Taco Time!

I had been trying to figure out something different to use the corn in and wasn't quite in the mood for chicken tortilla soup (this is a default for me).  I decided to try making chicken taco filling in the crockpot.  It helps that they had chicken thighs on sale in the grocery store this weekend.  I do love cooking with chicken thighs.  I made some homemade salsa with some of the fresh tomatoes and jalapenos from the CSA and that is the base of the mixture.  Add some black beans and fresh corn and I think it's going to be a tasty mix!

Crockpot Chicken Taco Filling

• 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin and fat removed
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup fresh salsa* (tomatoes, jalapenos, green pepers)
• 1 tsp Cajun spice
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic*, minced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups fresh corn kernals*
• 1/2 Tbsp lime juice

Place chicken in crockpot and pour water and salsa over the chicken.  Next, add the spices, garlic, black beans, corn and lime juice.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.  The chicken should shredd very easily.  Remove the bones and thoroughly shred the chicken.  Serve in tortillas with your favorite taco toppings.

*CSA ingredients

Using Avocados

John brought an avocado with him this weekend thatneeded to be used. He requested I use it for breakfast. I was searching for ideas, but couldn't come up with anything until John asked me if I had any bread. I remembered I had Flatouts and decided to make breakfast pizzas. I was pleasantly surprised how nice the combination turned out.

 Mexican Breakfast Pizza

•  2 whole grain Flatout
•  6 Tbsp medium salsa
•  20 packed jalapeno slices
•  4 eggs*
•  salt, pepper, cayenne, oregano, to taste
• 1 medium avocado
•  1 cup cheddar-jack

Cook bacon over medium heat. drain on paper towels; dice. Scramble eggs with seasonings over medium heat until just cooked. To assemble: place flatout on cookie sheet. spread 1/2 salsa on each flatout. Sprinkle with jalapeno and bacon. Spread eggs evenly and sprinkle with diced avocado and then cheese. Bake at 450F for 8 minutes.

*CSA ingredient 

Ribs and Beets!

I had thawed what I thought was two packages of thick-cut pork chops this week.  When I went to cook them, I found out that one of the packages was beef short ribs.  While I just seared the pork chops and finished them in the oven, I couldn't resist making my favorite Southwestern Beef Ribs in the crockpot.  To use up beets and beet greens, I made Quinoa with Beets and Greens as a side.  If you need an easy way to roast your beets, just cut the greens about 2 inches above the beets, wash them really well, wrap them in foil, put them in your crockpot and let them cook on LOW for 4-5 hours.  They will be perfectly cooked and peel so easily when they cool!

Southwestern Slow-Cooker Ribs

• 1 lb beef short ribs*
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes with chiles
• 1 cup fresh salsa
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar 

  Place ribs in slow cooker and cook covered on LOW for 4-5 hours.  Mix tomatoes, salsa and vinegar in a small bowl.  Pour over ribs.  Change to HIGH and cook for about 1 hour.  Makes 4 servings.



Quinoa with Beets and Greens

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 medium roasted beets*
• 1/2 bunch beet greens, washed and cut to bite-sized pieces* 
• Feta cheese

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add quinoa, cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.  In the meantime,  dice beets to 1/2" dice.  After the 10 minutes, add beets and beet greens to top of quinoa; cover and cook another 5 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat and allow to steam another 5 minutes.  If desired, sprinkle with a 1-2 Tbsp Feta cheese.  Makes 4 servings.

*CSA ingredients

Tortilla Soup

A friend of mine made a request for good slow-cooker recipes when I mentioned that I never put mine away.  It made me look back in my files and reminded me of one of my favorite recipes.  I had searched recipes for leftover chicken and found this recipe years ago.  I, of course, can't follow the recipe as it's written, so here's my adaptation:

Amy's Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Adapted from http://www.a-crock-cook.com/amys-crock-pot-chicken-tortilla-soup.html

• 1 lb roasted chicken breasts*
• 3 cobs of corn*
• 2 15-oz cans black beans
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes w/ green chiles
• 1 cup salsa*
• 2 med hot peppers*
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin

Cut kernals from corn cobs.  Finely dice hot peppers.  Mix all ingredients in crockpot.  Cook on HIGH 2-4 hours or on LOW 6-8 hours.  Serve with crushed tortilla chips and 2 Tbsp sharp cheddar.

*CSA ingredients

Notes: It never fails to amaze me that just changing the salsa that you use for this soup can change the flavor completely.  However, this is probably the best, most reliable recipe for tortilla soup that I have found.  Using fresh, free-range chicken, fresh corn and fresh peppers made it even better!  Enjoy!