two different cooking programs (what was I thinking!?) The first is with the Hinsdale Garden Study Group where I will be teaching them to be Herbal Gourmets.

The second is a new program called Eating Clean at Dist 214 CommED, which is about making your own condiments, so you don't have to buy the deeply processed items available in the stores and reduce, salt, fats and preservatives in your diet.  I will be teaching how to make simple things like Pico de gallo along with crafting your own ketchup and mustard. I look forward to teaching this again at District 214 or District 128.  If you are interested in it, let me know.

Teaching two cooking classes means I am not going to make dinner today for the family.  So I am making a crockpot teriyaki that is herb-flavored and delicious that they can nosh on with the left over rice in the refrigerator.

Crock Pot Chicken Teriyaki

Put simply, crockpots make cooking easier. This method of cooking is invitingly hands-off, and the results are mouthwatering. Just throw your chicken in with teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and broth, then let the mixture stew for about six hours, depending on the level of heat you opt to use. When you return to the crockpot, you’ll be greeted with a piping hot meal, slow-cooked to perfection.  This version takes about 6 hours to slow-cook and yields 4 servings.

1 pound chicken (sliced or cubed)

1 cup chicken broth

½ cup teriyaki or soy sauce (with or without sesame seeds)

⅓ cup brown sugar

3 minced garlic cloves

2 Tbls fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbls fresh basil or thai basil (or lemon basil)

Directions: 

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. In separate bowl whisk together remaining 4 ingredients then pour onto chicken in crock pot. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low 6 to 8 hours. If sauce is runny, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and pour it into sauce to thicken.  Add the herbs just before serving and serve with rice or ramen and fresh steamed vegetables.

TIP: You can substitute 2 tsp of each herb dry instead of fresh and the recipe will still be tasty.

 

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole (C&CMay)

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes (VegJun)

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes (ZucJul)

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes (MustardAug)

September 2019 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals (CrockOct)

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails