Brazilian Feijao

When I was finishing up respiratory school, one of my classmates invited the class to her house for dinner. She is from Brazil and made this famous dish. There are many versions of this recipe. This one if so flavorful and has been a hit time and again with our dinner guests.

1 pound dry black beans
6 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 beef roast (any variety 1/2-1 lb)
1 stick kielbasa sliced into 1/4" slices
1 package bacon, coarsely chopped
1 pork roast (any variety 1/2-1lb)

Sort black beans, discarding stones or damaged beans. Wash and drain beans in colander. Soak over night or place in pot of water on stove and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Place drained beans, 6 cups of fresh water, and remaining ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for at least 8 hours so meat becomes incredibly tender. Remove bay leaves from crock pot. Shred beef and pork roasts, removing any bones if applicable, Stir everything together and serve over hot rice.

Creamy chicken and mushroom potpie

This is in the crock pot right now and smells divine!!

Combine in crockpot:
-8 ounces mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved if large
-4 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1/3 c all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup water
-2 sprigs fresh thyme (or about 1/2 tsp dried powder)
-1 bay leaf

Place on top:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
salt and pepper

Cover and cook on low for 7 - 8 hours or high for 4 - 5 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving, heat oven to 425. Using a 4 1/2" cutter or large glass, cut into 4 circles, place on baking sheet and cook for 8 - 10 minutes:
-1 sheet puff pastry (half a 17.3 ounce package), thawed.

Ten minutes before serving, add to crockpot and stir to combine:
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen green beans or corn
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp salt

To serve, place chicken mixture in bowls and top with pastry rounds.

Soy-glazed chicken with stir-fried vegetables

In a 4 - 6 qt crock pot, mix together:
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp soy-sauce
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp Asian fish sauce
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

Add:
1 1/2 lbs chicken (thighs or breasts) and turn to coat in above mixture

Cover and cook until chicken is tender, on low for 7 - 8 hours, on high for 4 - 5 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving prepare rice (we made ham fried rice).

Meanwhile, transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour the cooking liquid into a large skillet and boil until slightly thickened, 4 - 5 minutes.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a second large skillet over medium-high heat. Add:
3/4 lb snow peas
1 red bell pepper, sliced
4 scallions, cut into 2" lengths
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped broccoli

Toss frequently until veggies are tender, 4 - 5 minutes. Season with pepper. Serve with chicken and rice drizzled with cooking liquid.

Sausages with Sauerkraut and Potatoes

My sister in law gave me a copy of this months "Real Simple" magazine and there are some really great slow cooker recipes. I've made recipes from the magazine for the past 3 days. I love slow cooker recipes because you can get them going in the a.m. and have everything cleaned up and ready to eat come dinner time!

This recipe is very German. I love German food so I thought it was fantastic, Eric and the kids ate good portions of it and liked it (mostly the brats and toast.)

In a 4 - 6 qt slow cooker, mix together:
1 1/2 lbs red potatoes (halved if large)
2 cups sauerkraut, drained
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp caraway seeds
salt and pepper

Nestle in vegetable mix:
1 1/2 lbs bratwurst links

Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, on low for 7 - 8 hours or on high for 4 - 5 hours.

Sprinkle bratwurst, potatoes, and sauerkraut with 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf (italian) parsley (I didn't do this because I forgot)

Serve with:
Toasted pumpernickel or rye (we chose dill rye) with butter and whole grain mustard for toast and brats.

Mango Salsa Chicken

This is SO good and SOOOO easy! Just make sure you get it going in your crockpot early in the day.

Adapted from recipe by Jani Bott:
For 4 servings (served as tacos):

2 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup mango salsa that you get at Costco (or any other you can find)
1/4 cup brown sugar

Put all of it in a crockpot and cook on high for 6 hours.

Shred chicken and serve however you want. We ate it in corn tortillas with avocado, cheese, and sour cream. SO yummy!

Crockpot Zesty BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

[allrecipes.com]
2 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 bottle (12 oz bottle) of bbq sauce
2 1/2 T Italian Dressing
1 1/2 T Brown Sugar
2 t Worcestershire Sauce

Place chicken in crockpot. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours or on high for 3 - 4 hours. Shred. Eat on bread with spicy mustard, pickles, or anything else you want :)

2 - 3 servings