Boiled Shrimp

The precooked shrimp that you can get at the grocery store usually tend to be a bit tough to me.  Boiled shrimp is quick and easy.

Uncooked shrimp, devained but not peeled (you can add whatever amount as long as you have enough water and room in the pot).
Spices needed:
pepper
oregano
sage
marjoram
thyme
Herbes de Provence (optional)
coriander

Place spices to taste (add at least 1/2 tbsp of each when doing 1 lb shrimp) in a pot of water.  Once water is boiling, add shrimp (they can be frozen).  Remove shrimp, using a slotted spoon, as they float to the surface and are pink, which should take less than 5 minutes.

Can be adjusted for what

Fettucine Alfredo

I love Fettucine Alfredo.  It's a very simple dish, but is so tasty.  It's great for a night when you don't have much time to cook.

1 lb fettuccine
1/3 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigano-Reggino
Grated nutmeg and black pepper to taste

Cook pasta al dente and drain.  While pasta cooks, heat large skillet over medium-low heat.  Melt butter then add cream.
Two options for adding the cheese:

1. Stirring constantly, add cheese and cook sauce for 1 minute.  Season with nutmeg and pepper. Pour sauce over noodles.
2. According to Pioneer Woman, you can just put half the grated cheese in a large serving bowl/casserole dish, pour the butter & cream mixture over the cheese without stirring.  Then you put the noodles on top immediately after draining.  Toss to combine, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.  (I'm going to try this next time I make it).

Crockpot Mustard Beef (or Chicken)

This was a very yummy and simply beef recipe, and not surprisingly it's from A Year of Slow Cooking.  Beef is so good in the crockpot since it stays tender.  The only thing I might change is using more molasses and mustard for the sauce (1/2 cup of each instead of 1/3 cup).  You can also use 4-6 chicken breasts instead of the beef and make it endo diet friendly.

3 lbs beef roast (use a cut labeled for pot roast)
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

This is another one where it's great to toss in a plastic bag in the fridge overnight.  Dump everything in the plastic bag or crockpot.  Flip the beef over a couple times in crockpot to make sure both side are evenly coated.  Cook for 7 hours on low.

Serves 4-6

Crockpot Lamb with Mint

Lamb with mint is a classic combination so I thought I'd try it in the crockpot.  I made a mistake on this by add the mint at the beginning of the cooking time.  It tasted fine, but it wasn't minty at all.  Lamb in the crockpot is so much better since it's easy to keep it from drying out.  I used a Sneaky Chef puree in this.  I'll definitely try this again adding the mint at the end.

1 1/2-2 lbs lamb shank
1/4 cup Green Puree
1/2 cup white wine
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups fresh mint leaves, chopped in food processor

Place lamb in the crockpot.  Add Green Puree and garlic.  Pour in white wine.  Cook on low for 7-9 hours.  Add mint 15 minutes before serving.

Crockpot Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

This is another A Year of Slow Cooking recipe.  This is very tasty and not spicy hot (since I didn't use the cayenne pepper), but very flavorful.  She uses cardamom pods, but my store only had ground cardamom which worked fine.  I used 4 chicken breasts and had the leftover sauce with some brown rice which was very good.

4-6 chicken breasts
1 onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp cardamom
2 tsp mild curry
2 tsp garam masala (I found this in the Asian section at my local store label Chicken Masala...there are other slight variations)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 can coconut milk
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
juice of 1/2 large lemon or 1 small
1 cup plain yogurt (to add at the end)


Put chicken in crockpot and add garlic, onion, and all the spices.  Add the butter and tomato paste, and then the lemon juice and coconut milk.  Cook on 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.  Add plain yogurt about 15 minutes before serving and stir in.


Serves 4-6.

Crockpot Cuban Pork

This is a combination of Cuban Pork recipes, including this All Recipes one, modified for the crockpot.  The citrus is a really tasty accompaniment to the pork.  My husband like it on tortillas.

2-3 lb pork loin
at least 2 tsp cumin
at least 1 tsp oregano
4 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 orange
Ground pepper to taste

This is great if you put in all in a plastic bag overnight before putting in the crockpot.  In the morning, cook for 8-10 hours.  Serve with black beans with oregano and brown rice.

Serves 6-8

January 2010 Dinner

Note: Until I make the meal I'm going to link to the site where I got the recipe/idea from. I'll post my version and/or comments after I've made the meal.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Crockpot Cuban Pork
Crockpot Chicken Makhani
Macaroni and Cheese
Crab with Butter and Shrimp with Guacamole
Crockpot Lamb with Mint
Crockpot Mustard Beef
Crockpot Moroccan Lentil Soup
Beef Stroganoff
Crockpot Chicken Paprikash
Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp