Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches (or not!)

Servings: 8

It's early September, but here in coastal North Carolina, it's still really to hot & humid to use our gas grill on the deck... and it's too hot to use the oven ... and it's too hot to slave over a hot gas cook top, so I put my favorite of all kitchen appliances to work for dinner!  Being in the mood for the Italian version of a Philly cheese steak sandwich, here's what I concocted with ingredients that I had on hand.  You can make this without the veggies if you prefer, but I had a two pound package of those adorable mini (or baby) sweet peppers so I included about a pound of the peppers.  The outcome was deliciously yummy!  The leftovers are great too.  We easily got two meals out of this:  one time we made sandwiches and one time I served it over rice with veggie side dishes.  I like versatile! And easy!

 

1 3-pound (or so) boneless chuck roast, cut in half

1 pound sweet bell peppers or those cute mini bell peppers,

    Washed, seeded, and cut into strips

1 large sweet (Vidalia) onion, halved & sliced

1 package Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix

1 package dry Beefy Onion soup mix

1 cup Guinness beer (or your favorite dark beer)

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.  Place peppers & onions in slow cooker and top with beef. 

Sprinkle dry Italian dressing mix and beefy onion soup mix over roast.

Pour beef and vinegar over the roast and veggies.

Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until it’s easy to shred. 

Shred the beef with two large serving forks (or a serving knife & fork) and cook for an additional hour.

Add fresh ground pepper to taste. 

Serve hot over toasted hoagie rolls with provolone cheese!

It’s also excellent served over rice.  All you have to do is add a side salad and dinner is served!

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

  Servings – about 6

Wow!  Is this ever yummy!  And it's easy!  You can double it to serve a crowd!  What's not to like?  You can make it as spicy (or not) as  you like by adjusting the amount of fajita seasoning and spiciness of the salsa.   I served this alongside skillet Mexican beans, corn, and rice.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into strips

 (or same amount of chicken tenders or cutlets)

1 large green pepper, seeded, cored & cut into strips

1 large red pepper, seeded, cored & cut into strips

1 large sweet onion, sliced

1 package (envelope) fajita seasoning mix

¾ cup your favorite salsa

1 package flour tortillas

Toppings:  guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, green onions

DIRECTIONS:

Lightly spray slow cooker with cooking spray

Add the peppers and onions

Put the chicken over the pepper/onion mixture

Stir together fajita seasoning mix and salsa & pour over the chicken

Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours

Shred the chicken with two forks and stir to combine well

Wrap the tortillas in foil and heat in 325 degree F oven for a few minutes to warm.

When ready to serve, place some chicken mixture on a tortilla; add desired toppings, roll it up and eat! 

Slow Cooker Shrimp & Grits

There's not much better to a Southern girl than shrimp & grits!  I could eat shrimp & grits for breakfast, lunch and dinner!  There are many recipes for this Carolina low country dish, but I especially like mine to include tomatoes (you do know how much I love tomatoes, right?).  As an added bonus, I can put my trusty slow cooker to use!  The grits & sausage cook in your slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours, after which you add the shrimp, onions, peppers, and tomatoes for an additional 2 hours of cooking time.  Dish it up in shallow serving bowls and serve with a tossed green salad and crusty bread.  

Servings: 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

¾ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups quick-cooking grits, uncooked

   (not instant)

½ pound Kielbasa sausage, sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

1 small Vidalia onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 Tablespoons butter

Fresh ground pepper to taste

3 cups shredded Cheddar/Monterrey Jack cheese

2 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes & green chilies, drained

DIRECTIONS:

Combine chicken broth, salt, and grits in lightly greased slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Two hours before serving, sauté the peppers, onions, garlic and shrimp in the 2 Tablespoons of butter until tender.  Add this mixture to the grits in the slow cooker, along with the cheese, ground pepper to taste, and tomatoes with chilies.

Increase heat to high and cook for an additional two hours.

Fresh Summer Peach Cake

Courtesy of Ina Garten

Serves 10

I still have lots of fresh Carolina peaches and I need to use them soon, as they are getting riper by the day!  This season I've already made peach crisp, peach cobbler, peach kuchen, peach pie, and peach cake... but this fresh peach cake recipe from Ina is quite different from the one I made previously so I decided to give it a try.  I made a couple of substitutions by using Splenda baking blend rather than sugar (if you do this, use 1/2 the amount of sugar indicated in the recipe) and I baked it in a shallow round tube cake pan. The house smells great with aromas of peaches and cinnamon!  By the way, now my peaches are gone so I think it's time to go back to the farm market for more while they are still available... next time, peach jam!  

Ingredients:

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy.

With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cantaloupe, Cucumber, & Feta Salad

Garden fresh melons and cucumbers are combined into a light & refreshing summer salad that is completed with Feta cheese!  This is a perfect summer salad for a Sunday supper menu!  It was love at first bite for me!  I plan to try it with watermelon next time for an even sweeter taste!

  Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

1 cantaloupe, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup fresh mint, chopped

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon poppy seeds

¼ cup Feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:

• Place the cucumbers and cantaloupe in a large bowl. 
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil until well combined.  Whisk in the honey, salt, and pepper.  Pour the amount you desire (I didn’t use all… perhaps ¾ of the dressing) over the cucumber and melon mixture and stir lightly to combine.  Add the mint and toss to combine. 
•  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Before serving, top with Feta cheese.

Note:  I made my dressing in a Good Seasons salad dressing cruet… just add the ingredients, close the top and shake vigorously until well combined.