Innie or Outie

This is a chunky and hearty chicken recipe:

Crockpot French-Country Style Chicken Stew

3 medium potatoes (quartered and sliced)
10 slices bacon (julienned)
3 skinless chicken breasts (cut into bit-size pieces)
1 medium onion (quartered and sliced)
1 cup frozen green beans (cut into bit sized pieces)
1 15 ounce can kidney beans (drained)
1 14 1/2 ounce can stewed tomatoes (with juice)
1 tablespoon minced garlic paste
1 tablespoon thyme flakes
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon pepper
1 pinch salt
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup flour
1 10 1/2 ounce can chicken broth

Place potatoes on bottom of crockpot. Add bacon, chicken, onion, green beans, kidney beans, stewed tomatoes, garlic, thyme, rosemary, pepper, salt, and wine. Mix flour and chicken broth, then pour mixture on top of other ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 8 – 10 hours. Serve over rice or with bread.

This is an easy and earthy-flavored stew:

Crockpot Irish-Style Pork Stew

2 lbs boneless pork (cubed)
4 medium potatoes (quartered and sliced)
2 large onions (quartered and sliced)
1 tablespoon minced garlic paste
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 laurel leaves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 101/2 ounce can chicken broth
1 large pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 12 ounce stout Guinness beer

Place potatoes on bottom of crockpot. Top with pork and onions. Add garlic, parsley, caraway seeds, laurel, brown sugar, olive oil, chicken broth, salt, black pepper, red wine vinegar. Mix flour and beer together, then pour mixture into crockpot. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 hours. Serve over rice or with bread.

This is an easy, yet deliciously spicy, seafood recipe:

Crockpot Spicy Seafood Stew

2 medium potatoes (quartered and sliced)
1 large red bell pepper (julienned)
1 large onion (quartered and sliced)
2 large tomatoes (quartered and sliced)
1 package frozen seafood mix (thawed) – this is a combination (approximately 3 cups) of peeled shrimp, bite-size squid, and clams found in the frozen food section at local supermarkets
1 cup peeled shrimp
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried red chili pepper flakes
2 teaspoons turmeric
½ teaspoon mustard powder
1 cup white wine
2 cups fish stock or chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried cilantro flakes
1 large pinch salt

Place potatoes in bottom of crockpot. Top with bell pepper, onion tomatoes, seafood mix, and shrimp. Add olive oil, garlic, chili pepper, turmeric, and mustard powder. Pour in wine and fish stock. Finish with cilantro and salt.

Cover the crockpot and cook for 8 to 10 hours on high. Stir occasionally. Serve over rice or with bread.

This is a simple recipe that consists of ingredients found in almost every household.

Crockpot Chunky Beef Stew

2 lbs cubed stewing beef
2 ribs of celery (sliced)
2 medium carrots (sliced)
4 medium potatoes (halved and sliced)
2 medium onions (halved and sliced)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 small or 1 large can of sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic paste
Dried parsley

Brown beef in frying pan on medium heat in olive oil. Stir in pepper and garlic paste.
Place potatoes in bottom of crockpot and top with carrots and onions. Then place browned beef on top of vegetables. Add the mushrooms and finally add the cream of mushroom soup. Cover and cook on high for 8 to 10 hours. Sprinkle each serving with parsley.

This is a simple over-night or day before recipe. As with many spaghetti sauces and stews, this tastes even better when refrigerated for 8 to 10 hours after cooking is completed.

Tangy Shredded Pork Roast

1 one and one-half pound pork roast
1/2 large onion (julienned)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix paprika, brown sugar and pepper. Rub all over pork roast. Place pork and onion in crockette (or crockpot on low) and cook for two hours. After two hours turn pork over and cook for two more hours.

Mix vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, garlic paste, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Pour sauce into crockette and cook for 8 to 10 hours more.

While still in crockette, separate pork with fork and serve over rice or a bun. (For added flavor, place in a container and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours, then reheat and serve.)

This is a dish that combines German and Okinawan style cooking.

Crockpot German-Style Oden

3 medium potatoes (thinly sliced)
1 medium onion (sliced)
One 9 pack of frozen chicken dogs (can substitute regular beef hot dogs or pork sausage)
Two 16 ounce cans sauerkraut
2 tablespoons white pepper
Mustard

Place potatoes and onion in the bottom of crockpot. Put chicken dogs on top of potatoe/onion layer. Spread a layer of sauerkraut on top. Sprinkle white pepper over the sauerkraut layer.

Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

Place each serving in a bowl and top with one teaspoon of mustard.

In a world where the majority of households do not have typical ovens, this is an easy and delicous way to enjoy one of my favorite dishes.

Crockpot Lasagna

1 pound hamburger
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
One 15 ounce can tomato sauce
One 41/2 ounce can mushrooms
One 15 ounce container small curd cottage cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
9 lasagna noodles (uncooked)

Brown hamburger in a frying pan, then drain off excess grease. Stir in tomato sauce, onion, oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, and white pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Line bottom of a lightly greased crockpot with 3 lasagna noodles (break the noodles in half if necessary). Layer with 1/2 of meat sauce and 1/2 of mushrooms. Spread 5 ounces of cottage cheese evenly on top. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella and 3/4 cup parmesan.

Repeat the layer of 3 lasagna noodles, meat sauce, mushrooms, and cheeses.

Top with 3 lasagna noodles and remaining cheeses.

Cover crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.

Crockpot Asian-Style Hungarian Goulash

1/2 medium onion (diced)
2 medium carrots (chunky diced)
1 medium bell pepper (diced)
3/4 cup warm water
1 beef bouillon
1/4 cup flour
1 pound beef stew meat (cut to bite size chunks)
1 tablespoon marjoram
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 pound beef stew meat (cut to bite size chunks)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon minced garlic paste
1/2 cup yoghurt

Place diced onion, carrots, and bell pepper in crockpot. Melt bouillon in the warm water.
Combine flour, marjoram, and white pepper in a plastic bag, then toss in meat and shake until thoroughly coated. Pour ingredients on top of onion, carrots, and bell pepper in crockpot.
Combine tomato paste, soy sauce, red wine, bouillon, paprika, and garlic. Pour over meat in crockpot. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.
About fifteen minutes prior to serving, stir in yoghurt.

Serve over rice, Okinawan-style soba noodles, or egg noodles.

Crockpot Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms

3 chicken breasts (deboned and skinned)
1/2 cube butter
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
One 8 ounce can sliced mushrooms (drained)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 teaspoon minced garlic paste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
One 8 ounce package cream cheese

Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Put butter and chicken into crockpot and sprinkle oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, white pepper, onion, and mushrooms over the chicken. Heat on high for 4 hours. After 4 hours, turn crockpot down to low.

1 hour prior to serving, mix garlic, cream cheese, and soup in a small saucepan until cheese is melted. Then stir into the chicken and butter mixture in the crockpot and continue heating on low for 45 minutes.

Serve over rice or pasta.

Crockpot Asian Shrimp Creole

1 cup diced celery
1/2 medium size onion (diced)
1 cup diced bell pepper
One 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
Two 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced garlic paste
1 tablespoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 cups medium size shrimp (shells removed)

Combine everything except the shrimp in a crockpot and cook on high. After 4 hours, add shrimp and cook on low for 1 hour. Serve over rice or pasta.