Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Portobello mushroom make a tasty and healthy addition to any meal. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 portobello mushroom caps

Directions

1. Preheat grill for medium heat.
2. In a large bowl, mix the red bell pepper, garlic, oil, onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper. Spread mixture over gill side of the mushroom caps.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place mushrooms over indirect heat, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ

Use your slow cooker to prepare this great twist on basic barbecue chicken. Throw the chicken breasts in frozen, and serve with baked potatoes.

Ingredients

• 6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce
• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.
2. Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low.

Amazing Meatballs

Amazing meatballs just like an Italian grandma would make.  This is my choice for a Mother's Day meal that easy and sure to please.

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Carnitas means 'little meats' and is traditionally fried then braised. This recipe is made much easier using the slow cooker but the results are just as tasty. This makes a great filling for tamales, enchiladas, tacos and burritos. This filling is also great combined with your favorite barbecue sauce and served on buns.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (4 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 Orange (for juicing)

Directions

1. Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat pork with the spice mixture. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the chicken broth and juice of one orange around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.
2. Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker, and shred with two forks.
3. In a skillet lightly brown the meat in small batches.  Add some of the juice to keep it from burning.  (It also cooks down a bit for extra flavor.)

Slow Cooker Belgian Chicken Booyah

This is a booyah recipe that is adapted from originally a 50 gallon recipe cooked in large 55 gallon cast-iron kettles with a wood fire, most often at church picnics in northeastern Wisconsin.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 pounds red potatoes, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces (optional)
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen cut carrots
• 1 (15 ounce) can cut green beans, drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces diced onion
• 8 ounces diced celery
• 8 ounces diced green bell pepper
• 8 ounces cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons celery salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 packet concentrated vegetable base

Directions

1. Mix chicken, potatoes, beef, corn, carrots, green beans, chicken broth, beef broth, diced tomatoes, onion, celery, bell pepper, cabbage, salt, basil, oregano, celery salt, black pepper, and vegetable base in a slow cooker.
2. Cook on Low for 6 hours.

Beef Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
• 1/2 cup barley
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
• 4 cups water
• 4 cubes beef bouillon cube
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (28 ounce) can chopped stewed tomatoes
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, cook chuck roast until very tender (usually 4 to 5 hours on High, but can vary with different slow cookers). Add barley and bay leaf during the last hour of cooking. Remove meat, and chop into bite-size pieces. Discard bay leaf. Set beef, broth, and barley aside.
2. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute carrots, celery, onion, and frozen mixed vegetables until tender. Add water, beef bouillon cubes, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, chopped stewed tomatoes, and beef/barley mixture. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 to 20 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.